Center offering alternative therapies for stressful holidays

Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2003 | 2:44 a.m.

January 1, 2004

Coping with post-holiday blues or the piles of credit card bills that start rolling in after the holiday season can be stressful, especially for seniors.

While conventional means for dealing with such stress might work for many, others might find that taking a holistic approach works as well or better.

To that end, Clark County's West Flamingo Senior Center at 6255 W. Flamingo Road, is offering a series of seven workshops in alternative therapies ranging from aroma and color therapy to acupuncture and chiropractic care. The workshops begin this month and run through early spring.

Joy Covert, a holistic health practitioner who has a master's degree in counseling psychology, will host the classes. She admits they are not for everyone but says they certainly can be of benefit to many.

"If you go to your doctor and he gives you an antibiotic and you don't believe that antibiotic will do any good, then it will not help you to the extent it would have if you believed the medicine would help you," she said.

"When traditional remedies have not worked something else might."

Covert said alternative therapies should complement traditional therapy. She said alternative therapy, like traditional therapy, works best as part of a well-rounded program that includes good nutrition and exercise.

West Flamingo Senior Center spokeswoman Tina Stergios said the alternative therapies program is part of an ongoing series of health seminars presented by the Clark County government-run facility.

"Our center is a little on the edge," Stergios said. "For example, our sex education classes for seniors turned out to be very popular. We have had doctors, traditional therapists and other health experts also address our seniors.

"We look for different ways to do things. As an example, a 91-year-old woman attended our 'lunch with staff' program and commented afterward that it was the first time in her life she had ever eaten a taco."

Charles Regin, a professor at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas who is director of the Center for Health Promotion, said such wide-ranging community programs are to be commended "for giving options that improve quality of life," especially for the elderly.

He said holistic medicine has its place in health care but one must be careful not to go too far overboard to avoid being labeled as radical.

"There are clinical trials that support the benefits of a positive attitude and faith in the healing process," Regin said. "And it was not too long ago when acupuncture was introduced (to the United States) that the medical profession discarded 5,000 years of success before giving it acceptance.

"From an educational viewpoint I look at a variety of alternatives and say to a class try these out and see if you experience benefits. We keep in mind that some will benefit, while others will have a limited benefit experience."

The schedule for Covert's classes is: Jan. 17, aromatherapy; Jan. 31, color therapy; Feb. 14, stress reduction; Feb. 28, energy healing; March 13, emotional therapy; March 27, acupuncture; and April 10, chiropractic therapy.

Covert says oils used in aromatherapy can improve people's well-being, noting that lavender, for instance, is called "the aspirin of essential oils."

She says there are more than 200 medicinal oils and combinations that can be beneficial in a variety of ways.

For instance, Covert said, peppermint and clarity oil can combat holiday stress, eucalyptus can aid the respiratory system and lemongrass and cedar oil can be beneficial to the post-surgery recovery process.

Color therapy, she says, can improve people's energy levels.

"Wear bright colors when your energy is low," Covert said, noting that women often refer to their red outfits as their "power suits."

Blues and greens, she says, are good for healing, noting, "If you have trouble sleeping, put blue sheets and blue blankets on your bed."

But Covert warns that colors also can be subtly used to influence people, noting that stores use bright greens and oranges on displays because those colors are said to increase spending.

As for stress reduction, Covert recommends exercise and simply doing things you like to do.

"Some people say seeing their grandchildren for about an hour significantly reduces their stress but being with them for four hours does not," Covert said, noting those people should find a way to encourage shorter visits.

She said deep breathing and changing venues also are great for fighting stress.

Regin, who is listed on UNLV's website as an expert in stress reduction, agrees that exercise and relaxation training (deep breathing, meditation, etc.) are the best weapons in stress management.

"If a senior is sitting watching television, the simple act of changing seats occasionally is beneficial exercise in dealing with stress," he said. "Stress ends with large muscle movement."

He recommends physical exercise 20 to 30 minutes three to four times a week and relaxation training 20 minutes per day to fight stress.

In addition to deep breathing and exercise, Covert also recommends listing and rating the things you like to do from best to least favorite. Occasionally, she said, people should pick items that may be lower on their list to add variety to their lives.

"Create a plan to handle the signs of stress," Covert said. "Set realistic short-term goals to deal with stress."

As for the post-holiday blues, when many older women, especially widows, find themselves alone after family members' visits end, a "grieving process" should be explored, Covert said, noting there is a grieving process for all losses -- big or small.

"Some people grieve a long time in response to some losses -- and that works for some people," she said. "What we have to ask is that what you really want? If not, we try to change things by making a plan, by accessing community resources such as a senior center or other family members."

Another method for dealing with stress is a professional massage, a therapy that Covert uses extensively in her work, especially to "balance the energy systems of your body."

A less hands-on approach to dealing with stress could be emotional therapy where the therapist talks to the subject to get to the core of the emotion -- hurt, anger, frustration -- that creates stress, Covert said.

For her acupuncture and chiropractic lectures, Covert says she will bring in licensed experts in those fields for demonstrations.

The cost of each of the seven workshops is $10. There is a $5 discount to those who pay in advance for all seven lectures. Although the alternative therapy classes are designed for people age 50 and older, adults under age 50 can register one week prior to a particular workshop if there are openings.

For more information, call (702) 455-7742.