bath salts & stress management suggestions?
Hello all :)
Background: To make a long story short, my husband is in the military and currently suffering from depression and anxiety (likely in large part work-related). The medical team on his boat isn't able or willing to offer him much help beyond antidepressant medication. In his case, I strongly feel that he would benefit more from therapy; he needs to find ways to cope with these new stresses, and I don't think the drugs are going to help him learn how to do that (it's a definite case of treating the symptom without addressing the cause--lazy medicine). I'm forced to bench the 'medication before therapy' issue until he comes home in a few weeks--which brings me to my question.
I'd like to find ways to promote a calming low-stress environment for him when he gets home. Our home really isn't very chaotic to begin with (we don't own a television, we don't have children, etc.), but I think at this point anything special and helpful that I could do would be nice.
I've had friends recommend finding some good bath salts, because a hot bath is his go-to for relaxing after a rough day. I really don't know anything about salts though--are there particular varieties that might help with depression and anxiety in particular? Are there particular scents that might be more therapeutic than others? We try to stay away from artificial colors and fragrances, so suggestions for where I can find particular items in as natural a form as possible would be great.
He also enjoys tea, and I know that a good cup of tea can be relaxing. I suspect we can't really do much in the realm of herbals while he's on antidepressants though--I suppose it's probably one of those "ask your doctor" things. If there's a good tea that works for any of you that's unlikely to interact with anything he's taking, please let me know!
I appreciate any other suggestions you guys might have! I'm just looking for ideas for things that might help him relax, unwind, and focus on happier things :)
Background: To make a long story short, my husband is in the military and currently suffering from depression and anxiety (likely in large part work-related). The medical team on his boat isn't able or willing to offer him much help beyond antidepressant medication. In his case, I strongly feel that he would benefit more from therapy; he needs to find ways to cope with these new stresses, and I don't think the drugs are going to help him learn how to do that (it's a definite case of treating the symptom without addressing the cause--lazy medicine). I'm forced to bench the 'medication before therapy' issue until he comes home in a few weeks--which brings me to my question.
I'd like to find ways to promote a calming low-stress environment for him when he gets home. Our home really isn't very chaotic to begin with (we don't own a television, we don't have children, etc.), but I think at this point anything special and helpful that I could do would be nice.
I've had friends recommend finding some good bath salts, because a hot bath is his go-to for relaxing after a rough day. I really don't know anything about salts though--are there particular varieties that might help with depression and anxiety in particular? Are there particular scents that might be more therapeutic than others? We try to stay away from artificial colors and fragrances, so suggestions for where I can find particular items in as natural a form as possible would be great.
He also enjoys tea, and I know that a good cup of tea can be relaxing. I suspect we can't really do much in the realm of herbals while he's on antidepressants though--I suppose it's probably one of those "ask your doctor" things. If there's a good tea that works for any of you that's unlikely to interact with anything he's taking, please let me know!
I appreciate any other suggestions you guys might have! I'm just looking for ideas for things that might help him relax, unwind, and focus on happier things :)