Do you have or have you ever suffered from anxiety?
Have you experienced racing thoughts that do not let you fall asleep easily?
Do you sometimes feel a pressure on your chest, or have trouble just relaxing? You may have anxiety.
Did you know that most people suffer from anxiety at some point in their lives? Almost 20% of the American population suffers from anxiety at any given time, and only about a third of them ever seek treatment. Part of this is because people often don’t know that the sensation they are experiencing is a form of anxiety.
Anxiety is nothing to be ashamed of and is not something that should be ignored.
Anxiety rears its head in many forms.
Many people assume anxiety and panic attacks are the same things.
While anxiety and panic attacks often have overlapping symptoms such as chest tightness, sweating, racing thoughts, and more, panic attacks tend to arise out of seemingly nothing and last longer than anxiety attacks, and they are unpredictable. Anxiety is generally caused by an acute or chronic stressor and dissipates more quickly than a panic attack, but occurs more frequently.
There are many ways to treat anxiety, both with short and long-term options. Consulting a physician is always advisable, as they will have multiple recommendations to help.
To deal with anxiety, in the long run, exercise, regular sleep cycles, and a diet high in healthy fats, proteins and carbohydrates are important. Having these good habits will keep anxiety at a manageable level. Diets high in sugar, caffeine, and alcohol tend to set off anxiety. Irregular sleep cycles also are no good for those suffering from anxiety.
Exercise should always be a top priority, but especially in those who suffer from any mental health issue. Exercise releases endorphins, our natural feel-good hormones, and allows us to calm down our nervous system naturally.
If the above recommendations do not work, or for a more immediate result, consider taking a supplement called GABA, short for GABA aminobutyric acid.
This is a naturally-occurring neurotransmitter in your brain, that helps you to relax by calming down your nervous system.
You can find this supplement over the counter at most health food stores.
GABA is such a great supplement because you can take low doses during the day to relax and still function, and higher doses at night to help you go to sleep.
GABA is such a great supplement because you can take low doses during the day to relax and still function, and higher doses at night to help you go to sleep. Click To Tweet
While you can overdose on this supplement, it is not addicting and it is cheap.
It is advisable to take a high-quality GABA supplement in order to get adequate doses.
It is also recommended that you consult a physician who is familiar with this supplement to get proper dosing recommendations.
Speaking with a therapist to help manage anxiety is always a good idea.
Recently, psychedelic medicine has been shown to help alleviate treatment resistant anxiety (and depression and PTSD). This is anxiety that has not responded well to talk therapy or anxiolytics. Ketamine therapy is a medication that physicians use in the psychedelic sphere, to help patients alleviate anxiety. Ketamine has traditionally been used in pediatric anesthesia, but more recently has proven benefits, in smaller doses, for adults. Due to it’s dissociative effects, not it’s anesthetic effects, it is considered a psychedelic, and has hit the spotlight to treat anxiety, depression, and PTSD.
Ketamine therapy works by increasing neuroplasticity in your brain. This is amazing, because what it does is allow for your thoughts to take new paths when responding to stressful events in your life.
Ketamine therapy works by increasing neuroplasticity in your brain. This is amazing, because what it does is allow for your thoughts to take new paths when responding to stressful events in your life. Click To Tweet
Over time, ketamine allows a person to experience decreased anxiety and depression by taking these new pathways to feeling, instead of going down old, harmful thought patterns. .
Please take care of your mental health!
