Symptoms of anxiety:

• Increased heart rate
• Heart palpitations
• Sweating
• Chest pain
• Shortness of breath
• Headaches
• Fatigue
• Insomnia
• Muscle tension
• Irritability
• Forgetfulness
• Confusion
• Restlessness
• Social withdrawal
• Nervousness, feeling jumpy or on edge
• Overeating or loss of appetite
• Loose stools or diarrhea 

Anxiety can become a vicious cycle.  You are under stress and so you feel anxious and so you put extra demands on your body’s ability to cope with stress.  This further depletes your coping resources and so your ability to deal with stress goes even lower and your anxiety level goes even higher. 

My Naturopathic Approach to Anxiety Disorders

There are several things that need to take place to calm anxiety disorders:

1. Remove or reduce sources of stress
2. Exercise – you will cope with stress better if you are exercising than if you are not
3. Stress reduction techniques – yoga, tai chi, massage therapy, breathing exercises, meditation, psychotherapy
4. Nourish the body’s stress glands or adrenal glands
5. Nourish the brain with B vitamins, magnesium and essential fatty acids
6. Calm the nervous system - herbs can help calm the nervous system to help with sleep, reduce daytime anxiety and allow you to restore your stress adaptation mechanisms

The Benefits to My Approach

1. Better ability to cope with whatever life throws you
2. Lasting improvement versus recurrence as soon as you stop the medication
3. A stronger system
4. More restful sleep

DISCLAIMER: The information provided here may not apply precisely to your individual situation. Diagnostic and therapeutic choices must always be tailored to the individual patient's circumstances, and consultation with a licensed naturopathic physician should be undertaken before following any of the treatment strategies suggested in this web site.