Natural Treatment for Anxiety

There are more than 40 million Americans diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder. That is more than the entire population of Canada.

Treating the root cause of your anxiety will give you the freedom to feel like yourself again. In this section we will talk about different causes of anxiety and integrative treatments for anxiety.

What is Generalized Anxiety Disorder?

Generalized anxiety disorder is defined as excessive anxiety that interferes in your daily activities, occurs more often than not, and the anxiety is generalized throughout your life and is not limited to specific things.

What are the different types of Anxiety?

There are many different types of anxiety. Included is a list of some of the more commonly seen types of anxiety, they are as follows:

• Panic disorder with agoraphobia
• Panic disorder without agoraphobia
• Agoraphobia without panic disorder
• Specific phobia
• Social phobia
• Obsessive-compulsive disorder
• Posttraumatic Stress disorder
• Acute Stress Disorder
• Generalized Anxiety Disorder
• Anxiety Due to a General Medical Condition
• Substance Induced Anxiety Disorder
• Separation Anxiety Disorder
• Adjustment Disorder with Predominant Anxiety

What causes Anxiety?

There are endless causes of anxiety, and treating the cause will offer you the best chance of true remission. Finding a doctor who is willing and able to do the investigation with you is necessary as a first step in your journey towards true healing. I have compiled a list of some of the main medications known to be causes of anxiety. One of my favorite resources is Drugs.com. Simply type in your medication list and click on “Side Effects.” The interactions checker is another useful feature, as some medications alone may not be enough to cause anxiety but when combined with others, may become a serious issue.

Medications that cause anxiety (there are many)….

• Asthma medicines: Albuterol, salmeterol, and theophylline.
• Blood pressure medicines: Such as methyldopa.
• Hormones: Oral contraceptives (birth control pills, Depoprovera, Mirena IUD).
• Amphetamines (often used for ADD/ADHD): Benzedrine, Dexedrine, and Ritalin.
• Steroids
• Thyroid medicines: Levothyroxine (Synthroid), triiodothyronine
• Phenytoin
• Levodopa
• Quinidine
• Some antidepressants.
• Medicines that contain caffeine (Anacin, Empirin, Excedrin, No-Doz, and cough medicines).
• Decongestants: For example, Phenylephrine (Sudafed).

Medical conditions associated with anxiety:

In addition to medications, there are medical conditions that may cause anxiety. Many doctors see anxiety as a symptom and prescribe a medication that combats anxiety as the solution. However if anxiety is a result of an overactive thyroid, a drug that silences the anxiety may not only negatively impact your overall health, but it will not free you from the anxiety and as soon as you stop the anxiety medication, if your thyroid is not better, the anxiety will come back. Here are some medical conditions that are known to be associated with anxiety:

• Heart disease
• Hyperthyroidism/ graves/ hashimoto’s
• Hypothyroidism
• Hypo/ hyperglycemia
• Diabetes (in 50%!)
• Pheochromocytoma
• Cushing’s syndrome
• Respiratory disorders
• Chronic pain
• Irritable bowel
• Fibromyalgia
• Lyme disease

Other causes of anxiety:

In addition to medication causes and medical causes of anxiety, it is important to also consider other factors that may cause or even aggravate and existing anxiety disorder.

• Substance withdrawal
• Marijuana use (long and short term)
• Genetic predisposition
• Family history
• Trauma
• Stress response
• Children of depressed parents have a threefold increase in anxiety disorders and substance abuse.

Brain Changes in Anxiety:

Changes in your brain may predispose you to have a greater risk of developing anxiety. Thankfully with brain imaging we are able to look at your brain and determine if there is a structural cause of your symptoms. Here are some of the key changes we may see in the brain of someone struggling with anxiety:

Anxious people have higher relative metabolic rates in the following brain areas:

• Occipital temporal (right posterior temporal lobe)
• Frontal lobes (left inferior frontal gyrus)
• Cerebellum

Anxious people have decreased relative metabolic rates in the following brain areas:

• Basal ganglia
• Cingulate gyrus
• Temporal lobes
• Amygdala
• Hippocampus

Genes and Anxiety:

There are genes that impact your risk of developing anxiety. If you have anxiety, ask your doctor to check you for the following genes…

• COMT
• Adenosine 2A receptor
• CCK
• CCK Receptor B
• 5HT2A receptor
• TPH2
• Monoamine oxidase-A
• γ-amino-butyric-acid (GABA)
• Glutamate
• Serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT)
• Norepinephrine (NE) and epinephrine
• Dopamine (DA)

Dr. Cain’s top 10 Anxiety solutions: Integrative treatments for Anxiety

1- Identify the root cause of your symptoms and address them

1. In order to treat the root cause of your symptoms, we have to identify what is out of balance. To learn about testing for depression, click HERE: Bounce this to the testing page, it will include what I have small font below:
   1. OAT testing: The OAT test is an extremely comprehensive urine test in identifying your biological causes of anxiety. The OAT test reveals the interaction between your DNA and its environment by examining over 70 health markers. It provides information about mood-regulating neurotransmitters, oxidative stress levels, and mineral and vitamin levels. The OAT test also provides individualized data regarding your gut health, and lends suggestions pertaining to diet and your genetic individuality and speaks to optimal supplementation and dietary changes that actually impact your unique microbiology.
   2. Basic blood work: CBC, CMP, Thyroid (FT3, FT4, TSH, RT3), Iron Panel (Ferritin, TIBC, Serum Iron, HFE gene), Lipids (ideally a vertical auto profile (VAP) test), Urinalysis, GGT, HGA1C, Homocysteine, HSCRP, Fibrinogen, MMA, Serum B12, MTHFR, COMT, APOE, Cortisol x3,
   3. Hormone testing: FSH, LH, Fractionated Estrogens, Progesterone, Pregnenolone, Prolactin, DHEA-S, Testosterone (Free & Total), & SHBG.
   4. Toxins and Anxiety:Toxins are everywhere. We are exposed to them in the air, water, skin, food and more. The air is polluted by toxicants in the form of gases including: benzene, dioxin, hydrogen, chloride, and toluene and even compounds like asbestos. Our water sources are contaminated with cadmium, mercury, chromium, pharmaceuticals and so much more have been found in our water during testing. In response to the health crisis emerging as a result of environmental toxins, the Environmental Working Group (EWG) created the Safe Water Drinking Act which requires the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to measure and enforce water safety standards. While this assists in the war against toxicology, we also need to take responsibility for our own health by engaging in regular detox and limiting our toxic exposure. If we do not have a regular detox regimen, or toxic body-burden will continue to increase, resulting in disease and symptoms.The picture below illustrates our total body burden in the form of a barrel. As we go through life, the barrel fills more with each toxin exposure. Exposures come in the form of physical, chemical, biological, and I would also argue: Mental/ emotional. If the output (detox, draining of the barrel) does not exceed the input (of toxins into your body), you will develop diseases of the mind and body.The study of toxicology and brain health have related anxiety and environmental toxins. Each different toxin impacts your brain and body in different ways, and require specialized interventions in order to be removed from the body. For example, the journal of Environmental and PUblic Health published a study in 2012 stating that arsenic, cadmium, lead and mercury are excreted in the sweat and sauna may be an appropriate way to detox (reference).The top 7 toxins associated with anxiety:
      Aluminum, arsenic, lead, manganese, mercury, thallium, and organophosphates.To see if toxicity is is causing or contributing to your anxiety disorder, and to get a personalized protocol of how to detox from your specific body burden, order the GLP Tox and Hair Toxic Metals Analysis.
   5. Oxidative build up: There is an extensive amount of research linking anxiety and oxidative build up. Oxidative stress damages your DNA, is harmful for your brain and organs, and causes symptoms of anxiety. If your symptoms of anxiety are associated with oxidative stress build up, proper identification and treatment is absolutely necessary.
      1. To see if oxidative stress is causing or contributing to your anxiety, order the DNA Oxidative Stress Test by Great Plains Laboratory
   6. Food Allergy Testing for Bipolar Disorder & candida testing for Anxiety: Your gut health will impact your anxiety, and your anxiety will impact your gut. The intimate relationship between the gut and the brain speaks volumes about the importance of diet and our mental and emotional wellness. If you have anxiety, it is likely that your diet is playing a role. There is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to diet; finding out your unique needs will give you direction on how to eat so that you can feel like yourself again.
      1. Top 3 Anxiety Diet Tips (to read more download the Gut Psychology Diet)
         1. Reduce inflammation:
            1. Eat: Chia seeds, ginger, cashew nuts, broccoli, blueberries, spinach, broth (especially organic bone broth)
            2. Avoid: Sugar, carbohydrates, fried foods, food dyes, soda/pop, preservatives.
         2. Feed your brain:
            1. Eat: Lean protein, wild/ Alaskan fish, healthy oils (avocado, coconut, walnut)
            2. Avoid: Alcohol, caffeine, nicotine, pork, excess red meat
         3. Detox:
            1. Consume lots of: Water, minerals, vegetables from the brassica family (broccoli, brussel sprouts), high fiber foods (legumes, beans)

2- The Anxiety diet: Nutrigenomics and Anxiety (Nutritional genomics)

1. Heal the gut:
   1. To learn more about the relationship between anxiety and gut health, download Dr. Cain’s book: The Gut Psychology Program
   2. Supplements to heal the gut and reduce inflammation:
   3. GI Revive by Designs for Health
   4. Therbiotic by Klaire Labs
   5. Similase by Integrative Therapeutics

3- Chiropractic Medicine and structural alignment: Body work as a treatment for anxiety
4- Herbs for Anxiety

1. Avena sativa – oat by Wise Woman Herbals
2. Anxiety Balance by Priority One
3. Anxiety Control by Metabolic Maintenance
4. Anxiety Soother by Herb Pharm
5. Passiflora glycerite by Wise Woman Herbals 2 ounce tincture

5- Supplements for Anxiety

1. Cortisol Manager by Integrative Therapeutics
2. Theanine Gummies by Jarrow Formulas
3. L-Theanine 200mg by Vital Nutrients
4. Taurine by Designs for Health
5. Glycine Powder by Vital Nutrients
6. Inositol Powder by Pure Encapsulations

*** Check out this amazing recipe called Dr. Cain’s Happy Sleepy Powder! ****

6- Homeopathy for Anxiety

Natural Treatments for Anxiety

Anxiety can be debilitating, and devastating. The standard of care for anxiety is pharmaceutical medications and counseling. While these options can help to curb some of the effects of anxiety and panic, medications can cause unwanted side effects. Some medications– benzodiazepines in particular– are addictive, requiring higher and higher doses in order to be effective. As a result of this, people are searching for integrative, holistic mental health care that is safe, quick, and effective. The demand for natural treatments for anxiety and panic attacks has grown in leaps and bounds in the past decade.

Thankfully, homeopathy offers another alternative. Homeopathy offers an alternative treatment for anxiety. Homeopathy gets to the root cause of anxiety, and by treating the cause, the anxiety naturally goes away leaving the person feeling confident, and free again.

Homeopathy can help with chronic long standing anxiety, and it can quickly and effectively help in acute panic.

In fact, homeopathy can help stop a panic attack almost immediately when prescribed correctly.

Homeopathy is effective for both adults and children of all ages. There are no side effects and remedies will not interfere with any medications. Most homeopathic remedies are prepared as small sweet-tasting pills that dissolve under your tongue or in water, and both kids and adults love to take them

Patient Story:

Tina (name changed), was incredibly anxious. She had panic attacks before 4th grade classes most mornings and this was beginning to impact her scholarship. The panic was often triggered by the fire alarms that occurred once per month on campus. It was also very hard for Tina to separate from her parents for fear that something terrible would happen to them.

Tina was very timid, and her mother was concerned that her daughter had not developed any friendships in school. Because Tina’s parents did not want to put their young daughter on pharmacological medications, they brought her to see Dr. Cain first.

Dr. Cain took Tina’s homeopathic case and learned that in addition to the symptoms mentioned above, that when Tina was afraid, she’d get flushes of heat that rose from her chest to her head. She also wanted to be close to her parents, and drank ice water to soothe her nerves. She was extremely afraid of the dark and slept with the lights on, and her symptoms were always aggravated when it was storming outside.

Homeopathic medicines are prescribed on the individualizing or unique symptoms a patient experiences. In Tina’s case of anxiety, the symptoms that are unique to her in particular are best covered by homeopathic Phosphorus. Dr. Cain prescribed Phosphorus 30C once per day, and within three days, Tina and her parents started to see improvement. Follow ups were done monthly and Tina reported that she was feeling better and better at each visit. Her parents are thrilled with her progress. Tina started making friends, and the fire alarm no longer scared her. Her grades improved, and she grew in her overall sense of confidence and self.

It has been six months and Tina is thriving in school. She has never needed psychiatric medications. She is happier, healthier, and only comes back to see Dr. Cain to talk about how classes are going, or for the occasional “touch up” visit.a and her parents started to see improvement. Follow ups were done monthly and Tina reported that she was feeling better and better at each visit. Her parents are thrilled with her progress. Tina started making friends, and the fire alarm no longer scared her. Her grades improved, and she grew in her overall sense of confidence and self.

It has been six months and Tina is thriving in school. She has never needed psychiatric medications. She is happier, healthier, and only comes back to see Dr. Cain to talk about how classes are going, or for the occasional “touch up” visit.

Ready to Get Started?

To get started, everyone begins with a complimentary 15-minute consult with Dr. Nicole Cain ND, MA. Not in the Arizona or Michigan area? No problem, Dr. Cain also treats patients long-distance by Telemedicine or phone. To get started: Click Here for more details or call 616-200-4433.