We all know the usual suspects when it comes to managing mental health conditions like depression and anxiety. For those who want to go the traditional route, most psychiatrists will recommend a mix of talk therapy and prescribed medication. For holistic options, medical marijuana and other cannabis products like CBD flowers are great choices, too.
However, healing sometimes requires thinking out of the box, especially if none of the traditional treatments are working to help you grow. If you’ve hit a plateau in your healing journey, it might be a sign that it’s time to try something new, even if it’s more unconventional than what you’re used to. Gaining a deeper understanding depression can also open new paths to healing by helping you recognize its underlying causes and patterns. If you’re looking for a fresh way to heal, you might be interested in checking out these five out-of-the-box treatments for depression and anxiety.
Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy
Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) combines the principles of traditional talk therapy with mindfulness techniques, like meditation, moment awareness, and breathing exercises. It was designed specifically to address depression, as mindfulness can help patients disengage and observe their thoughts and feelings. As a result, patients can start to break away from their negative thought patterns. MBCT is also great at increasing emotional regulation, reducing rumination and overthinking, and promoting a calmer mindset.
Whole Body Cryotherapy (WBC)
Cryotherapy is making waves today due to its appeal for muscle pain and skin tone improvement. However, you may not know that cryotherapy may also benefit those with depression.
A study in 2020 tested whether exposing people’s entire bodies to cryotherapy can help with depression, for which they’re already on medication for. The results found that those who were exposed to extreme cold showed great improvement in their depression symptoms and overall mood.
This suggests that whole body cryotherapy (WBC) is effective when used in conjunction with traditional treatment options. Thanks to the intense cold exposure during a cryotherapy session, your body gets a boost of endorphins and norepinephrine. This can improve your mood and reduce anxiety.
Ketamine Therapy
Ketamine therapy, also called psychedelic integration therapy, involves being treated using low doses of ketamine to help alleviate symptoms of depression and anxiety fast. The idea is that through transformative psychedelics, your brain reaches a state of synaptic plasticity, which allows you to break free from negative thoughts and reflect on them in a calmer, more self-aware way.
What’s great about psychedelic integration sessions is that they are fully guided by a licensed professional. That means you’re not left to process the intense experience alone. This will make you feel supported every step of the way by someone who can help you make sense of it all.
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
EMDR is a psychotherapy technique that involves guided eye movements to help release tension and distressing thoughts. It was originally designed to treat trauma and conditions like PTSD, but it is also effective at treating symptoms of depression and anxiety.
In EMDR sessions, a patient will recall troubling experiences that trigger their trauma and negative thought cycles while following a therapist’s hand with their eyes. This helps the patient reprocess their memories or see them in a new light, which helps reduce their negative emotional impact on them. Working with a professional who offers EMDR therapy in Denver can make this process more effective and supportive.
Somatic Therapy
Somatic therapy is focused on body movements that promote relaxation and release stored tension. The idea is that trauma and depression can get trapped in the body, and thoughtful movements can help patients release them.
In these sessions, a trained therapist guides patients through exercises to help release the physical manifestations of their emotional distress and anxiety. The result is often improved emotional regulation and reduced symptoms of depression and anxiety.
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Finding the right treatment plan for depression and anxiety is never that simple. Sometimes, traditional routes won’t work, which means it’s time to get creative and experiment with other holistic treatment options.
By staying open to even the most unconventional alternative approaches, healing can come much faster for you. Book your first WBC, somatic therapy, or ketamine therapy session, or ask your therapist about MBCT and EMDR. The treatment that will work best for you might be just around the corner.