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Prozac Nation Is Now the United States of Xanax in New York Times Magazine: my response

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This is the title of a new article recently published in the New York Times Magazine: Prozac Nation Is Now the United States of Xanax. In other words, depression has been replaced by anxiety and the respective medications.

It’s an excellent read for creating awareness about anxiety and benzodiazepines but also sad because there is so much we can do and no solutions are offered. Here are some startling stats shared in the article:

According to data from the National Institute of Mental Health, some 38 percent of girls ages 13 through 17, and 26 percent of boys, have an anxiety disorder. [Note: this was quoted in the article. I’m trying to track down the source because an article in Time Magazine last year says this: ‘About 30% of girls and 20% of boys–totaling 6.3 million teens–have had an anxiety disorder, according to data from the National Institute of Mental Health’ as of 2015.]

On college campuses, anxiety is running well ahead of depression as the most common mental health concern, according to a 2016 national study of more than 150,000 students by the Center for Collegiate Mental Health at Pennsylvania State University. [Both anxiety and depression have shown slight but persistent increases each year for the past six years]

Meanwhile, the number of web searches involving the term [anxiety] has nearly doubled over the last five years, according to Google Trends. (The trendline for “depression” was relatively flat.)

I’m the optimistic type, I’m proactive and I like to give hope as well as solutions – and I have quite a bit to say about this article so here goes.

#1 Too many people are prescribed benzodiazepines without knowing what they are getting into

The article does not address the issues with benzodiazepines: how too many people are prescribed benzodiazepines without knowing what they are getting into, with many suffering dreadfully and never offered nutritional solutions. When I shared the article on my facebook page, someone in my community shared this (and gave me permission to share it further in the hope someone else will be spared her suffering)  

Been totally disabled by benzo for 3.5 years. I have been off meds for 17.5 months and the impact of these meds makes any anxiety I ever felt a cake walk. Please run from the poison. Find healthy foods, nutrition and take the break your body is begging you for. We need to listen to our bodies! If it is screaming with anxiety maybe you need to make some life changes. I wish I did instead of taking a med that has almost destroyed me.

I asked her what symptoms she was experiencing, and as well as suffering from severe motion sickness (so badly she can’t even leave her home) she also shared this:

I have locked shoulder muscles, neck, jaw; I have internal vibrations, I get bad headaches, jelly legs, distorted vision like floaters and squiggles and fireworks, my teeth all feel like they will fall out but they are not lose, it feels like adrenaline or cortisol rushes through the body. Sometimes arms go numb. I am pretty tortured every day. These meds are truly causing chemical warfare on some of us.

I believe this will be the next big epidemic and I hope I heal somehow to help others

She had been on a variety of benzodiazepines, SSRIs and other medications for over 17 years and you may think this is an isolated incidence. I assure you it is not – just read the list of the most common psychological and physical symptoms of benzodiazepine withdrawal.

5mg diazepam / Valium, a benzodiazepine

Here is some useful information about the risks and dangers of benzodiazepines:

#2 Let’s help anxious individuals like you find solutions

Scott Stossel, journalist and author of My Age of Anxiety: Fear, Hope, Dread, and the Search for Peace of Mind was quoted as saying this in the article:

The silver lining for those with nervous disorders is that we can welcome our previously non-neurotic fellow citizens into the anxious fold.

My first response to the article is this: I say NO to Scott Stossel and instead I say let’s think bigger and instead let’s invite the anxious citizens into the calm and no-more-anxiety fold!

Scott’s book is well-written book, offers an excellent understanding of what it feels like to experience anxiety and panic attacks, and has many compelling stories. But as a number of his Amazon reviewer’s say the big question is this: what is the answer or solution? Unfortunately it’s not provided in his book (or the New York Times Magazine article).

The New York Times Magazine article provides another anxiety resource that has helped “bring anxiety into the open, and allowed its clinical sufferers to band together in a virtual group-therapy setting”: The Sarah Fader on twitter, creator of the hashtag #ThisIsWhatAnxietyFeelsLike and a mental-health advocacy organization called Stigma Fighters.

Again, these are wonderful resources for support, awareness and advocacy but they don’t offer solutions if you suffer from anxiety. With nutritional solutions we can change this to #ThisIsWhatCalmFeelsLike.

#3 Too few people know about nutritional solutions

Too few people know about nutritional solutions and that has to change. Clinically we know it works and there is now SO much research supporting this approach.

Here are a few of many blog posts on my site that share powerful anxiety nutrition solutions:

Here is one of the latest food and mental health studies – A modified Mediterranean dietary intervention for adults with major depression: Dietary protocol and feasibility data from the SMILES trial

This and other dietary and nutritional approaches for both depression and anxiety will be presented at the upcoming International Society of Nutritional Psychiatry Research conference in Bethesda, MD next month)

Here are two book resources too: my book The Antianxiety Food Solution and integrative psychiatrist Kelly Brogan’s book A Mind of Your Own.

I’d love your feedback

  • Which nutritional solutions topics do you have questions about and in what areas do you still need help?
  • What ideas do you have for getting this nutritional solution message out in a bigger way?
  • What do you wish you’d known when you were first diagnosed with anxiety and prescribed medication (such as a benzodiazepine or SSRI)?
  • How do we convince the naysayers that this does work and is worth implementing?
  • How do we get the mainstream mental health community on board?
  • What anxiety resources do you have to share

GABA is calming for me, doesn’t work for my daughter’s anxiety and makes my son sleepy

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I’m sharing this question I received on my GABA Calm blog to illustrate how different people respond to GABA and how some people may not even have the low GABA type of anxiety. Here is the question this mom posted:

I have used GABA (several brands, just open capsule and sprinkle small amount under tongue) for years now, with calming results within minutes. It was recommended to me by 2 family members, both bi-polar, who were tested by Dr. Amen. I have also used it with my children (now adults); my daughter says it doesn’t work for her. (She has anxiety issues and occasional panic attacks, and Rescue Remedy helps her.) It does work to calm my 3 sons, but one says it makes him sleepy, and lasts into the next day, so he won’t take it. Trudy, have you heard of this reaction? It seems extreme for such a small amount used. He is a college student and ‘medicates’ with caffeine, if that makes a difference.

She shared that she uses 500mg or 750mg capsules of GABA, and get several doses from a single cap (so maybe 100mg per dose).

This is what I shared with her: we are all biochemically different and one form of GABA (or GABA combined with other amino acids/nutrients such as GABA Calm) may work for one person and not another. Also one person may need more and another may do fine with much much less. Also anxiety has many underlying causes, with low GABA only being one of them.

If I was working with your daughter I’d have her trial higher amounts of GABA for the anxiety and panic attacks. I’d also look into low serotonin and a trial of tryptophan too especially if her anxiety is the worry, ruminating anxiety with insomnia and the blues, with increased afternoon and evening cravings for carbs and chocolates.

If I was working with your son, because it does work to calm him, I’d start by having him trial just 25mg of GABA and increase slowly from there, monitoring how he feels. His anxiety may also be related to his caffeine consumption – which can also affect sleep and the fatigue he feels in the morning could be related to that.

Note: She did ask this question on the GABA Calm blog and was planning to have them trial this form of GABA. I typically don’t have clients use GABA Calm at night (because of the tyrosine) but it’s certainly worth a trial especially with her son.

If you’re completely new to the amino acids for anxiety here is an overview with questionnaire, precautions and how to do a trial.

Fire Tonic and Fire Sauce from Hilbilby Cultured Food

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This is a recommendation for you for Fire Tonic and Fire Sauce from Hilbilby Cultured Food if you’re in Australia (or if you’re not do check them out on your next trip here!)

Hilbilby Fire Tonic [colloquially known as Fire Cider or Master Tonic] is a next level RAW unfiltered, unpasteurized Apple Cider Vinegar [ACV] Tincture, adapted from a traditional Gypsy recipe and handmade in small batches in Torquay on the Surf Coast of Victoria, Australia … Fire Tonic is a LIVE Herbal Infusion with the Mother of Vinegar [MOV].

I’ve loved the Fire Tonic since I first tried it in January at Pete Evan’s event and have now just sampled the Fire Sauce too. It’s quite amazing! I can’t handle really spicy foods but this has a very different “bite” and is quite addicting!

Here are the ingredients of the Fire Tonic

Here I am sampling a shot of Fire Tonic on a trail above Manly beach – it really does have a strong after-kick as you can see!

 

Here are the ingredients for the Fire Sauce. I just love the packaging and labels too ….”get some rumble in your jungle” and “shake and splodge” and “Warning – this product could make you hot and saucy!”

Check out Hilbilby Cultured Food here

For my USA readers this company makes Fire Cider in the USA but I haven’t tried it. I’d love to hear if you’ve tried it and get some feedback.

And if you’d like to try and make it yourself here is Pete Evans Fire Tonic recipe

Let me know what you think? Love it?

OCD, anxiety, PANDAS and PANS: Dr Brandon Brock

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This is a quick reminder that The Autism, ADHD and Sensory Processing Disorder Summit starts tomorrow.

I really enjoyed Dr. Brandon Brock’s interview, Understanding PANS and PANDAS role in ASD, ADHD and SPD, and it is particularly relevant for anxiety and OCD. During the interview he describes what he often finds with these children with PANS (Pediatric Acute-onset Neuropsychiatric Syndrome) and PANDAS (Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Streptococcal Infections):

A lot of times the child may come in having nightmares or they just start bed wetting or they’re having fears or a little bit of irritability and they get blamed on all kinds of things. You know they get blamed on maybe a sketchy home environment that’s really not that sketchy, or maybe they just say it’s normal for a child to go through this, or maybe they’re just starting to hit puberty so they’re getting more aggressive. In other words there’s always a reason other than looking at the brain physiology. Why is it changing? Is the brain physiology changing because maybe there is an environmental factor? You know maybe there is some abuse or something. And that does happen.

But on a bigger scale maybe they had some sort of infectious disease, or maybe they had a toxin that got into their body, and it made their immune system react, and it started giving them symptoms like abnormal movements, ticks, especially in the face, lip smacking, hair twirling.

He talks about how these immune reactions to the brain and basal ganglia cause symptoms:

So when you have an immune response against the basal ganglia it’s kind of like pushing the play button over and over and over again. So now we see things like obsessive compulsive disorder, we see tics, we see choreiform movements [repetitive and rapid, jerky, involuntary movement that appears to be well-coordinated], we see nightmares and bizarre thoughts, or the kid does something that we call a perseveration. It is the repetition of a particular response (such as a word, phrase, or gesture), so they say something over and over and over. So there’s a fine line between a kid being a kid and then a kid having something like PANDAS. And really what we call that is auto-immune encephalitis, which just means inflammation of the brain. So the kid’s brain really is kind of like, if you want to say it metaphorically, on fire.

Dr. Brock talks about the 2 strep tests or anti-streptococcal antibody titers that are commercially available and determines whether the child has had a previous strep infection:

  • Antistrepolysin O (ASO) titer,* which rises 3-6 weeks after a strep infection, and
  • Antistreptococcal DNAse B (AntiDNAse-B) titer, which rises 6-8 weeks after a strep infection.]

In addition to the many other labs tests they do, he goes on to discuss another whole set of antibodies that can become positive down the road:

Dopamine antibodies, calcium calmodulin mechanisms, and then all of the intra-cellular structures, like the tubulin structures, the alpha and beta tubulin structures, the micro-tubulin structures, and even the cell wall. So we have an antibody panel that really says it’s either the structure, it’s either the receptor, or it’s the actual pumping mechanism that makes dopamine.

He didn’t mention this but it’s the Cunningham Panel done by Moleculera Labs

Dr. Brock goes on to talk about functional neurology, diet, how to find a good practitioner and much more. It’s a great interview!

The Autism, ADHD and Sensory Processing Disorder Summit, hosted by Tara Hunkin, NTP, runs from June 19-28, 2017.

It will be 10 days of eye opening information into the root causes of your child’s neurological dysfunction. Imagine learning about what may have caused their symptoms and how to address them with nutrition and biomedical approaches and leverage the power of positive neuroplasticity to improve function, health and their lives.

As I mentioned in the prior summit announcement many of the interviews on this summit may be applicable for you even if you don’t have a child with a sensory processing disorder, ADHD and/or autism – many of my clients with anxiety often benefit from the biomedical support that many of these speakers are addressing. Simply replace sensory processing disorder, ADHD and/or autism with anxiety and listen and learn.

And if you’re new to my work, do also tune into my interview: Anxiety’s Role in ASD, ADHD and SPD and how nutrient therapy can help.

Here are a few other speakers and their interesting topics (and I can’t wait to hear them all):

  • David Perlmutter, MD: The role of the microbiome in neurological health.
  • Alex Doman: Using music to heal your child’s brain
  • Derrick MacFabe, MD: The role of propionic acid in the multi-system challenges found in ASD.
  • Sonia McGowin, DC: How to know if biomedical intervention is right for your child.

You can register for The Autism, ADHD and Sensory Processing Disorder Summit here

Bouldering envisioned as new treatment for depression and anxiety

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Climbing was my main sport for 15 years and I absolutely loved it. Bouldering, a type of climbing where you don’t use ropes, is really fun and exciting, as well as a great form of exercise. So you can imagine my delight when I read about new research that suggests it may also be used to effectively treat symptoms of depression and anxiety. I’ve added anxiety because we see similar underlying causes and solutions, and many individuals with depression also suffer from anxiety.

Here are the details from the University of Arizona (UA) press release

A growing body of research suggests that bouldering, a form of rock climbing, can help build muscle and endurance while reducing stress — and a new study co-led by a University of Arizona doctoral student of psychology suggests that the activity also may be used to effectively treat symptoms of depression.

UA researcher Eva-Maria Stelzer and Katharina Luttenberger of the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg led a team that involved more than 100 individuals in a bouldering intervention in Germany, where some hospitals have begun to use climbing as a therapeutic treatment.

The participants were randomly split into two groups. One immediately began the intervention, while the other group had to wait to start bouldering, which involves climbing rocks or walls to a moderate height without ropes or a harness. Each participant bouldered for three hours a week over the course of eight weeks.

Depression symptoms improved from moderate depression to mild depression over 8 weeks:

The team’s major finding was that, during the therapy, the immediate intervention group’s Beck’s Depression scores improved by 6.27 points, but for the same time period the group that was initially wait-listed improved by only 1.4 points. This drop in score reflects an improvement of one severity grade from moderate to mild depression levels.

“Bouldering, in many ways, is a positive physical activity,” said Stelzer, who began researching the benefits of bouldering while completing her master’s in psychology at the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg in Germany and is now completing her doctorate at the UA. “There are different routes for your physical activity level, and there’s a social aspect along with the feeling of an immediate accomplishment when bouldering.”

Stelzer presented the study and findings during the 29th annual Association for Psychological Science Convention, recently held in Boston.

Like me, the study authors, Stelzer, Luttenberger and Schopper have experienced bouldering first hand:

Invested in improving interventions to aid with such conditions, Stelzer, Luttenberger and Schopper, who have offered bouldering sessions for patients at a care center in Germany, drew on their own experiences as avid rock climbers and boulderers to investigate the benefits the sport could provide to those dealing with anxiety, depression, social isolation and self-esteem issues.

This is how I describe bouldering: you feel like a kid all over again, it’s a joy to be out in nature, sometimes it’s quite the adventure getting to the crag and finding the routes, and the sense of accomplishment when you succeed at a difficult route is quite amazing. It’s very meditative and your focus has to be spot on. There is also problem-solving involved as you figure out the moves.

The social aspect is also great – encouraging and supporting your fellow-climbers/friends and then being encouraged by them when it’s your turn. There is also a big trust aspect as you “spot” each other, making sure you each land safely on the bouldering mat should you fall off the climb or decide to jump off because it’s too challenging.

There is of course the exercise aspect too. After the hike in to the rocks or crags, bouldering builds strength and stamina, and improved balance and flexibility.

Here are some pictures of us bouldering in the UK with friends Marc and Cath a few years ago.

Hiking in to the crags in an almost “fairy-glen-like” setting. The big blue thing I am carrying is a bouldering mat for helping with a soft and safe landing.
Marc “spots” me as a I climb a fun and easy route. The left is me at the start of the bouldering route and the right is me topping out.
Brad “spots” Marc on a more difficult bouldering route (notice the bouldering mat below)

I highly recommend bouldering if you ever get the opportunity. There are also indoor climbing gyms with bouldering walls if you don’t have a rock-climbing area near where you live, or if you’d like to give it a go there first before venturing out to the crags.

Luttenberger’s message is the same one I have for my clients:

I’d always encourage patients to do the sport they like — may it be climbing or something else — as sport is a wonderful possibility to prevent all possible sorts of illnesses, mental and physical.

Given the positive results, the team believes that bouldering may be used to complement traditional care for clinical depression:

Team members are now working to develop a manual that could be adopted for an eight-week program integrating bouldering and psychotherapeutic interventions for groups.

I really look forward to recommending a program like this for my clients, in conjunction with dietary changes and supportive nutrients!

Have you tried climbing or bouldering? Would you be open to an 8-week recommended supervised bouldering program?

If you haven’t tried climbing or bouldering and this isn’t your thing I’d love to hear what exercise you love to do in nature?

Migraines, Anxiety and Antiphospholipid Syndrome: on the Chronic Headache & Migraine Summit

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The autoimmune condition called Antiphospholipid Syndrome (APS) is one of many possible contributing factors for both migraines and anxiety. I came across this condition when researching the links between migraine and anxiety in preparation for my interview with Erin Knight, one of the hosts of The Chronic Headache & Migraine Summit, starting July 10. This is one of the reasons I love presenting because I get to learn so much too!

Antiphospholipid syndrome occurs when your immune system attacks some of the normal proteins in your blood. It can cause blood clots in your arteries or veins. And it can cause pregnancy complications, such as miscarriage and stillbirth. (Source: Mayo Clinic)

I share some highlights from a 2015 paper: Antiphospholipid antibodies as biomarkers in psychiatry)

  • Antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) has been implicated in a range of neuropsychiatric presentations
  • The link between depression, stroke, and cardiovascular disease could be explained in at least some patients by the presence of aPL antibodies
  • Approximately one in five (20%) strokes in individuals under the age of 45 years are associated with APS
  • Migraine is one of the most commonly observed symptoms in patients with APS
  • aPL antibodies are often found to show low or moderately positive levels which makes this syndrome a diagnostic dilemma in psychiatry. The St. Thomas ‘alternative criteria’ for APS may be a useful clinical tool for psychiatrists. These criteria include cognitive impairment, affective disorders [like depression and anxiety], headaches [or migraines], and livedo reticularis, with improvement after aspirin treatment

In case you are not familiar with livedo reticularis, it is a mottled purplish discoloration of the skin. Having this skin condition does not mean you have APS because livedo reticularis can be a normal condition that is simply more obvious when you are exposed to the cold. It can also be an indicator of impaired circulation.

Phospholipids are a class of lipids that are a major component of all cell membranes and also facilitate neurotransmitters communication so this condition affects serotonin, dopamine, glutamate and GABA levels.

Working with my client’s doctor, I would recommend an autoimmune dietary approach and trials of the respective amino acids to support low serotonin, low GABA and low dopamine.

My interview also addresses the prevalence of anxiety with migraine sufferers.

We also cover how effective gluten removal can be for certain individuals. We always start with gluten removal for my clients with anxiety and migraines and find it to be a common underlying factor (whether it’s celiac disease or gluten sensitivity). Since gluten is always an important factor for autoimmunity it should always be explored if APS has been diagnosed or is suspected.  

We also cover low serotonin as one possible cause of migraines and the how to do a trail of tryptophan (instead of SSRIs). Erin shares her frightening SSRI experience too.  Using tryptophan also addresses the low serotonin that often occurs with APS and is one possible contributing cause of the anxiety, depression, insomnia and migraines.

The Chronic Headache & Migraine Summit will be online from July 10-17, 2017

Hosts of The Chronic Headache & Migraine Summit, Erin Knight, Corey Schuler and Marta Taylor, are familiar with headache pain and migraines; they’ve all experienced severe headache problems. They found functional medicine solutions, which they now share in their health practices each day. Discover in one week what they’ve spent years learning!

You can register for the summit here