Anxiety is a quiet condition that, if severe enough, will control the sufferer’s life. In fact 5% of Canadians – over 1.7 million men, women, and children – struggle with anxiety disorders. That’s quite a number to fully grasp, but nobody has to think long before they realize that at least one person they know falls into that 5%.
Supporters and sufferers alike deal with the frustration and paralysis of anxiety every day, and embarrassment and uncertain outcomes keep people from speaking up or seeking help. How often does someone in the throes of an anxiety attack hear, “just deal with it,” or, “be stronger”, or the ever popular, “it can’t be that bad.” There’s not a lot of real understanding out there.
A little understanding of the person and of their condition can go a long way. Nobody understands your loved ones the way you do, and you do everything you can for them. The naturopathic doctors of the Nardella Clinic understand the human body, and do what they can to make sure it works in balance with itself, with your family and unique situation.
We understand this: it’s not your fault that you have anxiety. It’s not your loved one’s fault. It’s not your dog’s fault. It’s no one’s fault. It’s just biochemistry.
Hormones and neurotransmitters are the chemical messengers of the body, regulating sleep, growth, pain, mood, attention, sexual arousal, and just about everything else one way or another. You may recognize the names of some neurotransmitters, such as serotonin, dopamine, and glutamate. You’ve probably already heard of some hormones as well, like cortisol, oxytocin, and insulin. There are scores of these chemicals in the human body, with more being discovered all the time. As you can imagine, it’s a delicate operation to ensure that the signals aren’t too strong or too weak, and by ensuring the balance is maintained, anxiety can be beaten back.
As tempting as it is to think about, there is no blanket solution, no one thing that will work for everyone. Taking a naturopathic approach means figuring out what an individual body needs. That’s always the first step: based on your history and what you’re experiencing now, what does your body need?
You may benefit from adrenal hormones to help manage stress; herbs, vitamins, and amino acids to aid your body in getting back to balance; acupuncture to coax your chemistry in the right direction; or I.V. therapy for a concentrated boost. There’s a host of possibilities when it comes to getting the best of anxiety. We’ll figure out what would work best for you and make you a part of your own treatment success.
After 4-6 weeks of naturopathic treatment most patients notice a change for the better. You’ll begin to think about what you would do if you had a life with little to no anxiety in it. It’s real. It’s possible.
And with on-going support and learning you’ll see further improvement and maintain the hard-won gains you’ve earned, not to mention helping with those occasional tough days.
It can be “that bad”. You don’t have to “just deal with it”. We know you’re strong and that your body just needs a nudge in the right direction.
