Disease, Illness and Condition Library
Anxiety Disorder
watched one of those old westerns; you know the ones I am talking about, where it all comes down to the last minute gun fight scene. The two combatants are standing in the street, the music plays, sweat rolls off of the bad guys face, and in a flash it is over. But what if the scene played on, over and over again? Where the anxiety lingered; this is what people with serious anxiety disorders are dealing with, but worse. Their glass always seems to be half full. The feeling of what can go wrong will go wrong; also known as Murphy’s Law. I don’t know who Murphy was, nor do I want to know, but he must have had a serious case of anxiety disorder. I wonder if Murphy ever got some much need help? I certainly hope so! Anxiety is a far greater problem than originally believed affecting around 70 million people annually in North America alone. It is also the most common of all mental health concerns and affects people of all ages and is thought to affect more women than men. Anxiety disorder is the little sister of panic disorder. A large number of people do not have full panic attacks, but do have generalized anxiety disorder. GAD for short, is a chronic and overstated tendency to worry for little or no reason. Common General Anxiety Disorder Symptoms: * Dizziness * Sweating * Shallow breathing * Forgetfulness * Headaches * Shaking or Trembling * Insomnia * Chronic fatigue Other symptoms include: sweaty palms, severe headaches, neck pain, racing heartbeat that will not slow down, hot flashes, rectal bleeding, and blackouts. One interesting fact is that symptoms can occur on a regular basis or just in specific situations. If you are dealing with acute anxiety disorder you may become fearful of visiting public venues or being alone. The fear of public places in itself increases the level of anxiety present. Until recently many psychologists believed that anxiety was a self induced trauma. There was an excellent move a few years ago about a fictional writer named “Forrester”. This movie gave a compelling overview of the challenges people face when dealing with anxiety and panic disorders. The realization that anxiety was a real physical condition didn’t become apparent until study after study confirmed that these disorders have genuine physical basis. Researchers now believe that anxiety and panic attacks are caused by a malfunction in brain chemistry. Put simply the brain is sending and receiving false emergency signals. Continued research in the field of anxiety has also determined a genetic link between women and anxiety. As mentioned about anxiety disorder is a milder form of panic disorder. Many suffers feel a vague sense of anxiety much of the time, but the intensity of the feeling does not reach the levels of a full blown panic attack. People with anxiety challenges will tend to startle easily and feel uncomfortable around other people. It is no wonder that headaches and chronic fatigue are two of the more common symptoms associated with anxiety Anxiety disorder may be a condition people are genetically predisposed and it seems to run in families. Some cases may even be directly linked to an abnormality in heart function called mitral valve prolapse. Anxiety disorder can come about in many different ways, but medical experts are in agreement that conflict, whether internal or external in nature, promotes a state of anxiety and that now brings us to stress. Stress a Major Factor Athletes want the ball in stressful situations but for those with anxiety disorders the ball would be the last thing they would want to see coming. The reason is stress is the number one trigger for anxiety. Some numbers have stress related doctors office visits as high as 80 percent of total doctor visits. Over 60 percent of women say stress is their number one problem. Some anxiety is actually normal, and can be helpful in alerting us of dangerous situations, but for some stress overload can cause disabling symptoms. Anxiety starts to be a problem when a person begins to perceive non treating situations as serious threats. Threatening situations trigger certain physical responses such as shallow and rapid breathing, as well as an elevated heart rate. Common Stress Inducers: *Divorce and relationship problems *Moving *Job pressure and deadlines *Substance abuse *Physical trauma *Nutritional deficiencies *Job Loss Over time chronic stress robs the body of its ability to deal with challenges and leads to exhaustion. Certain body organs may fail to function effectively. Hormone levels become depleted and serious illnesses such as heart disease and cancer often develop. Chronic anxiety can worsen other health problems. Anxious people are five times more likely to develop a cold and are more likely to have high blood pressure, eating disorders, PMS and headaches just to name a few. If you are one of the millions suffering from anxiety you should make an attempt to limit the amount of stress in your life.
The natural approach to treating anxiety is closely interrelated to that of stress management. After all, as discussed above, anxiety is usually a symptom of severe stress. Reducing Lactate Levels Increased lactic acid levels may be an core factor in panic attacks and anxiety. The goal is to prevent the conversion of pyruvic acid to lactic acid and to improve the conversion of lactic acid back to pyruvic acid. Nutrition appears to play a key role in achieving this goal. According to Melvyn Werbach, M.D., author of Nutritional Influences on Mental Illness, there are at least six nutritional factors that may be to blame for elevated lactate levels or lactic acid to pyruvic acid ratios: 1. Alcohol 2. Caffeine 3. Sugar 4. Deficiency o the B vitamins niacin, pyridoxine, and thiamin 5. Deficiency of calcium or magnesium 6. Food allergens By avoiding alcohol, caffeine, sugar, and food allergens, people with anxiety can go a long way toward relieving their symptoms. Simply eliminating coffee can result in total relief from symptoms. This recommendation may seem too simple to be valid, but considerable clinical evidence indicates that in many cases it is all that is required. For example, on study dealt with four men and two women who had generalized anxiety or panic disorder. Their caffeine consumption ranged from 1.5 to 3.5 cups of coffee per day. Avoiding caffeine for one week brought about significant relief of symptoms. The degree of improvement was so evident that all patients volunteered to continue abstaining from caffeine. Up to that time these patients had been only minimally helped by drug therapy. Follow up exams six to eighteen months afterward indicated that five out of the six patients were completely without symptoms; the sixth patient became asymptomatic with very low dose of Valium. Flaxseed Oil and Agoraphobia It has been suggested that patients who get panic attacks may suffer from a deficiency of alpha linolenic acid, the essential omega 3 fatty acid found in high concentrations in flaxseed oil. In one study, three out of four patients with a history of agoraphobia for ten or more years improved within two to three months after taking flaxseed oil at a dosage of 2 to 6 tablespoons daily, in divided doses depending upon response. All patients had signs of essential fatty acid deficiency, such as dry skin, dandruff, brittle fingernails that grow slowly, and nerve disorders. Kava (Piper methysticum) The area of Oceania – the island communities of the Pacific including Micronesia, Melanesia, and Polynesia – is one of the few geographic areas in the world that did not have alcoholic beverages before European contact in the eighteenth century. However, these islanders did possess a mysterious drink that was used in ceremonies and celebrations because of its calming effect and ability to encourage sociability. The drink, called kava, is still used today in this region, where the people are often referred to as the happiest and friendliest in the world. Preparations of kava root are now gaining popularity in Europe and the United States as mild sedatives and anxiolytics. Several European countries have approved kava preparations for the treatment of nervous anxiety, insomnia, and restlessness on the basis of meticulous pharmacological data and favorable clinical studies. Earlier clinical trials used D, L- kavain, a purified kavalactone (the key group of compounds in kava), at a dose of 400 mg per day. For example, in one double blind placebo controlled study of eighty four patients with anxiety symptoms, kavain was shown to improve vigilance, memory, and reaction time. In another double blind study, kavain was compared to the drug oxazepam (a drug similar to diazepam or Valium) in thirty eight patients. Both substances caused progressive improvements in two different anxiety scores over a four week period. However, while oxazepam and similar drugs are linked to side effects and with being addictive, kavain appeared to be free of these complications. More recent studies have featured well defined kava extracts. As mentioned earlier, evidence suggests that the whole complex of kavalactones and other compounds naturally found in kava produce greater pharmacological activity than pure kavalactone preparations. In addition, studies have shown that kavalactones are more rapidly absorbed when given orally as an extract of the root rather than as the isolated kavalactones. The bioavailability of kavalactones, as measured by peak plasma concentration, is up to three to five times higher form the extract than when given as isolated substances. Further evidence that kava root extracts are superior to isolated kavalactones is offered by an animal study showing that, while isolated kavalactones are taken up into the brain tissue at a good level, when a crude kava preparation was given, the concentration of kavalactones was two to twenty times higher. Based on this data it appears that crude extracts standardized for kavalactone content may offer the greatest therapeutic benefit. Several clinical trials have featured a special kava extract standardized to contain seventy percent kavalactones. However, this high percentage of kavalactones may be sacrificing some of the other constituents that may contribute to the pharmacology of kava. Therefore, preparation around thirty percent may demonstrate the most effectiveness. More important than the actual percentage of kavalactones is the total dosage of the kavalactones and the assurance that the full range of kavalactones is present. In perhaps the most significant study, a seventy percent kavalactone extract was shown to exhibit considerable therapeutic benefit in patients suffering from anxiety. The study was double blind; twenty nine patients were assigned to receive 100 mg of the kava extract three times daily, while another twenty nine patients received a placebo. Therapeutic effectiveness was evaluated using several standard psychological assessments, including the Hamilton Anxiety Scale. The results of this four week study indicated that individuals who took the kava extract had a statistically significant reduction in symptoms of anxiety, including feelings of nervousness and somatic complaints such as heart palpitations, chest pains, headache, dizziness, and feeling of gastric irritation. Not side effects were reported with the kava extract. In another double blind study, two groups of twenty women with menopause related symptoms were treated for a period of eight weeks with the seventy percent kavalactone extract (100 mg three times daily) or a placebo. The target variable was once again the Hamilton Anxiety Scale. The group that received the kava extract demonstrated significant improvement at the end of the very first week of treatment. Scores continued to improve over the course of the eight weeks study. In addition to reduction in symptoms of stress and anxiety, a number of other symptoms were relieved. Most notably there was on overall improvement in subjective well being, mood, and general symptoms of menopause, including hot flashes. Again, no side effects were noted. Two additional studies have shown that unlike benzodiazepines, alcohol, and other drugs, kava extract is not associated with depressed mental function or impairment when driving or the operation of heavy equipment. In one of these studies, twelve healthy volunteers were tested in a double blind crossover manner. The first group received oxazepam (placebo on days one through three, 15 mg on the day before testing, 75 mg on the morning of the experiment); the second group received an extract of kava standardized at seventy percent kavalactones (200 mg three times daily for five days), and the third group received a placebo. The participants were tested on behavior and event related potentials (ERPs) in electroencephalograph (EEG) readings in a recognition memory task. Their task was to identify, within a list of visually presented words, those words that were shown for the first time and those that were being repeated. Consistent with other benzodiazepines, oxazepam inhibited the recognition of both new and old words as noted by ERP. In contrast, kava showed a slightly increased recognition rate and a larger ERP difference between old and new words. The results of this study once again reveal the uncharacteristic effects of kava; in this case, it relieves anxiety, but unlike standard anxiolytics, kava actually improves mental function and at the recommended levels does not encourage sedation. The dosage of kava preparations is based on their level of kavalactones. As a result of clinical studies using pure kavalactones or kava extracts standardized for kavalactones, the recommendation for anxiety relieving effects is 45 to 70 mg of kavalactones three times per day. For sedative effects, the same daily quantity (135 to 210 mg) can be taken as a single dose one hour before retiring. To put the therapeutic dosage in context it is important to point out that a standard bowl of traditionally prepared kava drink contains approximately 250 mg of kavalactones, and several bowls may be consumed at one sitting. Side Effects of Kava While no side effects have been reported using standardized kava extracts at recommended levels in the clinical studies, several case reports have been presented indicating that kava may interfere with dopamine production or binding to receptor sites and worsen Parkinson’s disease, exert an additive effect when combined with benzodiazepines, and produce impaired driving ability when consumed in very large doses; sixteen cups of kava beverage as described below. Until these issues are cleared up, kava extract should not be used in treating Parkinson’s patients and should be used with extreme caution and close monitoring in patients taking benzodiazepines. Additionally, patients should be instructed not to overdose on kava. In Utah, a man was charged with driving under the influence after he was stopped for swerving in and out of traffic lanes; he admitted to having consumed sixteen cups of kava. A cup of kava may contain an entire daily dosage of kavalactones as used in clinical studies (210 mg). High quantities of kava beverage consumed daily over a prolonged period (a few months to a year or more) are associated with kava dermopathy, a condition of the skin characterized by a peculiar generalized scaly eruption know as kani. The skin becomes dry and covered with scales, especially the palms of the hands, soles of the feet, forearms, back, and shins. It was thought at one time that kava dermopathy might be due to interference with niacin. However, in a double blind placebo controlled study, no therapeutic effect from niacinamide supplementation (100 mg daily) could be demonstrated. It appears that the only successful treatment for kava dermopathy is reduction or cessation of kava consumption. Again, no reported cases of kava dermopathy have been noted in individual taking standardized kava extracts at recommended levels. Additional adverse effects of extremely high doses of kava (greater than 310 grams per week) for extended periods include: biochemical abnormalities (low levels of serum albumin, protein, urea, and bilirubin), presence of blood in the urine, increased red blood cell volume, decreased platelet and lymphocyte counts, and shortness of breath. The correlation of these adverse effects with kava is questionable because the subjects also reported heavy alcohol and cigarette usage. Nevertheless, high doses of kava are unnecessary and should not be encouraged.
to support balanced mood and safely maintain mental wellness and equilibrium. In recent times, clinical studies have confirmed ancient wisdom and Hypericum is one of the most widely studied herbs on the market today. Active ingredients include glycosides, flavonoids, volatile oils, tannins and resins. St. John’s Wort has also been shown to support stable mood during the menstrual and premenstrual periods. (Stevinson C, Ernst E. A pilot study of Hypericum perforatum for the treatment of premenstrual syndrome. British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology. 2000;107:870-876). Passionflower: The herb passionflower (Passiflora incarnata) was used as a folk remedy for anxiety and insomnia. Two studies involving a total of 198 people examined the effectiveness of passionflower for anxiety. One study found passionflower to be comparable to benzodiazepine drugs. There was also improvement in job performance with passionflower and less drowsiness with passionflower compared with the drug mexazolam, however, neither was statistically significant. Side effects of passionflower may include nausea, vomiting, drowsiness, and rapid heartbeat. The safety of passionflower in pregnant or nursing women, children, or people with kidney or liver disease has not been established. There have been five case reports in Norway of people becoming temporarily impaired mentally after using a combination product containing passionflower. It's not known whether the other ingredients in the supplement played a role. Passionflower should not be taken with sedatives unless under medical supervision. Passionflower may enhance the effect of pentobarbital, a medication used for sleep and seizure disorders. General Suggestions for Dealing with Anxiety Exercise – When the going gets tough the tough get going. We have all heard this saying but when it comes to anxiety it just may hold true. Anxiety and panic increase your stress level, and exercise tends to reduce it. A good idea is if you are feeling anxious is to take a fast walk, or bicycle ride. Who knows, you may have an entirely different perspective when you finish. Audio for Therapy – Listening to music, gentle sounds, or self help tapes. This just might be what is needed you squash that nervous feeling. Breathe Deep – Athletes have used breathing as a tool for years to relieve anxiety and you should too. Breathe in, hold for a few seconds and then slowly release; repeat five times. Another idea is to breathe in slowly and breathe out slowly, visualizing the tide flowing in and the tide flowing out. Audio Diary – Talk to yourself about your fears and concerns, and then play the tape back to see if your fears are exaggerated. Most experts suggest you listen to your tape multiple times to get used to it, taking some of the emotion out. Once the emotion is gone, you are much better equipped to analyze it sensibly. Let Go – Stop worrying about things you can’t control. If the mailman is an hour late, society as we know it will not end. In fact the mail will probably come tomorrow, and hopefully on time. Natural Supplements for Anxiety and Stress
PureCalm can been used to safely maintain harmony, health and systemic balance in the brain and nervous system, without harmful side effects and without sedatives. This remedy contains a selection of herbs known for their supportive function to reduce stress, balance moods, and maintain healthy brain function. Continue
MindSoothe is a 100% safe, non-addictive, natural herbal remedy that has been especially formulated by a Clinical Psychologist for adults and teens, and comes in a compact capsule form, making it easy to take. MindSoothe can be used to safely maintain health, uplifted mood and systemic balance in the brain and nervous system, without harmful side effects and without harsh sedatives. Continue Mood Tonic - Improve Mood and Reduce Anxiety Lessen general feelings of the blues and promote a healthy balanced mood. Triple Complex Mood Tonic is a 100% natural combination of three, cellular- supporting tissue salts, especially selected for their effect on brain structures, brain chemistry and nervous system health. Continue |
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