Evaluating the Body
(Part 3 of my BLOG series on Anxiety)
I don’t claim to know it all. I don’t have a Dr. in front of
my name. I am not 100% better physically. But I have found significant healing
over the course of this past year. Below are my top 10 practical tips for those
suffering with Anxiety and really any other mental/emotional disorders. I hope that what I have learned can help
others on their own journey to healing.
1. Find a
Holistic Doctor. One that looks at your whole body, your diet, your
lifestyle, and can figure out how your symptoms can be relieved through all of
those avenues. A doctor that practices “Functional
Medicine” will be your best bet and one who is a D.O. instead of an M.D. is
more likely to be Holistic (through not always the case.) Read reviews online,
ask around in Holistic Facebook groups for references in your area. They do
exist and if you find one you will be blessed!
2.
Understand
your symptoms. The more I learned about the biology of my body and the
symptoms I was experiencing the less scary they were. Learning about WHY I had
a racing heart, shortness of breath, and heart palpitations stopped the vicious
cycle of being anxious about those very symptoms caused by anxiety. Just focus on a few trustworthy websites that
can explain anxiety attack symptoms or depression symptoms and then STOP
googling after that! Reading about it over and over I have found to cause me
more anxiety. But learning about it once and moving on is a good thing! These
two websites were helpful to me with good explanations of anxiety disorders
(although I don’t know if I would fully recommend the treatment options they
suggest for everyone.) Calm
Clinic or Progesterone
Therapy
3. Understand
your OWN body and THEN supplement. There is not a one size fits all
prescription for any disorder like this. I made the mistake of taking a ton of
different supplements before getting
evaluated and later found out some of those things were actually hurting me!
Bloodwork that includes testing for hormones, thyroid, genetic conditions,
vitamin and mineral levels, etc can give you a better idea for what your body
is lacking. For example, I was low on fish oil and vitamin D, so that is what I
kept taking. I have really high cortisol levels, so I started an herbal
supplement that helps balance cortisol levels. I am also on a prescription for MTHFR, a genetic
condition connected to mental disorders that I would suggest you learn about
too. Using more precision with your supplements puts less stress on your body
and wallet!
4.
Record
your symptoms and the circumstances surrounding them. Keeping track of when
and where your symptoms occur and give you BIG clues for what may be causing
them. Time of day, time of month, during stressful times, during times of no
stress, during the middle of the night…etc. For example, my panic attacks were
WAY worse in the morning then the afternoons, a clue to having high cortisol
issues since your cortisol levels naturally are higher in the morning. If you
are a woman, paying attention to when in your menstrual cycle they occur can
give big clues as to whether you may have an imbalance of estrogen/progesterone
of possibly thyroid issues. Keeping track of other signs and symptoms such as
acne flare ups, hair loss, waking temperatures can also help to give big clues.
There are lots of apps out there that track your cycles and symptoms which can
be very helpful! Once again, your Holistic Doctor could help you see a pattern
and use that along with bloodwork to pinpoint where you may need a prescription.
5.
Figure out
your Triggers and ReTrain your brain. There are some triggers that are best
to totally avoid like caffeine or really suspenseful shows (I had to give up
Dr. Who!) but other triggers may be a part of daily life and you need to
change how you approach them. For example, a big trigger of panic attacks for
me was driving. It didn’t matter if I felt good all day, the second I got in
the car my heart started racing and the minute I got on the highway my panic
attack would begin. All because I had trained my brain to react like this and
was stuck in this pattern. So I had to Retrain my brain to react calmly, when I
got in the car. I started taking back roads everywhere so I was more relaxed, I
would make it a point to have fun conversation with the kids as we started
driving, I would “practice” driving on the highway when my husband was with me.
And eventually those patterns in my brain broke and I can now drive no problem.
My brain was also trained to start being anxious every morning as I started my
day. Going on a week long trip to Florida also helped me get my brain rewired
and when I came back I felt much more relaxed about life. Perhaps you get major
anxiety when going to bed-maybe you can try to retrain your brain by sleeping
upside down or reading a calm book before bed. We’ve got to break those vicious
brain neuron pathways!
6.
FOOD…FOOD
..FOOD…This one is the biggest challenge but also the most rewarding. I had
felt so much better after taking pills for my cortisol, thyroid and hormone
imbalances the changes in my DIET have led me to feel almost my WHOLE NORMAL self again. Going on a low sugar and low
glycemic diet worked wonders to keep my blood sugar stable. When my blood sugar
was stable, then I was stable. I learned all about how to do that through these
lovely ladies: Trim Healthy Mamas
And then, taking a food sensitivity blood test helped me to pinpoint what
exactly my body was reacting to in a negative way. I was sensitive to A TON of different foods-like
broccoli, lemon, gluten, oats, dairy…a tell tell sign of a
leaky gut. These foods were producing inflammation, causing my body to
produce antibodies against itself, and raising my cortisol levels in order to
attack the food which it saw as an invader in my body. Since cutting out
everything I have been sensitive to, I have felt SO SO much better. My worst
enemies- my ANXIETY and my ACNE have both decreased significantly! I am on a
special protocol with enzymes, probiotics, etc for healing a leaky gut and hope
to soon be able to eat all of those foods again without problems. Has it been
hard? YES? Do I miss my cheese and bread? YES. Is it worth eating again? NO WAY
JOSE.
7.
GET more SLEEP. We all know this helps immensely with mental and physical health.
When I stay up past midnight, my body shifts into fight or flight mode again as
it fights to stay awake and makes it impossible to sleep. When I don’t bet good
sleep, I feel more on edge and anxious the day after. The most restorative
sleep happened between 10pm and 2am (somewhere I read) so laying down by 10 is
important… Now if I could only Practice what I Preach!!
8.
Avoid
Multitasking. Another one where I need to do better at practicing what I
preach. Whether it Is your brain or your body multitasking, it can really lead
to higher stress and anxiety levels. A practical thing that has helped me is to
only allot a certain time frame in the day to be on the internet. Otherwise my
brain is in all different places and it is not good for my mothering nor my
marriage nor myself! And for tasks around the house, I try to do one thing at a
time. Super-hard, but I feel much calmer through the day. Love this blog about multitasking.
9.
Find your
HAPPY place. Sounds lame and all yoga-like, but really. Find what relaxes
you. Find what will produce more Serotonin (the happy hormone) that can combat
all that anxiety or depression. Maybe it is yoga. Maybe it is bubble baths or
watching the Office. Maybe reading an
inspiring book or devotional. For me it is being outside in the quiet, just
observing God’s creation. Or just laying down on the carpet in my living room
on my back doing some stretches. Where do you get those peaceful serotonin surges?
10.
Remember above all that the Lord knows your body
best. Pray pray pray for healing. Ask your friends to pray for healing. He is
faithful whether He chooses to heal or not. I am thankful He chose to heal me through
all the ways that I have mentioned above. Praise the Lord! I give HIM all the
Glory!!
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