Most people think psychology involves the mind and the mind only. But after 25 years of practice with clinical psychology, Dr. Sharleen McDowall, Best Psychologist in Toronto, couldn’t agree that this was true. She started to notice that clients’ mental health was drastically influenced by their diet and lifestyle. Individuals who had poor dietary habits commonly complained of increased incidence of depression, anxiety and ADHD to name a few.
McDowall Integrative Psychology & healthcare acknowledges all contributing factors to mental health. Our unique blended approach brings traditional psychology and naturopathic together under the same umbrella. Naturopathic medicine offers IV vitamin therapy through our beWell IV lounge, the Walsh protocol, acupuncture, diet & lifestyle and other modalities.
McDowall is one of the first psychotherapy/naturopathic clinics in Toronto that provide this combined delivery.
Here’s why the root cause approach works:
This image is the foundation of psychological Treatment at McDowall. At the bottom of the iceberg, you can see root causes that contribute to overall health.
These include:
- Poor stress management
- Poor sleep
- Dehydration/Poor hydration
- Lack of movement/exercise
- Bad diet
Psychological that coincides:
- Relationship problems
- Work stress
- Family conflict
These foundations are what then contribute to the next level of the pyramid. The upper tier is the manifestation of poor stress, poor sleep, bad diet etc. This is the breeding ground that creates the next step of dis-ease or disharmony.
If the foundations are not fixed we then started to see:
- Obesity
- Systemic inflammation
- Gut inflammation
- Food sensitivities
- Nutritional deficiencies
- Psycho-social conditions
These roots are what then begin to manifest physically. We express them as hurt, shame, guilt, rejection, unworthiness, abandonment, attachment, lack of connection and control.
Psychologically this becomes a distortion in our own personal thoughts about the self, others and the world. Those distorted thoughts are often accompanied by the tip of the iceberg which is mental health conditions such as anxiety, depression, ADHD, anger, OCD, stress & burnout, PMS, IBS, diabetes and chronic illness.
Root cause mental health identifies these key indicators and allows us to uncover lifestyle and environmental factors that are also impacting our ability to function optimally. While psychotherapy offers alleviation, coping mechanisms & skills for distorted thinking, naturopathic medicine works to alleviate broken foundations. It makes sense that we look at the mind and body as a connection because otherwise, we are missing very important pieces of information.
It is scientifically proven that accumulated stress contributes to aging and mental health issues. We also know that stress is a leading cause of disease development and early-onset illness. So why would any other environmental lifestyle factor be different? When looking at physiology we need to understand what influences its changes because when everything is in balance we are in balance and everything is working together in harmony. Problems occur when the base is disrupted.
Think of it this way, if you are building a house all supports need to be in the right position and working in order to keep the house standing. If any of the posts are faulty or poorly installed, the house will fall and break down over time.
Our bodies function in the same way. It works best when all the foundations are working optimally together. When one post/organ isn’t working, it starts to put pressure on the other supporting structures. What happens is the structure or body then begins to compensate, taking the load off the faulty or under-functioning system. If the decline continues the entire body system will start to shut down.
So instead of isolating health to a specific system or mental construct, we need to evaliate how all these parts function together.
Let’s look at a case example to bring this concept into further understanding:
A patient comes in with clinically diagnosed anxiety…
The 45yo Jane Doe is starting to experience anxiety more frequently throughout the day. At first, the anxiety was only once and a while but now it seems to be a frequent daily occurrence. They noticed that their sleep started to decline and has become less restful than usual. Due to the poor sleep, they’ve needed to rely on caffeinated products in order to get through the day. They noticed that the more they drink caffeine the less they eat normal meals and food.
After being exhausted after work, the last thing they want to do is go to the gym or work out. They spend the night watching Netflix, eating some snacks and then go to bed.
While this routine worked in the past, they are noticing that the fatigue and anxiety are continuing to compound to the point where they are no longer able to function normally.
Let’s pick apart this case:
If we look at the foundations of Jane Doe:
These include:
- Poor stress management
- Poor sleep
- Dehydration
- Lack of movement/exercise
- Bad diet
Psychological that coincides:
- Work stress
The more that this lifestyle is prolonged the more likely the following stages of the pyramid are going to start to occur…
- Obesity
- Systemic inflammation
- Gut inflammation
- Food sensitivities
- Nutritional deficiencies
- Psycho-social conditions
Which are the precursors and developing factors of anxiety. The more inflammation in the body, the more gut dysregulation and increased nutritional deficiencies the worse the anxiety is going to present. This is why we start to see a compound effect of Jane Doe’s symptoms.
So where do we go from here? Medical comprehensive testing.
Testing offers an objective measurement and baseline for why someone might be experiencing the symptoms they are. Through comprehensive functional medicine testing, we can look at gut health, inflammatory markers, food sensitivities and nutritional levels.
What tests are available?
- Food Sensitivity Testing
Food sensitivity testing has been around for a while now and is recognized in the functional medicine industry as a standard test for allergies and inflammation. From an elimination diet perspective, food sensitivity testing is a great short-term approach to eliminating underlying contributing factors. Food sensitivity testing ranges in price depending on markers and foods tested.
- Inflammatory Markers – ESR and CRP
What are ESR & CRP? These markers are standard for looking for inflammation, infection and chronic disease in the body. These will be the first parameters measured by conventional doctors if inflammation or infection is a concern.
- Nutritional Deficiencies
Curious about whether B12, iron or other mineral deficiencies are contributing to your mental health? Whether it’s standardized nutrition testing or a specific nutrient panel we look at what micronutrients & vitamins might be causing problems.
- Standard Medical Testing – CBC + differential
Rule out other medical conditions. When we are on the hunt for finding root causes we want to make sure known medical conditions are ruled out. This is done by running a standard CBC + differential, including, thyroid, LFTs, and urinary testing.
- Specific Mental Health Assessments
Not sure what the problem is? ADHD and additional mental health tests can be utilized to get to the root cause of your psychology. Whether it is an issue with attention, hyperactivity or learning problems we have specific tests that can help.
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Are you suffering from Anxiety?
In this guide, I’m going to give you the foundational tips for recovering from anxiety. We will explore all aspects starting with the physical body, to the mind and then the soul.
If I’ve learned anything as an Integrative Psychologist its that you have to look at all aspects in order to heal. The mind without the body is incomplete. The body without the mind is incomplete.
