Anxiety is the most common mental illness in the U.S. affecting more than 40 million adults and it is on the rise, especially in adolescents and teens. This article will go over the top 5 natural remedies for anxiety and how they can relieve your nervousness.
Generalized Anxiety is an excessive, overwhelming and uncontrollable feeling of worry, especially for something in the future, that can present as agitation, restlessness, heart palpitations, nervousness and sleep disturbances.
Generalized anxiety can worsen and present as panic, which then includes:
There are a variety of root causes of anxiety ranging from environmental causes to genetics to imbalances of nutrients and/or neurotransmitters (or brain chemicals) in the body.
The first goal in treating anxiety is identifying the underlying cause. A naturopathic approach is first to investigate genetic markers and metabolic pathways, meaning how genetic mutations may or may not affect how your hormones, nutrients and neurotransmitters are produced and broken down.
Your gut health will also be assessed, which highly affects mood and brain health, your immune and hormonal symptoms. Most of the serotonin that your body creates comes from the gut, so it is very important to address when assessing at natural remedies for anxiety.
If your gut microbiome is imbalanced or you have poor digestion and/or absorption, it often causes nutritional deficiencies, which affects mood.
To piggyback off of this concept that the gut helps to regulate neurotransmitters, it’s also important to assess the levels of those brain chemicals. The balance of these chemicals helps to control energy and regulate mood and anxiety.
Dysfunction of your adrenal glands may also be a culprit in causing increased anxiety. When your body is chronically in a heightened state of stress, lack of sleep, increased toxic load, allergies and even imbalances in blood sugar, the adrenals respond by increasing the amount of cortisol they secrete, thus creating an abnormal rhythm. This can cause hormones and neurotransmitters to become imbalanced and increase susceptibility to mood changes and anxiety.
First it’s important to do the necessary lab testing to understand your specific imbalances. This may include a stool test, hormone and adrenal test, neurotransmitter testing and/or micronutrient testing. Once the cause of your anxiety is known, then we can individually address your underlying imbalance and restore your body’s healthiest function using evidence-based natural remedies.
Additionally, it is vital to address lifestyle factors. It is very important to prioritize sleep and stress relief. Anxiety causes your calming neurotransmitters to become imbalanced, so you remain in a heightened state of stress and emotion. Poor sleep and high stress both add to this response, as both cause increased levels of cortisol, your body’s stress hormone. As we live in an ever-more stressful society, it is crucial to manage your stress. This can look different for everyone, but some examples are by practicing mindfulness, exercise, yoga, biofeedback, progressive muscle relaxation, breath work, massage, meditation, journaling, baths, etc. Additionally for some, it may be significant to address repressed or chronic trauma. This will help alleviate chronic anxiety, stress and inflammation. Believe it or not, trauma is stored in your body, so if not properly managed and moved through, it can cause serious health effects!
Another important lifestyle factor is to look at your diet. Certain foods and food additives can cause or worsen anxiety, so it’s important to use food as medicine!
The most common foods that cause anxiety are alcohol, gluten, dairy and processed foods with artificial coloring, flavors and synthetic ingredients. If you have anxiety, especially if you wake in panic during the night, take a look at your nutrition and try to cut out alcohol, gluten and processed foods first.
We go in-depth in our previous Depression and Anxiety with Teen Article.
Alcohol significantly alters your brain’s neurotransmitters and gut health and easily causing anxiety. Additionally, you may want to look into food intolerances that can also impact your mood and wellbeing.
Aim to eat whole foods, quality meats and produce and don’t forget the carbs. Carbohydrates don’t have to be bad! They are fuel and are needed to help calm the body, if they are the right kind of carbs! Complex carbs like brown rice, quinoa, sweet potatoes and root vegetables won’t spike your blood sugar and help keep your moods stable when eaten with protein or fat
To summarize: 5 Natural Remedies for Anxiety Relief
– Prioritize sleep
– Relieve stress
– Use food as medicine and cut out alcohol
– Rescue Remedy pastilles for periodic anxiety and panic
– Probiotics to support gut health
Bonus: Scutellaria lateriflora (American Skullcap) is an herb used to calm the nervous system and to naturally treat anxiety
These lifestyle changes in combination with calming herbal and nutritional supplements have been shown to significantly reduce the frequency, severity and duration of anxiety and panic. The most important thing when addressing anxiety is to understand the root cause of your anxiety and treat your body using natural remedies. Anxiety can be healed, it just takes some time and consistent dedication to yourself. And be kind to yourself because the world is a harsh place. Love yourself and know that you have the ability to heal.
The above information is not intended to diagnose or treat a disease and is not a substitute for appropriate medical care.
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