We all have stress. It’s part of life – and a big part of life in western society. But what happens when that stress becomes chronic?
It can be more dangerous than we may think.
Our bodies are designed to handle acute stress (think a bear attack!), but chronic stress can turn into paralyzing anxiety, which can bring on both mental and physical illnesses.
We may think that it’s nothing to be concerned about, that it’s normal and/or not worthy of bringing attention to, but anxiety in our country is an epidemic – in kids, teens, and adults alike. We are a high anxiety culture in which most people are anxious.
When not acknowledged and dealt with, anxiety can lead to such issues as:
– aging faster with disease development
– autoimmune disease
– ulcers
– hormone imbalances
– gastrointestinal issues
– depression
– panic attacks
– heart attack
– stroke
– sleep problems
– relationship issues
in addition to other serious issues still being researched.
So even though we may feel it’s something we just need to live with or we have lived with it for so long that we don’t know any different, we can’t afford not to address it.
When do you know it’s time to seek help?
When you:
– have trouble relaxing
– have sleep issues
– are more irritable and/or short tempered
– find yourself crying and/or yelling more
– feel extra frustrated
– find you are unable to manage very stressful things like you did before
What kind of help is there?
There are not a lot of good pharmaceutical medications available for anxiety, and many that are prescribed are designed for help with depression. They can also be highly addictive and cause weight gain and low libido.
If you are hesitant to discuss your anxiety with your primary care physician or are hesitant to go on anti-depressants, holistic medicine may be the right answer for you.
In holistic medicine, it’s important to:
admit you need support and know that it’s ok!
Support can mean acupuncture, herbal supplements, holistic counseling, and/or lifestyle changes.
By acknowledging your anxiety, you can get help to manage it better, slow disease that may be developing because of it, and change your aging process.
Many times, clients visit our office exhausted and use us as a last option after their primary care physician has told them they are fine – but they don’t feel fine!
At CNMA, we take a different approach to treating anxiety. We look at it as a spectrum. For example, one may not be anxious enough for pharmaceutical medications, but may need herbal support.
To determine where you are on the spectrum, functional labs are taken for an overall analysis of the body’s functioning.
Such labs are:
– metabolic and nutritional analysis
– adrenal stress test
– women’s/men’s hormone tests
– neurotransmitter analysis
These tests provide vital information on how the body is managing cortisol, hormones, and even micronutrients. These all play a crucial role in how much anxiety we feel and how treat it holistically.
How can it be treated naturally?
At CNMA, we find it successful many times to use a variety of natural support in managing anxiety.
We first start by addressing sleep and then continue by treating daytime anxiety.
We recommend acupuncture for the first month to balance the body’s cortisol and energy, bringing on a deep state of relaxation. This can also open the mind for clearer thinking in processing your anxiety.
In addition to acupuncture, herbal supplements are typically prescribed to support the nervous system. These supplements may include, but are not limited to:
– Douglas Labs® AdrenoMend™
– Integrative Therapeutics® Cortisol Manager™
– Innate® Response Formulas Adrenal Response®
– Pure Encapsulations® Cortisol calm
– Designs for Health® NeuroCalm™
– GABA
– Integrative Therapeutics® Lavella WS 1265™
– CBD Oil
For additional anxiety support, we find that therapeutic massage, movement, and proper diet can all help manage this debilitating issue.
As you can see, there are MANY natural ways to help you deal with anxiety!
If you live in Castle Rock, Castle Pines, Highlands Ranch, Lone Tree, Centennial, Parker, Larkspur, Monument, Colorado Springs, or the Greater Denver Metro area and are dealing with anxiety, call us at (303) 688-6698 or click here to schedule a complimentary 15 minute consultation with Dr. Graves to talk about it and learn how we can help.
Remember, you don’t have to let anxiety become your normal – and you shouldn’t.
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