Anxiety And Diet

[member 2106]

Has anyone successfully treated their anxiety and/or depression through dietary improvements alone (or primarily)?

I've not been eating well at all, and happen to be suffering from a very severe recurrence of anxiety. On the plus side I haven't been drinking any alcohol. I've determined to sort out my diet and try to achieve really good digestion and metabolism, in the hope that it will at least somewhat mitigate my chronic fearfulness.

I guess I'm hoping for success stories that can give me extra motivation and optimism! I need it right now.

 

[Simonsays]

I think you would do well to also think about the causes of your anxiety and depression.

Diet and supplements can help, but dont underestimate the psychological causes, childhood trauma for example.

Many people unwittingly run on stress hormones, as a result of unresolved trauma triggering anxiety and depression and this can also play havoc with our digestion and metabolism.

Best of luck.

 

[Integra]

Hi waldenpond,

I know where you're coming from. I know how debilitating it can be. But I'm living proof that it can definitely get better! I'm going to build on what simonsays and give you a couple of concrete, try-it-now suggestions. I'll quickly explain 'why' each should help, but don't take me for any expert as I'm only echoing other people's work here or basing it on my experience.

Here are some short-term strategies you can use:

1. 4-7-8 breathing pattern
Inhale through your nose for 4 seconds, hold it in for 7, then try to exhale as slowly as possible to draw out the exhalation to about 8 seconds. After a couple of takes, you should feel a kind of a melting sensation and a rise in temperature. This is amazing before bed and right before a stressful event. It seems to increase (paradoxically) oxygen supply

2. Lick some salt (?)
Anxiety could be caused (this is where I might get into a lot of trouble for generalizing without any backup) by low blood sugar, high adrenaline/cortisol, and/or overbreathing. What helped me was licking sea salt periodically (every two hours or so) or according to taste. I'm a believer in salt!

3. Eat something sweet
Have a bite of chocolate + milk, or cheese + fruit. Or OJ + gellatin. Pair protein with carbs.

Here are some long-term strategies you can use:

1. Read "Betrayal of the Body" by Alexander Lowen. The book helped me gain a new perspective on my anxiety and related it to my childhood. It's next best thing to actual therapy. I found many answers for the patterns I exhibited, and it was the first step to find my way out of the shimmery cage of anxiety. A good follow up (perhaps maybe just reading this one) is Narcissism by the same author, even though the title seems misleading. Both, I believe, can give you valuable insights into the mechanics and historical development of your anxiety. It is not for the fainthearted, though. You might cry a lot if you're really anxious today.

2. Deal with your anger. Where there's anxiety, there is anger. You might not even be aware of it, and I don't meant this in a patronizing way nor to invalidate what you are or aren't aware of at this moment. If you can tap into it and express it constructively, you are, in my opinion, halfway there. I've written many angry letters over the past of two years and each letter brought new stages of happiness, a higher set-point for what 'normal' is. This step should naturally come after step 1.

3. Learn self-nurturing techniques. For example, if you can set a time in the day when you invite the offending situation or person that causes you anxiety, you can apply self-nurturing techniques to deal with them. In combination with the inner work you'd do based off of Lowen, I'd say you can cover all points and greatly reduce or diminish your anxiety. This is where a book by Tara Brack called Radical Acceptance is full of practical cold meshed with some Buddhism, if you can take it.

Just a final note. Please know that you are not weak or a coward for feeling this way, even if it may seem that way. Gain new perspectives, develop new skills, become a new person. I sound like an inspirational message board at this moment, but your anxiety is a loud call to grow, and you can either live with it for the rest of your life or take the opportunity!

 

[member 2106]

I think you would do well to also think about the causes of your anxiety and depression.

Diet and supplements can help, but dont underestimate the psychological causes, childhood trauma for example.

Many people unwittingly run on stress hormones, as a result of unresolved trauma triggering anxiety and depression and this can also play havoc with our digestion and metabolism.

Best of luck.

I tend to agree that you can't just ignore what's going on in your head. Anxiety, at its worst, feels like a disease of self-destructiveness - for me, anyway. It feels as though I'm doing this to myself, and I can't stop it. Obviously something has gone awry somewhere! I do think that eating well will increase my sense of wellbeing and control and self-esteem, and that should help to reduce that destructive tendency. Thanks for the advice.

 

[member 2106]

Hi waldenpond,

I know where you're coming from. I know how debilitating it can be. But I'm living proof that it can definitely get better! I'm going to build on what simonsays and give you a couple of concrete, try-it-now suggestions. I'll quickly explain 'why' each should help, but don't take me for any expert as I'm only echoing other people's work here or basing it on my experience.

Here are some short-term strategies you can use:

1. 4-7-8 breathing pattern
Inhale through your nose for 4 seconds, hold it in for 7, then try to exhale as slowly as possible to draw out the exhalation to about 8 seconds. After a couple of takes, you should feel a kind of a melting sensation and a rise in temperature. This is amazing before bed and right before a stressful event. It seems to increase (paradoxically) oxygen supply

2. Lick some salt (?)
Anxiety could be caused (this is where I might get into a lot of trouble for generalizing without any backup) by low blood sugar, high adrenaline/cortisol, and/or overbreathing. What helped me was licking sea salt periodically (every two hours or so) or according to taste. I'm a believer in salt!

3. Eat something sweet
Have a bite of chocolate + milk, or cheese + fruit. Or OJ + gellatin. Pair protein with carbs.

Here are some long-term strategies you can use:

1. Read "Betrayal of the Body" by Alexander Lowen. The book helped me gain a new perspective on my anxiety and related it to my childhood. It's next best thing to actual therapy. I found many answers for the patterns I exhibited, and it was the first step to find my way out of the shimmery cage of anxiety. A good follow up (perhaps maybe just reading this one) is Narcissism by the same author, even though the title seems misleading. Both, I believe, can give you valuable insights into the mechanics and historical development of your anxiety. It is not for the fainthearted, though. You might cry a lot if you're really anxious today.

2. Deal with your anger. Where there's anxiety, there is anger. You might not even be aware of it, and I don't meant this in a patronizing way nor to invalidate what you are or aren't aware of at this moment. If you can tap into it and express it constructively, you are, in my opinion, halfway there. I've written many angry letters over the past of two years and each letter brought new stages of happiness, a higher set-point for what 'normal' is. This step should naturally come after step 1.

3. Learn self-nurturing techniques. For example, if you can set a time in the day when you invite the offending situation or person that causes you anxiety, you can apply self-nurturing techniques to deal with them. In combination with the inner work you'd do based off of Lowen, I'd say you can cover all points and greatly reduce or diminish your anxiety. This is where a book by Tara Brack called Radical Acceptance is full of practical cold meshed with some Buddhism, if you can take it.

Just a final note. Please know that you are not weak or a coward for feeling this way, even if it may seem that way. Gain new perspectives, develop new skills, become a new person. I sound like an inspirational message board at this moment, but your anxiety is a loud call to grow, and you can either live with it for the rest of your life or take the opportunity!

Thank you very much for all of this thoughtful advice. I'll take it all on board and, now that I'm in bed, will give that breathing technique a try.

 

[Simonsays]

Building on what @Integra has said, ive just read about and joined a forum regarding ComplexPSTD. Extremely common with people suffering anxiety and depression , etc

Forum: Out of the Storm

I didnt realise ive been suffering this all my life. I know so many others do also, but are unaware.

There are many books on childhood trauma

This book is very good on it by Peter Walker; Complex PTSD: From Surviving to Thriving: A GUIDE AND MAP FOR RECOVERING FROM CHILDHOOD TRAUMA

Just a final note. Please know that you are not weak or a coward for feeling this way, even if it may seem that way

 

[Cons100]

One of my friend had anxiety and she used to say that few food help to ease anxiety. Normally she used to have oysters, turkey,
turmeric, avocados, dark chocolate and asparagus. Now she's feeling much better. I hope that this diet may help you too.

 

[Kyle Bigman]

The best times for me have always been when I can radically alter my life situation. In those moments I believe I have way more possibilities, then I feel good for a time, and diet becomes largely irrelevant. The issue is that life always returns and you cannot always get out of your situation. It's when you feel imprisoned to some job or situation you hate that you feel the worse. Idk I'm just speaking from personal experience.