Did you know that there were natural remedies to treat mood disorders in young children? Yes, there are over a dozen remedies that can help in the treatment of mood disorders in kids without any side effects. Read on for more.
Mood disorders, also referred as bipolar disorders, are defined as extreme mood swings involving emotional highs and lows, known as mania or hypomania and depression respectively. This mood disorder doesn’t occur in adults only, but in kids as well. These mood swings affect various aspects including energy, activity, sleep, behavior, judgment, and the work capability. Although there are medications available to treat these mood disorders, you can also go for natural remedies at home.
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Natural Remedies to Treat Mood Disorders in Children
Here is a list of 11 home remedies to treat mood disorders.
1. Magnesium
Magnesium works as a mood balancer and combats the symptoms of mania. It works by promoting good sleep. You can go for magnesium supplements or also include it in your child’s daily diet by adding food sources like spinach, black beans, soybeans, cashews, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, and Swiss chard.
2. Valerian Root
Valerian root helps to relax the nervous system. It is also commonly used as an alternative medicine for sleep problems, anxiety, and mood disorders by promoting a feeling of calmness and reducing nervous stress and tension as well as restlessness, anxiety, and mild to moderate mood swings. You can obtain it easily in the market in the form of tea bags, liquid extracts, and capsules.
3. Fish Oil
Fish oil contains omega-3 fatty acids that help to combat mood swings. It works by improving the functionality of the brain, thus helping to control mood disorders. Fish oil supplements are also beneficial for the purpose.
4. Passion Flower
Passion flower contains sedative properties that help to combat excitability and anxiety experienced during the manic episodes of mood disorders. Even though this herb doesn’t pose any serious side effects to the body, it might upset the stomach at times.
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5. Ashwagandha
Ashwagandha is considered as an amazing tonic for the nervous system. For children suffering from mood disorders, Ashwagandha helps to improve three different cognitive functions – reaction time, auditory-verbal working memory, and social cognition. Give your child 500 grams of Ashwagandha leaves and root daily for a few weeks and notice the results.
6. Brahmi
Also popularly known as Bacopa, Brahmi is another useful herb used as a remedy for mood disorders in children. It works as a mild stimulant and sedative. Besides, it helps to improve the memory while relieving mental stress. You can either give your child a head massage with Brahmi oil or give him a few teaspoons of juice extracted from Brahmi leaves.
7. Balanced Diet
Make sure to give your child a healthy diet, which contains a balanced amount of all the essential nutrients. Also, keep your child away from artificial sweeteners since they can intensify the mood swings. Try to find out trigger foods and pull it off from the diet. In addition, introduce the habit of proper sleep and exercise.
8. Licorice
Prepare licorice extract by boiling the powder in a glass of water over medium flame. Give half a cup of this concoction to your child every day to support the production of active and essential brain hormones. It also provides a calming effect on the nervous system.
9. B Vitamins
B Vitamins are helpful to treat mood disorders in children for they help to regulate the mood. Vitamins B1, B6, B9, and B12 are essentially important to reduce the symptoms like irritability, anxiety, mood swings, depression, and fatigue.
Vitamin B1 helps to improve blood circulation through the body and the brain while B6 fights irritability, B9 maintains proper brain function, and B12 helps to manufacture certain neurotransmitters to combat irritability, depression, and fatigue.
10. John’s Wort
St. John’s Wort is a renowned antidepressant and helps to treat mood disorders by affecting various brain chemicals. However, it is better to take this only after doctor’s consultation for it can react with some prescription medicines.
11. Flax Seed Oil
Flaxseed oil makes it easier to fight depression and is, therefore, used to treat mood disorders, especially depression. Give a teaspoon of flaxseed oil to your child on an empty stomach to treat mood disorders. Alternatively, you can also mix a small amount of flax seeds to chapattis. They not only enhance the taste, but also help to relax the nerves.
So, those were 11 natural remedies that you can try in combination with medication and therapy to treat a child suffering from mood disorders. You will be surprised at how effective these remedies are. Try them today!
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References:
http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/bipolar-disorder/home/ovc-20307967
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0006322301011295
