Anxiety

A person with Social Anxiety Disorder is afraid of making mistakes, looking bad, or being embarrassed or humiliated in front of others.

Nail biting can be a sign of persistent anxiety.

Anxiety conditions can cause adrenaline surges which result in tingling of the face, as well as other parts of the body.

Around 60% of people referred to cardiologists with chest pain do not have a heart problem but are simply suffering from anxiety.

Those who suffer from anxiety will often have prolonged, vivid, detailed dreams rather than the usual short bursts of dream activity.  There is increased activity in the brain of an anxious person.

Researchers conclude that chronically high levels of anxiety are a risk factor for the progression of atherosclerosis, especially in men. [Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol 2001; 21: pp.136-41]

Stress and anxiety are common causes of rapid food transit through the intestines.

This connection is discussed in the link between constipation and stress.

Anxiety surrounding major life changes such as divorce, unemployment, pregnancy, labor, motherhood or menopause, can contribute to a nervous breakdown.

Adrenal insufficiency can lead to a host of problems, including a weakened immune response, anxiety and panic attacks.

Serotonin levels are often low among people with anxiety disorders.

Depression or anxiety may occur as a result of the chronic pain and fatigue, or the frustration felt with this condition.  It is also possible that the same chemical imbalances in the brain that cause fibromyalgia also cause depression and anxiety.  Some 24% of patients suffer from anxiety.

Pyroluria is a known biochemical marker for life long anxiety symptoms.  According to one alcoholism treatment center, one-third to one-half of alcoholics treated have this marker.  High levels of pyrroles systematically bind to B6 and zinc, preventing the use of these nutrients in the body and brain.  The result is a myriad of symptoms, including severe inner tension, ongoing anxiety, poor stress control, fearfulness, and sometimes episodic anger.

Magnesium deficiency causes increased levels of adrenaline, which can lead to a feeling of anxiety.

An analysis of research over 14 years involving 877,0000 women found that those who had an abortion were 34% more likely to develop Anxiety Disorder. [British Journal of Psychiatry, Volume 199, Issue 3, September 2011, pp.180-6]

GABA has a powerful calming effect on the brain.  Tranquilizers like Valium and Librium work by stimulating the brain's receptors for GABA.

Tryptophan (or 5-HTP), the precursor of the sleep-inducing neurotransmitter serotonin, also has relaxing and calming effects.  Serotonin levels are often low among people with anxiety disorders.  A recent study found that 44% of alcoholics suffer from anxiety.  You can be pretty sure that you are low on tryptophan if you have ever blacked out from drinking.  It has been established that low tryptophan stores trigger blackouts.

Kava appears to be as effective as the class of synthetic pharmaceuticals called benzodiazepines (such as Valium) for treating anxiety, but without their dangerous side-effects of sedation and addiction.

Only about 2% of patients taking kava reported minor side-effects, predominantly gastrointestinal complaints, skin reaction, headache and photosensitivity.  Other research has shown that kavapyrones act on receptors in the hippocampus and amygdala complexes in the brain to produce measurable changes in brain wave activity and reduce anxiety. [Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology 2000 Feb;20(1): pp.84-9]

Research has also suggested that anxiety may be related to an increased risk of myocardial infarction and fatal coronary disease.  This risk may be due to an impairment of the parasympathetic nervous system with lower vagal control being reported in persons with more severe anxiety.  Although preliminary, due to the small sample size, a trial suggests that kava extract (280mg standardized extract per day) may target the baroreceptor pathway and improve Baroreflex control of heart rate (BRC) in patients with generalized anxiety. [J Psychopharmacol 2001;15: pp.283-86]

Frankincense oil can help to fortify a mind burdened with mental anxiety, nervous tension or stress.  It reduces anxiety and helps revitalize the mind when a person is mentally exhausted.

Treatment with passionflower extract over a one month period compared favorably to oxazepam (Serax – an antianxiety benzodiazepine drug) in a randomized, double-blind study of 36 outpatients diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder.  Passionflower extract demonstrated a slower onset of action and less impairment of job performance than did oxazepam. [J Clin Pharm Ther 2001;26(5): pp.363-7]

Caffeine can cause adrenal insufficiency which in turn can lead to anxiety.

GHB's efficacy for treating anxiety has been positively demonstrated in tests involving schizophrenic subjects [Laborit, 1964].  Its sedative properties have earned it a role as a psychotherapeutic adjunct [Vickers, 1969].  It has also been used to assist the process of "abreaction", or the release (usually through verbalization) of repressed emotion [Vickers, 1969].  Unlike other "anxiolytic" (or anti-anxiety) drugs, GHB's effect is non-toxic.  Furthermore, GHB's reduction of inhibitions, its tendency to encourage verbalization, and the typical lack of fear during the GHB experience would seem to provide an ideal context for the verbal exploration of difficult emotional territory during therapy.

Exercise is one of the most important coping mechanisms to combat anxiety and stress.  By discharging negative emotions and stress hormones through physical activity, you can enter a more relaxed state from which to deal with the issues and conflicts that are causing your anxiety.

The benefits of exercise can come from many directions: the decision to take up exercise, the symbolic meaning of the activity, the distraction from worries, mastering your inertia and the effects on self-image, and the biochemical and physiological changes that accompany the activity.

Exercise increases blood flow to the brain, releases hormones, stimulates the nervous system, and increases levels of morphine-like substances found in the body (such as beta-endorphin) that can have a positive effect on mood and pain.  Exercise may trigger a neurophysiological high that produces an antidepressant effect in some, an antianxiety effect in others, and a general sense of "feeling better" in most.

Because of its nerve and muscle support, magnesium may also be helpful for nervousness and anxiety.  Magnesium is considered the "antistress" mineral.  It is a natural tranquilizer as it functions to relax skeletal muscles as well as the smooth muscles of blood vessels and the gastrointestinal tract.  Whereas calcium stimulates muscle contraction, magnesium relaxes them.

Medical students at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey who were massaged before an exam showed a significant decrease in anxiety and respiratory rates.

DMAE alleviates anxiety.  In one study, subjects administered 1,200mg of DMAE per day for 5 days exhibited better control of anxious reactivity.

Inositol works by regulating the action of serotonin, a calming neurotransmitter, within the nerve cells.

Several of the B-vitamins are indicated in anxiety treatment.  When taking high doses of a particular B-vitamin, it is best to use a B-complex as well.

The textbook description of anxiety neurosis exactly matches the symptoms of vitamin B3 (niacin) deficiency: hyperactivity, depression, fatigue, apprehension, headache, and insomnia.  It has been shown in animals to work in the brain in ways similar to drugs such as benzodiazepines (Valium-type drugs) that are used to treat anxiety.  One study found that niacinamide (not niacin) could help people get through withdrawal from benzodiazepines, which is a common problem.  A reasonable amount of niacinamide to take for anxiety, according to some doctors, is up to 500mg four times per day.

Niacinamide locks onto the same receptor sites in the brain as do tranquilizers such as Valium, and is a natural tranquilizer.  The manufacturer of valium is also the worlds largest manufacturer of niacinamide. [Nature 278: pp.563-5,1979]

Low B12 levels have been found to be related to self-reported overall distress level and specifically to depression, anxiety, confusion, and possibly nervousness as well as to clinically rated depressed and anxious mood. [J Psychosom Res 2000 Feb 1; 48(2): pp.177-85]

A deficiency of vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) causes extreme anxiety, nervousness, confusion, and melancholy.  Vitamin B6 is easily destroyed by heavy use of alcohol, drugs and refined sugars.