Mental Health Treatment
The functional medicine approach to managing mental health issues focuses on addressing the root causes of symptoms and treating the whole person rather than just the symptoms. This approach considers a wide range of factors, including nutrition, lifestyle, environment, and genetics, and often involves a personalised treatment plan.
The goal of functional medicine in addressing mental health is to empower patients to achieve a better quality of life by understanding the interconnectedness of their systems and optimizing their body's natural balance through personalized, holistic care. Each treatment plan is unique to the individual and continuously refined through an ongoing partnership between the practitioner and the patient.
Comphrensive Assessment
Step 1 is a Comprehensive Assessment gathering an extensive medical and lifestyle history, including physical health issues, emotional trauma, stress levels, and dietary habits, sleep patterns, exercise routines, and any exposure to environmental toxins.
Functional Testing
Functional Testing evaluates biomarkers related to nutrition, inflammation, hormonal balance, microbiome health, and metabolic function. You will be sent for Medicare funded Blood Tests and you may be recommended to complete testing for Organic Acids, Gastrointestinal Mapping, Heavy Metals, Biotoxins, Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO), Hormones or Genetics to understand predispositions that might affect mental health.
Nutrition & Dietary Interventions
You will need to make Nutrition and Dietary changes that focus on whole, nutrient-dense foods that support brain health, such as omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants, vitamins (like B vitamins and vitamin D), and minerals (like magnesium and zinc). You will remove common allergens and sensitivities like gluten, dairy, or processed sugars to identify potential food-related triggers of mood disturbances.
Gut Health
You may need to incorporate pre/probiotics and fiber-rich foods to promote a healthy gut microbiome, given its connection to mental health through the gut-brain axis. We will help you to manage any digestive issues like gut permeability, dysbiosis or SIBO which are common to co-exist with mental health issues.
Lifestyle Modifications
We will encourage regular physical activity, as it boosts endorphin levels and promotes neurotransmitter balance, Implement strategies to improve sleep quality, as disrupted sleep can significantly impact mental health and use techniques like mindfulness, meditation, yoga, or deep-breathing exercises to reduce stress levels.
Environmental and Social Factors
We will advise steps to minimize exposure to environmental toxins like heavy metals, pesticides, and household chemicals that can affect mental well-being. Detoxification and elimination protocols will be used where required.
We will encourage & support you to building strong social networks and support systems to foster emotional well-being.
Mind-Body Practices
Psychotherapy, Hypnotherapy and Family Therapy can complement functional medicine approaches. We can explore creative and spiritual therapies that can improve emotional expression and mental health.
Personalized Supplementation
Targeted Supplements such as omega-3 fatty acids, magnesium, vitamin D, B-complex vitamins, and herbal adaptogens based on individual needs and deficiencies identified through testing.
Medication Management
We can monitor your medication and support you to start, change, reduce or cease (where safe) antidepressant and anxiety medications as indicated. SSRIs are the most commonly prescribed antidepressant/anti-anxiety medications and although they may be effective in treating some mood-related conditions, their efficacy can vary from person to person and their side effects can range from mild to severe. It is common for people to experience nausea, diarrhea or constipation, headaches, weight gain, insomnia or drowsiness. Many people experience sexual side effects, including decreased libido, delayed orgasm, or erectile dysfunction, which can persist as long as the medication is used. Some individuals report feeling emotionally numb or blunted, which can impact daily functioning and relationships. It can even increase agitation and particularly in young adults and adolescents, there is a small increased risk of suicidal thoughts and behaviours. So there are many reasons one may not want to be on these medications even if they are really struggling with their mental health.
Abruptly stopping SSRIs can result in withdrawal-like symptoms, including dizziness, tingling sensations, fatigue, vivid dreams, irritability, and flu-like symptoms. Gradual tapering is recommended to minimise these effects and should be monitored by a professional. We can help to develop an individual plan to support your body and mind should you need to go through this process.
Regular Monitoring and Adjustments
Regular follow-ups to assess progress and adjust the treatment plan as necessary and coordinate with other healthcare professionals for a multidisciplinary approach when needed.
