Alternative medicine for mental health

Has anyone tried acupuncture or something similar for your bipolar symptoms? I've considered visiting a Reiki master to have my energy balanced. Balance is so key to staying healthy and the first line of defense is usually medication. I'm wondering if there are other methods that are equally as effective or at least helpful in coordination with a medicine regimine.

Exercise and yoga

I exercise daily and include yoga sometimes. I find both helpful.

I have participated in a lot of "energy work." It turns out that I am VERY energy sensitive and often feel quite ill. I have received "energy" from some major masters of "energy work," and I get OFF balance, too spaced out, etc.

Most major "energy work masters" will warn people to not participate if they have any mental health issues. Often, energy work which clears other energy/life events, gets me stuck in severe PTSD. This is not unusual if one has PTSD.

This has been my experience with very strong Reiki Masters and with incredibly strong "energy workers," in general.

I maintain my equilibrium far better on my own.

Hi fern46. When I have had a negative experience with something someone's interested in, I try not to demonize or totally discount it, unless I know it's unequivocally harmful. I don't want to discount acupuncture, because I have heard of people having some success with it. I know that acupuncture has a long history of being helpful for various things. I don't know its history at really helping psych issues, or if it could be possible for it to help. Nevertheless, I will share my experience having acupuncture.

Perhaps about seven years ago, I had been having major issues with depression. A good friend of mine at the time knew it and was concerned. Her new husband had recently completed an intensive study program in acupuncture (and other similar treatments) and was planning to set up an acupuncture business. They offered for him to give me free acupuncture to try to help my depression. He wanted someone to "test" his skills on and to do me a favor. Before having it done for the first time, I mentioned it to my psychiatrist. My psychiatrist is an older doctor with traditional/standard psychiatric views and methods. When I told him he sternly said "Don't have it done!" I heard him, but gave it a try anyway, against his wishes. The first time didn't really make a difference, but the second time I actually had an odd reaction. When leaving my friend's house, where the acupuncture was done, I was disoriented and loopy. I was driving unsafely, going through stop signs and red lights. That scared me a bit. I soon after saw my psychiatrist and told him, and he was quite angry with me and told me to stop them. I ended up taking my psychiatrist's advice and let my friend's husband know that I was discontinuing his treatments. That angered my friend's husband because he probably felt a combo of insulted, that I didn't give the treatments enough time, etc. However, I also communicated my psychiatrist's point that having the acupuncture in a way interfered with understanding my psych medications' efficacy (or lack thereof).

As said far above, I can't be sure if acupuncture could have helped with my depression over time. Perhaps my friend's husband was a bit too inexperienced and unknowledgeable about the art? He obviously wasn't aware of its side effects. My advice is that if you do decide to try acupuncture, try to find someone with a lot of experience helping people with psych issues, particularly bipolar disorder.

I lived in Taiwan in the past, and knew an experienced herbal doctor there. I had not been diagnosed at that time. Herbal medicine in China, and other parts of Asia, also has a very long history. The fact is that some of those treatments, when prescribed by an educated/experienced herbal doctor have proven to be helpful for some ailments. I don't know about its efficacy for depression and bipolar disorder. I don't believe many herbal doctors specialize in mental health treatment. For that reason, I would be wary of trying it. I am wary of trying things not approved by the FDA of the US and my psychiatrist. I know that that doesn't mean alternative medicine/treatments can't work. However, my psychiatrist did have a good point about its interference in knowing efficacy of standard treatments. Alternative medication may also have unexpected side effects that could be worrisome or even dangerous.

My psychiatrist does recommend pretty much anything exercise-related or mainstream therapy-related. He'd be happy to hear if I took yoga or Tai Ji Quan. I doubt he'd be thrilled if I wanted hypnosis, though.

Hey BirdDancer. I'm open to hearing about the good and the bad experiences. I like to do research from all angles before deciding to pursue something new. I appreciate your honesty about what you went through. Same to everyone else. Thanks so much for taking the time to share your thoughts.

I also get benefit from natural plant sources and supplements. I'm not saying try any of this, and some of it isn't legal some places. Some places require prescriptions for some things.
Kratom. I use it for chronic pain and depression. The red vein can help when I can't sleep, sometimes. Green and white help with my depression and low energy days.
Kava. This has been an absolute miracle for when I'm having huge anxiety levels. The docs will not give me anti-anxiety meds, benzos specifically, ever since I tried to OD ages ago. I use it maybe once a week and it does help me tremendously. Chronic, heavy use can cause health problems. I'm actually grateful they won't give me benzos, because I get stuck in that trap where my body wants them the next day.
Yerba mate. Natural anti-depressant tea. Mild effects, but also very energising. I have to use with caution because large amounts do tend to push me manic.
5-htp. I use it for depression and anxiety. I get a good mood lift and it helps when I'm having trouble pushing through my day. Some people claim it makes them sleepy. I'm quite the opposite.
Switching gears...
Meditation is so helpful, and writing is good too, even if the only thing I put down is "I don't know what to say" a hundred times. Building electronic circuits is fun and fixing old ones is, too.
In morning yoga today, I completely let go during savasana and have felt VERY good since.
Experiencing the arts helps too.

Oh, forgot about one more thing before. Binaural beats sometimes help.

Personally, I find acupuncture to help me, in particular with my hormone related mood and anxiety symptoms and also joint pain that is unrelated to mental illness. I have mentioned before that I question the bipolar diagnosis in myself, though, so will just say it helps moods, whatever the cause for me. I am not aware of there being much scientific evidence of it working in bipolar from what I have read, and I am sure people will respond differently. One thing I will say is it mattered which acupuncturist was providing the treatment to me. I saw one person that didn't help me, but a few over the years that really have. In fact, I felt worse around the time I was seeing the one that didn't help (in terms of joint pain), but could have been a coincidence. I have looked for people with a lot of good reviews and years of experience once I discovered it mattered who I saw.

Also, my psychiatrist said if it was helping me to keep doing it. Maybe alternative medicine is something you could discuss with your pdoc/therapist, too. They might know the latest research.

I did a weekly Lidocaine infusions for my Fibromyalgia Pain a couple years ago.

I’m sure part of my good results were the treatment actually helped my pain but I truly believe it helped level me out mentally. I was sleeping great, I had great energy. Not hypo energy.

I wish I had been referred by my Pain Doctor into the study sooner. But due to financial reasons I had to drop out. It was 1.5 hours each way.

There are no further studies being done anywhere near me , but for 8 months or so I know that it helped with pain and Bipolar too.

my big thing is vitamins....Orthomolecular. its -lots of pills- , but its vitamins, so the overall cost is reasonable, I think. Orthomolecular was originally called 'mega-vitamin therapy for the Schizophrenias' (note the plural), until Linus Pauling came around and called it 'Orthomolecular psychiatry,' starting in the late 60s, I think.

i do it with an 'atypical' (abilify, in my case) and whatever else I need from the Rx end of things...right now, low/standard dose Prozac. It seems to make it easier for me to take a tranquilizer/antipsychotic and not get EPS, stiffness, depression from the drug, etc. so...maybe a lot of what it does is just reduce toxicity, from 'standard treatment' ? I have no idea. I think it helps, but my set of 'issues' still requires Rx treatment.

I have tried yoga, reiki, massage, accupuncture and dabbled with crystals. Medication and therapy are what works for me. Those other things I listed for me were a distraction from seeing a professional and getting serious about treating my issues. I didnt used to understand that anyone can claim something is alternative medicine without it being any such thing and natural remedies are not always safe, or natural or are recommended by someone who has medical training. I am sure they work for some people because they are still around.

Hi Fern. I had a discussion with my pdoc one time about exercise and he said that there were a handful of his patients that were able to control their bipolar disorder strictly with exercise. They just check in with him a couple of times a year to make sure everything is ok. Now there are a lot of variables here: how bad was it, what exercise, how frequent, heart rate, etc. but it gives me hope.

I tried acupuncture for depression and it didn't do anything. The acupuncturist claims it can take years before its effective. To me, that is too long to wait.

I want to try acupuncture, I noticed it's in my insurance and I certainly pay enough to keep myself walking and never use it, so why not try it?

I hear good things, but I also hear that it doesn't do anything. I think it falls under that mindfulness helps thing, because I would consider it peaceful and a resting moment, so I can see how it can have an effect?

CBD and such also falls under that alternative stuff, which I don't believe in, but it could work for someone somehow, even as a placebo is okay as long as it works for you.

My mother swears by diet and exercise. She had mania with psychosis and couldn't handle the side effects from the meds. She began a pretty strict diet and exercise routine and she's been episode free for many years. She doesn't even see a pdoc anymore. I don't know what to think, but I'm doing my best to eat healthy and exercise daily. I don't think it can hurt.

makes sense, I think. the whole point is to alter brain chemistry. Rx drugs do it, herbs do it, vitamins do it...why not intensive exercise+diet? and yet...

I think a lot of people need an Rx, at least sometimes, during times of distress and such. i certainly admire your mother's dedication, and also...it sounds like she gave 'standard treatment' a try, so its not as if she's ignoring/disregarding 'doctor's orders...' she just -cannot- comply.

She sort of tried. She was on depakote and it was too much for her. She stopped taking meds after one try. Depakote was awful for me too. It made my heart beat 150 beats per minute. I tried Risperdal after that and then landed on Geodon.

My mother is an atypical case. So am I apparently. She went manic and was hospitalized and they diagnosed her as bipolar. She has never been depressed. Neither have I. I went manic with psychosis and then I've been stable since. No mood swings. No depression ever. I'm 38. My mom was 50 something when she had her first episode. My doctor now thinks maybe I'm not bipolar and maybe something hormonal caused my episode. My mother was going through menopause when she had hers, so maybe there's just something off with how our bodies process hormones. Perhaps diet and exercise can keep it in check. My doctor said she would consider taking me off meds if I make it 9 months wothout another issue. I only take 2mg of Geodon and I've been fine. It will be 9 months in August.

Along with my meds and therapy I exercise, try to eat healthy, sometimes do yoga and meditation. Aromatherapy is very nice, I find it relaxing. Other things I do are journaling and mindfulness. I don't really do any "alternative" treatments, I just try to have a healthy lifestyle and use techniques/coping skills as kind of an adjunct to the meds and therapy. Being out in nature is great too, even if it's just taking a walk, it helps me organize my thoughts

There are different medications you can use to improve the brain. There are different types of food that can do the same. With decades of empirical data and studies, I just do not see any solid evidence for people with a bipolar disorder working in a positive way.