An Herbalist's Approach
Anxiety presents
itself in many ways and can be caused by many circumstances. It can
dominate someone's body acutely, causing heart palpitations, nausea, and
insomnia, or it can be a constant background noise that causes frustration and
impatience. Anxiety can be caused by internal or external circumstances,
and reflects the complex interaction between the mind and the body. Like
many complex interactions, the experience of anxiety can turn into a
self-perpetuating cycle with no seeming endpoint. If the experience is
not corrected, it becomes habitual. Herbalists and nutritionists are
trained to support the body's needs while techniques are being used to modify
the mind-body connection. The very act of supporting the body can often nip
anxiety in the bud, but usually the person will need to follow through with
conscious effort to modify the mind patterns of anxiety.
Here are the
specifics:
When someone is experiencing anxiety, many of the physical symptoms
result from holding tension in the body. Depending on which muscles are
involved, the person may experience tense, wiry neck and shoulder muscles,
jitters or tremors in the extremities, nausea, IBS, or heart palpitations.
Herbal medicine is wonderful for helping the body to relax some of that
tension! There are herbs known as antispasmodics that send relaxation
signals to the muscles. In turn, the muscles communicate to the brain
that the body has become relaxed, and then the brain is able to change the
patterning that caused the anxious sensations. Certain herbs have
affinities for different areas of the body, and an herbalist is trained in
knowing those specialties.
A
good herbalist doesn't just compensate for tense muscles, but looks to support
the health of whole body and address all of the manifestations and causes of
anxiety. The main class of calming herbs is known as nervines.
These herbs calm and soothe the nervous system which controls the
immediate communication between the brain and the body. This is an
important function of herbs, and every client of mine is given some sort of
nervine to help deal with the stresses of everyday life. Again, nervines
have special areas of the body where they like to work. We have all heard
of chamomile tea for soothing the stomach. St. John's wort seems to work
best with nourishing the structure of the nerves themselves, passionflower
works well for those who can't seem to get out of the circular thinking of
their brain, and skullcap tends to be best for those who hold tension in their
neck and shoulder muscles. Herbs have personalities just like people,
and herbalists serve as a sort of dating service to match the right herbs with
the right people.
An
important class of herbs known as adaptogens is the key to surviving in our
modern society. Adaptogens help restore normal functioning of the
endocrine system and the whole body, and help the body adapt to stressors.
They specifically work with the pituitary and adrenal glands, the
"stress" glands of our bodies. They help to calm excessive
secretions and increase deficient secretions of stress hormones, helping
communication to work more smoothly. These herbs can have profound
impacts on blood sugar balance, sleep, libido, and brain function. Two
notably calming adaptogens are holy basil, which impacts blood sugar, brain
function, and mood, and Ashwagandha root, which impacts sleep, libido, nervous
irritation, and brain function.
We
can't leave this discussion without talking about the brain-gut connection.
Many people are unaware that you have a second brain in the nerves of
your digestive tract. This brain operates independently of our head brain,
but communicates with it constantly through our nervous system. If you
experience anxiety for no external reason, most likely the anxious signals are
coming from your gut! The nerves of the gut can signal irritation to the
brain and cause anxiety. These nerves can be damaged by infections,
overuse of antibiotics, alcohol, and sugar, food allergies, and stress.
Many of our anti-anxiety herbs exert their actions on the nerves of the
gut because they come in direct contact through the intestinal tract. Herbs
that contain mucilage, like licorice root and marshmallow root can help anxiety
just by soothing the frayed nerves in the mucous membrane of the intestinal
tract.
The
experience of anxiety can be caused by and can cause nutrient deficiencies.
An herbalist or nutritionist knows to make sure the client is getting
enough B-vitamins and magnesium to ensure the healthy function of the nervous
system. Magnesium in particular is a common deficiency in this modern
society, and it can be incredibly calming and help with sleep issues, muscle
spasms, and heart over-excitability. Good sources of magnesium are leafy
green vegetables like kale, nuts, fish, and beans. Magnesium is needed
for over 300 functions in the body, including the production of calming neurotransmitters
like serotonin, and a deficiency of this mineral can cause anxiety. A
nutritionist will also make sure the person is not depleting these nutrients
too quickly by consuming too much caffeine, sugar, or alcohol. Hydration
can also be a factor in anxiety, as cells become dehydrated they may send
distress signals throughout the nervous system. Many people are sensitive
to inadequate levels of hydration.
Susan Hirsch can help you with your herbal needs. Contact her for more information.
