At Shift we offer a holistic and effective approach to managing mental health issues such as anxiety, depression and stress as well as related conditions such as insomnia and low energy.
We incorporate a range of evidence based and effective options to improve mental health outcomes such as nutritional and herbal medicine, food as medicine, acupuncture, relaxation massage and aromatherapy, and lifestyle techniques such as stress management and mindfulness.
We appreciate the seriousness of mental health issues, we have a great support network of doctors, councellors and/or psychologists who we can refer to where we feel this would be beneficial or necessary.
Nutritional requirements
Anxiety, depression and stress increase the body’s nutritional requirements significantly. If you do not have adequate nutrients during these times, you can experience nutritional deficiencies, which decreases your body’s ability to cope.
Nutritional and biochemical imbalances compromise the production and effects of neurotransmitters in the brain. Good nutrition is very important to provide the nutrients needed to nourish the nervous system, the adrenals and providing the building blocks for neurotransmitters. There may be issues with protein intake, sugar imbalance, zinc availability, B6 deficiency, vitamin C deficiency, thyroid/adrenal imbalance and essential fatty acid deficiency that can be corrected.
We work with you to identify which food choices may be exacerbating your symptoms and help you to put manageable, realistic plans in place to use food as medicine to support your mental health and a return to calmness and balance.
Acupuncture
We love using acupuncture to treat anxiety and depression as we find it has an instantaneous affect on our clients moods during and after the treatment.
There is a selection of amazing acupuncture points used to calm an overactive and anxious mind, and promote the feeling of being ‘grounded.’ Points that help to clear blockages (known as the Four gates) and ‘uplift’ may help with depression and low mood.
Acupuncture may and assist with sleep difficulties, fatigue, headaches and digestive complaints that often accompany mental health conditions. Acupuncture has been shown to actually calm the nervous system and release endorphins from the brain, and studies have discovered acupuncture can reduce stress hormones, thus an ideal treatment option for anxiety and depression.
TESTING
Where required, we are able to refer for testing which may provide insight into the causes of mental health issues such as pyrolle and MTHFR testing.
We can provide support if you are taking medications and can work collaboratively with your doctor to offer a wholistic approach to your physical and mental health.
