It seems the older we get, the more it feels as if the weight of the world rested on our shoulders. Sometimes it’s difficult to sustain momentum; we find ourselves fatigued, physically and mentally drained and depleted of every last bit of energy. It’s very important that we find healthy methods of relieving stress, instead of resorting to benzodiazepines or tranquilizers to control stress and anxiety. A recent article on ChicagoTribune.com discussed the health risks and negative side effects of using prescription drugs such as Lexapro and what natural alternatives are available to remedy stress and anxiety.
Many of these benzodiazepines such as Xanax, Ativan and Klonopin are effective in reducing anxiety on the short term; however, it has been proven that these drugs can be habit-forming (our bodies develop a natural tolerance to the drug and in turn our bodies require a higher dosage to achieve the same effect). Anti-anxiety drugs can also lead to a host of other symptoms such as drowsiness, headaches, heart palpitations, perfuse sweating and nausea as well as intimacy issues.
There many natural and effective methods of relieving stress and even sever anxiety. Herbs such as valerian and passionflower greatly reduce stress and help control nervousness. In cases of moderate to severe anxiety, physicians recommend cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), which offers guidance and counseling on healthy ways to disarm potentially stressful situations. With alternative therapies, you can control stress and anxiety, without the side effects of drug-based remedies.
If stress and anxiety persist beyond treatment, the cause may in fact be hormonal. Anxiety is a tell-tale sign of men and women experiencing hormonal imbalances such as thyroid disorder, perimenopause, menopause or andropause (the male menopause). It’s important to have your hormone levels tested in order to determine whether or not a hormonal imbalance is to blame. Correcting hormonal imbalance is best done in a three-step process. First, the imbalance needs to be corrected by replacing the hormones, using hormone replacement therapy (HRT). The most effective method of HRT is bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT), because it uses bioidentical hormones which are identical to the hormones that your body should be producing naturally. The next step is nutrition. The spectrum of nutrition far surpasses the cliché of eating a balanced meal. It has been found that certain food allergies and intolerances can lead to anxiety and in some cases clinical depression. Knowing what foods you should be eating is just as important as knowing what foods you should be avoiding to help maintain optimal health. Last but not least, there is fitness. Fitness is the by far the best way to relieve stress and anxiety and find peace of mind. In addition to being a great stress reduction technique, fitness helps prevent age-related diseases such as atherosclerosis, osteoporosis and heart disease and can greatly reduce the risk of heart attack or stroke.
Dr. John Abell of BodyLogicMD of Louisville discusses stress and bioidentical hormones:
2 responses so far ↓
K. Raveendran // November 6, 2009 at 10:16 am |
Hi Doctor,
This an excellent article on anxiety and stress management. Hope you will be writing many such articles like this.
bodylogicmd // November 6, 2009 at 11:31 am |
Thanks for the comment! I intend on writing many more articles on stress and anxiety as they have become such a prominent issue in our society. Thank you for the kind words and support!
In good health,
Brandon