Overview

Integrative Health, like Whole Health, is built around the Circle of Health, which emphasizes the importance of personalized, values-based care that draws in mindful awareness and eight areas of self-care: Physical Activity, Surroundings, Personal Development, Nutrition, Recharge, Family, Friends and Coworkers, Spirit & Soul, Mind and Emotions. Conventional therapies, prevention, complementary and integrative health (CIH) approaches, and community also have important roles. The narrative below describes how this approach could have an impact on a person with anxiety.

Depending on individual needs, an Integrative Health approach to anxiety could incorporate a number of different self-care, conventional care, and complementary health approaches. What a person eats can have a significant effect, as can sleep, which both influences and is influenced by anxiety. Physical activity, relationships, safety, spirituality, and many other factors also have important effects. Many professional care approaches can prove useful—even essential, and mind-body approaches are some of the most beneficial, according to the research we have available. These include an array of psychotherapies, meditation, breath work, biofeedback, and imagery, among other options. Acupuncture, various supplements, and an array of other approaches have shown benefit, as described below.

Meet the Patient

Taylor is a 30-year-old man who works from home part time in IT support. He is married, has two children (ages 5 and 3), and is currently unemployed. He wants to work more, but he notes that his anxiety and irritability have made holding down a steady job difficult for him; he has to have flexible hours, in case he is “too anxious to work.”. Taylor has been treated by both a psychiatrist and a psychologist for severe anxiety. He says that sometimes he feels “a little down,” but he is not depressed, according to his mental health clinicians and scores on various questionnaires. Aside from his anxiety, he has few other diagnosed health problems, though he frequently goes to the ED or his primary clinician with concerns about different symptoms that crop up for him, such as palpitations, shortness of breath, and digestive problems. His symptoms have become even worse since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Taylor heard about Integrative Health from his psychologist, and he wants to explore other options for treating his anxiety. He is taking medications as prescribed and receiving regular counseling, but the anxiety continues to be problematic.