Do you feel like your life is spiraling out of control? Are you finding that you have a hard time dealing with the stresses of life that come your way? Did you used to feel “in control” and now feel like you are barely hanging on? Well, you are not alone! Using a wide array of natural medicine techniques, we here at Caring Medical have observed some common reasons that people develop anxiety. As we state in many of our newsletters, we try to get to the root cause of the problem. The cause of anxiety may be due to many factors. Many of the symptoms overlap, so proper lab testing is important, so that we know how to treat it appropriately. Just “assuming” the reason may lead you down the wrong path.
Common Reasons For Anxiety Seen at Caring Medical
• Alkaline blood pH (high blood pH)
• Reactive hypoglycemia
• Chronic Insomnia
• Low cortisol levels
• Bad personal relationships
New onset anxiety in a previously “healthy” person
A patient came to see us at Caring Medical. She was very anxious and experiencing what most people would call “panic attacks.” She stated that she was unable to handle her usual work load or family issues that came up. All of a sudden, she noticed she was feeling like a “nervous wreck.” She even reported that she occasionally had thoughts about killing herself. She was desperate and wanted us to help figure out what was wrong with her! Dr. Hauser tested the patient’s blood pH, which revealed a high pH level (7.483), as well as an extremely low magnesium level. Interestingly enough, we have found in our clinical practice that high pH levels can lead to symptoms of anxiety. Because magnesium is a “calming agent,” low levels may also contribute to anxiety. This patient’s case is very interesting. She told us that four years ago she had seen a natural medicine doctor who diagnosed her with Candida. Her doctor told her to avoid all forms of carbohydrates and follow a high protein diet.
She was very faithful to this diet and rarely strayed from it. Unfortunately, what happened to her is that she most likely started out with a low blood pH (acidic blood) when she was diagnosed with Candida. At first, the high protein diet made her feel better. But because she continued with it for four years, she actually pushed her blood pH into the alkaline state by not eating any acidifying foods.
The patient actually needed to eat more carbohydrates!! In order to move her pH into the more neutral zone, out of the alkaline zone, we prescribed Vitamin C intravenously, as well as orally. (Vitamin C is ascorbic acid.) Her diet was changed to Giraffe Diet Type™, which is a high carbohydrate diet. One month later she was 90% better. She eventually needed a Bear Diet Type™ for long term, which is a more balanced diet. When she feels symptoms coming on, she will adjust her diet accordingly. She did not need any counseling or medications and she has continued to be anxiety-free since.
Other Factors that May Contribute to Anxiety
Reactive hypoglycemia
Another condition that may lead to anxiety is reactive hypoglycemia. By doing Diet Typing, which includes a glucose tolerance test, we can determine how your body responds to carbohydrates. If you start out with a very low blood sugar level initially, and then jump up really high, this is called reactive hypoglycemia. Most often Lion or Otter Diets are prescribed these diets, because these people do not do well with simple carbohydrates. These are the people who feel really tired after eating a carbohydrate meal such as pasta or a sandwich with a lot of bread. Protein and good fat, which take longer to absorb, are better tolerated, therefore, including beef, chicken, eggs, fish, turkey, and pork with all meals makes Lions/Otters feel best.
Chronic Insomnia
Insomnia is a relatively common cause of anxiety, interestingly enough. We all know what it feels like after not getting enough sleep for one night. Imagine that feeling night after night. Chronic insomnia, night after night, can lead to anxiety. One of the most common things people forget about related to insomnia is when they drink their liquids. First and foremost, we recommend that people with insomnia stop drinking caffeine after 3 PM. In addition to that, we recommend that you drink most of your liquids at least three hours before you go to bed. Many times, people are up during the night because they have to urinate. Doing these two simple things helps a lot of people! Sometimes natural supplements such as Valerian Root or Melatonin help. Dr. Hauser may also prescribe Xyrem which is the pharmaceutical grade of GHB that helps many people with terrible insomnia. This is why we need to look at all avenues to determine what cause/causes are creating such a problem for you!
Low cortisol levels
Your body produces a hormone that helps you deal with stress called cortisol. When this hormone is used up, your body has a harder time dealing with stress. This type of stress can lead to anxiety. By checking your cortisol levels in our lab, we can determine if you need more of this hormone. Cortisol levels should rise in the morning when you wake up and decline in the evening when you go to bed. The lab test we do here takes four specimens of salivary cortisol at four different times during the day. If your cortisol does not rise in the morning when it is supposed to, you probably have a terribly hard time getting up in the morning. If your levels are low during the day, you may be the type to fall asleep during the afternoon.
Sometimes we supplement with the natural Cortisol hormone (by prescription) to help rest the gland and restore your adrenal system. This will help give you back your energy, hence relieving the resultant anxiety that often accompanies it. We also typically put these people on Lion or Otter Diet™ to aid in restoring the adrenal gland.
Bad personal relationships. How are your relationships?
We often look at our physical health when dealing with physical symptoms, but often we don’t consider that emotional issues might be contributing to our physical symptoms such as anxiety. We have found that bad relationships can eat away at your overall person, leading eventually to feelings of anxiety and depression. We have found in our years of seeing patients that making sure your relationships are healthy will help you in your overall health. Remember these lifestyle points:
1. Have a healthy relationship with God. He is in charge, you are not – so don’t try to be!
2. Have a healthy relationship with your mate. If the relationship is unrestorable, then you may have to consider ending the relationship. Continuing on in a bad relationship may “kill you.”
3. Have a healthy relationship with your family, friends, and coworkers.
Words to remember…
A positive thought has a positive effect on the body.
A negative thought has a negative effect on the body.
So, to put it all together – you should examine your diet, your hormone levels, and your life if you are feeling anxious. If you feel like any of the things mentioned in this article may apply to you, please come and see us! We’d love to help you! Give us a call today!
