Anxiety is a natural, common emotion. Everyone’s been anxious at some point – before a big test or life change or while trying to hype yourself up to speak up about something that’s been bothering you. However, for some people, anxiety isn’t a once in a while thing, but a disorder that can deeply impact their daily life. Anxiety can make even simple everyday tasks, like going to the grocery store, feel like mission impossible.
As such, it’s important to seek help if you’re struggling with anxiety. Mental health professionals are wonderful for this, but did you know that functional medicine can help with anxiety too?
Here is what you need to know about anxiety disorders and how functional medicine can help with anxiety.
What Are Anxiety Disorders?
According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA), approximately 40 million people in the United States have an anxiety disorder, making it the most common group of mental illnesses in the country. Yet, despite its prevalence, less than 40% of people who suffer from anxiety receive treatment.
The American Psychological Association (APA) defines anxiety as:
An emotion characterized by feelings of tension, worried thoughts, and physical changes, like increased blood pressure.” This is because anxiety is a common response to threats and danger, however, when anxiety reaches the stage of a disorder, even everyday tasks, like leaving your home or interacting with others can be perceived as dangerous. This can lead to feelings of anxiety that are out of proportion to what you are dealing with.
Anxiety disorders aren’t just feeling anxious sometimes. Anxiety disorders are when you experience anxiety symptoms that interfere with your daily function. Depending on the severity of your anxiety, you may be able to function with it or it may interfere with what you’re able to do. Some people get socially anxious, but are able to push past it and interact with others, while others who experience social anxiety avoid other people as much as they possibly can.
What Are Symptoms Of Anxiety?
Symptoms of anxiety range from cognitive to physical to behavioral. This is because anxiety is basically like your fight-or-flight response. You may experience a rush of adrenaline, which causes your heart to beat faster, your blood pressure to rise, tension, and worried thoughts. You may even feel nauseous.
Other symptoms of anxiety include:
- Feeling nervous, tense, or restless
- Feeling like you are in danger
- Feeling panicked
- Feeling an impending sense of doom
- Hyperventilation
- Trembling
- Sweating
- Feeling tired
- Feeling weak
- Having difficulty thinking about anything other than what is making you anxious
- Difficulty sleeping
- Gastrointestinal problems
- Avoiding things that trigger anxiety
- Struggling to control worry
What Should You Do If You’re Experiencing Anxiety?
If you’re struggling with anxiety, it’s important to seek help, especially if it is interfering with your ability to go about your life. While mental health professionals are the obvious choice, functional medicine can also help with anxiety.
This is because while anxiety can be a mental health issue that needs to be worked on with medication, therapy, and the like, it can also be a symptom of deeper issues within your body. A more commonly known example of this is if you’re sensitive to caffeine but didn’t know that, your coffees or energy drinks or green teas or sodas could be the reason for your anxiety spikes.
Biochemical imbalances can increase your risk for anxiety and depression. This is why it’s important to take a multifaceted approach to mental health issues. Therapy and other treatments can help you manage your symptoms, while functional medicine can identify causes in your body for these issues.
This isn’t to say that anxiety is always the result of conditions in your body, as it can entirely be a mental health issue. However, many patients find that when biological causes are treated, they experience a significant increase in their mood.
What Can Increase Risk Of Anxiety?
There are many different underlying issues in your body that can increase your risk of anxiety. Some of them are as follows:
- Inflammation
- Adrenal dysfunction
- Oxidative stress
- Mitochondrial dysfunction
- Imbalance in gut bacteria
- Leaky gut
- And more
There are many different treatments for these causes, from dietary changes to hormone replacement therapy to treating inflammation and more.
Functional Medicine Treatment For Anxiety
Regeneration Health is here to provide functional medicine treatment for anxiety for both women and men. If you suffer from anxiety, it’s important to know whether it’s caused by an issue with your body or if it’s strictly mental health related. Contact us today to schedule a consultation and let us help you improve your overall health.
