May 26, 2018

Anxiety Rates At An All-Time High in the U.S.

Photo by Chad Madden on Unsplash

According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, anxiety disorders are the most common mental illness in the U.S., affecting 40 million adults ages 18 and older, or over 18% of the population each year. And, according to a new analysis published in the Journal of Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics, 2.6 million children and adolescents (1 in 20) were diagnosed with anxiety or depression between 2011 and 2012, with numbers climbing. However, there are multiple treatments out there, so it’s important to find the technique that has the best stress-relieving impact.

Why are individuals more anxious?

The American Psychiatric Association released research from a survey of 1,000 participants where 39% were experiencing more anxiety than they were this time last year – more than double the 19% of respondents who feel less anxious.

Bethany Kasssar, clinical social worker and executive director of outpatient services at Summit Behavior Health reports, “Living in our current society with government instability, economic instability, media stress, insecurity of personal safety with current events, and often personal-life instability can be overwhelming and create great concern in one’s life that can often lead to feelings of anxiety.”

Many reports conclude that stress and anxiety come hand-in-hand, as stress is a response to a situation and anxiety is the reaction to the stress.

Reduce Stress and Anxiety Naturally

What can you do when stress and anxiety become an overwhelming daily occurrence? “If you cannot lower your stress level, you can increase your biochemical resistance to it. Combat stress by clearing stress hormones, building happy-healthy brain chemistry, vamping up daytime energy and supporting deep, restorative sleep. Natural remedies can give you the biochemical edge you need to not just survive but thrive with stress,” explains former director of nutrition for InVite Health Nicole Crane, B.S., NTP.

When relieving stress, the goal is to balance the hormone cortisol. Stress, and high cortisol levels, have detrimental effects on all of our body systems but take the greatest toll on the heart and the brain. One category of herbs, called adrenal adaptogens nourishes the adrenal glands and helps the body adapt to stress. They also adapt to the individual using them, offering customized benefits based on what their body requires.

What are adaptogens and why are they so important? Read more by clicking here!

When stress affects your memory, a powerful internal antioxidant called SOD (superoxide dismutase) protects us from the inside out. Studies have shown SOD to reduce stress by 30% in those with daily stress, while another study reports that SOD boosts memory and cognitive function by 14% in just one week.

Getting adequate rest is very important for well-being, especially when stress becomes overwhelming. Supporting tranquility during the day and restful sleep at night may be the key to helping the body resist the harmful effects of stress on memory, mood, and sleep, restoring your waking vitality. Natural remedies keep cortisol and other wellness-zapping hormones in check and build healthy, positive brain chemistry. With the help of some natural remedies, you can get your biochemistry back on track, and not only survive, but thrive with stress and anxiety.