Natural Anxiety Therapy

"Hey, lean on me!"

When in the thick of anxiety, panic attack, depression, and the other ‘not so fun stuff” – it can be tough to hang in there. It feels like an endless journey with no road to the end, I’ve been there myself. You keep asking yourself, “When is this going to stop? Am I ever going to feel normal again What’s wrong with me?”. Those were the very questions I asked myself many times a day when at rock bottom.

How did I hang in there?

Looking back I found solace in researching and studying to find answers of what might cause severe panic attacks and anxiety. I talked with friends and family that were encouraging and positive. Found doctors that were on the same page and willing to assist me in the search for the root causes. Sought out other people with similar stories that successfully made it through the dark night and finding out how they did it. And lastly, putting myself first and not giving a rip what anyone thought about it.

My intention with this blog is for it to be a great part of your anxiety therapy. Visit this site to read and listen to audios that can help you “hang in there” until you feel better. Eventually there will be videos too! Please share this blog with loved ones and dear friends that might also benefit. Sometimes it’s funny what little things help us make it through the day. Keep reminding yourself that you are one day closer to feeling better.

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In the past few weeks I have been pondering this thought, “Is trying to be everything to everyone a source of anxiety?”.    During the peak stressdom, I was trying to do and be everything to everyone in my life.   Especially with my career, I wanted to fit in and be accepted.  So, I wore a mask that wasn’t really me and in private it was a great source if misery.

Ask yourself the same question, are you trying to be everything to everyone?  When you are at work are you always coloring within the lines with a nice neutral and safe color like BLUE?  Do you hold back saying things to loved ones and friends in fear that it’s not the right thing to say?  Holding STUFF inside us creates great stress and it wears us down. Eventually it can be a great source of anxiety – there is not doubt it was for me.

Anxiety therapy assignment: today do something you consider silly. Something that can help release the pent up emotions you’ve been holding inside in order to stay “politically correct” and in the “safe zone”.  Haven’t we all heard, “Now Johnny/Joannie, you don’t want to draw attention to yourself. Be a good boy/girl and behave yourself.”  Maybe go outside and yell at the top of your voice, buy that new neon orange shirt you’ve had your eye on, run around in the rain barefoot wearing your work clothes, get into a playful food fight – just let go!

Serotonin

Exert from Columbia Encyclopedia’s definition of serotonin: “It has been estimated that an adult human contains about 5 to 10 mg of serotonin, 90% of which is in the intestine and the rest in blood platelets and the brain. One role of the compound is as a neurotransmitter whose participation is being sought in diverse functions including learning, sleep, and control of mood.”

Let’s say someone suffers intestinal damage from something like leaky gut, food allergies, IBS, chrones, and poor diet. This person also suffers from depression, panic attacks and anxiety. Question to ponder: If 90% of serotonin is found in the intestines, could their ‘not so fun stuff’ be partly a result of intestinal damage? If the factory is broke, how can you crank out an end product?

At one point at my all time low I couldn’t eat anything without having severe intestinal repercussions. Let’s leave the description at that! At that time my test results indicated extremely low serotonin levels. As I healed my digestive tract with certain foods, super strain probiotics, essential oils, and enzymes – I was able to digest and absorb what I ate. As time went on I kept feeling stronger physically and mentally with less anxiety/panic.

I remember Dr. Thomas Anstett saying in a lecture, I think the was a quote from someone else “You are not what you eat, but what you absorb”. Hmmm…..anxiety therapy via the intestines?

Help Anxiety, Say NO to Super Stores!

I have discovered the ultimate cure for anxiety and panic attacks. It won’t cost you a thing and will actually save you money. Stop going to Walmart and Target!

During this past week I have been studying every post on Twitter regarding anxiety and panic attacks. It’s amazing that every hour there are dozens of people who needlessly suffer with anxiety by visiting conglomerates like Walmart and Target. If people stopped going to these stores, do you know how many people would live a peaceful life?

Hopefully you found humor in this natural anxiety therapy tip. From today forward avoid superstores and feel serene!

Stopping all forms of caffeine is a #1 step as part of anxiety therapy. It’s and absolute truth that caffeine can trigger anxiety & panic attacks. After much frustration, trial, and error – surprisingly I figured out one of the things that would set me off besides caffeine was hot peppers. Hot, super spicy foods were one of my ultimate favorite things! Anything with cayenne, chilies, habeneros, and jalepenos would make me do an unwelcome sanity dance. Go figure? Help anxiety, cool out on the hot stuff.

Lovely Peppers!

My two fold theory:

1) When the adrenals are weak, so is the mucosa lining in the intestines. Therefore, irritants like capsicum from hot peppers just makes a bad situation worse by creating more inflammation in the fragile intestinal lining. It’s like getting hot peppers in your eye, ever done that? With increased inflammation, digestion and absorption of proteins in the intestines gets jacked up and the body cannot make brain calming neurotransmitters since the raw material (amino acids) can’t be absorbed. Hence, general anxiety increases because feel good brain chemicals aren’t in supply.

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2) The other deduction I’ve made is how hot peppers must stimulate an adrenaline response. Hot stuff are stimulants right? I have found no specific research to back this up this ‘hot pepper & adrenaline’ theory. (If any of you locate some, please let me know!) An adrenaline response from fatigued adrenals can create anxiety and even a panic attack. I’ve lived it. In years past, almost every night I used to eat spicy foods, as I hit rock bottom I could no longer eat anything spicy without ‘loosing it’ a few hours later. Now that my adrenals and gut are getting stronger I can do spicy here and there. THANK GOD! Missed that one as much as I still long for coffee…

So, if you are still narrowing down causes for anxiety and panic attacks – eliminate and re-introduce things and note your body’s response. You might be surprised and what your triggers really are. Never would have thought hot food would trigger panic attacks!