Anxiety
What is it?
Anxiety is a state of nervousness and worry beyond what one normally expects in life. During stressful times, it is normal to experience more anxiety. However, when it begins to interfere with the activities of every day life, then it should be treated.
For some the anxiety is not limited to simply mental/emotional symptoms but a physical component is present as well. This can be experienced as headaches, chest pain, pounding heart, digestive upset to name a few. In general, this should be treated when symptoms have been present for a number of months and is affecting your life. Often there are symptoms such as restlessness, memory
issues, tiredness, irritability, muscle tension and insomnia.
However, you do not need to have anxiety of this severity for it to need
treatment. If anxiety is interfering with your life and wellness, it
must be addressed.
Key Points:
- Is the most common mental health issue in Canada.
- Runs in families
- Contributes to physical symptoms which impact ones ability to function.
- Is often a hormonal component.
- Affects concentration and productivity.
How do we treat it?
Anxiety is a symptom of underlying issues which often have a physiological basis outside of the nervous system. Anxiety can be triggered by a hormonal imbalance, sugar imbalance, food sensitivity, emotional trigger, and even heart attack. Thus, the first and most important step in treating anxiety is to determine the cause. As naturopathic doctors, our investigation may include laboratory testing such as food sensitivity and adrenal function, an examination into past events, etc. Once we determine the cause of your anxiety, we will develop a naturopathic treatment plan to deal not only with your symptoms but to treat the underlying cause.
