Alternative Medicines For Complementary And Integrative...

In the United States alone, the Nation Alliance on Mental Illness stated that 16 million adults deal with depression each year (â€Å"Mental†). Depression is a common mental health disorder that people can acquire in today’s society. There are many forms of depression that exist ranging from mild to very severe. Some of those forms include major depression, seasonal affective disorder, postpartum depression, psychotic depression, dysthymia, and bipolar disorder. Many individuals with depression try to treat their illness by relying on antidepressants. Antidepressants are a popular form of treatment of depression because they can be easily obtained and require little effort from the person using them. However, there are many other natural,†¦show more content†¦However, complementary medicines may work alongside traditional medications. Some examples of CAM are acupuncture, diet, yoga, meditation, and physical activities such as sports, hiking, and running. Comp lementary and alternative medicine is increasing in popularity because it can be more beneficial for the patient and their health. Also, using CAM as a way to treat certain illnesses can be much less expensive than investing in antidepressants or other forms of medication. Overall, CAM is a healthy and beneficial method to help alleviate depression and other similar health conditions. Physical activities such as yoga, exercise, sports, and nature and outdoors activities affect victims of depression in a positive way and can improve their mental health. To begin, yoga is a highly recommended activity to help reduce depression. Yoga is a mixture of meditation, stretching, and breathing techniques that helps to clear the mind and focuses on positive energy within an individual. In the journal, Issues in Mental Health Nursing, Lila Louie, a nurse from the University of California, stated, â€Å"In recent years, increasing numbers of people are turning to complementary and alternative medicine for relief from depression and other mental health problems. One form of CAM is yoga†(Louie). This is because antidepressants and doctor prescribed medicines can become expensive over time. Yoga has become