A Few Words about Anxiety and Depression

It seems that there are more and more people succumbing to anxiety and depression these days, and there are noticably more drugs available to “treat” them. I cannot help but think that the undue stress to perform, to get the to-do lists all checked off, to be all that you can be has muchto do with this issue.

I,too, was the queen of multitasking, and at times, I still fall back into that old pattern. But the truth of the matter is this: we can only perform one task at at time. We may think that we are being more productive while thinking about several things whilst doing another, but it is all fantasy. If we concentrate on doing one thing only, we will not only accomplish the task extraordinarily well, we will also do it with more meaning and satisfaction. And, in no time at all. And we will avoid much of the angst and worry about not “doing it all”.

But I digress, for the meaning of all this is to give you my thoughts on anxiety and depression which seem to go inextricably well together. And I chose this season, autumn, to think about these things because this time of year tends to aggravate mental “issues” what with the shortening days and colder temps.

Coming into peri-menopause I have come to know the meaning of anxiety all too well. Hormone fluxes have much to do with our mental health and if you doubt me, just hang around an adolescent for a time. Stress, hormones, our jobs or lack thereof, all can and do add to the likelihood of manifesting a mental health illness. But I want to assure you that we don’t all have to run off to the doctor’s office and beg for Prozac. Those medications are needed by some rare individuals. But the vast majority of us can gain control over the situation by learning a few proactive tools and tricks. So let me tell you a few things that I have learned:

~ Exercise is paramount to good health and hormonal balance. Particularly for anxiety, exercise uses up the adrenaline and the cortisol that our primitive brains think they need to outrun the saber-toothed tiger that is chasing us– when in reality it is only our boss. When you feel stressed out, run it off. Walk fast. Dance your pants off. Do anything that suits your mood, but move yourself and burn off the stress hormones and replace them with endorphins. Speaking of endorphins, those feel-good hormones, nothing brings me out of a funk than a brisk walk in nature with the dogs. Exercise creates energy when you don’t feel like getting out of your jammies, and calms you down when you feel like jumping off the bridge. try it. I promise you it will give you relief.

~if you are anxious, steer clear of caffeine. Nothing exacerbates an anxiety attack like caffeine. Know your limitations and stick within them. Once you down your 2nd Starbuck’s and are shaking, it’s too late. On the flip side, if depression has you wanting to hide your head under the covers, treat yourself to a cup of Joe to get you up and running. Know that caffeine is a drug and if you imbibe, use it wisely. There are several health benefits to caffeine whether from coffee or tea. But everyone reacts to it differently, so know your body. I know many patients who could easily get off their Zoloft if they would give up or cut back on their cafffeine intake. be aware of caffeine’s affect on your body!

~Have you ever noticed that you  hold your breath or breathe very shallowly when you are upset or anxious or angry? The power of the breath is your biggest ally. It is easy to learn (you’ve been breathing for a long time), it’s free, it’s portable, and no one needs to know what you are up to. Cool. The next time you are running late and are stuck in traffic, try this: take a long, deep breath in through your nose. Let your belly expand with air. Deeper. Now hold it for a couple seconds, but not long enough for it to create more anxiety! Then, let it out slowly, through pursed lips, slower still, until you have forced that last bit of used air out of your lungs. Repeat 3-5 times, or as often as necessary. If you are a yogini, use that wonderful Darth Vader breath where you close your throat a bit and let the sound of the air make that wooshing sound as it vibrates in the back of your throat.. You see, when you focus on the breath and change from shallow breathing to deep full lung breathing, you are switching from the sympathetic nervous system’s control (think “flight or fight”) to the relaxing parasympathetic nervous system. This is where you want to be. So breathe!

~You can spot a person struggling with depression sometimes by just watching their posture. When we are down, when we are tired and without energy or desire, we tend to carry ourselves with rounded shoulders, and head hanging forward. We diminish our ability to breathe deeply and we tax our muscles and creat tension in our necks, shoulders and spine. Even our mouth sags. Stand up straight and drop your shoulders behind you by thinking to yourself “elbows in my back pockets”. Envisioning allowing your elbows to fall into your back pockets allows your chest to open and your lungs to expand. Opening your heart, allows you to accept and give love! Lift up your eyes when you walk, and make eye contact with others. Lifting your eyes lifts the head back where it should be, taking the strain off the neck and upper back. Your head is heavy! Lastly, allow yourself to smile. Find SOMETHING to smile at. Trust me, this is very important. Force it. A smile invites happy thoughts into your soul. It invites people to smile back at you. This is very powerful stuff.

~One thing I know that works perfectly for both anxiety and depression is petting and loving on an animal. Petting a dog or cat has profound effects on our nervous systems. Grooming a horse gives us exercise and a warmth in the same way. If you are not a pet owner, find a friend or neighbor and borrow one. Visit a shelter or volunteer at a rescue. There are plenty of animals out there waiting for you to attend to them. Having two dogs has made a profound improvement in my and my husband’s mental health. My daughter’s canine companion is helping her navigate through law school. Their talents are boundless and their love is unconditional. They are the perfect mental healthcare provider!

I hope I have given you a few tools to use to help get a better grip on two conditions that seem to be plagueing modern society. I know it isn’t easy, and I know it isn’t a perfect solution. But every time you can thwart a depressive episode or curtail an anxiety attack you have made a serious step toward control over your mental health. And that is one of my missions: helping all of you take control over your health through nutrition and good, sensible healthy life choices.

Be well,

Diane