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' I find it's hard to wind down '
' I am aware of dryness of my mouth '
' I am worried about situations in which I might panic and make a fool of myself '
' I find it's difficult to relax '
Have you (are you) ever experienced any of these feelings?
In our current society, 1 in 7 Australians are experiencing anxiety and it is equivalent to 2.8 million people today(1).
And the signs and symptoms of anxiety can be physical and psychological. Everyone experiences differently.
Physical
Change in weight
Sleep disturbance
Fatigue
Breathing difficulties
Digestive issues
Psychological
Irritability
Mood swings
Lack of concentration
Feeling overwhelmed
Relying on alcohol, drugs and other substances to calm yourself down
[GOOD NEWS!] Thanks to all the researchers in the world, we now know what's actually happening in our brain to cause anxiety, depression and stress.
In the situation of anxiety, it looks like our brain parts called hippocampus and amygdala are experiencing "The imbalance of activity"(2). These area are also responsible for emotional and fear-related memories as well.
Decreased gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) also seems to interfere the quality of our sleep as well (3).
What are the key drivers?
The drivers can vary from trauma, work or life stressors and genetic related.
But also
Not sleeping well, restless sleep
Blood sugar imbalances
Thyroid dysfunction
Gut imbalances including IBS
Lack of nutrients
are also the key drivers to anxiety.
So how do we reverse?
Find out the drivers of anxiety
Regulate brain balance
Improve resistance to stressors
Nourish the body
Find out the drivers of anxiety
If you are ticking the box from the possible drivers above, that's where we need to tuckle in. Yet, I see my patients almost everyday saying;
'I've been told my bloods are all fine, but I'm not feeling well'.
Well, I would say, listen to your body. If you are not feeling right, there is something going on.
As a Naturopath, I interpret your blood test results quite differently from preventative medicine point of view. If you haven't seen me before, share your results with me will be the first step forward.
Regulate Brain Balance
Clinical trials show some specific herbs such as Zizyphus, passionflower, california poppy and magnolia are beneficial to "Re-balance" our brain function as well as maintaining our neurotransmitter.
Nourish the body
Having a good balance of nutrition is super important to keep your healthy body and mind. However, Some specific nutrients such as vitamin B5, B6, Magnesium, Omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin D is shown to have direct connection with brain function.
What's sad is more stress we feel, our vitamins and minerals get excreted from the body and our body even shuts down to absorb nutrients properly! So, it's important to add extra nutrients into your body when you are feeling stressed, overwhelmed or anxious.
We all know meditation and exercise are beneficial. Yet, you may say "I don't even have energy for it".
"It is okay not to be Okay"
It is okay to rest when you need.
We are here to support you and provide "FREEDOM' from your mind.
Contact us today to discover what's happening in your body.
Too busy to come into the clinic?
Living too far?
Busy baby sitting at home?
No problem!
We offer online consultation with your preferred method such as phone, zoom, skype and WhatsApp.
Stay in your cosy home or even in your bedroom. Utilise your lunch break at work - We can be connected, we respect your time :)
References
(2) Martin EI, Ressler KJ, Binder E, Nemeroff CB. The neurobiology of anxiety disorders: brain imaging, genetics, and psychoneuroendocrinology. Psychiatr Clin North Am. 2009 Sep;32(3):549-75.
(3) Kim YK, Jeon SW. Neuroinflammation and the immune-kynurenine pathway in anxiety disorders. Curr Neuropharmacol. 2018;16(5):574-82. doi:10.2174/1570159X15666170913110426