Mental Health

Managing Your Mental Health at Aspire

Our mental health is a key factor in our overall wellness. Yet many people neglect their mental health because it isn’t as tangible as physical ailments. At Aspire, we can help you improve your mental wellness with integrative therapies that can be used on their own or with your existing treatment plan. Whether you’ve been diagnosed with a mental illness or you’re looking for new ways to feel your best each day, we offer a variety of services that can boost your mental health and enhance your quality of life.

Depression

Depression is one of the most common and widely recognized mental health disorders in the world. When individuals suffer from a depressive disorder, they experience feelings of sadness, hopelessness and despair on a regular basis. Depression is more than just feeling blue sometimes — it is a persistent mental state that can disrupt normal functioning so much that even getting through the day might seem like a monumental task. At its most severe, depression can also result in suicidal thoughts or actions, making prompt treatment essential to ensuring the mental health and wellness of those affected.

Depression Treatment Options at Aspire

Therapy and medication are two of the most common treatments for relieving the symptoms of depression. However, integrative techniques such as acupuncture and moxibustion, intranasal therapies and enhanced nutrition also have a long history of use in treating depression and other mental health conditions. They’re safe, effective and have a low risk of side effects, which is ideal for those who don’t respond to or prefer to avoid medication. Our providers can help determine how these therapies fit into your treatment plan.

Anxiety

To some extent, anxiety is a normal part of life. We all worry about little things, like eating healthy or making sure the bills are paid. But when these feelings become overpowering and interfere with normal functioning, it can become a serious mental health concern. Anxiety disorders are characterized by severe and persistent feelings of dread, worry and unease in response to everyday situations. Some people have panic attacks as their symptoms flare up, while others struggle with irrational fears or phobias that leave them paralyzed. Those with anxiety know how important it is to find effective treatments that help them manage these effects to live a happy, balanced life.

Anxiety Treatment Options at Aspire

Some people need medication to manage the acute effects of anxiety, but individual therapy can help develop the coping skills for long-term relief. Additionally, integrative therapies have proven useful for those with anxiety disorders. According to research, the benefits of acupuncture for anxiety include increased relaxation, quicker onset of results, reduced symptoms and fewer side effects than other treatments. Addressing nutritional deficiencies, eliminating triggering foods such as caffeine and using CBD can also help reduce anxiety.

Bipolar Disorder

Bipolar disorder is a serious mental health concern that involves rapidly changing mood swings that go from extreme highs (mania) to intense lows (depression). It’s chronic, progressive and potentially lethal without treatment, as it can lead to unpredictable behavior and increase the risk of suicide or self-harm. There are two main types of bipolar disorder that are differentiated by the patterns they follow: Bipolar disorder type 1 is characterized by severe manic episodes with or without depression, while in bipolar disorder type 2, the mania is milder (hypomania), but the depression may be more severe.

Bipolar Treatment Options at Aspire

Bipolar disorder often requires lifelong therapy and medication to manage properly. However, adjunct treatments can further alleviate symptoms and make traditional modalities more effective. Targeted nutritional and hormonal support have been used successfully to control symptoms, while acupuncture can help patients better regulate their mood and response to stress. Our physicians can determine if nutritional, hormonal or acupuncture therapies fit into your existing bipolar treatment plan.

Stress

We don’t typically consider stress to be a mental health disorder, but it is connected to our well-being in some significant ways. Prolonged stress is linked to a number of issues that impact our mental and physical health, such as obesity, heart disease, depression and anxiety. Some people also use drugs or alcohol for relief. Finding healthy outlets and learning how to manage your stress better is one of the most important things you can do to enhance your mental wellness and the ability to cope with daily life.

Managing Stress at Aspire

Reducing stress often starts with improved self-care, such as eating healthy, maintaining a normal sleep schedule and taking some “you” time throughout the day. At Aspire, we can make it easier to manage your stress with an integrative treatment plan that helps you relax with CBD and acupuncture, balances your hormones and recommends dietary changes for optimal health. We can also perform a DUTCH test to evaluate your levels of cortisol, the stress hormone, to determine if more steps are needed to see results.

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

Modern life makes it easy to get distracted. But for those with ADHD, it’s difficult to stay still or concentrate on tasks no matter what’s going on around them. Without the proper tools to stay focused, it becomes hard to perform well in school or maintain a successful career. Both adults and children are affected by ADHD, but fortunately, the condition is highly treatable with therapy and medication. Nutritional support and integrative techniques such as acupuncture have also proven effective in helping to reduce the symptoms of ADHD.

ADHD Treatment Options at Aspire

ADHD treatment may look different for children and adults. For example, there’s evidence that BHRT can help improve focus and concentration in perimenopausal women. Many people with ADHD also have undiagnosed nutritional issues, such as leaky gut syndrome, chronic deficiencies and food intolerances. Since proper nutrition is essential for optimal brain health, micronutrient and GI-map testing can help your doctor develop an effective treatment plan by determining if nutritional concerns are a factor. Aspire offers these and other integrative solutions, such as acupuncture, that can be effective for managing ADHD.

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

OCD is an anxiety disorder that’s characterized by intrusive, recurring thoughts (obsessions) and an intense desire to perform ritual or repetitive behaviors (compulsions). In many cases, giving in to these compulsive acts helps temporarily relieve the distress or anxiety a person feels, but at the cost of taking up a lot of time and interfering with normal functioning. The primary treatments for OCD are therapy and medication, but patients have seen excellent results when combining these practices with other solutions such as acupuncture, hormonal therapy and nutritional support.

OCD Treatment Options at Aspire

Conventional treatment options for OCD include cognitive behavioral therapy and medication. However, nutritional and herbal remedies show promise as adjunct treatments by reducing symptoms and providing a synergistic effect with pharmaceuticals. Additionally, studies have also determined that hormone levels and heightened stress may play a role in OCD, so hormonal therapies and stress reduction techniques can also be beneficial for patients.

Schedule a Consultation

Don’t let your mental health fall to the wayside. Schedule a consultation with the experts at Aspire to explore new, integrative therapies that can help improve your mental wellness. Our solutions are safe, effective and can fit seamlessly into your existing treatment plan. To get started, click here to book your appointment at our office in San Diego today.