Anxiety affects one in six Australians – but not all anxiety is bad!
A short burst of adrenaline when taking an exam, or preparing to run a race, can help us perform at our best. It’s when anxiety is prolonged that it can really wreak havoc on our health and wellbeing.
Once anxiety is triggered in our emotional mind, a message is sent to all body systems alerting them to danger – regardless of whether the threat is real or imagined.
The brain floods the body with hormones and chemicals activating our “fight, flight or freeze” response. Once the danger has passed, the brain and body usually revert to a more peaceful state, however with anxiety, the mind still perceives the threat even after it’s long gone.
Over time, anxiety can become insidious – quietly growing in the shadows until it becomes pervasive, enduring and debilitating.
The great news is that there are many fantastic ways to treat anxiety naturally and effectively.
Where does anxiety come from?
From a naturopathic perspective, anxiety can arise from many different factors. The most common are:
Dysregulation of the adrenals stress response mechanisms: Your adrenals help govern your energy levels but also your stress response. In anxiety this system is ‘locked on go’ and therefore needs to be relaxed and calmed down. There are some great herbs and nutrients which can aid the body’s nervous system and adrenals to relax. We can also use our Frequency Specific Microcurrent device to unblock the nervous system and bring it relaxation. This treatment works quickly and is very effective at helping with anxiety.
Nutritional Deficiencies: In particular, deficiencies in macronutrients such as protein and healthy fats, or micronutrients such as B vitamins, and minerals like magnesium and iron. B vitamins are critical to the nervous system, its processes and its ability to cope with stress. Magnesium in particular helps relax the nervous system and your muscles, and also helps manage stress and anxiety. Restless leg syndrome, cramping, anxiety, stress, headaches and fatigue all point to low magnesium levels.
Blood Sugar Irregularities: These can mimic and contribute to anxiety. Low blood sugar levels / hypoglycemia mimics anxiety symptoms. Additionally other imbalances in the endocrine systems, whether hormonal, thyroid, or adrenals can drive anxiety. There’s evidence that hormonal fluctuations such as low progesterone, estrogen dominance or low estrogen (at menopause) are linked with anxiety. Also low neurotransmitters such as Serotonin and GABA will also contribute to anxiety, depression, increased stress and low tolerance to life’s daily challenges. Imbalances in these neurotransmitters can also cause irritability and disturbed sleep … and even insomnia.
Diet and Caffeine: Poor diet and excessive stimulants such as tea and coffee can drive anxiety as many people are sensitive to caffeine.
Inflammation: Low-grade chronic inflammation or an inflammatory condition such as rheumatoid arthritis can contribute to mental health conditions such as anxiety. In this instance, anti-inflammatory herbs such as corydalis, devils claw and curcumin have shown to be of benefit. If you are feeling tired and / or in pain, your tolerance levels go down and stress levels plus anxiety can increase. The same can be said with digestive issues which are often driven by food intolerances.
Genetic Imbalances: There are also certain genetic imbalances such as pyrrole disorder or MTHFR gene mutations which drive anxiety along with other signs and symptoms. These can be easily tested and are often associated with OCD, ADHD and autism spectrum disorders … as well as anxiety disorders. Natural nutrients can be prescribed to support these conditions and significant changes can occur.
Why See a Naturopath for Anxiety?
As you can see there are a number of factors that can drive anxiety. Our award winning Naturopath, Tony Daniel, is trained to identify the main drivers of your anxiety and how best to help reduce them naturally and effectively. Tony uses a combination of case taking, questionnaires, medical test results and functional pathology testing to ensure you get the best care and results.
Having identified the main drivers of your anxiety Tony will devise a treatment plan for you using a combination of natural nutrients, herbs, diet and / or frequency specific microcurrent to help you reduce your anxiety and feel as balanced as possible.
Tony’s all natural approach is successful and been used for over 15 years. And because it is a natural approach, there are a lot less unwanted side effects!
So if you’re finding anxiety is negatively impacting your daily life, don’t delay any longer. Pick up the phone and make an appointment today!
Improving and balancing the positive minerals in your body, while using natural substances to help expel toxic heavy metals, is a great way to support your physical and mental wellbeing.
Our award-winning naturopath, Tony Daniel, has a special interest in this area – so if you are ready to transform your health, book an appointment today on (07) 3823 3103!
