What Is Holistic Therapy and How Can It Benefit You?

When it comes to treating certain conditions like addictions, anxiety, stress, or depression, finding the right treatment can be hard. There are a lot of options out there.

One option people might overlook is holistic therapy. This type of therapy can be effective, especially if other types of treatment aren't working well.

But what exactly is holistic therapy? In this post, we'll go over what holistic therapy is and what benefits it offers. 

What Is Holistic Therapy?

Holistic therapy is a type of treatment that focuses on the whole person, rather than just their symptoms. It considers all aspects of a person's life, including their physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health.

Holistic therapy is meant to promote relaxation and mindfulness. Holistic therapists will often incorporate other forms of psychotherapy, such as cognitive-behavioral therapy, in their treatments. 

How Can It Benefit You?

There are many ways that holistic therapy can benefit you. Here are some of the most common benefits.

Help you to regulate your emotions

When it comes to regulating your emotions, holistic therapy can be extremely effective. It can help you to understand why you feel the way you do and how to manage your emotions better.

Connect with your spirituality

If you're looking to connect with your spirituality, holistic therapy can help. It can provide a space for you to explore your spiritual beliefs and practices. You will be encouraged to learn about yourself and your beliefs.

Improve your communication skills

Holistic therapy can help you to improve your communication skills. This is because it helps you to understand yourself and others better. You might be taught how to engage in active listening and read nonverbal communication.

Reduce stress and anxiety

One of the main benefits of holistic therapy is that it can help to reduce stress and anxiety. It can help you to learn how to manage your stress levels more effectively. Some techniques you might learn are deep breathing and meditation. You might also be encouraged to engage in aromatherapy or massages for stress relief. 

Develop a stronger sense of self-awareness

Holistic therapy can help you to develop a stronger sense of self-awareness. This is because it encourages you to look at all aspects of your life, including the good and the bad. As you learn more about yourself, you'll be able to make better decisions for your future.

Improve your stress management skills

When it comes to managing stress, holistic therapy can be a great way to learn new skills. You will learn how to identify your stress triggers and how to deal with them in a healthy way. This can help you to feel more in control of your life. 

Improve your sleep quality

Poor sleep quality can be caused by stress and anxiety. Holistic therapy can help to improve your sleep quality by teaching you how to relax and manage your stress levels better. 

Reduce your reliance on medication

If you're relying on medication to manage your condition, holistic therapy might help reduce your reliance on them. This is because it can help to improve your overall well-being, which might make you feel better and require less medication.

Get into better physical condition

Holistic therapy can also improve your physical health. You will be encouraged to examine how you treat your body and what can be done to improve your physical condition. You might be recommended to take up yoga or learn proper nutrition. 

As you can see, holistic therapy can offer a range of benefits for you. While it may not be the end-all cure to your problems, it can help you out a lot.

If you're looking for a different type of treatment, or if other treatments haven't been working well, holistic therapy might be a good option. Talk to your health care provider to see if it's the right choice for you.

Author bio:

Indranil Kar

INDRANIL is Director of Marketing at BacklinksMedia. With 5+ years of experience in public relations and marketing, he loves talking about content creation, SEO and his dog.

How Do You Know if a Dental Issue is Truly an Emergency?

Many dental issues can be temporarily treated using simple methods at home. That buys time until you can set up an appointment and have a dentist examine your teeth and gums. Unfortunately, there are some issues that cannot wait; they need immediate attention by one of the Westfield dentists near you. How do you tell the difference between something that needs treatment soon and a problem that requires immediate attention? Here are some signs you are dealing with a real dental emergency. 

Sudden Tooth Looseness or Loss

That direct blow to the mouth did more than cause your lips to swell and bruise your ego. As a result of the blow, you now have teeth that are loosened. Worse, a couple of them have popped out of the sockets. In cases like this, there’s no time to lose. 

All of those teeth need to be resettled in the gums as soon as possible. You also need advice on how to keep the teeth that popped out viable while en route to the emergency dentist. Quick action by yourself and a dental professional increases the odds that you won’t lose any of those teeth. 

Unusual Gum Swelling

Gum swelling around the base of one or more teeth is nothing to take lightly. It’s not just the discomfort; swelling of this type indicates the presence of an infection. Given the fact that infections can impact the entire body and not just the mouth is reason enough to seek help at once. 

If you want to prevent the infection from spreading and causing damage, the only smart move is to contact an emergency dentist and see the professional at once. After the dentist assesses the issue and provides a treatment, you may begin to see a difference within hours. 

Bleeding That Shows No Signs of Slowing Down

While your teeth were not loosened during the fall, there is bleeding. In fact, it isn’t slowing down at all. It appears to be getting worse. No matter what you do, nothing seems to get any better. 

This is a true dental emergency in that there’s likely more damage than you realize. A dentist can order tests that shed more light on the problem, isolate the reason for the bleeding, and take action to correct the issue. Prompt action will reduce the risk of infections or the development of several other concerns. 

Pain That Nothing Seems to Lessen

When the pain began, you figured it would be easy to deal with it at home until the dentist could see you in a few days. That turned out to not be the case. You’ve tried everything to help ease the pain. From taking over the counter pain relievers to using ice packs, then trying heat, to rubbing the gums with different substances recommended by loved ones, nothing seems to make a bit of difference. Worse, the pain is so strong that you can’t even sleep and enjoy some respite from the discomfort. 

The fact that the pain is constant and isn’t eased by anything that you do is a sign something unusual is happening. At this juncture, the only thing you can do is call for emergency dental help. Only after the origin of the pain is isolated will it be possible to setting on a course of treatment that resolves the problem and helps ease the pain at the same time. 

Whatever the issue seems to be, don’t spend too much time wondering if it’s a dental emergency or if it’s something that can wait a day or two. Call your dentist and describe what’s happening. Be detailed in what you’re experiencing and what steps you’ve taken up to this point. Always answer any questions in full. Doing so will make it easier for the dentist to make a preliminary assessment, and tell you if some type of treatment is needed right now. 

This is a guest blog entry.

How diet and nutrition Optimizes Your Eye Health

Photo Credit: Soroush Karimi via Unsplash

We all know that proper diet and nutrition play an essential role in improving your overall wellness and keeping your health at its best. But less know the full effects of what this really means. For example, proper health and nutrition can be instrumental in helping your eye health.

When you think about nutrition, you may not be thinking about how it can impact the health of your eyes, in addition to your overall wellness. Whether you see a nutritionist or Vancouver optometrist, both will likely agree that consuming a healthy diet of certain foods can help to maintain eye wellness, prevent diseases, and even improve your eyesight. Here’s how!
 

Essential Nutrients

The foods we eat contain essential nutrients for our physical health. When it comes to the eyes, nutrients that are beneficial can include:
 

• Lutein
• Vitamin C
• Vitamin A
• Vitamin E
• Zeaxanthin
• Omega-3 fatty acids
• Gamma-Linolenic Acid
• Zinc

Research has shown that eating a diet high in these nutrients can help to decrease the risk of eye diseases such as cataracts, dry eye syndrome, or other age-related eye conditions. A healthy diet can also help prevent other conditions, such as diabetes or hypertension, which are known to affect the eyes.
 

Nutrient-Rich Foods
 

There are many foods that can help benefit the eyes. Certain fruits and vegetables are the leading sources of these nutrients. Carrots are the most widely known source, containing high levels of Vitamin A and beta carotene, which help the eye surface and prevent infections. Other vegetables and fruits such as kale, orange peppers, spinach, berries, and kiwi all contain large quantities of these essential nutrients. Studies have also shown that adding fish such as salmon, tuna, and rainbow trout roughly twice a week can help prevent certain eye diseases.
 

Many types of seeds and nuts are also beneficial to eye health. Almonds, for example, are a nut that is high in vitamin E, which helps the eye bolster itself against instabilities, which can lead to weakened eye tissues and diseases. This is also true for other nuts and seeds like peanuts, sunflower seeds, and hazelnuts.
 

Other Tips for Great Eye Health
 

While diet plays an important role in your eye health, it is far from the only contributing factor. There are many other ways to help keep your eyes in top physical condition. Wearing sunglasses on very bright and sunny days is an easy example of protecting your eyes from harmful UV rays. Wearing protective eyewear while engaging in activities such as sports, construction, landscaping, or any other event where debris can easily fly into the eye is another important way of keeping yourself safe from injury.

Maintaining other healthy lifestyle habits such as balancing a good blood sugar level and avoiding smoking are two other ways to help prevent diseases that can cause eye conditions. Smoking alone can increase the risk of cataracts, glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, and more.
Lastly, a great way you can ensure your eyes are in optimal condition is by seeing an eye doctor roughly every one to two years.


This is a guest blog entry.

List of HIV/AIDS Medications

A wide range of medications are used to treat the various symptoms of HIV/AIDS and help get this disease under control. It should be noted, however, that none of these medications or treatments are a cure for the medical condition.

There are dozens of FDA approved medications for treating HIV/AIDS that fall under the antiviral classification, and there are other types as well. Let’s break down what some of these are and how they may be able to help you. Keep in mind that people react differently to these medications, so what works well for one person might be dangerous for someone else because of its side effects.

Most doctors will prescribe a combination of several antiviral drugs (labelled a cocktail) for best results. Be sure to adhere to your doctor’s dosing and prescription direction precisely. Any deviation with HIV medications can be very risky.

NNRTIs

These are known by the longer name Non-Nucleoside Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors as well as the shorter non-nukes and include drugs like Efavirenz, Doravirine Rilpivirine, Etravirine, and Cabotegravir, to name a few. These are protein binders that prevent viral replication, making it impossible for HIV to spread through copying itself.

NRTIs

The longer version of their name is Nucleotide Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors, and these include drugs like Emtriva, Ziagen, Zerit, Epivir, and Videx, as well as others. These medications stop HIV virus replication as well, utilizing erroneous building blocks to prevent HIV spread and hinder new copies of HIV cells from being formed.

Integrase Inhibitors

There are a number of inhibitors used to treat HIV/AIDS. Most of these are toxic to some degree and become more toxic with use. That means that they can usually on be used to treat the disease for a short while before other treatment methods need to be implemented.

Integrase Inhibitors are known sometimes as INSTIs, which stands for integrase strand transfer inhibitors. They prevent HIV from using proteins to prevent HIV from working its way inside normal cells in the body. INSTIs include Dolutegravir, Cabotegravir, Bictegravir, Raltegravir, and others.

CCR5 Antagonist

The HIV virus will try to work its way into the body’s healthy cells, establishing an attachment that helps it to hold on tight. This makes it hard for the immune system to force the virus out of the body like it normally would, and CCRF drugs like Selzentry will keep HIV from getting inside the cells at all. It protects healthy cells and uses a type of barrier action to block integration. HIV won’t be able to get its hooks in through the defense this drug puts up.

Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis

Also known as PrEP, this drug is useful for protecting the body against HIV before a person comes into contact with the virus. They have to be taken daily without fail to be most effective. However, they are not a guaranteed method of preventing HIV infection, but they are quite effective.

Anyone who is taking PrEP drugs at the advice of their doctor will likely be told that they need to take additional precautions against HIV, like practicing safe sex or abstaining from sex entirely. They may also want to be careful about who they choose for sexual partners, getting tested before intercourse for extra safety.

Drugs that fall into this category include Descovy and Truvada, among others.

Combinations

While doctors will often prescribe combinations of several of the drugs already mentioned here, some medications combine two or more antiviral treatments in one. These are incredibly effective and give HIV sufferers a way to use just one medication to treat the disease. This simplifies medication and effectively fights the virus on multiple fronts.

Take Precautions to Protect Yourself

To minimize the risk of contracting HIV, you should not share needles or other medical apparatus that could transfer blood or other bodily fluids. Homosexual men are at high risk for contracting the virus, especially when compared to straight men and women. AIDS is most often transmitted sexually, but it can be contracted through any means that puts bodily fluids from one person into the bloodstream of another person.

If you think you might have contracted HIV/AIDS, you should get tested, though the virus may not be testable for up to 18 days after exposure.

This is a guest blog entry.

Outpatient Program Facts You Need to Know

For those who are wondering what exactly is an outpatient program, it is a treatment system that allows patients to stay at their homes during the whole treatment procedure without the need of moving to a facility. Outpatient programs provide the opportunity to treat addiction issues while staying in their familiar settings. The goal here is that a person recovers much faster in his familiar surroundings. The outpatient programs may be in group form or single periodic appointments. 

Outpatient treatment can be undertaken in many cases but recently substance addiction is being treated most by this. Teen outpatient treatment programs have enabled the youth to be cared for with convenience. This can save them from all the stigma and hassle associated with substance abuse. Below are listed some facts regarding outpatient programs which will help you understand the true dynamics involved.

• It is sometimes thought that the outpatient programs are for substance abuse only. This is very far from the truth. In addition to substance abuse, outpatient programs are equally helpful in treating people with mental disorders like anxiety, and depression. Various PTSDs (Post Traumatic Stress Disorders) are being treated using an outpatient approach.

• Outpatient treatments mostly deal with people who are not completely lost to any disorder. They are still in their senses and just need additional support to lead them back to normality. For more severe cases, inpatient programs are more viable options.

• Outpatient programs serve as viable alternatives for people for whom inpatient treatments are not suitable. People who are not dependent on the substance completely can benefit from these programs. Patients with critical work obligations can also benefit from these programs.

• For people who prefer anonymity for a variety of reasons, outpatient treatments are bliss. There is no need to portray your illness when it can be rectified quietly. Celebrities and well-known professionals often resort to outpatient methods owing to the freedom it allows. Outpatient treatments are one way of dodging every looking paparazzi's eyes.

• Patients who have undergone complete inpatient programs and are on the way to normality can benefit from these programs. In most cases, such patients only need a little treatment touchup which is best provided through outpatient programs. One reason is that prolonged inpatient programs are at the risk of doing more harm than good for the progress can reverse in unfamiliar often uncomfortable environments of the correctional facilities.

• Even after complete rehabilitation, addicts have chances of relapse. It is often seen that patients relapse after some time of sobriety. For such cases, outpatient remains the best available option.

• Statistics have shown that most people choose outpatient programs for the sake of cost-saving. These programs are often cheap as they don’t include heavy charges for hospital stays. Moreover, outpatient programs require only periodic appointments which can further save some bucks. 

• Outpatient programs lack certain benefits provided by inpatient treatment options. Amenities like nutrition, specialized exercise assistance, medication management, motivational lectures, yoga and many other things can not be provided at patient’s home.

This is a guest blog entry.

Methods for Combatting Stress and Anxiety

Stress and anxiety are two of the biggest problems which plague a lion's share of our population. Today we are going to take a look at some ways of alleviating stress:

• If you have been feeling very stressed lately, then getting some physical exercise can help you relax. A sedentary lifestyle has been linked with sleep disturbances, poor mood, and high stress. These activities can improve your mood drastically alongside common mental health conditions like depression and anxiety.
• The food you eat has a big role to play in determining your mental health. Various studies have shown that people consuming ultra-processed food with high sugar content experience higher stress levels. We develop a tendency of overeating highly palatable foods when we are chronically stressed and this inflicts a negative impact on our health and mood. There is also a high chance of succumbing to nutrient deficiencies of Vitamin B and magnesium which are essential for regulating our mood and stress levels. Thus, it is advisable to stick to whole foods like fruits, vegetables, fish, beans, nuts, and seeds to ensure proper nourishment of your body. 
• Smartphones and tablets have evolved into an integral part of our lives. But using them too often can increase your stress level. Higher screen time is associated with increased stress levels and lower psychological well-being. Blue light emitted from the screen tends to hamper our normal sleep routine causing increased stress levels. 
• Caffeine found in tea, coffee, chocolate, and energy drinks stimulates our central nervous system. Excess consumption of caffeine can increase feelings of anxiety by causing insomnia. If you have been feeling anxious or jittery lately following caffeine intake, then it's high time to swap your morning coffee routine with water or decaffeinated herbal tea. 
• Love and care of friends and family can help us cope with the most stressful times. A study linked higher levels of perceived stress, depressive symptoms, and loneliness with not having enough support from near and dear ones. A social support system can significantly impact your overall mental health. You can join different clubs or volunteer for a social cause to feel more contented at the end of the day.
• Understanding your priorities and avoiding procrastinating can be an effective way of keeping stress under control. Our productivity gets hampered by procrastination leading to a high level of stress and disturbed sleep. If you have a habit of procrastinating regularly, then you can come up with a to-do list according to priorities. Setting realistic deadlines and working your way down the list can ward off stress. 
• Yoga has evolved into a popular means of exercise which increases our body and breath awareness. Practicing yoga regularly lowers the secretion of cortisol or stress hormone while increasing the level of gamma-aminobutyric acid which helps tackle mood disorders. 
• The human touch can be your ally in coping with stress. Various studies have linked positive physical contact with reduced levels of stress and loneliness. Cuddling with your loved one lowers the level of cortisol and increases the release of the oxytocin hormone. This also assists in lowering heart rate and high blood pressure which are infamous for causing physical stress symptoms. 
• Spending time in the lap of mother nature can serve as an excellent means of releasing stress. You can keep anxiety at bay by spending more time in green spaces like forests and parks. While hiking and camping are excellent options for adrenaline junkies, you can also take a tour of local parks, botanical gardens, and arboretums. 
• Modern millennials are increasingly opting for cannabis to benefit from its medicinal properties of stress relief by interacting with our endocannabinoid system.

Conclusion

Stress can arise from an array of factors ranging from health concerns to family obligations and even relationship problems. However, you can gain an upper hand over stress by following the tips listed above. 

This is a guest blog entry.