How to avoid taking anxiety pills?
Posted On
If you are considering taking anxiety pills first and foremost, you should know what they are.
Types of anxiety pills
First of all, there are several types of anxiety pills, the most important being serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs). It increases the levels of serotonin, the hormone of happiness. SNRIs also increase norepinephrine or noradrenaline. This is the hormone that the body produces when we feel stress. This hormone can cause panic and does not suit you.
We also have beta-blockers that are used for heart disease and high blood pressure, block the effects of norepinephrine and epinephrine. They prevent you from suffering the physical effects of anxiety and panic. If you stop taking them suddenly, they can cause cardiac arrest.
Anxiety can also be treated with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) that increase serotonin levels.
We often use tricyclic antidepressants in anti-anxiety treatments. These increase the levels of serotonin and norepinephrine and reduce the levels of acetylcholine. Acetylcholine is the hormone that sends us pain signals.
Besides, Benzodiazepines, also called BZDs or benzos, are used, which are muscle relaxants. These relaxants can be used in combination with antidepressants for a short treatment against anxiety. The bad thing they have is that in the long term, they create addition.
Then there is Buspirone that is used for long-term treatments when suffering from generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). Buspirone increases the level of serotonin in the body. The positive side of Buspirone is that it is not sedative or addictive.
Often these anxiety pills come with side effects such as lowering the alert level, affecting heart rate, or blood pressure. In combination with alcohol or drugs, they can even cause death.
Also, these anxiety pills do not cure anxiety. They only help relieve it!
Seeing the effect of these psychotropic medications, one can easily conclude that they serve to compensate for a hormonal imbalance that results in an emotional imbalance that gives rise to these feelings of anxiety.
What you should do
In this case, the proper question would be, if we can restore this balance naturally and healthily? The answer is that if we can, and I will show you how it is done.
You can naturally increase the levels of positive hormones in your body:
–Serotonin: Serotonin is the hormone of happiness, produced naturally by your body based on tryptophan. How to get tryptophan? Easy, eating healthy. This long list of foods will help you healthily increase your serotonin levels: oatmeal, lentils, chickpeas, cassava, sweet potatoes, brown rice, spinach, lettuce, avocado, pineapple, blueberries, currants, raspberries, blackberries, strawberries, apples, Banana, chili, eggs, chicken, veal, tuna, salmon, sardines, shrimp, crab, spider crab, nuts, almond, fish, seeds, soy, milk, yogurt, dark chocolate, and cheese.
Even better would be to choose foods that, in addition to containing tryptophan, are natural sedatives such as oatmeal, lettuce, spinach, avocado, salmon, tuna, seeds, almonds, and walnuts. So apart from feeling happier, you will feel more relaxed.
Then favoring a diet high in omega-3 fatty acids is a good idea. What are they? They are essential components for your wellbeing that surround every cell of your body. They are necessary for the proper functioning of the brain, heart, and blood vessels. Your body does not produce them, or you have to get them taking care of your diet. It is the simplest way to immunize yourself against depression and anxiety! These foods would be oats, salmon, tuna, sardines, nuts, seeds, and soy.
Let’s not forget the antioxidants, which are molecules capable of fighting free radicals, which are the unstable molecules in your body that lost an electron. They are one of the leading causes of aging and cause diseases. To get a good dose of antioxidants, you have to concentrate on foods that contain vitamins C, E and A. These foods would be: orange, lemon, blueberries, raspberries, cherries, blackberries, strawberries, spinach, lettuce, avocado, squash, carrots, chocolate black, beans, lentils, chickpeas, garlic, onions, oats, almonds, nuts, and seeds.
Forget about processed foods with high levels of saturated fats and salt, start cooking. Ingesting too much salt has harmful effects on your body, such as dehydration that will give you a feeling of discomfort and irritability. Although they are more expensive, I advise you to buy food without pesticides, which is biological. Anyway, the money you save in the supermarket you will spend in the pharmacy.
Now you know that your digestive system produces serotonin, and you can help the proper functioning of your digestive system by ingesting probiotics. What are probiotics? They are bacteria, or living microorganisms, that when ingested in sufficient quantities, help the proper functioning of your digestive system and your immune system. What foods contain probiotics? Yogurts, dark chocolate, some cheeses such as blue cheese, hard goat cheese, Mozzarella, and other soft cheeses, Gouda and cheddar.
In summary, you should have noticed that oatmeal appears in almost all the lists I have mentioned. In addition to being a cheap food, it controls the level of sugar in your blood, protects you against cancer, lowers bad cholesterol, promotes your ability to relax, and does not stress your body because it is a very digestive food. Besides, although it is not a probiotic, several studies have shown that it also regenerates the intestinal flora naturally. Long live the oatmeal!
–Dopamine: Dopamine is known as the love hormone. It gives you signs of pleasure, satisfaction, and wellbeing. Getting a sufficient level of dopamine in the body is quite simple. First of all, you should consume enough protein eating chicken, eggs, veal, fish, nuts, almonds, lentils, chickpeas, lentils, beans, spinach, cucumbers, mushrooms, soybeans and drinking milk. You should also start playing sports, no matter what type of sport, running, cycling, swimming, dancing. Start for half an hour a day.
The positive hormonal effects of physical activity are that your dopamine and serotonin levels rise and your adrenaline level goes down. Adrenaline is terrible if you are an anxious person. Then your dopamine levels will also rise if you start to relax listening to the music you like walking or meditating. It would be better if you do outdoor activities because sunlight also increases your levels of dopamine and serotonin. Studies showed that after 5 minutes of exposure to sunlight, dopamine, and serotonin levels increase. What are you waiting for? Put on some sneakers and go for a walk in nature!
–Endorphin: These hormones are the natural equivalent of morphine. They are natural painkillers that lower your perception of pain and anguish, increasing your feeling of wellbeing. Although stress and anxiety are a natural way to raise your endorphin level, they will also raise the level of other hormones that don’t work for you. So, how to raise my level of endorphins without awakening harmful hormones? There are several activities you can do to increase the level of endorphin in your body, such as playing a sport, meditating, listening to music, eating chocolate, eating spicy food, or having sex. Yes, do not hesitate. Making love is very good for you!
–Progesterone: Progesterone is a female sex hormone, but men also need it for the production of testosterone. This hormone has a relationship with sexual appetite and fertility.
To obtain a healthy dose of progesterone, I recommend the following foods: beans, chickpeas, bananas, nuts, seeds, carrots, lentils, broccoli, beets, almonds, spinach, squash, brown rice, and milk products.
Progesterone will help you moderate sudden mood changes and reduce mood swings. The simple fact of being less stressed will naturally help you to have higher progesterone levels in the body because when you are tense, stress hormones such as adrenaline and norepinephrine will signal your kidneys to convert progesterone to cortisol. Later you will read that this is very bad for you.
–Oxytocin: Oxytocin is one of my favorite hormones because it is a very mysterious hormone. We call it the love hormone. It occurs in the hypothalamus, which is one of the oldest parts of our brain and regulates essential functions such as the regulation of body temperature, sleep, thirst, hunger, sexual appetite, and parental relationships, more specifically the paternal or maternal love. Oxytocin transmits feelings of love and empathy. It is one of the most potent relaxing hormones and an immunizer against anxiety and depression. Foods and condiments that stimulate the production of oxytocin are figs, spinach, arugula, basil, cinnamon, peppermint, watermelon, pomegranate, avocado, Banana, almonds, nuts, seeds, dark chocolate, carrots, asparagus, and oysters. Now you know how aphrodisiac foods work!
You already know what you should do to feel good and relaxed.
What you should avoid
The time has come to explain what you should avoid so as not to be stressed and anxious.
Avoid high levels of these negative hormones:
–Adrenaline: Adrenaline or epinephrine is the activation hormone. The adrenal glands, located above the kidneys, produce adrenaline. Adrenaline gives powerful signals that are vital to our survival because they help in the need, in dangerous situations, to flee or fight. They speed up the heart rate, increase blood pressure, and give you more oxygen in the blood. We call it anxiety when you receive these signals but that the danger is non-existent or irrational. In our modern society, the leading cause of high levels of adrenaline that causes anxiety is stress. To relieve stress, you have to combine an active life, a healthy diet, set up a routine, spend time in nature and find a goal in your life, something that makes you feel happy.
–Norepinephrine: Noradrenaline or norepinephrine is the hormone we commonly call the stress hormone. The function of this hormone is basically to prepare the body for action and is the leading cause of anxiety. The adrenal glands also produce norepinephrine. Stress and anxiety are the leading causes of the rise in norepinephrine levels that, in turn, will cause more stress and more anxiety, a vicious circle. But norepinephrine also plays a positive role in the body because a low level of norepinephrine causes negative thoughts and depression.
–Cortisol: Cortisol is also produced in the adrenal glands and is a hormone that serves to increase blood sugar and transform fats, proteins, and carbohydrates into energy. That way, you have a great source of energy available that will help you if you must flee or fight. If you feel anxiety, as I explained, your body will give signs of danger in situations where there will be no rational danger, and the production of this hormone will be activated.
All foods that contain a high level of refined sugar or saturated fat will raise your cortisol level. Above all, you should stop consuming these products: coffee, soda, Red Bull, candy, pizza, hamburgers, alcohol, fruit juice, sunflower oil, rapeseed oil, and all light foods that are nothing more than junk food in disguise.
The reason why I tell you that light products are junk-food in disguise is that they contain a carcinogenic and neurotoxic sweetener called aspartame. It can cause nausea, diarrhea, and discomfort.
Very similar is the neurotoxic flavoring, monodic glutamate (MSG) found in most french fries, fast food, Chinese food, and prepared food. It can cause nausea and anxiety.
You will also wonder why coffee is on this list, as caffeine consumption increases your cortisol and adrenaline levels. An important intake of caffeine will also increase your norepinephrine levels. Do yourself a favor, and do not consume any of these foods until you have your anxiety under control.
With this new knowledge acquired, you now know that you do not need anxiety pills to relieve your symptoms. Choose a healthy alternative and live better.
How to know if you have anxiety?
