I used to suffer from clinical anxiety. In fact, I used to take medication for it. While I was greatful for the help when I needed it, the meds had side-effects I really didn’t want to live with for the rest of my life. With my doctor’s permission, I gradually reduced what I was taking and was able to get better on a natural regimen. If you’re currently taking medication, please talk to your doc before beginning any natural protocol - doing it on your own can get pretty rough and uncomfortable. Been there and I don’t recommend it.
If your current physician doesn’t believe in natural healing, you can find a professional who does. There are many naturopathic practitioners who specialize in transitioning people from meds to a more natural approach. There are websites for holistic professionals where you can get a recommendation.
Here’s what I did:
Acupuncture and Ayurveda are both systems of natural healing that treat the energy of a person. When you’re really upset, you feel jangled, dizzy, touchy, angry and hypersensitive. These are all manifestations of your energy being out of balance. Regular treatments of either one ( I used both at different times) really helped me calm down and feel more like myself. Some people like homeopathy too, which works similarly.
Sleep is really critical. 8-10 hours a night is mandatory. Really. Your nervous system needs to heal. It can’t do it if you don’t sleep. Natural supplements like melatonin, 5-HTP and L-Theanine (an amino acid also called Suntheanine) can help you relax the mind, feel sleepy and stay asleep once you’ve fallen asleep.
Exercise, preferably outdoors, if it doesn’t make you too anxious. I exercised indoors on my yoga mat with a great yoga CD on the days I just couldn’t face the world, but the most healing thing for me was long walks in my local parks. Looking at trees calmed me down and laughing at the silly squirrels helped me take myself a lot less seriously.
Boost your neurotransmitters. When you’re anxious, your brain is usually deficient in a neurotransmitter called GABA. You can get this in a health food store. Take 100-200 mg at a time, with no more than 600 mg in 12 hours. The naturally-derived forms, like PharmaGABA are the most effective. The synthetics are not absorbed very well. If you need to feel better NOW, take the capsule apart and hold it under your tongue for 2 minutes and swish it around a bit before you swallow. Or take a chewable form. It gets into your system very quickly that way. I usually felt better in 5-10 minutes. Another vitamin that boosts GABA is Suntheanine, an amino acid that your body converts into GABA or another neurotransmitter called dopamine, which makes you feel more positive. If one doesn’t work for you, try the other one.
If you’re also depressed, you may need serotonin too. You can try 5-HTP, 50-200mg before bed or St. John’s Wort, which will boost this neurotransmitter gently. ABSOLUTELY DO NOT take these if you are taking meds for depression. It can be potentially life threatening if your brain has too MUCH serotonin. The herbs and 5-HTP on their own won’t overdose you, but taken with meds, they can. Not good. Ask a professional first if you’re on meds.
A high-potency fish oil is essential. Your brain and nerve coverings are made from fat. You have to provide a healthy fat to heal these parts of your body. In studies on depression and bi-polar disorder, patients took up to 10 grams a day to heal their mood issues. Normally, you’d take 1000 - 2000 mg, but when you’re suffering from anxiety, you probably need more. Start with a normal amount and work your way up to something that helps. Usually 2000 - 5000 mg. Too much will give you the runs, so if that happens, cut back. Don’t take fish oil if you’re on blood thinners without talking to a doctor or pharmacist first. It has a mild blood thinning effect.
No caffeine. Really. Absolutely none. It’s the worst thing you can put in your body when you’re anxious. Duh.
Yoga also produces GABA in the brain. Do yoga. Meditation does it too, but when you’re stressin’ you got to MOVE.
Passion flower, Chamomile, Melissa, Linden flower and Oatstraw are all good for stress. So’s Valerian, but it’s stinky. You can try most of these in tea or as an herbal tincture. They come in capsules too, but the tinctures and teas are faster acting. Which, when you feel crappy is really important.
Find out what your triggers are and GET AWAY FROM THEM. Nothing’s as important as your mental health. Trust me, you know that for sure when you don’t have it. So, don’t go there. Just don’t. As hard as it was, I learned I could walk away when someone or something was making me crazy. I could just make a different choice.
Get counseling. Making different choices is not an easy thing to learn to do on your own. If I knew how to do that, I wouldn’t have ended up with anxiety. I had to find a great psychologist to help me see myself well enough to know what needed fixing.
I’ve been pretty normal and functional for the last 5 years using these principles. Hopefully, they’ll be some help to you too. Be well!
