Overcoming Anxiety on a Budget

A couple months ago, Amy came to my clinic with a seemingly insurmountable problem. She had always been a very sensitive person, but she had been managing quite well.  At the tail end of the pandemic, she had a serious COVID infection and shortly after she recovered, her mother died (not COVID) unexpectedly with whom she had a close and supportive relationship.  After those traumas, it seemed like her mind was constantly flooded with every negative thing that had ever happened to her. She became afraid to go out alone, even to drive to the grocery store, church, or the gym. She was unable to work.  She didn’t want to see friends.  She stopped cooking and started eating quick snacks and take out. Her anxiety was escalating.  She was prescribed anti-anxiety meds, one after the other, but either the side effects were too much, or she didn’t like the zombie-like feeling they gave her.  

By the time she was brought to my office by a family member, she was a shadow of her former self.  She was having chronic pain in every muscle and joint.  She was very anxious, pacing back and forth across the floor during her visit.  She wasn’t eating properly or sleeping well.  She was having terrible withdrawal symptoms from medication number five and was afraid to try another prescription.  Because Amy had been unable to work, she also needed a plan that would fit within her budget.

The first step was to listen to her entire story.   Naturopathic doctors are the doctors who take the time to listen.  I encouraged Amy to read “The Body Keeps The Score…” (read my book review here). Then I collaborated with a local counselor who provides EMDR therapy for trauma survivors.   Naturopathic physicians work well with other health care providers and know when to refer for services they don’t provide.

Initial recommendations were for daily outdoor exercise.  Daily exercise and spending time in nature have both been shown to calm the nerves and improve sleep.  Routine is also very important when people are recovering from trauma, or experiencing anxiety, so, together, we worked out a schedule that included exercise, adequate sleep and rest, mealtimes, and recreation.

I made recommendations for healthy yet easy meals.  Frozen veggies, premixed salads, premade veggie platters and store roasted chicken were a good starting place.  It is so important to try to eat as healthy as possible when you are suffering from anxiety.  Your body needs all the nutrition it can get. In addition, she was encouraged to avoid caffeine and sugary foods, both of which tend to make anxiety worse.

Keeping her budget concerns in mind, only two supplements were prescribed.  Naturopathic physicians have many tools in their toolbox and can almost always work within your budget.  The first recommendation was for magnesium.  Magnesium comes in many forms.  Different forms are best for different problems. I recommended magnesium glycinate, which is calming and will help relax muscular tension caused by nerves and stress.  Amy was also prescribed a good quality B-complex formula which is specific for stress.   Within three weeks, Amy was significantly calmer.   She was able to visit the office without pacing back and forth.  All her pain was gone; she was eating better and sleeping well.   She felt like she was making great progress with her counsellor and reported she had been able to walk outside most days, shop for groceries, and go out to visit a friend.   She was considering going back to work and resuming her gym membership.  She was pleased with her progress.   Naturopathic medicine and good counselling were able to provide Amy with a solution to her problem which improved her health and got her well on the way to recovery.

Rachel Oppitz, ND