I first experienced anxiety while pregnant with my second daughter when 20 minutes of Cormac Mcarthy’s post apocalyptic movie version of “The Road” threw me into a month long panic attack.  20 minutes of a movie was all it took to trigger my prenatal hormone frazzled amygdala into full blown cortisol driven alarm mode. This Anxiety ruined any semblance of sleep I was able to catch with a 2 year old in the house and sent me on a high tech home security search that became an obsession. As if the only thing standing between my family and a post-apocalyptic mob of cannibalists was an alarm system.  I knew I was being ridiculous, but my nervous system was beyond reason. Fortunately my initial glimpse into the discomfort of anxiety was short lived as a few weeks of hormone regulating Acupuncture (and perhaps a few glasses of wine) was all it took for me to get back my calm. For many though, Anxiety is a constant and relentless companion and something which I treat every day at Durango Acupuncture Clinic.

Introducing the Amygdala and Hippocampus and their role in Anxiety

The amygdala is like a family dog who spends his days in a kind of obsessive vigilance at the window just waiting to alert you and your brain to the presence of impending doom and danger, usually in the form of a UPS man.  This normally serves to keep us out of harm's way, but hormonal fluctuations, extreme trauma and stress can throw our amygdala’s off, resulting in everything suddenly becoming a major threat.

The hippocampus is a lot like your mother, in that it takes certain scary or threatening events (like that time you thought it would be fun to ride your bike with no hands and ended up in a cast for the summer) and never, ever lets you forget about them.  The hippocampus stores these frightening events in fragmented flashbacks in the brain to remind you to stay away from dangers in the future, but when your brain is imbalanced by severe trauma, these memories can lead to PTSD.

These two parts of the brain can act like sugar crazed kids at a slumber party who just had a seance and are freaking out!  They can trigger the increase of neurotransmitters like norepinephrine (which increases heart rate and blood pressure) and dopamine (which can increase feelings of dread) and decrease GABA and 5HTP, your body's go-to transmitters for inducing a state of calm and happiness.    

These brain centers and neurotransmitters are designed to make us safe and keep us out of harm's way, but when stress, trauma, thyroid issues, or hormone fluctuations come into play, they can lead to neurological imbalances and anxiety disorders.  

Fortunately, there are effective ways to reduce anxiety:

1. Get  Acupuncture: which has been shown in studies to reduce anxiety by altering the functional release of neurotransmitters to stop the autonomic response.  Which is like giving your amygdala a bone to gnaw on and your worried mother-like hippocampus a cocktail. It can also affect the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems by reducing cortisol and adrenaline and increasing serotonin levels.  There's a reason why you always seem to float out the Acupuncture room. Anxiety is something that I work with everyday at Durang Acupuncture Clinic and Acupuncture is completely safe for those currently taking anti-anxiety or SSRI medications.

2. Practice mindfulness through yoga and meditation.  Yoga is a wonderful way to soothe the nervous system through movement, you can join Michelle Lawrence and I at Yogadurango November 11th for a workshop of heart opening yoga followed by Acupuncture and guided meditation specifically geared toward treating anxiety.  This workshop sold out last year and we are so excited to offer it again!

3. Give your brain the building blocks for GABA and 5HTP:  Sometimes your brain needs a little help and there are a number of powerful herbal supplements that can give your body the building blocks it needs to create this vital neurotransmitters.  I carry a number of supplements by the brand Neuroscience, which are carefully designed to recalibrate your neurology in a way that is safe and incredibly effective. I love helping patients find the right one for them.

4. Get on the Adaptogen bandwagon:  Adaptogens are getting a lot of buzz lately and it's easy to see why.  Adaptogenic herbs like Ashwagandha, ginseng and Astragalus are herbal pharmaceuticals that work to counteract the effects of stress on the body.  They regulate a stable balance in the hypothalamic, pituitary and adrenal glands to essentially hack the stress response.. Reducing fatigue, depression and calming the central nervous system.  

Why it’s important to solve this little canary in the coal mine with more than a pill from the pharmacy.  

There are times, it seems, that you can’t go on a raft trip in Durango without half of the women on your trip having Hashimotos.  No seriously, our raft trip of 26 people last summer included 5 women with hashi’s and that number was low because most of the folks on the trip were either under 12 or male.  Had we organized a trip of 26 women aged 30-50 our thyroiditis numbers would have been astronomical. I say we because I’m a member of the unofficial Durango Hashimotos club as well.  Before we dive into the how’s and what’s of this issue, I’ll take a moment to introduce you to:

The long and wildly pathetic list of hashimotos symptoms:  These are merely the ones I see most often at Durango Acupuncture Clinic, for a more complete list of woes click here:  https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/symptoms/

Joint Pain Hair Loss Brain Fog
extreme fatigue Dry skin Insomnia
Depression Cold hands and feet PMS
Anxiety Weight Gain Constipation
Mood Swings Constipation Infertility

Just to name a few…

Hashi-what?

Hashimotos is an autoimmune disease which is usually born from the hot and steamy love triangle of leaky gut (digestive and dietary issues), major hormonal shifts (think pregnancy and menopause) and adrenal fatigue (stress in a nutshell).  These immune, adrenal and hormonal stressors trigger thyroid antibodies to go all Rambo and attack your thyroid (among other organs), resulting in the lovely list of symptoms above as a result of low Thyroid stimulating hormone. Genetics can also play a big role into our susceptibility.  In my family, we share autoimmune disease like some families pass on good china or silver, it’s truly the gift that keeps on giving!

And why can’t we just pop a pill and forget about it?

You can just pop pills, but...While pharmaceuticals can provide symptomatic relief and prevent further destruction of your thyroid, they fail to solve the autoimmune issue that got you on the hashimotos bus in the first place.  Relying on medication alone is kind of like hiding in the bathtub while your house is on fire, sure, you’re feeling swell now, but give it a minute (or years) and things are going to get pretty uncomfortable. When the root is left untreated, those symptoms that originally disappeared with medication, can begin to slowly pop up again, along with a host of new and exotic autoimmune issues involving other organs and systems. Fun!

So What’s a girl to do?

1. Chill the heck out! Stress and adrenal taxation are recipes for autoimmune issues (among most other diseases).  Delegate, meditate, practice yoga (my class is at 4:30 on Tuesday’s, just say’in), play with your kids, let the laundry pile up, soak in a hot spring, ride your bike (shut the Strava off), laugh, walk your dog, take a moment to be present.

1. Heal your gut. Ditch the bread to start, (I know, I know, you hate me already but...) gluten has been shown in studies to have the effect of canned spinach on your Popeyed antibodies, enhancing their thyroid bashing abilities. Seal your gut lining with collagen rich bone broth or bone broth powders.  Eat fermented foods like sauerkraut, kimchi or kombucha to help repopulate the gut with good bacteria.

2. Get regular Acupuncture:  Acupuncture is clinically proven to calm your central nervous system, lower cortisol levels and reduce stress. Goodbye Adrenal taxation!  It’s also a wonderful way to balance hormones, address digestive and immune issues, increase energy and the body's ability to heal itself.  

At Durango Acupuncture Clinic, I see you as more than your long and sorry list of thyroid symptoms, I see you as the beautiful stressed out and under appreciated superwoman that you are! You’ll be encouraged to commit to self care, given some serious nurturing, dietary tips and recipes, lifestyle and supplement suggestions, Chinese herbs and someone who has experienced all that you’re going through to really listen to you.

Bring your Hashimoto's under control or even remission!  Regain your energy, vitality and balanced emotions, and Kiss that long and sorry list of symptoms goodbye.  Schedule now:  970-442-0284 or click the schedule button on this page.  Let’s set this canary free!