Anxiety is a normal response to a stressful situation. It is an emotion that we all experience at some point. It keeps us alert and ready for action as a survival mechanism, allowing us to react quickly to life-threatening situations. In short, a marvellous medley of hormonal changes and physiological responses serve to help us to either fight off threats or run like the wind to escape from them. In ancient times fight or flight might happen after being chased by a lion or bear… however, as society has changed, traffic jams, constant fast-paced stimuli, family challenges, work deadlines and pressures of responsibilities have become the new trigger for fight or flight.
What actually happens in the body?
When your system feels that it is in danger, it immediately sends a distress signal to the hypothalamus. The hypothalamus then rapidly delivers a message to the adrenal glands. The adrenals then flood adrenaline (also known as epinephrine) into the body, activating a number of physiological effects. Physiological symptoms may include an increase in blood pressure, increased heart rate, rapid breathing and hyperstimulation of sight and sound.
If the body continues to see the situation as a threat, cortisol levels will then begin to elevate, keeping the body in a hyper state of alert. This may then lead to an inability to concentrate, irritability, insomnia, panic attacks, digestion problems, sweating and social anxiety. If it is persistent or prolonged then it can wreak havoc on the body. This is when we might benefit from using herbs and supplements to help us find a state of balance and equilibrium.
Fight or flight is a normal human response to scary stuff
A massive change in a life situation like the death of a loved one, divorce, loss of a job or challenging news can cause anxiety. Aggressive behaviour towards us can also induce anxiety. Feeling anxious is a normal human emotion and usually, it is an understandable response to challenging situations, it shows that you are connected with your emotions. Anxiety might involve panic or sudden intense fear after activation of specific triggers (logical or not) – which may even induce shaking, confusion, dizziness, breathing difficulty or nausea. In these cases (whether mild or extreme), herbs and other calming techniques can be beneficial.
When fight or flight goes into overdrive
Some people are more sensitive to stimuli than others, which can lead to ongoing or recurring patterns of anxiety. This can become problematic when it disturbs a person’s daily life. Personally speaking, I’ve always been a sensitive person, prone to going into fight or flight mode as a result of the overwhelm of external stimuli. Not so long ago I also encountered an intensely challenging situation in my life that sent me into months of anxiety, leaving me in a continual state of fight or flight mode. When I was fortunate to calm down enough to go to sleep at all, I’d wake up only to find my cortisol levels shoot through the roof within 15 minutes of waking. This inspired me to write this article… since the levels of anxiety left me unable to function at times, I wanted to reach out to others who are experiencing various degrees of anxiety. I’ve since learned that it is incredibly common for people to experience anxiety issues, yet less common for people to have found supportive methods for it.
Thankfully, however, there are most definitely things we can do to help ourselves during these times. If you are close to someone who is suffering from anxiety, then there are also many ways that I am sure they would appreciate your support. It’s helpful to empathise with their situation. Telling them to snap out of it, calm down or get a grip of themselves, is just going to make it worse. What helps more than anything is a kind loving presence.
This article is all about different herbs that can help balance the system for someone suffering from anxiety. Bear in mind that different herbs will work better for different people. Some herbs will create a state of balance throughout the whole system, to enable you to cope. Others will induce a rapid state of calm (and even drowsiness). There are different herbs for different occasions. I’ve found that a combination often works wonders.
Immediate non-herbal techniques that help induce calm
Even though this article will address herbs and supplements, it is important to know that there are immediate things that we can do to help induce a state of calm, whilst decreasing the fight or flight hormones. These things include deep belly breathing; thinking of soothing things; visualising relaxing scenes; gentle movement; taking a brisk walk; connecting with friends who care; meditation; yoga and tai chi. Be sure to find a practice that helps you find calmness and use it in conjunction with herbs.
