endorphins

Trauma: fluctuating between a high anxiety panic state and a low energy freeze response (with low endorphins and a numbing feeling)

October 22, 2021 By Trudy Scott Leave a Comment

The freeze response in trauma is not well understood and is a low energy state. When the anxiety has become so high or severe it triggers a low energy or freeze state in order for you to survive. There is also the feeling of numbness and being disconnected when in the freeze state and this eventually becomes the default pattern that the nervous system has been wired into. Healing can start with somatic work and using a functional medicine and nutritional psychiatry approach to address the biological underpinnings of trauma.

Dr. Aimie Apigian, MD, MS, MPH discusses all this and much more in her interview on the Anxiety Summit 5: Gut-Brain Axis, Nov 8-14, 2021.

And then Dr. Aimie interviews me and we discuss how folks with low endorphins are often in the freeze state. These folks are more emotionally sensitive to everything and because of this they experience much more stress. They also experience a feeling of numbness and feel disconnected. The encouraging news is that the amino acid DPA (d-phenylalanine) helps ease the low endorphin symptoms while they are recovering. More on all this below.

The freeze response in trauma is not well understood and is a low energy state

Let’s start with this interview with Dr. Aimie – Biology of Trauma and the Freeze Response. This is what we cover:

Identifying the freeze response and symptoms when anxiety is high
The role of the microbiome, neurotransmitters, oxidative stress, mitochondria and cortisol
Somatic work when in the chronic freeze state: containment hugs and marking your territory

Dr. Aimie explains that the freeze response in trauma is not something that’s been really well understood:

When we talk about just trauma and mood, and stress even, it’s like we still lump everything in that fight, flight, or freeze response. And the fight and flight response could not be more different than the freeze response.
On a biological level, they are completely different biology states, which means that it is humanly impossible to be in both of those states at the same time. So when we look at this freeze response, okay, so what is it? If it’s not fight or flight, what is it?

She shares how the anxiety has been become so high or severe it triggers a low energy or freeze state in order for you to survive:

When we look at what it is, it’s when the anxiety has become so high that the body is not able to sustain that level of both anxiety, but it’s really an energy level.
Because anxiety is a high energy state and it triggers this response in the body where it says, “Ooh, this is unsustainable,” and in order to survive, for our best interests, it would be better for us to go into a low energy state.
And it feels like giving in, giving up. It feels like giving up the fight because the body just goes into this, I kind of call it like, it shifts down into first gear.
You’re no longer zooming along in fifth or sixth gear, you just kind of shift down into first gear and now you’re just going through life.

The feeling of numbness and being disconnected when in the freeze state

In addition to the low energy state, this is where Dr. Aimie talks about the feeling of numbness and being disconnected when in the freeze state:

Now you’re just going through your day, you feel a little numb, you feel a little disconnected.
But the trigger for that freeze response originally comes from the anxiety level, which really becomes a level of fear, terror, panic.

Dr. Amie also shares how this becomes the default pattern that the nervous system has been wired into:

And people can have what I call a strong pull towards the freeze response so that they no longer are even aware of the fear and the terror.
They just feel anxiety and boom, they go straight into the freeze response because it has just become that default pattern that the nervous system has been wired into.

The biology of trauma and somatic work

She goes on to discuss the biology of trauma and the role of the microbiome, neurotransmitters, oxidative stress, mitochondria and cortisol in contributing to the freeze response (i.e. making you more susceptible to trauma) and as factors we can address in order to facilitate recovery and healing.

Dr. Aimie also describes the somatic work she does with her patients who are in the chronic freeze state: exercises like containment hugs and marking your territory. She shares that “I want people to experience their nervous system. I want them to know what it feels like, be able to actually recognize which state of the nervous system they are in at any given moment in time, and be able to feel what that feels like in their body, because then that’s how we teach them how to shift that.”

In her work and in this interview, Dr. Amie brings the world of trauma recovery and somatic work to the functional medicine and nutritional psychiatry world. It’s an eye-opening interview you don’t want to miss.

The connection between the trauma freeze response and low endorphins

Also featured in the summit is another interview where Dr. Aimie happens to interview me on this topic: Glutamine, DPA and Tyrosine for Anxiety and Sugar Cravings. We cover the following:

Sugar addiction: impacts on the microbiome, tryptophan metabolism, zinc & B vitamins
Glutamine for intense sugar cravings, anxiety & support of the microbiome/mucosa
DPA for comfort/reward cravings, pain & acute stress; tyrosine for focus & calm energy

It’s during this interview that I make the connection between the trauma freeze response and low endorphins when we are discussing the last bullet above.

As a reminder, these are the mood symptoms of low endorphins:

Heightened sensitivity to emotional pain
(and also Heightened sensitivity to physical pain)
Crying or tearing up easily

And these are the ways sugar cravings often show up when you have low endorphins:

Eating to soothe your mood, or comfort eating
Really, really loving certain foods, behaviors, drugs, or alcohol
Craving a reward or numbing treat

As I share about the endorphins and how I use the amino acids DPA and/or DLPA to boost endorphin levels, I remember how Dr. Aimie discussed the numbing effect when someone is in the freeze state and it made me think about endorphins. So I ask Dr. Amie if she finds that folks with low endorphins are often in the freeze state.

Dr. Amie says most definitely yes and shares that with the low endorphins, people in the freeze state really are more emotionally sensitive to everything and because of this they experience much more stress:

From my perspective, working with a lot of the trauma response … they are much closer … to that line of overwhelm.
So most definitely, yes. And it’s that comfort, right? It’s that self-soothing, and it’s the numbing effect. The numbing effect of reaching for food when you’re not hungry. It’s just for numbing the emotional sensitivity that you have with low endorphins.
Endorphins really affect the stress levels and then mood, and then inflammation? It starts this cascade of changes in their biology because of the low endorphins and the increased amount of stress that they experience with that sensitivity.

This discussion tied in perfectly to the study I had to share: The Role of Beta-endorphin in Stress, Behavior, Neuroinflammation, and Brain Energy Metabolism.

In this 2020 paper, the authors discuss beta-endorphins in the context of reward-centric behaviors, pain, neuroinflammation, immune function and also how endorphins attenuate (or reduce the effects of) the acute stress response. They also share how endorphins exert a regulatory effect on serotonin levels.

I find the latter link to serotonin very interesting and will be digging deeper into this in another blog post. I’ll also be digging into the low endorphins aspect of the trauma freeze response in the coming months. And I want to learn more about the somatic work that Dr. Aimie uses – to experience some of it myself and to bring to my community i.e you! I do love that I also get to learn so much when I do these interviews.

Use DPA to ease the weepiness and need to numb out with comfort food or behaviors

For now, if you have experienced trauma and recognize being in the freeze state, and you feel numbed out and disconnected, and also relate to the above other low endorphin symptoms, I would do a trial of DPA (the amino acid d-phenylalanine) and see how you do. It will likely help ease some of the low endorphin symptoms while you are recovering.

Keep in mind that you can also have low endorphin symptoms without having experienced trauma. I see this with many of my clients and it’s not uncommon to also have low serotonin worry and low GABA physical anxiety symptoms too..

In both instances, I would do a trial of DPA (I like the Lidtke Endorphigen product) and see how you do. If it is low endorphins you’ll ease the weepiness and need to numb out with comfort food or behaviors (such as endless scrolling on social media). You can expect to see results in 5-10 minutes when the DPA is opened onto the tongue.

To recap, be sure to tune in to these 2 interviews to see how it’s all connected and to hear more about trauma, the biology of trauma and how to use amino acids to balance neurotransmitters:

Aimie Apigian, MD, MS, MPH – Biology of Trauma and the Freeze Response
Trudy Scott, CN – Glutamine, DPA and Tyrosine for Anxiety and Sugar Cravings

These interviews dove-tail well with this topic of trauma, the freeze response and neurotransmitters:

Navaz Habib, DC, AFMCP – Vagus Nerve Activation to Reduce Anxiety (because vagus nerve activation habits speed trauma recovery)
My other amino acid interview, Cravings and GABA & Tryptophan: Gut-Anxiety Connections (because the amino acids help to support low serotonin and low GABA which is common with trauma)
Evan Brand, CFMP, NTP – Floatation Therapy for Anxiety and PTSD (because floatation therapy is gentle and yet effective)
Eric Zielinski, DC – Essential Oils for Anxiety and Digestion (because essential oils are well tolerated and effective)
David Jockers, DNM, DC, MS – Fasting for Anxiety and Gut Health (he talks about the effects of fasting on endorphins and serotonin)

I encourage you to register and tune in if you have:

Anxiety & feel overwhelmed & stressed by little things
Panic attacks &/or obsessive thoughts or behaviors
Social anxiety/pyroluria
Phobias or fears (flying, spiders or even driving on a highway)

And also if you suffer from…

Food sensitivities, IBS/SIBO, parasites or gallbladder issues
Constipation, diarrhea, bloating, gas, pain & other digestive issues
Leaky gut, a leaky blood-brain barrier or vagus nerve issues

Join us if you are also an emotional eater with intense sugar cravings (and know you suffer from low blood sugar), experience insomnia, low mood, PMS, poor focus and/or low motivation.

This is THE online event to learn about the powerful individual amino acids – GABA, theanine, tryptophan, 5-HTP, glutamine, DPA and tyrosine – to quickly ease anxiety and help with gut symptoms while you are dealing with other root causes which take longer to address. (They also help with cravings as with this example, and sleep and immunity).

With research-based anxiety nutritional solutions and practical steps, you can determine your root causes, ease your anxiety and prevent it from coming back so you can feel on top of the world again!

If you are a practitioner, please join us too and find advanced solutions for your clients or patients too!

You’ve heard me say the Anxiety Summit has been called “a bouquet of hope!” My wish for you is that this summit is your bouquet of hope!

I hope you’ll join me and these incredible speakers, be enlightened and find YOUR solutions!

Here’s to no more anxiety and you feeling on top of the world again!

Can you relate to the freeze state and fluctuating from a high energy anxiety/panic state?

When you’re in the freeze state do you feel numb and disconnected?

Have you had success with somatic work? And also using a functional medicine approach to healing?

Also let us know if you’ve benefited from using DPA to help ease the low endorphin symptoms?

Feel free to post your questions here too.

I need help with my Diet Coke addiction – when I stop, my fatigue, brain fog, anxiety/depression increase big time!

September 10, 2021 By Trudy Scott 38 Comments

A woman asked for help on the blog, wanting desperately to quit her long-time Diet Coke addiction. This woman knows her addiction is detrimental to her health and she gets withdrawal symptoms when she tries to quit – fatigue, brain fog, anxiety and depression increase big time! And yet she can’t quit. This is not unusual. I share my feedback on the brain chemical imbalances that can drive addictions and how to figure out which amino acids (or more than one) may help her quit easily. This means she doesn’t have to go cold turkey and then fail yet again. Using the amino acids means there is no willpower required and no feelings of deprivation, and it’s addressing an underlying neurotransmitter imbalance i.e. a root cause.

Here is her question:

I need help with my Diet Coke addiction. I have been using it for 35 years and I am too appalled to tell you how much I drink.

I have tried to quit many times and ended up in utter failure. A friend mentioned that phenylalanine may be a booster for my dopamine.

When I stop, my fatigue, brain fog, anxiety/depression increase big time. I know this drink is literally killing my health and I am desperate for some answers, suggestions….or a miracle.

What supplements do you recommend for helping me quit this devil of a habit? Thank you for ALL you do!”

Here is my response …. when it comes to using amino acids to help break the addiction, pretty much everything I write about in relation to sugar addiction or cravings would likely also apply to quitting Diet Coke.

What emotions are driving the addiction?

She needs to figure out what emotions are driving her addiction and use the respective amino acid supplement/s (one or more of them) to help break the addiction and improve the mood symptoms at the same time.

These are the questions I review with my clients who have a Diet Coke addiction (or other diet soda or regular soda addiction):

If you have to drink it when you haven’t eaten in awhile it’s likely low blood sugar. Glutamine on the tongue stops the desire almost immediately and also helps with the low blood sugar symptoms of shakiness and irritability
If you stress-drink, your cravings are likely due to low GABA, and GABA will stop the stress-drinking and calm you down too
If you drink it to feel happy (and especially from late afternoon into the evening) then your cravings are likely due to low serotonin, and tryptophan (or 5-HTP) stops the cravings and boosts mood and reduces anxiety
If you drink it for comfort or a reward comfort then it’s likely due to low endorphins and DPA (d-phenylalanine) will stop that feeling of “I deserve-it” and also give you a hug-like mood boost
If you drink it for an energy boost or to give you focus then it’s likely due to low catecholamines and tyrosine will stop those cravings and give you a mood and energy boost, and also help with mental clarity

Based on her question above, she mentions that “my fatigue, brain fog, anxiety/depression increase big time” when she stops. The fatigue, brain fog and depression is a big clue that #5 above will likely apply. She asks about using phenylalanine for dopamine support (dopamine is one of the catecholamines). I prefer tyrosine to l-phenylalanine for boosting levels.

The fact that anxiety also increases when she stops is a clue that #2 or #3 may apply too, and possibly #1. It’s not unusual for someone to have imbalances in multiple areas.

If this is the case, I always recommend doing a trial of one at a time, so it’s easy to see the benefits.

It’s not the same neurotransmitter imbalance that shows up in each person

It’s also not the same neurotransmitter imbalance that shows up in each person with a Diet Coke (or other soda addiction). When I shared this on Facebook and asked what was the driving emotion behind their “self-medication” with Diet Coke this is feedback I received from two women:

“I had been drinking almost 6 per day for decades. I believe it was comforting.” In this instance, addressing low endorphins with DPA (#4) would have helped. Comfort or reward or treat is a common emotional driver for all addictions.
“I noticed I would drink Diet Coke when I felt anxious (1 or 2 times a day).” In this instance #2 or #3 would have helped i.e. GABA support if it was physical anxiety and/or tryptophan or 5-HTP for low serotonin if it was worry-type anxiety.

The caffeine addiction and the artificial sweetener Aspartame

Keep in mind, with Diet Coke, there is the caffeine addiction and the artificial sweetener Aspartame that also make it challenging to quit. Tyrosine and addressing low catecholamines (#5 above) and vitamin C can help with the caffeine addiction and quitting so headaches are minimized.

The amino acids can help with the imbalances created by aspartame. This paper, Direct and indirect cellular effects of aspartame on the brain, proposes that “excessive aspartame ingestion might be involved in the pathogenesis of certain mental disorders and also in compromised learning and emotional functioning.” This excerpt from the abstract is relevant to this discussion:

Aspartame is composed of phenylalanine (50%), aspartic acid (40%) and methanol (10%). Phenylalanine plays an important role in neurotransmitter regulation, whereas aspartic acid is also thought to play a role as an excitatory neurotransmitter in the central nervous system. Glutamate, asparagines and glutamine are formed from their precursor, aspartic acid. Methanol, which forms 10% of the broken down product, is converted in the body to formate, which can either be excreted or can give rise to formaldehyde, diketopiperazine (a carcinogen) and a number of other highly toxic derivatives. Previously, it has been reported that consumption of aspartame could cause neurological and behavioural disturbances in sensitive individuals. Headaches, insomnia and seizures are also some of the neurological effects that have been encountered, and these may be accredited to changes in regional brain concentrations of catecholamines, which include norepinephrine, epinephrine and dopamine.

This further supports the need for catecholamine support with tyrsosine (#5 above) and GABA support with the amino acid GABA (#2 above).

Recognizing it’s an issue is a big first step

I acknowledge her for recognizing it’s an issue – that is a big first step! I did also ask her to share how much she was consuming each day because there is no judgement here and we acknowledge it’s an addiction. I’ll report back when I hear from her and will also share which amino acid/s helped her break the addiction.

As always, it’s not only about the amino acids and a comprehensive healing approach is always part of the picture. The amino acids make it easy to get started and then other underlying issues can be addressed: other nutritional deficiencies, dysbiosis, fatty liver, metabolic syndrome and so on. You can see some of the many studies below.

Of course, it’s important to be eating a real whole foods diet with quality animal protein, healthy fats, organic vegetables and fruit, no caffeine, no gluten, no sugar, fermented foods and herbs.

Reconsider your diet soda consumption if you’re on the fence

If you are on the fence about giving up your diet soda consumption here are a few additional papers that will hopefully make you reconsider:

Diet soda intake and risk of incident metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA) – “Although these observational data cannot establish causality, consumption of diet soda at least daily was associated with significantly greater risks of select incident metabolic syndrome components and type 2 diabetes.”
Altered processing of sweet taste in the brain of diet soda drinkers – “there are alterations in reward processing of sweet taste in individuals who regularly consume diet soda.” This has widespread ramifications for driving the need for sugar/carbs and all things sweet
A comparative study of the effect of diet and soda carbonated drinks on the histology of the cerebellum of adult female albino Wistar rats – “These results suggest that diet soda has adverse effect on the cerebellum of adult female albino Wistar rats,” with “shrunken and degenerated Purkinje cells with hypertrophied dendrites.” Purkinje cells are involved in the release of GABA.
Soft drinks consumption and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease – “the aspartame sweetener and caramel colorant which are rich in advanced glycation end products … potentially increase insulin resistance and inflammation”

Facts like this help you recognize it’s an issue but even when we have these facts, we often simply cannot quit. This is where the amino acids are so powerful because they work with no willpower required and no feelings of deprivation. And using them addresses the underlying neurotransmitter imbalance/root cause that led to the initial addiction or “self-medication”. They also help address the neurotransmitter deficiencies that are often made worse by diet soda consumption.

Resources if you are new to using the amino acids as supplements

If you are new to using the amino acids as supplements and want to know more, here is the Amino Acids Mood Questionnaire from The Antianxiety Food Solution and a brief overview here, Anxiety and targeted individual amino acid supplements: a summary.

If you suspect low neurotransmitters and do not yet have my book, The Antianxiety Food Solution – How the Foods You Eat Can Help You Calm Your Anxious Mind, Improve Your Mood, and End Cravings, I highly recommend getting it and reading it before jumping in and using amino acids so you are knowledgeable.

What advice do you have if you have been through this yourself and what has helped you?

What do you drink now instead of your diet soda?

If you are a practitioner, how do you help your patients/clients with this kind of addiction?

Feel free to post your questions too.

Wean off prescription pain medication, improve sleep and reduce emotional eating with DPA (an endorphin-boosting amino acid)

September 3, 2021 By Trudy Scott 15 Comments

A question about using the amino acid DPA (d-phenylalanine) to help wean off prescription pain medication was posted on the blog. She was also hoping it would help ease her pain while she was weaning and improve her poor sleep too. I share my feedback on DPA for weaning, timing of vitamin C, additional information for sleep support and using DPA for emotional eating too. Concerns about oxalates and pain are mentioned and the importance of a comprehensive approach.

Here is the question that was posted:

Hi Trudy, I am trying to get off prescription pain medication and have read that DPA really helps – do you have any knowledge and/or experience with this?

There is a very popular opiate withdrawal support website that recommends DPA 500mg 3x/daily. Since amino acids need to be taken away from food and other amino acids, I feel like it could be very easy to make the DPA go to waste if not taken at exactly the right time every day.

The insomnia is the worst part of opiate withdrawal for me – days can go by with only 20-45 minutes of sleep. I have a little one to care for and the stress of no sleep just makes me want to give up.

No sleep worsens my physical pain as I toss and turn for hours on end. It isn’t a surprise that then causes terrible emotional distress.

One more question…since Vitamin C does help withdrawal does it affect/break down DPA? I take a liposomal version multiple times a day.

Here is my response: Yes, DPA (d-phenylalanine) does help with withdrawal from prescription pain medication and I’ve used it for this purpose with great success with many clients. It does need to be used away from protein and the dosing can vary for each person.

A starting dose of DPA is 500mg and it can be used 3- 4 x day to start, and we increase from there based on the unique need of each person. We typically adjust the DPA up as the prescription medication is tapered very slowly, and under the guidance of the prescribing physician.

I share more about her vitamin C and insomnia questions below.

If you are new to DPA and endorphin support

DPA/d-phenylalanine is an amino acid used as a supplement.

DPA destroys the enzyme that breaks down/inhibits endorphins and in essence raises endorphin levels. Endorphins are feel-good chemicals that you experience with an endorphin rush when you go for a run or when someone gives you a big hug, when you show kindness to someone or an individual does something nice for you.

Taking the amino acid, DPA, as a supplement helps to raise your endorphins and helps when you feel weepy and overly emotional and reduces the need to self-medicate with treats as a reward or for comfort (more on that below). This amino acid is a favorite with so many of my clients and community because it makes them feel so lovely.

In addition to helping with emotional pain, DPA also helps with easing physical pain. And for this reason it can be used to help get off prescription pain medications.

In summary, these are the signs of low endorphins:

Heightened sensitivity to emotional pain
Heightened sensitivity to physical pain
Crying or tearing up easily
Eating to soothe your mood, or comfort eating
Really, really loving certain foods, behaviors, drugs, or alcohol
Craving a reward or numbing treat

DPA and endorphin support for pain: the research

Here is one paper, which discusses how DPA inhibits or breaks down enkephalins (endorphins are closely related compounds) and as a result helps with depression and pain, and acts as an anti-inflammatory: “proven to be beneficial in many human patients with chronic, intractable pain.” The authors also state that a compound such as DPA “may alleviate other conditions associated with decreased endorphin levels such as opiate withdrawal symptoms.”

This paper discusses beta-endorphins and the reward mechanism and how they can induce euphoria, reduce pain and ease addictions and distress: “Long known for its analgesic effect, the opioid beta-endorphin is now shown to induce euphoria, and to have rewarding and reinforcing properties.”

I would love to see DPA used instead of pain meds when possible or used in conjunction with prescription pain medications when they are needed.

I am also very curious to know which opiate withdrawal support website is recommending DPA. I’m so pleased to hear this because it helps so much – for physical pain relief and for weaning off pain medications.

Is DPA the same as DLPA?

DLPA (dl-phenylalanine), although similar sounding, is not the same as DPA and only offers about half as much endorphin support. It also provides dopamine/catecholamine support (i.e. focus, motivation, mood, energy) and this aspect means DLPA has the same precautions as tyrosine. It also means DLPA can affect sleep if used from midafternoon onwards.

I seldom have clients use DLPA and prefer DPA for endorphin support and tyrosine for dopamine/catecholamine support if needed.

Keep in mind, the amino acid DPA, is not the same as the omega-3 fatty acid called docosapentaenoic acid and also abbreviated as DPA.

The brand of DPA that I recommend for my clients

The brand I recommend for my clients is Lidtke Endorphigen. You can read about it and the other supplements I recommend on the supplements blog here.

My recommendation has always been to chew the DPA capsule for the best effects and to get results quickly (in 2-5 minutes). Instead of chewing the whole capsule I now recommend opening the capsule into your mouth. You can read more about using DPA and some client feedback here.

I’ve used Endorphigen personally too and it’s always with me as part of my travel first-aid kit. I write about using DPA, GABA and acupuncture for pain relief after my back injury and I had DPA, GABA and arnica on hand when I sprained my ankle while hiking in Red Rocks.

Benefits include reduction of emotional/comfort eating too

As I mentioned above, with DPA there is the bonus benefit of endorphin support to help end emotional/comfort eating where you are seeking treats as a reward i.e it helps with physical pain and emotional pain.

You may relate to this if you are someone who would say or think “I just LOVE chocolate-chip cookies!” or “PLEEEEASE don’t make me give up my treats, it’s all I have left after I gave up my coffee and wine! I deserve something nice!”

This emotional attachment to sweet treats and reward-eating is very common with low endorphins.

Using vitamin C with the amino acids and watching for oxalate pain adverse effects

She is correct, vitamin C is best used away from the amino acids so as not to reduce the beneficial effects.

I do caution clients to find the right amount of vitamin C as too much can increase pain in individuals with dietary oxalate issues. I write about oxalate crystal disease here and vitamin C and oxalates here. Both can aggravate insomnia too and increase anxiety.

Address low serotonin, low GABA and/or high cortisol for sleep too

With sleep issues we may also look into supporting low serotonin with tryptophan or 5-HTP, and/or low GABA levels with GABA and/or theanine. These amino acids can also help with reducing pain in some instances.

Opioids have an endocrine effect via impacts on the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis, affecting sex hormones levels and cortisol levels. Endocrine dysfunction can adversely impact sleep and make anxiety worse, and needs to be addressed. GABA and serotonin support can help with some of the sex hormone imbalances and Seriphos helps when cortisol is too high.

A comprehensive approach is key

Of course, a comprehensive approach is key, so it’s important to remove inflammatory foods (gluten, maybe all grains, sugar, caffeine, unhealthy fats etc), add fish oil if omega-3s are low and include anti-inflammatory nutrients such as turmeric.

And we always want to figure out the root cause of the pain and address it. Also, ruling out if dietary oxalates (and vitamin C) are an issue is important and often overlooked.

I’m a big fan of working with a physical therapist and acupuncturist too.

Resources if you are new to using the amino acids as supplements

If you are new to using the amino acids, DPA, tryptophan or GABA, as supplements and want to know more, here is the Amino Acids Mood Questionnaire from The Antianxiety Food Solution and a brief overview here, Anxiety and targeted individual amino acid supplements: a summary.

If you suspect low endorphins, low serotonin or low GABA levels and do not yet have my book, The Antianxiety Food Solution – How the Foods You Eat Can Help You Calm Your Anxious Mind, Improve Your Mood, and End Cravings, I highly recommend getting it and reading it before jumping in and using amino acids so you are knowledgeable.

Can you relate to any of this? Has DPA helped your pain and/or helped you withdraw from prescription pain meds? And did you even know this was an option?

Did it also help you sleep and make you less anxious/worried because of the reduction in pain?

What about less emotional eating when using DPA/Endorphigen?

Feel free to post your questions too.

GABA, Heartmath and EFT ease Micki’s mold-induced anxiety and panic attacks

May 14, 2021 By Trudy Scott 18 Comments

The amino acids can provide relief when you have mold-induced anxiety – anxiety and panic attacks that are triggered by physiological changes due to mold toxicity such as inflammation and effects on your immune system and neurotransmitters. There is also the anxiety and worry you’re feeling because of the frightening situation you find yourself in and this trauma has a psychological and physiological effect. The anxiety, worry, fears, insomnia and imagining the worst is often compounded by low levels of GABA and serotonin. Benzodiazepines and/or SSRIs are commonly prescribed and only add to the toxic burden. The amino acids GABA, tryptophan and/or DPA/Endorphigen, used as supplements, are better options that address the root causes of low GABA, low serotonin and/or low endorphins. And for some folks, Heartmath and EFT offer additional emotional and calming support (as you’ll read below).

Micki Contini, MS CNC, a board-certified holistic health and nutrition consultant, is a friend and colleague whose life was hugely impacted by mold toxicity. She has kindly given me permission to share her story in the hope it’s helpful for you if you’re in a similar situation. She shares her mold-induced anxiety symptoms and the other ways mold toxicity impacted her health:

My heart was pounding, my face was red, I was sweating, my thoughts were racing and I felt like I was going to die. I wondered if I was having a heart attack? My husband brought me to the emergency room several times with panic attacks and heart palpitations with me thinking this was the end only to find out that I was “fine.” But I knew that I was far from ok. I knew that something was wrong, I just didn’t know what.

I had found mold in my water damaged office. Shortly thereafter I realized it was also in my home. I had cross-contaminated my house, but it was a year before I knew my house had mold. I had been getting better but not 100%. It was a step I missed because I didn’t want to face the truth of what the consequences would bring – throwing out more stuff. I had already thrown out most of the stuff from my contaminated office BUT not all of the stuff. And I paid dearly for not throwing out ALL the things from my office.

I was in denial and I had toxic mold poisoning. Toxic mold was causing my anxiety and panic attacks and other debilitating symptoms such brain fog, tinnitus, trouble focusing, numbness and tingling in my fingers and toes, crazy fatigue, shortness of breath, nausea, diarrhea/constipation, excessive thirst, vertigo, night sweats and bloody nose.

Micki already knew about my work and had been using my book, The Antianxiety Food Solution, with anxious clients in her functional nutrition practice, so she immediately considered the amino acids for her mold-induced anxiety and panic attacks.

GABA for her physical anxiety and panic attacks

When Micki reached out to me, I encouraged her to explore GABA for her physical anxiety and panic attacks, tryptophan for her racing thoughts and DPA/Endorphigen for the crying and emotional symptoms she was experiencing.

The good news is that her anxiety and tension started to fade as soon as she added sublingual GABA Calm to her protocol. She shares this about how GABA helped her

As they started tearing my house apart for remediation, I started eating GABA Calm like candy. At the beginning I had to have a lot more than I do now. GABA Calm takes me down a notch and I feel my shoulder coming away from my ears and I get closer to relaxing.

GABA is well known for relieving the physical tension experienced when you have anxiety. We have GABA receptors in our muscles and many of my clients feel this obvious release of neck tension as the anxiety eases. This release of muscle tension also helps with the kind of insomnia where you lie in bed feeling stiff and tense and can’t switch off your busy mind going 100 miles an hour.

GABA for immune support and toxin protection

What is really interesting when it comes to mold toxicity and GABA is that research shows that GABA can support immunity. GABA also protects the thyroid against fluoride-induced toxicity and counters the toxic effects of phthalates, so I suspect research will eventually show that GABA also offers protection against other environmental toxins such as mold.

Biofeedback and tapping for additional emotional support

Micki also used Heartmath (a type of biofeedback) and EFT (emotional freedom technique or tapping) for additional support while she was in the midst of all this:

I added Heartmath Inner Balance app and Emwave because I had used them prior to this challenge and it helps because you go through a thought pattern where you’re concentrating on gratitude and what’s right vs what’s wrong. That was powerful for me. Still is.

I used EFT to break the pattern of doom and gloom. When I was really sick I felt like another bad terrible thing was going to happen at any moment like I was on guard or on watch. So anything I could do to break that mind set I did.

Micki found what worked for her and that’s key when you’re in this situation. I’ve had many clients not succeed with Heartmath or EFT so don’t feel bad if these approaches don’t work for you.

Tryptophan and/or DPA/Endorphigen for the gloom and doom

I’ve had many many clients successfully use tryptophan for the spinning and overwhelming feeling that many folks with mold toxicity experience. Tryptophan and/or DPA can also help the pattern of doom and gloom Micki described.

Recent research also shows that GABA helps you switch off unwanted thoughts too so it’s possible Micki didn’t need tryptophan for this reason.

She doesn’t remember all the supplements that she used when she was really REALLY sick. This is very typical when you’re in the midst of dealing with mold toxicity (and a good reason to try and keep a log) but she seems to recall that DPA/Endorphigen may have helped with the emotional trauma of it all.

The wonderful news is that today Micki is doing so much better! The amino acid GABA, together with Heartmath and EFT provided much-needed anxiety relief and emotional support while Micki was remediating her home, detoxing her body with daily infrared sauna sessions and following mold toxicity nutritional protocols.

Micki’s gift is that she has become a mold expert

When you’re in the midst of all this you can’t imagine that there can be a gift in what you’re going through but there always is. For Micki, her gift is that she has become a mold expert and now helps others navigate their mold healing journey via SimpleGoodHealth. She shares this:

As you may know, the road to recovery from mold illness is a long hard one, but I can make it easier for you. I have become an expert out of necessity.

We appreciate Micki for sharing her anxiety-induced mold story.

Resources if you are new to the amino acids

If you are new to the amino acids, here is the Amino Acids Mood Questionnaire from The Antianxiety Food Solution and additional information on Anxiety and targeted individual amino acid supplements: a summary

This lists The Antianxiety Food Solution Amino Acid and Pyroluria Supplements that I use with my individual clients and those in my group programs – you will find the GABA Calm and other GABA products, tryptophan and DPA/Endorphigen here.

If you suspect low GABA symptoms and are new to using the amino acids and do not have my book I highly recommend getting it and reading it before jumping in to taking the amino acids as supplements: The Antianxiety Food Solution – How the Foods You Eat Can Help You Calm Your Anxious Mind, Improve Your Mood, and End Cravings.

Let us know if you’ve used GABA or tryptophan with success for mold-induced anxiety and panic attacks, and DPA/Endorphigen for helping with weepiness.

And let us know what other approaches you’ve used for helping with the anxiety and other emotional impacts of mold toxicity.

Feel free to post your questions here too.

[The above statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.]

The effect of emotional freedom technique on nurses’ stress, anxiety, and burnout levels during the pandemic

February 12, 2021 By Trudy Scott 4 Comments

Nurses who are working with patients during this pandemic “are particularly vulnerable to emotions such as fear and anxiety, due to fatigue, discomfort, and helplessness related to their high intensity work.” A new paper published Dec 2020, The effect of Emotional Freedom Techniques on nurses’ stress, anxiety, and burnout levels during the COVID-19 pandemic: A randomized controlled trial reports the benefits of just one online session of EFT (emotional freedom technique) or tapping.

As this paper mentions, “The basic principle of EFT is to send activating and deactivating signals to the brain by stimulating points on the skin that have distinctive electrical properties, usually by tapping on them.”

The study participants were shown a picture of the acupressure points and shown how to “gently tap on them using their index and middle fingers. After this demonstration, the participants followed the basic steps of an EFT session, following the researcher’s example:

Identify an anxiety-evoking issue and determine the SUD level [the SUD is a subjective unit of distress ranging from 0 to 10 with 10 being most severe]
Creating a personal acceptance and reminder statement in the general form of “I accept myself despite this ……….”
Tapping seven times on each acupressure point
After tapping these points, the affirmation/reminder statement is repeated.
A sequence of physical movements and vocalizations called “The Nine Gamut Procedure” is carried out.
Steps 3 and 4 are repeated.
Another SUD rating is given [in other words how they felt afterwards on a scale of 0 to 10]

The study conclusion is as follows: “A single online group EFT session reduced stress, anxiety, and burnout levels in nurses treating COVID-19.” You can read the full study here and see the picture of the acupressure points.

This is a powerful intervention for nurses, other healthcare and frontline workers – and anyone dealing with anxiety, stress and burnout!

Tapping leads to psychological and physiological improvements

As well as psychological improvements, tapping also leads to physiological improvements. In a 2019 study, “after a 4-day training workshop on tapping, the researchers reported that happiness increased by 31% and the following declines in psychological symptoms in 203 participants were reported:

anxiety (-40%)
depression (-35%)
posttraumatic stress disorder (-32%)
pain (-57%) and
cravings (-74%)

I find it fascinating that EFT/tapping leads to physiological improvements too. In this same 2019 study these changes were reported:

resting heart rate (-8%)
salivary cortisol (-37%)
systolic blood pressure (-6%) and diastolic blood pressure (-8%)
heart rate variability and heart coherence
salivary immunoglobulin A (SigA) (+113%)

Combining tapping with nutritional approaches for easing anxiety

As I mention in the above blog, I have great success with amino acids like GABA, tryptophan and glutamine to provide quick anxiety-relief, end the overwhelm and stop the carb cravings for my clients. So until recently, I hadn’t really felt the need to look into tapping.

However, I believe we need to use everything at our disposal. We also respond differently to different approaches and what may work for one person may not work as well for someone else.

I love that EFT/emotional freedom technique/tapping compliments the dietary/nutritional/biochemical approach I use with my clients for helping to ease anxiety, overwhelm and stress.

Ideally these nurses (and you and anyone who is stressed or anxious) could could use tapping/EFT and combine it with nutritional support for possibly even more benefits:

Use targeted amino acids such as tryptophan or 5-HTP for the low serotonin worry-in-your-head anxiety where folks may also experience fears, panic attacks, ruminations, phobias, insomnia, PMS, anger, irritability and cravings; and GABA for the low GABA physical-anxiety that also includes muscle tension, overwhelm, insomnia and the need to self-medicate with alcohol to calm down
DPA (d-phenylalanine), also an amino acid, boosts endorphins (in a similar way to acupuncture) and helps my clients who are experiencing weepiness, pain and are big comfort/reward eaters. I blog about this here: DPA for weepiness, pain and comfort and reward eating)

In April last year I blogged about nutritional and lifestyle approaches after reading a very somber and eye-opening article in the New York Times titled: The Psychological Trauma That Awaits Our Doctors and Nurses. You can read about B vitamins, melatonin, nature and more on this blog here.

EFT/tapping resources

If you’re new to EFT/tapping and would like to learn more, the 13th Annual Tapping World Summit airs online starting Feb 22, 2021:

This is a great introductory video from summit host Nick Ortner (register to watch it and get access to the summit)
Here is the main summit registration page

Nick has also written a best-selling book “The Tapping Solution: A Revolutionary System for Stress-Free Living” (my Amazon link)

Are you a nurse or other frontline worker who has used EFT with success?

Do you use both with success: EFT and the amino acids like GABA, tryptophan, 5-HTP, theanine or glutamine? What about EFT and dietary changes like no gluten, no sugar and no caffeine?

I also want to give a shoutout to all the nurses and other frontline workers who are doing so much during this pandemic. We appreciate you!

I am an emotional eater and eat sugar as a reward and find myself craving it when I am fatigued. Do you have clients on more than one amino acid?!

July 24, 2020 By Trudy Scott 24 Comments

This is a question I received from a stressed out mom in my community. She has identified when she craves sugar and the emotion connected to her cravings. Now she has questions about how to trial and use amino acids to stop her cravings, get her energy back and feel emotionally stable:

I know I am an emotional eater, I know I eat sugar as a reward and I do find myself craving it when I am fatigued. I also seem to crave it after a very savory meal; especially one with garlic. What is THAT about?! Do you have clients on more than one amino acid?!

I have been a caregiver for my son (multiple disabilities) for 30 years; he has uncontrolled seizures and my husband has PTSD. It is a stressful household.

This is what I shared with her about the brain chemical imbalances and amino acids:

Many of my clients need more than one amino acid but it’s best to trial one at a time. When I hear my client say they eat sugar as a reward we immediately consider a trial of DPA (d-phenylalanine) especially if they are also overly emotional/weepy and also have physical pain.
When I hear my client say “I do find myself craving sugar when I am fatigued” we consider low catecholamines and a trial of tyrosine especially if they also have poor focus, low motivation and a flat mood. If the fatigue is caused by low blood sugar this can cause fatigue, irritability/crankiness and anxiety and a trial of glutamine may be a better option. If the DPA helps the emotional-reward-eating after a week or two, then we may do a trial of tyrosine and/or glutamine (one at a time) and use them in addition to the DPA.
When I hear “sugar cravings after a savory meal” we consider low serotonin and a trial of tryptophan if it’s after lunch or dinner. Serotonin dips in the afternoon and evening triggering this type of craving. With low serotonin we also see worry, anxiety, depression, anger, PMS, insomnia and irritability. Let’s assume the DPA helps and the tyrosine helps with the fatigue, then we’d consider a trial of tryptophan and add that.

So yes I do have many clients needing more than one amino acid! But we always trial one at a time and find a good baseline before adding the next one or doing a new trial if the first one didn’t give expected results.

With regards to which amino acid trial to do first, I always ask my client which area is causing the most problem or distress in your life and we start there. Since she mentioned emotional eating and then fatigue and then cravings after a savory meal, this sequence may be best for her. But addressing the fatigue with tyrosine first may be a better approach for someone else.

With regards to cravings after a savory meal we also look into how much protein and healthy fats the client has in that meal. I don’t know why garlic would be a trigger other than it’s possibly stirring up candida. Candida is also a big factor when it comes to sugar cravings, fatigue and feeling sad/emotional so we would also possibly need to address this too.

Adrenal and sleep support is also key and I recommend this resource for additional caregiver support for her – The psychological trauma of coronavirus – nutritional support for doctors, nurses and their loved ones.

For her husband’s PTSD I recommend this resource – PTSD from 3 tours in Afghanistan: Can GABA help with the anxiety?

For her son’s seizures I recommend this paper, Ketogenic Diet and Epilepsy: What We Know So Far, and working with a practitioner who could offer consultation and guidance on a ketogenic diet. Another useful resource is this one – Use of Cannabidiol in the Treatment of Epilepsy: Efficacy and Security in Clinical Trials.

If you suspect low levels of any any of the neurotransmitters and are new to using the amino acids and do not have my book I highly recommend getting it and reading it before jumping in to taking supplements: The Antianxiety Food Solution – How the Foods You Eat Can Help You Calm Your Anxious Mind, Improve Your Mood, and End Cravings.

There is a complete chapter on the amino acids and one for pyroluria, plus information on real whole food, sugar and blood sugar, gluten, digestion and much more. If you’re not a reader there is now also an audible version.

Here is the Amino Acids Mood Questionnaire from The Antianxiety Food Solution and additional information on Anxiety and targeted individual amino acid supplements: a summary

Please also read and follow these Amino Acid Precautions.

This lists The Antianxiety Food Solution Amino Acid and Pyroluria Supplements that I use with my individual clients and those in my group programs. You’ll find DPA, tyrosine and tryptophan listed here.

Please share your emotional eating and sugar craving success story if you have one using DPA.

And let us know if tyrosine helps with your fatigue and low-energy driven sugar cravings?

And does tryptophan help your afternoon and evening sugar cravings?

Feel free to post your questions here too.