I'm not overstating things when I say that suffering anxiety can absolutely interfere with quality of life. And it’s a challenge that is extremely common – in fact, anxiety is thought to affect almost three times as many people as are affected by depression.
And whilst anti-anxiety pharmaceutical options are available, it pays to be aware that (as is the case with most medications) treatment is aimed primarily at alleviating symptoms, with not a lot of attention paid to why the anxiety has occurred in the first place. These drugs come with a range of potential side effects, including headaches, nausea, weight gain, drowsiness and sexual difficulties. So, whilst they can be helpful in many cases, the pros and cons definitely need to be weighed up.
The See-Saw of Anxiety
Understanding what actually happens in the brain when anxiety strikes is a crucial step in managing the condition.
There are two parts to what we call the 'emotional brain'. One part is responsible for pepping things up - helping you to get up and get moving, to be on the lookout for danger and ready to react if your life is threatened. The other side of the emotional brain is responsible for calming us down - relaxing, and preparing for sleep. You've probably heard of these being described as your 'fight or flight' and 'rest and digest' parts of the nervous system. In a person who is not suffering from anxiety, these two sides are balanced (like a see-saw with a person of equal weight on each side). But in an anxiety sufferer, the part of the brain that is involved in the fear response is larger, and stuck in a hypervigilant, or ‘switched on’ state more often than not. This leads the person to feel more worried and anxious (even when the conscious part of the brain knows there is nothing to be worried about).
A curious thing happens when our fight or flight capacity is activated - it actually dials down our ability to think about situations and problems rationally (think of the great toilet paper shortage of early 2020). This served a very important evolutionary purpose (after all, if your ancestors were running away from a sabre-toothed tiger, they probably didn't want their mind wandering to what they were having for dinner), but it does make it that much more challenging to stay one step ahead of anxiety.
Natural Support To Help Calm & Soothe
Thankfully, we have some amazing natural support strategies that have been shown to help reduce anxiety. Some can even be safely used alongside pharmaceutical treatments (but of course, stay safe and check with a practitioner before taking).
- Magnesium is crucial to helping improve symptoms of anxiety. A large proportion of people do not get enough magnesium from the food they eat - and many do not realise they may be deficient in this calming, energy-building nutrient. Your body's magnesium stores can also be depleted through stress and worry, making it all the more vital that you get enough.
- B-vitamins such as folate, B2, B3, B5 and B12 are crucial for those suffering chronic stress or anxiety. These simple nutrients have been shown to help improve energy production within cells, improve the production of healthy brain chemicals, as well as reducing inflammation (which in itself can be a contributing factor to the development of mood disorders).
- Zinc is another mineral that we don’t always think of when it comes to emotional health. Many people are aware that zinc is great for the immune system, however you may be surprised to learn that zinc has been shown to have a calming effect on the brain, and helps activate 'rest and digest' mode.
- Medicinal herbs in therapeutic dosages have been shown to be helpful for relieving anxiety. Passionflower, Zizyphus, California Poppy and Magnolia are some of my favourites to use in the clinic, with most of my anxious patients reporting a significant improvement in their anxiety levels and sleep quality.
- Looking after the health of your gut is still an under-recognized area of anxiety management. More and more information is coming to light regarding how the health of the gut affects the health of the brain (as well as the rest of the body). This is an area that I always address from the very beginning of any natural support with my anxious patients. Problems with the gut (such as irritable bowel and imbalance of gut flora) have been shown to be strongly linked to anxiety.
- Eating good food is also an area that is fast becoming accepted as a simple way to improve mental health and moods. The idea that ‘diet doesn’t make any difference’ to moods is (hopefully) on its way out of mainstream healthcare, as the benefits of nutrition on mental health become further established in scientific literature. Whilst making dietary improvements can be daunting when you aren’t feeling mentally strong, the benefits of eating for mental health can be significant. Sometimes just making a few small changes and taking baby steps with improvements is best. Aim to include good-quality protein (such as meat, chicken, eggs, fish, legumes and nuts) each day, to help provide your body with the building-blocks it needs to create healthy brain chemicals. Healthy fats such as olive oil, nuts, seeds also support a happy brain, as well as helping to keep your blood sugar on an even keel and therefore avoiding spikes and dips that can contribute to anxiety attacks. Reducing (or preferably eliminating) coffee and other caffeinated drinks may also help improve anxiety, as these tend to enhance the ‘fear’ side of the emotional brain. Try some calming chamomile tea instead.
- Lastly, getting some ‘time-out’ is important if you are wanting to reduce anxiety in the long-term. Time in ‘green space’ (parks, gardens, bushland), yoga, calming breathing techniques, meditation and gentle exercise such as walking are all good tactics to help combat anxiety and promote a relaxed state of mind.
The thing to keep in mind with anxiety, is that there is not one cause, nor is there one magic pill that will fix the problem. A natural approach focuses on all of the above aspects, however it can take a little time and patience.