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Symptoms
Fear; avoidance behaviours; anxious, palpitations; restlessness or ‘geared up’; irritability; muscle tensions, aches or soreness; difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep, or restless sleep; trembling; sweaty palms; shortness of breath; nausea or diarrhoea; frequent urination; trouble swallowing; self conscious; twitching and weight loss.
Anxiety is a conscious (known), or subconscious (unknown), fear based issue. Chronic (ongoing) anxiety can cause damage to the serotonin synapse uptake. It depletes the adrenal glands. Any type of stress causes the opioid levels to diminish. This creases a sense of urgency in an individual. The person becomes irritable and easily angered, thus losing their temper frequently. Many people find relief from these feelings from an artificial opioid that is released by alcohol or other drugs, however they can become dependent on these in anxiety producing situations (social situations), or to release their daily stress.
There are 5 main chemicals, or neurotransmitters, in the brains’ emotion centre:
1. Opioids
2. GABA
3. Serotonin
4. Dopamine, and
5. Norepinepherine.
When these chemicals are lowered a
dangerous cycle begins in our bodies. The cycle is called the Stress Cycle
and the damage it causes is deadly.
Any type of stress causes opioid levels to diminish. Low opioid levels automatically causes an increase in dopamine release. This causes a feeling of alertness and anxiety. Continued dopamine release causes emotional fatigue. When dopamine is released, it is exactly the same chemical response as that following a small cocaine use. Low opioid levels also causes lowering of the GABA levels. When this occurs, feelings of anxiety, insecurity and unexplained panic are felt. The most obvious feeling is deep depression.
Low GABA levels cause an increase in norepinepherin release. This encourages quick, emotional responses like anger and discourages slower, deliberate (logical) thinking. High norepinepherin causes adrenalin to be released, which causes the heart to beat faster and harder and causes red corpuscle reserves to be placed in the blood stream. It causes energy sources, nutrients, and oxygen to be diverted from functional organs straight to the muscles (fight or flight response). This is where high blood pressure, strokes and damage to a number of pressure sensitive organs occurs. (The ongoing diversion of oxygen and nutrition from the functional organs causes them to become diseased).
Low GABA levels causes a decrease in
serotonin levels which makes sleep very difficult. This in turn causes the
person to exhibit feelings of irritability and a lack of rational emotion. Lack
of sleep is believed to influence the inhibition of the release of human growth
hormone (HgH) needed for energy and vitality, which can lead to weight gain and
obesity.
Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD)
For many years, generalised anxiety disorder and panic attacks were thrown together under the umbrella term anxiety neurosis. Recently, however, modern psychiatry has come to the conclusion that the these two illnesses differ greatly and that generalized anxiety disorder is a legitimate condition worthy of its own diagnostic classification.
The GAD sufferer wakes up anxious and
worried every morning and goes to bed anxious and worried every night. They
worry excessively and unrealistically about nearly everything all the time.
They may worry about losing their job even though they may have been given a
promotion.
About 5% of the population suffer from
what psychiatrists term anxiety neurosis. In standard psychiatric
textbooks, physiological responses to chronic anxiety are attributed to
childhood trauma; that the sufferer lived in an unstable familial environment,
exposed to repeated emotional tensions.
This may well be true, yet consider the
biochemical underpinnings of anxiety neurosis. Patients with this
condition have exceptionally high levels of lactic acid (or
lactate) in
the blood, especially after strenuous activity. How does this occur? A
calcium
deficiency is likely to be the cause, for high levels of lactic acid and
insufficient calcium are correlated chemical abnormalities. Lactic acid binds
the calcium, effectively imprisoning it. When too little calcium is circulating
in the bloodstream to spark the nervous system, palpitation, sweating, a racing
heart, and ‘nerves’ are the result.
Researchers at the Washington University
School of Medicine proved this by inducing acute anxiety reactions in subjects
by injecting them with lactate solution, and then effectively reduced the
anxiety symptoms by injecting calcium.
When a person is experiencing ongoing
stressful conditions they should aim to eliminate all forms of caffeine
and other stimulants from their diet. An increase of B group vitamins is
generally recommended for the body to help cope during these periods. However, once the
stressful period is over, and if symptoms still persist, they should seek
professional help in overcoming the legacy. Exercise is one of the best
forms of dealing with stress and releasing the excess energy buildup. Early in
the day is more suitable, as exercising in the evening could keep you awake from
the release of adrenalin.
Reconnective
Healing™
See:
Reconnective
Healing
Thought Field Therapy (TFT)
The Latin name hypericum means ‘over an apparition’. This name is derived from the knowledge that it was once believed to be a powerful repellent for warding off evil spirits. The herbs’ more common name, St John’s Wort, evolved following its traditional use by Christians during the anniversary of the death of St John the Baptist. St John’s wort has long been one of the most popular treatments for mild depression and anxiety in Europe for hundreds of years. Numerous modern clinical trials have proved its effectiveness in the treatment of mild to moderate depression. The potency of St John’s wort extract is determined by its level of hypericins – the active ingredients in the herb.
St John’s wort is believed to have a
number of actions responsible for its effectiveness. It inhibits the monoamine
oxidase enzyme; excessive activity of this enzyme has been implicated in
depression. St John’s wort also helps by inhibiting the reuptake of
serotonin by 5-hydroxytryptamine receptors.
See:
5-HTP.
Developed by Dr Edward Bach of England in the 1930’s. These vibrational essences have a positive effect on the negative states within our energy field.
This is the remedy for fear of known things – illness, poverty, living alone, socialising, etc. Those of the Mimulus nature are often afraid of people and are shy, nervous or retiring. They feel uneasy with people they do not know and tend to blush easily. Therefore, they dislike social gatherings and are very self conscious. Excellent for GAD sufferers.
This is the remedy for unknown things. It takes the form of foreboding, apprehension, anxious anticipation or dread. But the sufferer cannot pinpoint exactly what they are fearful of.
This is the remedy for extreme fear; terror, panic, phobias. It may not always be rational, but is very real for the sufferer. This may be as the result of a trauma, such as an accident. Thus the sufferer develops a phobia of travelling in a vehicle. This is commonly known as Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome (PTSS). Excellent for phobics.
B3 (Nicotinamide, Niacinamide) – Sugar utilisation and intestinal function, etc. Used to treat some mental disorders. Particularly useful in the treatment of schizophrenia.
B6 (Pyridoxine) – Important for body’s use of amino acids and fatty acids. Used for depression and premenstrual tension. Has been used in acute alcoholism and muscular dystrophy.
B12 (Cyanocobalamin; Hydroxycobalamin) – Essential for blood formation and health of nervous system. Deficiency results in pernicious anaemia and some nervous disorders.
Necessary for collagen development. Powerful antioxidant. Has also been successfully used in treating pathological intoxication, delirium tremens, acute alcoholic hallucinosis, and schizophrenia.
Dr John Wozny,
a University of Alberta, USA, psychiatrist has found that
calcium therapy works
wonders for the anxiety ridden. Dr Wozny was treating a 13 year old patient who
was tense, tremulous and friendless, tortured by morbid fears. Other
psychiatrists had attributed these symptoms to an insecure family atmosphere.
Dr Wozny tested for nutritional disorder and recommended a high calcium diet.
Twenty-three days later the girl’s fears and anxieties were overcome, she was
able to get a full night’s sleep and she demonstrated marked improvement at
school. A tiny decrease of calcium in the blood can produce uncontrollable
temper outbursts. The very young are extremely vulnerable in this regard.
Young toddlers have been known their hold their breath and turn blue when having
a temper tantrum. Before smacking such a child, the parent may well consider
the probability of calcium deficiency.
This valuable substance has been shown
to possess multiple health benefits, among them improving the health of the
heart and related tissues. It has also been shown to help lower hypertension.
Oats
Can help balance hormones associated
with premenstrual stress syndrome, which can produce anxiety.
References:
Chapman, A.H., M.D., A
Textbook of Clinical Psychiatry. An
Interpersonal Approach., 1967, J.B.
Lippincott Company.
Cheraskin, E., M.D., Ringsdorf, W.M.,
M.D., Psycho-Dietetics, 1974,
Bantam books.
Howard, J., SRN, SCM, HV, The Bach flower remedies step by step. A complete guide to prescribing, 1990, The C.W. Daniel Company Ltd.
Mills, S. and Bone, K., Principles and practice of phytotherapy. (London: Churchill Livingstone, 2000), p. 547.
Opler, Lewis A., PhD., Prozac and other psychiatric drugs. Everything you need to know, (1996), Pocket Booksg Health.
Solomon, N., M.D., PhD., The Noni
phenomenon, 1999, Direct Source
Publishing.
Spencer, R., The A-Z of Australian
Family Medicines, 1986,
Butterworths.
| Copyright ©Trudy Fox 2003 - 2007 |
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Last Updated:
27 May, 2007 |