8 Best Natural Remedies for Mental Health

Updated on April 21, 2022

Mental health has become a major concern in today’s world, with lots of remedies being sort. Mental health issues could range from anxiety disorder to stress, depression, and many other psychological illnesses. While professional medical care and therapy should be sorted, some natural remedies might also be suitable for easing mental stress.

The use of natural remedies for mental health has been around for a very long time. While there has been concerns and questions about their effectiveness when solely used for mental health treatment, a few of these remedies have proven quite effective.

  1. Exercise: Exercise is effective in treating almost everything, and mots especially psychologically related issues. Exercise may help with anxiety and release stress hormones so that the individual feels calm and less agitated.
  1. Meditation: Just like exercise, meditation helps to calm the nerves by working on the body, mind, and soul. Lots of therapists use mindfulness-based meditation when treating patients suffering from stress, anxiety, or depression. Yoga is a popular meditation technique that has proven to help practice mindfulness.
  1. Aromatherapy: Your environment influences your overall wellbeing, and this is what aromatherapy is based on, creating a soothing atmosphere. The use of scented calming plant-based oils helps demulsify the atmosphere and creates a sense of calmness. Research has shown that aromatherapy helps reduce heart rate and relieve insomnia, especially when infused with lavender.
  1. Herbal drugs and tea: Using herbal supplements and herbal teas to treat mental health issues is also very common. A lot of people have sworn to its ability to calm the nerves and ease anxiety. Generally, the process of taking tea can be soothing. Some natural remedies like flax seed and cranberry are also used to improve mental health conditions. Other natural supplements used in psychotherapy are;
  • Vitamin B12 for depression and fatigue
  • Vitamin B3 helps in synthesis of serotonin and to improve anxiety
  • Vitamin B9 for improvement of depression and cognitive impairment symptoms
  • Glycine for better sleep quality
  • Methyl folate to improve symptoms of depression
  • Chamomile to relieve anxiety disorder
  • Other supplements that can help improve ADHD are Iron, zinc, magnesium, Vitamin B6, L-carnitine. It is important to make this part of your daily diet when using natural methods for ADHD.
  1. Playing with pets: Playing with animals has a way of lifting our spirit and making us feel happy. Keeping a pet like a dog or a cat could induce the right hormones to suppress feelings of stress and anxiety.
  1. Cannabidiol Oil: Made from the cannabis plant of the marijuana family, the cannabidiol area has proven to relieve stress. It is often prescribed by a therapist when treating patients suffering from ADHD, anxiety, or depression.  The oil is a subtle form of marijuana, which is illegal in most countries.
  1. Massage therapy: Pampering yourself is also great for calming the nerves. Consider having regular massage sessions at a spa that uses natural remedies. The entire process is soothing and could elevate your spirit. It will also help you get a good night sleep, which works in controlling insomnia.
  1. Light Therapy: Bright light therapy is often used by psychiatrist when treating people suffering from bipolar disorder. When exposed to light, the retina is activated and a stimulus is produces that transmits from the eye to the hypothalamus in the brain. This helps to regulate the individual’s mood and calm their nerves. It is often used on patients who have low tolerance for prescribed meds.

Balancing the use of natural remedies and psychiatric drugs

Even though some herbal drugs are good for fighting stress and depression, caution should be adhered to when taking them especially alongside doctor-prescribed drugs. Some of these natural remedies don’t go well with psych drugs, therefore it is important to know what natural drugs react with specific psych meds.

  • Gingko biolabs might not be safe to take with other antidepressants. For instance, taking selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI) with ginkgo can inhibit monoamine oxidase, and reduce the effectiveness of the medications. Taking both medications can lead to a serotonin syndrome which is a fatal condition. Depakote, which is a drug used for the treatment of bipolar disorder, can also be nullified when using ginkgo biolabs, and can in fact worsen mania.
  • St. John’s wort should also be avoided when taking antidepressants. It may affect neurotransmitters in the brain and interact with psychotropic medicines like nefazodone and serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) citalopram, fluvoxamine, paroxetine, fluoxetine, and sertraline to worsen mania in bipolar patients.
  • S-adenosylmethionine (SAMe) which has been proven to reduce depressive symptoms. Taking SAMe with antidepressants could cause accumulation of high levels of the chemical serotonin.
  • Melatonin should not be mixed with other sedatives like benzodiazepines and narcotics. The effects of both in terms of making you tired and sleepy might be too much for the body.

Even though natural remedies are good for solving depression, anxiety disorders and may other mental health problems, caution must be taken when mixing them with prescribed antidepressants. If possible mixing both remedies should be avoided.

The Editorial Team at Healthcare Business Today is made up of skilled healthcare writers and experts, led by our managing editor, Daniel Casciato, who has over 25 years of experience in healthcare writing. Since 1998, we have produced compelling and informative content for numerous publications, establishing ourselves as a trusted resource for health and wellness information. We offer readers access to fresh health, medicine, science, and technology developments and the latest in patient news, emphasizing how these developments affect our lives.