Dove's Inner B.E.A.U.T.Y. Podcast

Holistic Mental Health: Balancing Traditional and Alternative Therapies

• Demetria Nickens • Episode 13

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How Can You Balance Traditional and Alternative Therapies for Holistic Mental Health?
 
Unlock the secrets to a well-rounded mental wellness journey with our inspiring guest, Demetria Nickens, a certified mental health first aid instructor and trauma recovery coach. Demetria joins us to shed light on how combining traditional treatments like talk therapy and medication with holistic therapies can create a powerful approach to tackling anxiety and depression. We explore the crucial eight dimensions of wellness—emotional, physical, occupational, and financial health, to name a few—and how addressing these areas collectively leads to a balanced life. Demetria also shares practical advice for anyone ready to embark on a path of self-discovery to better understand their personal values and limiting beliefs.

In another compelling segment, we focus on emotional awareness and self-care for men. Too often overlooked, these practices are essential for fostering inner beauty and well-being. We discuss why it's important for more men to embrace emotional wellness and the ongoing efforts needed in this area. As we conclude, we express our heartfelt gratitude to our listeners and remind everyone of the resources available for further support. Tune in to gain valuable insights and actionable tips for enhancing your mental wellness through a holistic approach.

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Speaker 1:

Welcome to the Dove's Inner Beauty Podcast, where we foster emotional awareness, one individual at a time. Leading the way is Demetria Nickens, a certified mental health first aid instructor and trauma recovery coach with over two decades of experience in fostering emotional awareness in others by engaging their mental health.

Speaker 2:

Are you curious about combining traditional mental health treatments with holistic therapies Can help tackle our anxiety and depressions. Tune in as we explore the best of both worlds to find a balanced approach to mental wellness. Welcome back everyone. This is Garfield Bowen, co-host, slash producer, back in the studio with mental health expert Demetria Nickens. Demetria, how are you doing today?

Speaker 3:

I am feeling good. How are you?

Speaker 2:

I am well. So, Demetria, can you explain how integrating traditional mental health treatments with holistic therapies can benefit someone dealing with anxiety or depression?

Speaker 3:

Absolutely so. Traditional mental health treatments there's many, many things, right? This idea of talk therapy medicine. And then, within talk therapy, there's many, many things right this idea of talk therapy medicine. And then, within talk therapy, there's a lot of different modalities. People use trauma-focused approaches, they use DBT dialectical behavioral therapy or CBT cognitive behavioral therapy. So there are a lot of different approaches when you're thinking about traditional therapy, and all very good, right, depending on what you want to do and how you want to do it.

Speaker 3:

However, those things don't work in a silo, right? They don't work alone, and so it's important that we think about holistically how we pair the things we do outside of those therapies Right, like, what does your day-to-day life look like If you are not taking care of yourself, if you're not eating right, if you're not sleeping good, if you're not maybe even practicing mindfulness, which technically could be a therapy that you're getting in traditional therapy but if you're not doing these things in what we call this eight dimensions of wellness and taking care of those things as well, then this therapy over here is only going to do but so much, and so it's important that we think about our wellness in eight dimensions. Samhsa came up with this idea of this eight dimensions of wellness. Right, we have to consider, right, what is going on in our finances, what is going on emotionally, what is going on physically, what is going on occupationally, what is going on? Sorry, trying to get them all out of my head, but there's eight, right, when you think about all eight of them. And so, if you're on the decline in your job, you know that's your occupational health. You know what are you doing to fix that right. If, financially, you're on the decline in your job, you know that's your occupational health. You know what are you doing to fix that Right. If, financially, you're having a trouble, you're having troubles financially. There are something you know, there are steps that you can take to try to fix your finances Right.

Speaker 3:

But you know, maybe you're over here in therapy trying to kind of get it together and you're trying to do the therapies to get your mind together, but you're still struggling, overhearing something. Right, physical health, right, are you eating? Right, are you sleeping, are you exercising? And not saying that you have to do two, three, five hours a day of exercise and you have to only eat vegetables. Not saying that at all. But I'm saying balance, right, balance matters.

Speaker 3:

This idea of balance makes a difference, and you know where can you find more balance in your life when it comes to your physical health? Because it matters, it's all connected and so it's important that that you pair these things together, that you're not just thinking of, oh, my mental health is so bad, yeah. But you know, yes, you know you can get therapy and that is so, so important. Please do that Right, but also pair it with this idea of what else is going on in your life, because your therapist is thinking about all those things. They just may not be saying it right. Maybe they're focused on this one thing for you, in a treatment plan type of way for your mental health, and hoping that fixing that is going to fix the other things. But why not holistically think about your life as a whole? While you're working on one, you can be working on another. Who says you can't, they can't be both and instead of, or other who says you can't, they can't be both and instead of, or you know, and so if we work together on these, it's going to bring you a much better outcome than just focusing on one right, and it depends on the person.

Speaker 3:

Let me say that right some people have to process. The way they process is processing one at a time. I get that and I think you have to know you and but that's part of it. That's part of holistic health as well. How well do you know yourself? How well do you know how you process information? How well do you know what you value? You know, is health, physical health, a part of your value, or maybe it's not right? How well do you know yourself? And all of that is a part of holistic health too. So, just keeping those things in mind and working together not necessarily making this over here and this over here but how can we put them together to help you as a whole?

Speaker 2:

You may have answered this with the questions that you just mentioned, but if somebody wanted to dip their toe into holistic therapies, what's a simple starting point that will pair well with their current treatment?

Speaker 3:

I would really say finding you know, discovering you Enough. People don't really know who they are. Right, what is my life story? Right, Getting into this idea of life design, work, so the idea of, like, you know what are your values, you know what are your core emotional challenges, what are the things that are limiting beliefs and fears in your life. Really get to know you, Because when you get to know who you are, you know how do you notice your body. Do you know what's going on with your mental health, what are the traumas that you've experienced in your life and how may they be impacting you. Now, Really start to get to know you.

Speaker 3:

A relationship with you, first, and that is major in the land of physical and mental health, right, Because you know, we know if we have diabetes, we know if we suffer from migraines, we, you know we. Those are things we know because we go to the doctor and we pay attention. However, when's the last time you thought about your values, right? When's the last time you thought about the things that you really do in this world? Do you do you serve profoundly? You know what is your mission, what are the things that you really feel like you want to do in this world and are you doing them? Why? What's stopping you? And so really figuring out you right, this idea of understanding who you are as a person. People think they know, but when they start doing the work, they really don't know. And that's part of what I do, right? I help people guide them to this idea of understanding who they are.

Speaker 3:

I help people guide them to this idea of understanding who they are and I'm going off script here a little bit but is it a male-female thing, Because I don't think most guys do all this thinking I'm not Maybe I think traditionally right, like when you think about social norms, right, this idea that guys don't sit around and think about this stuff, right, just they go and live their life, right. But I think they should. I think it's important to to also think about themselves and who they are and what they want in this life and what they want out of this life. Not enough men, I think, do it. I think it's important to do them.

Speaker 2:

So we got a lot of work to do. Then, huh yeah, Listen, Demetria love it. You have a wonderful rest of the day. We'll see you on the next episode.

Speaker 1:

Thank you thank you for tuning in to the doves inner beauty podcast, where we foster emotional awareness, one individual at a time. For a complimentary consultation, visit dovesinnerbeautycom or call 336-298-6599. That's 336-298-6599.