By Mila McManus MD
Are you anxious and don’t know why? Is your anxiety disproportionately high relative to the situation? Have you developed social anxiety? Let’s face it. We ALL have stressors in our lives, whether it’s related to work, family, finances, health, or the weather. We don’t all, however, react to our environments the same way. When you see a ‘conventional’ doctor about your anxiety symptoms, you’re likely to be prescribed a drug such as Lexapro, Klonopin, Xanax, or the like. These medications may provide relief, but they certainly bring with them many potential side effects, and the risk of physical dependence. Moreover, they aren’t addressing the underlying cause(s) of your anxiety. Did you know:
- A common, but frequently overlooked cause of anxiety is progesterone deficiency (aka estrogen dominance). Click here to test yourself for estrogen dominance and other hormonal imbalances.
- Another common, but frequently overlooked cause of anxiety is adrenal fatigue. Click here to test yourself for adrenal fatigue symptoms and other hormonal imbalances.
- Magnesium is an important mineral for the body and is a common deficiency. It may be that a person isn’t eating magnesium-rich foods, or that a person isn’t absorbing magnesium adequately due to an unhealthy gut (click here to test yourself for unhealthy gut), or that magnesium is being depleted due to a side effect of a medication, such as an anti-acid or a diuretic (“water pill”).
- Low testosterone levels can cause anxiety. Click here to test yourself for low testosterone symptoms.
- Deficiency in B vitamins contributes to anxiety. B vitamins are necessary to help clear the body of adrenalin, a neurotransmitter released in times of stress.
- Neurotransmitter (brain chemical) imbalance or depletion contributes to anxiety. Amino acids are precursors to neurotransmitters. If you aren’t eating the diet sufficient to provide dietary amino acids, you won’t be able to produce adequate neurotransmitters. In addition, certain medications, particularly anti-acids, block absorption of amino acids.
- If your GI tract isn’t healthy, it will affect your serotonin, which is a calming neurotransmitter. While serotonin is a brain chemical, the vast majority is made in the gut. Unhealthy gut equals unhealthy production of serotonin.
- Anxiety is NOT a Xanax deficiency.
As you can see, anxiety can be caused by numerous hormonal imbalances/deficiencies, vitamin and other nutritional deficiencies, and gut issues, among other factors. Call us today at 281-298-6742 and let us help resolve your anxiety.