Alternative Treatments

What other alternative treatments are out there? Im googling but not getting far. So far I have tired -

Good healthy lifestyle and diet
Exercise
Therapy
CBT
DBT
Group therapy
Hypnotherapy
Herbal/vitamin and fish oil treatments
Homeopathic treatments
Good sleep routine
Creative therapy
Crystals
Meditation
Medication
Vision boards
Holosync meditation (although did not go too deeply into this - still on the cards to continue)
Mindfulness
Yoga
Massage

Too early in the morning to think of what else. But it seems they cant offer me anything more so Im interested to know what else is out there. Im desperate so open to pretty much anything.

No one has any more suggestions? Im doing psychodynamic therapy too and about to start with another therapist but surely there is more I can be trying? Im at the end of my tether desperately trying to find something, anything to help get me out of this depression.

My friend is studying integrative energy healing. I don't know a lot about how it works, but she did a treatment on me and i felt really good after. They use it at an eating disorders clinic and an addictions treatment center in my city. Might be useful for mood too?

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I find that having a daily routine, no matter how seemingly trivial, help too. Among others on your list, I do exersize mindfulness. A mood diary helps with this.

Yes already do this. I have a mood journal, that records EVERYTHING. I have a very good routine at home, and while in inpatient I have the routine the hospital has set for me.

Nurse has just brought in ECT pamflets but I wasnt keen the first time they suggested it (6 years ago) and Im not keen now, I'd rather be dead. I dont understand why they just cant let us who suffer this much go.

I have a friend that was going to do tapping therapy with me, I shall ask her again cos I see her this weekend.

Thanks Curiosity I will look into integrative energy healing, I live on disability so money is an issue. I doubt thats covered by my health insurance but if its got proven effects I'd be keen to try (and maybe not eat for a month to get it).

ECT...yeeow! (a shiver just went down my spine)

What is tapping therapy? Does it actually work?

EFT
Bach essences

I am getting adult vaccinations done by my former pediatric nurse practitioner. She is an integrative specialist and I told her that I have bipolar without psychosis, and asked what she recommended for mood stabilization. Here goes:

- a B-complex that has riboflavin and at least 800 mcg of folate. She recommended
Pure Encapsulations - B-Complex Plus 120 VegiCaps: Amazon.com: Grocery & Gourmet Food

- high quality fish oil. I do not have the instructions on hand - I will post them when I get home. She gave me instructions on how much EPA etc. is needed daily. She told me that if I have a fishy aftertaste or fishy smell or heartburn with a fishy taste after taking fish oil, then that fish oil is no good, and there is no point in taking it. Well, I did sometimes have that fishy aftertaste when I would take Costco fish oil, so I am now trying a different brand, Carlson, which Anika (back when she would come to this forum) recommended. The nurse practitioner herself recommended Nordic Naturals.

I think a big one to add to your list is always keeping yourself well hydrated. Being well hydrated helps to even out the moods and to provide you with mental acuity. It is a tough one for me when I have an anxiety episode, since I feel nauseous and have a hard time eating and even drinking, and not being hydrated only sharpens anxiety, so I go into a downward spiral. But at least when I am at baseline (now I am), I make sure to drink tea, dairy drinks, a little coffee, mango lassi, mineral water or mineral water with a droplet of juice for color and taste, etc. It is a very simple, inexpensive, and basic step - to keep yourself hydrated - but, to me, it is as important as pretty much everything else.

Idk if integrative energy healing is the same as Reiki, but I started getting Reiki healings a couple of months ago. I'll tell you what... I feel great right afterwards, but I have a difficult time harnessing that feeling and keeping it with me for more than a couple of hrs. Hopefully it'll come with time (as does everything else, it seems)

Sent from my SPH-L710 using Tapatalk

I think it's similar to Reiki, but I don't know enough about either to say for sure. As far as I understand it, Integrative Energy Healing has to do with manipulating the energy field that surrounds people, but is usually invisible unless you can see auras. It has to do with charkras, and manipulating energy to flow more freely through channels and break through blockages. I didn't expect to feel anything when I had my treatment, I was just doing it as a test patient for my friend because she is studying this in school and needs to do a certain amount of treatments for homework. Anyway, I didn't expect to feel anything, but it was quite powerful. She wasn't actually touching me, just moving her hands around near my body, and I had my eyes closed. It felt like pressure and releases, and it was energizing. She said I looked like I was asleep, but I was very much awake. Afterwards she described what she had felt in different areas, like my brain and my gut, and the way she was describing things was accurate for how I was feeling that day. It was pretty cool, I want to have another treatment. I was in a good mood when I had the treatment done, so I don't know what it would be like if I had been depressed or hypomanic. I would guess that it would feel amazing during hypomania, if I could manage to lie still on the table long enough to get the treatment done. I don't know what kind of evidence there is for this type of treatment, but as far as I can tell there is no risk to it and no side effects, so my thought is try it if you have the ability to.

Calling on animal spirit guides
Knowing that I can call them and ask for help

It sounds like Reiki to me. Reiki is energy healing and helps to open blocked chakras and send light and love through you. Some of the things that have been starting to be healed for me: confusion, fear of loneliness, and some others that I cant think of off hand. But there have been some things that she said the spirit guides healed that were spot on (as far as some of my issues goes). I can literally feel the energy as she is doing it, its crazy. Depending on the type of Reiki she's doing, I'll either get a warm sensation or a bit of a chill. I feel clear when she's finished, like a weight is lifted.

My Reiki Master was wondering why she felt sad right before my appointment, and low and behold, it was b/c I was sad. I also told her that I felt like the BP was almost fighting it and she mentioned that she felt a feeling of resistance almost every time before my appts until we discussed it.

Sent from my SPH-L710 using Tapatalk

* Mental activity, e.g. I play Lumosity. Not sure if it's scientifically veritable, but I do know that doing well on little games makes me feel better when I've hit a slump
* Aromatherapy - lavender and peppermint help me relax, which is great for bedtime
* Sex
* Herbal teas: chamomile and lemon balm help me relax, and clear my mind

It's pretty amazing, isn't it? I need to get another treatment.

Thankyou all for your imput. Please do not think that I am dismissing your advice here but I have tried most of these suggestions.

What is EFT? I've tried Bach many times, I wish it worked for me cos I spent so much bloody money on it with no results! I have all of that stuff at home still.

I drink a lot of water (live in a hot climate) and I drink a lot of teas, I am very well hydrated. I have no problem drinking plain water and drink at the very least 2L a day, but usually more, its hard to measure when I just keep a full glass next to me at all times.

The fishoil suppliments and vitamin B I have been on in the past are practitioner prescribed so I know its the good stuff (paid through the nose for it too). Now I take over the counter fishoil but have left it at home this admission, already have a handful of pills to swallow and the nurses take so long to get meds ready. I'll start taking it again when I am at home. I have never found it to ever have an effect on my moods even when on high dosages (as prescribed by my pdoc and GP who practices natural medicine before "medication")

I have over the counter vitamin B at home too but the only effect I noticed on it was that my pee smelled bad! I didnt notice any mood effects on this vitamin B or previous practitioner prescribed vitamin B.

How do I do this? Do I have to believe in anything specific for it to work?


Yep Im on luminosity. Play most days (when I remember)

I do aromatherapy with my oil burner and scented candles at home. While admitted I do a relaxation group which uses aromatherapy oils and we get the scents for our pillows for the night after each session. I enjoy it.

My sex life was very active before this depression, its a bit harder to get in the mood now but whenever I have leave from hospital, we're at it haha.

Herbal teas I love. I drink a shitton of chamomile, peppermint and green teas. I also love my tension tamer and sleepytime teas.

I have done some reiki in the past. I practice it with my animals (not that knowledgeable in it but I do believe in passing on good energy etc). My friend with the crystals was going to do something with my charkras, shes set me up a crystal charkra kit. I was supposed to see her today but was too ill, hopefully I will have the kit by the end of the week. She has done some crystal healing on me that sounds similar to the integrative healing (from what I have read). I will keep pursuing this.

Any one have any other ideas? Im on the way out of this dark depression now, thanks to heavy duty antipsychotics. Perhaps even stress management ideas could be helpful to me? I have done all of the groups and therapy work, but I'm always learning and open to new ideas.

[quote=Supanova;3646829]What other alternative treatments are out there? Im googling but not getting far.

The newest treatment that has been approved by the FDA and insurance companies are now covering is TMS - transcranial magnetic stimulation. It's safe and painless. You can research it at Neurostar. Viv D.

What areas are you most interested in improving? What are some of the shortcomings of your current routine that you'd like to make up for?

Something that was recently suggested to me was the Alphastim (Alpha-Stim Technology for Anxiety, Insomnia, Depression, and Pain Management). It's prescription-only, but there's quite a bit of science backing it up. The devices are widely used by the American military to deal with anxiety, stress, PTSD, etc. Some people say that it helps them cut back on their antidepressants and anti-anxiety medication, and that it doesn't cause the same side effects (e.g. grogginess, being slowed down, etc.).

My routine when I am stable is quite good, but been all out of whack the last few months with hormonal and medication changes. I've been told by pdocs and nurses alike that I have brilliant coping strategies and I put a lot of effort into making my life work. But when life stressors hit, on comes an episode. Not all the time but some of it, enough of it to be disruptive and put me in hospital. This is the first event in over 3 years.

I've been checking out the Alpha-stim, sounds interesting, thankyou for the suggestion! I wonder if this is similar on a much smaller scale to what ECT can do? I'd be more keen to try electrical brain stimulation if it was effective to the point of no longer needing medication. If I still need to be on meds after it, there seems little point to me. I also wonder about headaches or migranes, would they worsen? CES is definitely something I will bring up with my pdoc. I wish the unit was a bit more affordable though. Its price puts it out of my reach. But I will bring it up with my pdoc and see if there is anything on offer here that is similar or perhaps covered by medicare or the PBS. Thanks

Acupuncture

When I was able to afford it it helped alot with energy.

Thanks, I had talked to an acupuncture practitioner about if it would be suitable and helpful for Bipolar and OCD and they said "probably not" but if you are having positive results Im happy to give it a go. What areas would they concentrate on? Does it hurt? What kind of costs and how many treatments would I need to have?

I've had it done on my horses, but never on myself. I didnt see results with the horses.

[QUOTE=Sad&Bipolar;3657839]I've thought about this but wasnt sure of effectiveness and long term effects. The little I have heard about it has not be positive as for being an effective treatment. But I havent had a good look at it. I've spent the afternoon researching CES so I'll save that for another day, I didnt see your post for some reason earlier, sorry! Thanks for your imput

Some insurance companies will cover the Alpha-stim quite generously. You'll have to explain that it's different from less powerful TENS devices, as that way the insurance company will be more willing to help. Here's some more information about costs: http://bio-medical.com/media/support...-codes-cpt.pdf

Unfortunately I can't get the Alpha-stim because my insurance company only provides adequate coverage for severe anxiety, fibromyalgia, and PTSD. Maybe I'll look into it in the fall when I have more scholarship money.

Good luck.

Do you take vitamin D?

Another suggestion is getting thyroid levels and gyno checked out to rule out physical issues that can exacerbate the depression. A physical probably won't hurt, either.

I find a regular routine of deep-pressure massages noticeably helps my condition. And then between this and other efforts, like getting properly medicated, I eventually stop the message therapy. This is one of my fallback coping strategies.