Somebody’s Watching Me, It’s My Anxiety

What is anxiety?

‍Anxiety is defined in the psychiatric literature as “a mental condition characterized by excessive apprehensiveness about real or perceived threats, typically leading to avoidance behaviors and often to physical symptoms such as increased heart rate and muscle tension.” However, what is causing such a surge in this feeling in people, especially youths and adolescents? The answer lies in the definition above where it states “real or perceived threats”, but there is more to it than just that. 

We live in a world very different from the one we evolved into. In fact, we are the only creature on this planet that has purposefully removed itself from nature and isolated itself from it by creating a new environment. All the lights, the sounds, the stimulation, it’s not innate to us and therefore is a stressor that has to be adapted to. With this, we are constantly bombarding our nervous system with information to filter through and ultimately filter out, otherwise it would be nothing but incoherent noise. All this stimulation sends our nervous system out of a state of ease and calm wakefulness and into either a state of shutdown or hypervigilance. In shutdown, we tend to experience more melancholy or depression; however, in fight or flight, we tend to feel more anxious and restless. 

We also sleep and rest less than ever in our history. We expose our eyes to artificial lights well after the sun has set and often before the sun has risen. We consume artificial foods and have access to almost anything without any real challenge to obtain it. All of this drives our nervous system out of balance and sets the stage for altered states of our mind and body, such as anxiety. 

Our nervous system is wildly intelligent and comes with generations and generations of information programmed into it, allowing us to have a better chance in life. This means that our body not only will automatically respond to something threatening or dangerous but also that it will continue to learn throughout our lives what is threatening or dangerous. What this turns into is our mind and body making decisions based on learned experiences coupled with real-time data.  

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How can a chiropractor help with anxiety?

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There are a few things people can do to help their bodies cope with the stress of life better as well as give their nervous system a chance to rest and recover. 

1. Sleep – arguably the most important on the list is sleep and rest. Getting enough sleep not only recharges the body and aids in keeping deeply rooted chemical and hormonal systems in check, but it also allows the body to clean and purge itself of waste and toxins. Beyond that, without enough rest, the nervous system tends to make more errors. Resting can be anything you are doing without stimulation, but not sleeping. Think of this like the overwhelming feeling of ease that sets in when you are just staring off into the distance.  
2. Exercise – countless research articles can boast of the effectiveness of exercise for anxiety and depression. We were made to move and be challenged physically. Without it, our bodies and our nervous systems become stagnant and restless. 
3. Presence – the ability to just be in the moment, or “to be where your feet are” is becoming a rarer and rarer skill. Too often we are distracted by our phones, computers, or TV screens. We are thinking about the past and the future, but never really focused on right now. Being present not only allows you to pause and notice the feelings and emotions without getting swept away in them, but it will also allow you to take in better real-time information and therefore arrive at more accurate conclusions about your reality. 
4. Adjustments – chiropractic adjustments have been shown to positively affect the PFC (prefrontal cortex), an area of the brain designed for higher-level thinking and regulating our thoughts, actions, and emotions. Also, as a measure of nervous system health, HRV (heart rate variability) is positively affected by regular chiropractic care. Research shows it, chiropractic helps your nervous system function better. 
5. Food – it has been said that food can be your medicine or your poison. Our gut is intimately linked to our brain. In fact, 90% of your serotonin, a chemical in your brain, is produced in your gut. Low serotonin has been linked to anxiety. Poor gut health = low serotonin.  
6. Supplements – many supplements can help with anxiety; however, it is important to know if your anxiety is resulting from a lack of a necessary nutrient, or if the supplements are there to aid your system in calming down. Several options, but not an exhaustive list include: magnesium, Kava, L-theanine, Ashwagandha, Inositol, and a B-complex. 
7. Community – we are communal creatures and being around people, especially ones you feel safe within safe and non-stimulating environments, can work wonders for bringing ease to your nervous system. 
8. Talk – when in doubt, talk it out (with a trained professional or a trusted loved one). Talking through real-life situations and explaining the feelings we get in response not only helps us to process the scenario differently, but also provides another person to take an objective and unbiased view of things and either help us see it from a different perspective, or at least shed light on the misperceptions that may be happening.

Chiropractic can help treat anxiety as well as other common ailments, such as headaches and stress, that patients don’t generally know we can help with. Call us today to schedule an appointment at 910-246-0606.