Anxiety and Integrative Medicine

Anxiety and Integrative Medicine - A Natural Approach

Anxiety hits 40 million of the USA adults; that’s about 19.1% of the country’s population. Among adolescents (those aged 13–18), 31.9% suffer from some form an anxiety disorder. 

Anxiety hits differently—it impacts the mind, body, and soul equally. When your mind is on overdrive—what you need is a break. Anxiety treatments can give you that, though often focusing on symptoms alone, overlooking ‘why it happened’ in the first place. Anxiety and Integrative medicine offer a natural and organic way of dealing with the issue. Integrative treatment for anxiety can slowly and steadily turn this ‘vibe-killer’ into a vibe-lifter to heal you and make you feel calm and composed from within.

What is Anxiety

Anxiety is when you feel worried, nervous, or scared about something happening.

It’s normal to feel this way when life gets stressful. But when anxiety sticks around too long, feels way too intense, and starts getting in the way of your everyday life — like working, studying, or hanging out with family and friends — it could be a sign of an anxiety disorder.

They can be further divided into Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD), Panic Disorder (PD), Social Anxiety Disorder, Specific Phobias, Stress, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), and Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), depending on specific causes and symptoms of the condition. 

Anxiety Symptoms You Must Know

Anxiety is often misunderstood and overlooked. Here is how it commonly presents:

• Persistent melancholy 

• Feeling of hopelessness

• Lack of interest or pleasure in activities you liked before. 

• Having difficulties concentrating or making judgments

• Symptoms may include irritability, tense feelings, restlessness, nausea, and stomach trouble.

• Heart palpitations.

• Sweating, trembling, difficulty sleeping, and feelings of impending danger or fear.

The symptoms usually last for months and can impair one's capacity to function efficiently at work and home, reducing overall well-being and quality of life.

Anxiety Causes That You’re Not Aware Of

Anxiety causes can be anything from recent events to past events—sometimes more deep-rooted than we can imagine. 

Common causes of anxiety include:

• Past events and trauma;

• Substance abuse

• A medical condition such as Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) or OCD, etc.

• Genetic tendency.

Other uncommon causes include:

• Gut issues: Poor gut health can interfere with brain chemicals such as serotonin, causing sudden surges in anxiety.

• Nutritional deficiencies and sensitivities: Micronutrient deficiencies affect the nervous system and cortisol levels, causing anxiety.

• Poor sleep hygiene: Irregular sleep patterns and low-quality sleep can increase your brain's sensitivity to stress, fueling worry.

• Chronic dehydration: Dehydration impairs brain function and mood, imitating or exacerbating anxiety symptoms.

• Toxin exposure: Mold, heavy metals, and common household pollutants can all gently stress your body and increase anxiety without your knowledge.

Conventional Treatments for Anxiety and Their Pitfalls

Medication and psychotherapy are the two most common anxiety treatments. Some medicines, like antidepressants, anti-anxiety pills, beta-blockers for blood pressure, etc., are routinely a part of anxiety treatment. 

The most common therapy is Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT). It teaches you how to spot negative thoughts and replace them with healthier ways of thinking.

Professionals usually recommend doing CBT once a week for about two months for best results.

While these perfectly address every known aspect of anxiety, traditional methods fail to uproot the real causes and heal you as a person. This "whole-person approach" is brought in by integrative medicine. 

The Integrative Medicine Approach to Anxiety

Anxiety is more than just occasional worry—it can deeply affect daily life and wellbeing. While conventional treatments help, many people are now turning to integrative medicine as a complementary therapy for a more holistic approach. 

This method brings the mind, body, and lifestyle together to ease anxiety from the inside out, and we’ll see how:

Lab Test to Determine Root Causes of Anxiety

There is no single test to detect anxiety. Different lab tests to rule out other health issues that might be causing or worsening it. Alternative therapy for anxiety combines regular and advanced tests; it can get a better picture of what’s really going on and create a personalized treatment plan.

• Complete Blood Count (CBC): Determines if your immune system is compromised or if you are deficient in essential nutrients such as iron, which can cause anxiety.

• Thyroid Panel: Examines thyroid hormones, as an overactive thyroid can produce anxiety symptoms.

• Complete Metabolic Panel (CMP): Determines how well your liver and kidneys are functioning, as these disorders might impair brain health.

• Electrocardiogram (ECG): If your heart races or feels odd during worry, this test will rule out a cardiac condition.

• Genetic Testing: Some testing. Check your genes to see if you're more prone to mood problems or how well you'll respond to anxiety meds.

• Digestive (Stool) Tests: Examine your gut health because digestion and nutrient absorption issues might affect anxiety.

• Neurotransmitter (chemical in the brain) tests measure brain chemicals such as serotonin, dopamine, and GABA, which assist in regulating mood and serenity.

Personalized Integrative Treatment of Anxiety

What works for me may not work for you. Based on a detailed medical history and lab tests, Integrative medicine puts together a tailored therapy plan that combines the best of both worlds—traditional meds and alternative natural approaches. 

Exercise and Mindfulness Practices

Physical movement and mindfulness techniques calm the nervous system, lower stress hormones, and boost feel-good chemicals like endorphins and serotonin. From daily workouts, afternoon walks, and runs to yoga, tai chi, etc., physical movements are critical. 

To that, complementary therapies for anxiety add mindfulness practices like meditation,   deep breathing exercises, mentally scanning and relaxing each part of your body before bed to ensure sleep hygiene, ‘forest bathing’—spending quiet, tech-free time outdoors at least once a week, and more. 

Nutrition

What you eat affects brain chemistry and mood. Balanced nutrition can stabilize blood sugar, lower inflammation, and support neurotransmitter health. 

Based on the personalized plan, you will learn what to eat—the right proportions, sequence of eating, food combinations, and what must be eliminated.

Dehydration can worsen anxiety. Gradually, you must try to reduce added sugars and excess caffeine and focus on real hydration with water. 

Adding protein, healthy fats, fiber, and antioxidant-rich fruits and vegetables is key to filling in deficiencies. 

Supplements 

Certain vitamins, minerals, and herbal supplements can support brain chemistry, lower cortisol (stress hormone), and promote calmness naturally. Some of these may include:

• Good fats like Omega-3 fatty acids:

• Magnesium supplements help relax muscles and calm the mind.

• L-Theanine, as found in green tea, promotes relaxation without drowsiness. 

A Path Towards Sustainable Healing From Anxiety With Integrative Medicine

Anxiety often comes disguised in forms that seem so normal that you fail to pay heed. Stop, think! If you have been coping with more than just anxiety symptoms–and too often—-or find it difficult to keep up with professional or personal commitments, it’s time to see a healthcare professional.

Anxiety and integrative medicine go hand in hand because this treatment approach treats you holistically and as a person. From deep-diving into the ‘whys’ of anxiety to implementing natural daily techniques, integrative treatment for anxiety truly complements traditional anxiety treatments in diverse ways.

If you or a loved one is looking for support with anxiety or feels unsure about battling the condition, we are ready to support you.