Anxiety is worry about something that has not yet happened. It’s living in the future rather than the present. Depression, anxiety’s grey sister, is rumination on what has happened in the past. Both rob you of the gift of the present moment.
Anxiety can arise from a number of factors. Anxiety is the body’s way of preparing itself to deal with a threat or a future stressful event. The problem with anxiety is the body revs up to match the impending threat, whether it is mental, emotional or physical. If anxiety is a long held pattern of reactivity, the body becomes accustomed to being hyper-vigilant as it scans for danger. This leads to many physical issues like insomnia, high blood pressure, irritability, an inability to focus, digestive issues, nervous system disorders, fatigue (wired and tired), hormone imbalances, weight gain, panic attacks and more.
Brain Chemistry
Anxious people often have an imbalance in their genetics or the messenger chemicals in the brain that tell the rest of the body what to do next. These messenger chemicals are called neurotransmitters. A urinary metabolic test and/or a salivary and urine neurotransmitter test that can pin point the imbalance is the fastest, cheapest, and easiest way to see what the root problem is. Contrary to the usual method in western medicine, experimenting with a variety of dependency forming prescription medications does not solve the root problem.
Adrenal Fatigue
Adrenal imbalance is also a source of anxiety. When the adrenal glands have been over-stressed (many times by too much anxiety over a life time), they get worn out or are on over-drive. If this is the case, it’s best to know which way they are going. Again, salivary adrenal testing is the best way to find out the actual problem in order to fine-tune a targeted treatment plan. You can set up a discovery call with my team to discuss working with me to create an individualized plan to reverse anxiety in your life.
Your Mind Traps
Finally, cognitive beliefs are also a big source of anxiety. If you worry about things that have not yet happened and are driven by fear, you will be anxious. If you are a perfectionist, you will be anxious. Learning your ennea-type (enneagram) is helpful for understanding your motivations and getting underneath them. Additionally, therapy is an important part of reversing long term mental wiring that keeps you anxious. Remember the body holds anxiety and responds (via the adrenals) quickly to the messenger chemicals in the brain (neurotransmitters) that say you are under attack and in danger. This is why I use the full scope of mind-body tools for helping my clients overcome their anxiety.
Bath Time
Use 5 drops of essential oil of your choice to 1/2 cup of Epsom salts and add to hot bath as it’s filling. Soak for 30 minutes nightly and follow with a sesame oil (with essential oils added) self-massage before going to bed. This is a wonderful sleep aid and helps turn off the mind. Lavender oil is particularly useful as a sleeping aid.
Please reach out if you have any questions or want more information about treating anxiety from an all-natural individualized perspective.
You deserve to feel fabulous!
Dr. Keesha
