Anxiety
Anxiety is a very common problem in the modern age and more women than men appear to suffer from it. The truth may of course be that fewer men seek help for the condition and therefore this affects the statistics.
Anxiety is a very common problem in the modern age and more women than men appear to suffer from it. The truth may of course be that fewer men seek help for the condition and therefore this affects the statistics.
Anxiety can be either acute or chronic. Acute anxiety often manifests in panic attacks, during which the sufferer cannot think clearly and is overwhelmed by feelings of impending doom.
It is important however, to distinguish between rational or genuine fear and anxiety. There is a big difference between genuine fear and the sort of anxiety we are talking about here. For instance, imagine you are walking down a dark alley in an unfamiliar city, and a hooded stranger approaches you with a knife.
You experience fear, a normal reaction to this situation but if you walk down a familiar street in broad day light and you begin to imagine some disaster about to descend on you without warning, you are experiencing anxiety.
Symptoms associated with anxiety:
- Tight muscles
- Uneasiness
- Tightness of breath, or difficulty breathing
- Indigestion
- Rapid heartbeat/palpitation
- Irritability
- Diarrhoea
- Fainting, loss of balance, dizziness
- Poor concentration
- Poor memory
- Insomnia
- Fatigue
- Pessimistic outlook (glass if half empty!)
- Constant worry
- Trembling
- Claustrophobia
Chronic anxiety is less severe or acute i.e. it doesn’t usually initiate panic attacks, dizziness etc, but is always there at the back of a sufferer’s mind and leaves them feeling very fatigued and apathetic. With both acute and chronic anxiety there are physical malfunctions in the brain chemistry, causing the body to send and receives constant false emergency signals. This puts a huge strain on the adrenal glands, which are primarily responsible for dealing with stressful situations. These are our get out of ‘danger’ response glands that over time can also become very tired and fatigued.
How can nutrition help?
Not only can you increase certain foods in the body that are known to have a relaxing and calming effect, you can also remove any foods or drinks that increase stimulation. It is also important to ensure that your feelings of anxiety are not caused by an underlying food allergy or sensitivity and to make sure that your blood sugar levels are stabilised. At The Nutritional Therapy Clinic we will put all this information together for you in an easy to follow programme that includes recipes and advice on healthy food options from you usual shops and when eating out. Improvement in mood and outlook can occur in as little as a few days with the right nutrition advice!
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