The Natural Path to Reduced Stress & Anxiety By Erika Dworkin, Board Certifi ed in Holistic Nutrition®


"Most people experience stress and anxiety at some point in their lives. Depending on the level of severity, that can detrimentally impact one’s quality of life. Although stress and anxiety share many of the same emo- tional and physical symptoms...they have very different origins. Generally, stress is a response to an external cause...and sub- sides once the situation has been resolved. Anxiety is a person’s specifi c reaction to stress; its origin is internal. Anxiety is typi- cally characterized by a “persistent feeling of apprehension or dread” in situations that are not actually threatening. Unlike stress, anxiety persists even after a concern has passed."


~ National Council for Behavioral Health (mentalhealthfi rstaid.org, 2019)


I


f stress or anxiety interferes with your daily life, productivity, or happiness, you have a lot of company. More than


75% of Americans regularly experience physical symptoms caused by stress, and anxiety disorders are the most com- mon mental illness in the United States, impacting almost 20% of the population each year. If you prefer to use natural remedies to manage your responses to stress, including your anxiety, the options discussed below may prove helpful.


Defi nitions & Symptoms


Stress and anxiety frequently coexist, often with depression, eating disorders, and substance abuse. Unmanaged stress and anxiety can accompany or contribute to a wide range of physical conditions, including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, chronic headaches and fatigue, ulcers, and various digestive ailments, including candidiasis (yeast overgrowth).


Stress is an automatic, negative,


psychological, and physical response to overwhelming internal and external forces called stressors (including lack of sleep, allergens, pain/poor health, and work/social pressures). It releases neurochemicals and hormones to prepare the body for action (often called the “fi ght-or-fl ight” response) and, if excessive or prolonged, can greatly undermine one’s life and health. Symptoms of stress include fatigue, sleep disorders, irritability, and constant worrying.


Anxiety, with emotional, physiological,


and cognitive components, has been noted as the sixth most important contributor of non-fatal negative health outcomes. Internal or interpersonal confl ict can provoke anxi- ety, which causes people to feel frightened and apprehensive for no apparent reason, or out of proportion relative to present stress- ors. While its causes are not fully under- stood, genetics, biochemistry (including excess lactic acid in the blood and hor- monal imbalances), environment, personal history (especially trauma), physical illness, poor diet, and medication side effects, can all contribute to its development.


Anxiety symptoms can include heart palpitations/throbbing/pain, insomnia/ restlessness, severe muscle tension/spasms, excessive sweating, headaches, severe diges- tive problems, concentration diffi culties, and impatience/irritability. The degree of anxiety can vary and, if extreme, may rise to the level of one of fi ve anxiety disorders: panic disor- der; obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD); post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD); phobia; or general anxiety disorder (GAD).


The Conventional Approach To alter the brain’s neurotransmit-


ters (chemical messengers), conventional practitioners commonly prescribe various medications for stress and anxiety. Unfortu- nately, they all have potential side effects: (1) benzodiazepines (Valium® Librium®


, Xanax® ,


): increased anxiety, signifi cant memory impairment, and addiction (es- pecially in alcoholics); (2) SSRIs (Prozac® Lexapro®


, Zoloft® , ): agitation, decreased li-


bido, delayed/lacking ability to orgasm, and insomnia; and (3) beta-blockers (Tenormin® and Inderal®


): fatigue, depression, erectile


dysfunction, memory loss, and insomnia. Supplements to Manage Stress & Anxiety


Various natural remedies generally can manage moderate levels of stress and anxiety safely and without side effects. The alphabetically arranged list below includes those that clinical practice or scientifi c research has proven to be especially ef- fective when used either individually or in combinations.


Amino Acids When the brain produces a neu-


rotransmitter, it starts with a raw ingredi- ent, usually an amino acid from the diet or another chemical already present in the brain. Enzymes are then used to convert the amino acid into the needed brain chemical. There are various cofactors that help the enzymes work faster, including B vitamins (see below). Insuffi cient intakes of various aminos (tryptophan, phenylalanine, tyrosine) are associated with increased symptoms of anxiety.


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