8 Steps to Controlling Anxiety and Panic Attacks

8 Steps to Controlling Anxiety and Panic Attacks

While there are a number of pharmaceutical drugs used to control anxiety disorders, not all are successful and many produce unwanted side effects, including neurological damage, impotence, and profound weakness.

There are things you can do to reduce anxiety in a much safer manner. For those not adequately controlled by these methods, it would allow you to use lower doses of your medications, which would reduce side effects.

Here are eight tips to help control anxiety and panic attacks:

1. Most important is to avoid excitotoxins in your food. These include MSG, aspartame, hydrolyzed proteins, vegetable protein, isolated protein, soy products (including soy protein isolates, soy protein and soy milk), natural flavoring, sodium or calcium caseinate, and others. All of these food additives worsen brain excitation and have been shown to specifically target the amygdala nucleus — a set of neurons in the brain’s temporal lobe. They are key to the processing of emotions.

2. Increase your vegetable intake to at least five servings a day. Many of the flavonoids in vegetables have been shown to reduce anxiety — especially hesperidin, quercetin, and curcumin. All three are available as supplements. The dose is 250 milligrams of each three times a day. Quercetin comes in a water-soluble form. Otherwise it must be dissolved in either fish oil or extra-virgin olive oil.

3. Reduce your intake of fats — especially saturated fats and omega-6 fats (vegetable oils, such as corn, safflower, peanut, sunflower, soybean and canola oils). Studies have shown that animals on high-fat diets release more cortisol and take longer to recover from stress than those on low-fat diets.

4. Magnesium is the body’s natural calmative agent. It reduces excitotoxicity and, when taken at bedtime, it aids sleep. It also reduces the immune over-reactivity seen with anxiety disorders. In addition, it reduces your risk of heart disease, stroke and Type-2 diabetes (and metabolic syndrome).

5. White tea contains a flavonoid called epigallocatechin gallate. This flavonoid has recently been shown to calm the brain and reduce anxiety. It works by activating the organ’s most protective system against anxiety — the gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA) receptor. This aids sleep as well. White tea has a higher level of this flavonoid and much less fluoride than green tea.

6. For those who do not want to take a pharmaceutical drug, the herb valerian has been shown to activate the same calming brain GABA receptor. It has been used to induce sleep but also calms anxiety during the day. It should not be mixed with medications that act as sedatives or tranquilizers.

7. Another useful product is called Relora. It is a blend of two extracts — phellodendron amurense and magnolia officinalis. In a number of tests, Relora has been shown to reduce excess cortisol levels associated with stress while improving mood and reducing stress. It acts via the brain’s GABA and serotonin systems, which are both important in controlling anxiety.

8. Avoid caffeine. People with anxiety disorders hyper react to stimulants, such as caffeine. They can also worsen insomnia.