Question:
My doctor has me on a suppliment called UpLift and also the amino acid
GABA. I just started taking it yesterday, and have a good feeling it
will be successful.
Answer:
Relaxation techniques (OK that's 2 words!)
Exercise (but not late at night)
Caffeine (try to avoid...)
Alcohol (can affect sleep the night afterwards)
Diet (what time do you eat at night, what do you eat)
Lifestyle Not everyone needs medication, though personally I think it can be a godsend if
the anxiety is overwhelming or in a cycle that's hard to break. things that might help: muscle relaxation exercises and belly breathing.
herbal teas (passionflower, valerian, hops, peppermint)
melatonin (only available in synthetic forms)
kava root tea (expensive and not easy to prepare, not to mention that it
tastes like dirt with a large dose of bitter black pepper added - but it's
strong) also, omega-3 efas like flax seed oil, fish oil - sjw - amino acids
(tyrosine and dlpa), 5-htp in very low doses for short periods only
probably a lot more in the herbal area; they're all relatively mild but
might help someone through a bad patch. also, self-help tools like books - the one Teri mentioned is supposed to be
a good step-by-step guide to cognitive behavior theraby with emphasis on
panic - MAP-3 programs have workbooks for panic, gad, social anxiety, etc. My doctor has me on a suppliment called UpLift and also the amino acid
GABA. I just started taking it yesterday, and have a good feeling it
will be successful. I don't know Uplift but GABA doesn;t pass the blood-brain barrier and
will be of no use for anxiety except as a placebo. Moreover, the idea
that this will be beneficial is based on the erroneous idea that anxiety
sufferers have a shortage of GABA so more GABA must be added. The truth
is much more complicated. Rather than taking GABA you might want to take
a benzodiazepine which indirectly targets GABA receptors in the brain
and actually does work for anxiety. I've tried a plethora of natural remedies over the years. Kava Kava tastes
like dirt, and did nothing for me. St. John's Worth....after awhile stomach
pain....rather common side effect. If you have ever had any sort of
plant/pollen allergies don't mess with the herbal remedies now sold
everywhere, they can exacerbate even seasonal allergies. Meditation can help with both insomnia and anxiety. I was helped much by
going to a diet that contained no processed foods, regular
exercise...basically all the healthy lifestyle stuff.
