Natural Anxiety Recovery
Brien Cole N.D.
Those of us who have suffered from anxiety know it is exhausting. It is a state of constant preparedness for the worst catastrophies imaginable. Our bodies' defences are on constant over-drive. Our heart races, we have butterflies in the belly, our skin prickles and our breath is shallow and fast. We experience the full gamut of our bodies' normal response to threat: the fight-flight response.
The fight-flight response has evolved to protect us from danger. Once the danger has passed we should return to a natural state of relaxed awareness. Unfortunately, anxiety-prone people simply don't return to the relaxed/aware state. Their bodies are in a constant state of vigilance, either because their fight-flight response is triggered too readily or their bodies are incapable of turning off the fight-flight response. Somehow the normal feedback loop has malfunctioned and won't allow the body to return to the relaxed/aware state. Somehow, anxious people misread their environment, fearing things that others find neutral.
Anxious people experience anxiety as racing, out of control, catastrophic thoughts. They are aware that their hearts are racing, they have butterflies in the belly, prickly skin and short, fast breath. Predominantly, however, they know anxiety as a state of mind. Likewise, anxiety recovery tends to emphasise the mental process: learning the skills to monitor and take charge of our thoughts, to disengage from the driving expectations and to set our own boundaries. These are important skills, but they are not the whole picture. Anxious states are not solely states of mind. Racing hearts, butterflies in the belly, prickly skin and fast shallow breaths are physical. Anxiety recovery, to be effective and long term, needs to take into account both our mental and physical experiences.
Our bodies need both states of being: the aroused state, to escape from or engage with danger, and the relaxed state, to nurture and re-energize the self. These states compliment each other. What is interesting is that they are mutually exclusive; you cannot be anxious and relaxed at the same time. You cannot be anxious in a relaxed body. By learning to calm the mind and relax the body we can take charge of our anxiety. By learning to calm the mind and relax the body we can build up resilience against the constant episodes of anxiety.
Natural therapies can assist us in our recovery from anxiety: firstly, by helping us feel better in ourselves. Amino acids such as S-Adenosylmethionine (SAMe) act similarly to medically prescribed anti-depressants but without the side effects. SAMe increases the body's production of serotonin, the chemical that makes you feel better and slows the production of the chemicals that make you feel worse. Herbs such as St Johns Wort, Passionflower and Skullcap all have a role to play in the treatment of anxiety and depression. Omega-3 oils not only reduce cholesterol but also nurture the brain by increasing those same chemicals that make you feel good.
Secondly, natural therapies can assist the body to return to the relaxed state. B vitamins, minerals (Magnesium, Potassium and Zinc), and herbs (Chamomile, Lemon Balm and Peppermint) can all assist the body to relax. As I stated earlier, you cannot be anxious in a relaxed body.
Finally, we need to re-energize the body. Anxiety depletes the body of energy. It is exhausting living in a state of continual arousal. The body never gets a chance to recharge. Healing won't take place in the anxious/aroused state: the anxious/aroused state is designed to flee or fight. The body doesn't have time for healing when its life is on the line. Healing will take place once the body learns to relax. The relaxed/aware physical state is designed for healing. The herbs Ginseng, Liquorice, and Kelp, combined with good nutrition, relaxation and breathing techniques, will help restore and re-energize the body, and calm and rejuvenate the mind.
Brien Cole suffered from anxiety for most of his life. Attending Bev Aisbett's anxiety management program, (an ADAVIC program) began a journey of recovery.
Brien brings his skills as a Naturopath, plus his personal experience and understanding to his practice. Brien Cole offers one to one naturopathic consultations. He also facilitates small group classes developing anxiety recovery skills at his Safety Beach practice on the Mornington Peninsula. The aim of his program is to learn to live in a relaxed body, a body in touch with feeling and sensation, an intuitive body, a healthy body in a calm mind.
Brien Cole can be contacted on PH: 0427 957 605, M: 59 884 520, or email brienLcole@hotmail.com
By Brien Cole
December 2003
