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Can Fluoroquinolones (cipro) increase anxiety? Here’s what you need to know.

Fluoroquinolones are broad-spectrum antibiotics that inhibit DNA synthesis in bacteria. They are effective against a wide range of bacteria, including gram-positive and gram-negative organisms. Fluoroquinolones are a class of antibiotics that contain a fluorine atom.

Common Fluoroquinolone antibiotics are Ciprofloxacin (Cipro)and Levofloxacin (Levaquin), although these antibiotics can be effective against certain bacteria, they also pose the risk for severe side effects that can impact the nervous system and mental health.

Side Effects of Taking Fluroquinolones

Fluroquinolones can have major side effects for the whole body, including the nervous system and mental health. This then poses the question that whether the benefits out-weigh the risks of taking this medication.

Common side effects include:

  • Tendonitis, tendon rupture, muscle pain, muscle weakness and joint pain and swelling
  • Peripheral neuropathy, paresthesia, psychosis, anxiety, insomnia, depression, hallucinations and suicidal thoughts.
  • impaired hearing. Vision, taste and smell impairments. Exacerbation of myasthenia gravis.

How do these drugs impact mental health?

Fluroquinolones can impact mental health in several ways. Psychiatric side effects include:

  • Anxiety
  • Depression
  • Delirium
  • Hallucinations
  • Paranoia
  • Psychosis
  • suicidal thoughts and behaviors

Fluroquinolones and anxiety?

It has been documented that Fluroquinolone antibiotics cause and exacerbate anxiety. What makes this drug so detrimental to mental health?

GABA receptor interaction: Cipro is believed to interfere with the binding of GABA at its receptors in the brain, reducing its calming effect. 

Glutamate upregulation: When GABA activity is decreased, the activity of excitatory neurotransmitters like glutamate can become elevated, further contributing to anxiety symptoms. 

Gut-brain axis impact: Antibiotics can disrupt the gut microbiome, which is linked to neurotransmitter production, potentially influencing brain function and mental health

Fluroquinolones and Benzodiazepines

Fluroquinolones can block Gaba receptors, so this can exacerbate anxiety, but this is truly detrimental to individuals who take the class of medications called Benzodiazepines.

Benzodiazepines are prescription drugs that relieve anxiety, muscle spasms, and seizures. Common examples include Valium®, Xanax®, Halcion®, Ativan®, and Klonopin®.

  • Displacing benzodiazepines Fluoroquinolones can compete with benzodiazepines for binding sites on the benzodiazepine receptor, which can cause an acute withdrawal effect.

When these antibiotics block Gaba receptors it deactivates the mechanism behind benzo drugs. This can cause what is known as acute withdrawal syndrome. Acute withdrawal from benzo drugs can cause, psychosis, seizures and even death.

  • Rebound neuro-excitation Rebound neuro-excitation can occur after fluoroquinolone exposure in patients who are tapering or have stopped taking benzodiazepines. 

When a fluoroquinolone binds to a GABA receptor, the result is the polar opposite of the effect of CNS depressants like benzodiazepines. Fluoroquinolones are antagonists of the GABA-A receptor, meaning that they prevent the binding of GABA and can displace other molecules bound to the receptor, such as benzodiazepines.[1] GABA is an inhibitory neurotransmitter and drugs which enhance its action, like benzodiazepines, cause sedation. The GABA receptor blockade caused by a fluoroquinolone results in a CNS stimulant effect, with neurological manifestations ranging from mild insomnia and agitation to hallucinations and seizures.[2] Anyone can suffer these side effects, but individuals prescribed benzodiazepines are notably much more prone to experiencing these adverse neuropsychiatric reactions.

Acute withdrawal symptoms can be fatal. Drugs like Benzodiazepines should never be stopped abruptly. This drug must be tapered slowly to decrease side effects like seizures, psychosis and even death.

Key Takeaway

Fluroquinolone antibiotic use as described above just doesn’t seem to have benefits that out-weigh the risks, especially if you suffer from preexisting mental health disorders and or concerns. It’s even more crucial to stay away from this drug if you are currently taking a benzo like Klonopin (Clonazepam).

I encourage you to be diligent and do your own research. When taking your health back into your own hands it’s vital to ensure that you are making the best possible informed decision for you.

Disclaimer: The information contained in this post is not meant to diagnose or treat any medical condition. If you have any medical or psychiatric concerns, please seek the advice of a licensed healthcare provider.

References:

Acute Psychosis After Treatment of Epididymitis with Ciprofloxacin – PMC

Frontiers | Psychiatric disorders associated with fluoroquinolones: a pharmacovigilance analysis of the FDA adverse event reporting system database

Fluoroquinolone antibiotics: suicidal thoughts and behaviour – GOV.UK

https://www.fda.gov/media/114192/download

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Grounding/Earthing: How it’s helpful for anxiety and nervous system regulation

I’m just a girl that went on a journey to heal herself naturally from debilitating anxiety, panic attacks and episodes of DPDR. Now I share here all the things I did that helped me heal.

If you’re not familiar with grounding/earthing, let me explain. Simply put it is the act of placing bare skin in contact with the earth.

Disclaimer: Please note this post may contain affiliate links. This means I may receive a commission if clicked at no extra charge to you.

Yep, like literally just taking off your shoes and walking around in the grass or splashing in a creek or just touching a tree.

It has strong hippie vibes, I know, but there is actual scientific evidence to back up why this practice is beneficial for stress and anxiety as well as regulating the nervous system.

How Earthing Actually works

The earth is a large negatively charged ball of rock basically. The earth is full of free electrons that are negatively charged.

When the human body is in contact with the earth, we basically exchange energy with the earth. This allows us to become negatively charged as well. This reduces electrical imbalances in the body and oxidative stress that causes chronic inflammation and a multitude of diseases.

Benefits of Earthing

Earthing has plenty of benefits but I’m only going to touch on the ones that support mental and nervous system health.

so how can earthing/grounding help with anxiety?

Sleep

By improving sleep earthing can help normalize and regulate serotonin levels as it decreases cortisol (the stress hormone) levels. Higher cortisol levels increase the fight or flight response of the nervous system.

Pain

Earthing helps to down regulate pain, which can exacerbate anxiety and stress.

Relaxes the Muscles

Grounding decreases muscle tension, another issue that can increase anxiety and stress. Stress creates more tension in the muscles, it’s a vicious cycle. Earthing can help breath this cycle.

Nervous system regulating

Studies have proven that grounding can shift the nervous system from the sympathetic nervous system to the parasympathetic nervous system.

Studies done on earthing patients indicate decreased inflammation and increased activity of the parasympathetic branch of the nervous system.

Grounding/Earthing is a really quick and effective way to help ground you and bring you into the present moment.

Detoxification

Grounding or earthing supports the bodies detox pathways and immune system. A body that is overloaded with toxins can cause irritation to the nervous system therefore worsening anxiety and stress.

My Experience

Grounding/Earthing was super helpful for me when I was experiencing anxiety and panic attacks. I would go outside and sit with my feet in the grass to help ground me and bring me back to the present moment. This is still something I use today when I’m feeling overwhelmed and stressed out. I like to find a comfortable chair with a book to read while my feet rest on the earth.

Learn More

I always recommend that you do your own research. If you are experiencing anxiety, panic and/or episodes of DPDR and you want to heal yourself using alternative therapies it’s time to take your health back into your own hands. This book has everything you need to know about earthing and grounding and its many health benefits: Earthing. The most important health discovery ever.

Disclaimer: The information contained in this post is not meant to diagnose or treat any medical condition. If you have any medical or psychiatric concerns, please seek the advice of a licensed healthcare provider.

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Existential OCD Intrusive Thoughts can be Scary Symptoms of DPDR

DPDR or derealization/depersonalization can present with really difficult mental and emotional symptoms. These can include OCD intrusive thoughts, specifically existential intrusive thoughts.

What is Existential OCD/Dread?

Existential dread/OCD is characterized by intrusive thoughts about the meaning life, what happens to us when we die and thoughts about spirituality and God, source or the universe. These thoughts are very intrusive and can feel dark, gloomy and scary.

My intrusive thoughts centered a lot around what happens when we die. These thoughts were really scary and isolating. I also had intrusive thoughts about going into psychosis. I was terrified I was losing my mind.

But fear not, this is actually a normal symptom of DPDR.

Let me explain:

When you are experiencing DPDR you are in an activated state, the freeze response of the sympathetic nervous system.

This causes these existential dread/OCD thoughts for 2 major reasons:

  1. when you have these intrusive thoughts, due to the already heightened state of stress you are in, the more likely you are to obsess over every little negative thought you have. The more you worry and obsess over these negative thoughts the more you reinforce them which causes more negative thoughts. it really is a vicious cycle.
  2. Once stuck in the stress response the brain is on high alert scanning our environment for threats. When these intrusive thoughts come into our awareness our brain then thinks that is the stressor. This causes the tendency to ruminate over these negative thoughts. This further perpetuates the cycle through negative reinforcement. Your brain and nervous system are desperately trying to figure out why you feel the way you do so these thoughts trick your brain into thinking that these thoughts are real and the source of your stress and discomfort.

It’s important to remember that these thoughts are not who you are. Your outer environment feels scary, and your thoughts are disturbing only because you are stuck in an activated nervous system. Not because there is something wrong with you.

So, what do you do about existential dread?

There is really nothing special you have to do. You don’t have some form of incurable mental illness. For me, those negative intrusive thoughts about going into some form of psychosis or that I was going to go insane were not true for me. They obviously are not true for you either.

If you are reading this and that is your fear, don’t worry. people who experience episodes of psychosis do not know they are in a psychotic episode. They believe that is their reality.

So just the simple fact that you are afraid you are, is a great sign that you won’t.

That knowledge alone was really helpful for me. of course, I still had the negative, scary intrusive thoughts but it then became easier for me to not engage or ruminate over them as much.

It’s important to remember that DPDR is caused and fueled by stress and anxiety. So are the existential intrusive thoughts.

Working on whatever can bring you peace and calm. working on things that regulate the nervous system. utilizing tools that reduce stress, things that calm anxiety and reduce panic attacks all work to heal DPDR.

When you work on healing your stress response, your anxiety you inadvertently heal DPDR because DPDR is driven by stress and anxiety

When you calm your nervous system, the intrusive thoughts will begin to dissipate. The process might be slow, it won’t happen overnight. But that’s ok.

Did you get into this place of anxiety and overwhelm, stress and panic over night? No, I’m sure there were several factors that lead you here, as was true for me. It takes time to heal.

But healing is very much possible. Take a look at my 4 part DPDR series where I talk about my struggle with DPDR and how I learned to cope and heal.

I wish you all the best on your healing journey friend. Remember you are not alone. There are tools and there is help.

Disclaimer: The information contained in this post is not meant to diagnose or treat any medical condition. If you have any medical or psychiatric concerns, please seek the advice of a licensed healthcare provider.

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Use This Mantra to Ground You During a Panic Attack

Panic attacks are just loads of fun right? Of course not.

Listen, I know. I have personally been there. For months I experienced daily panic attacks, intense anxiety, irrational fears and episodes of DPDR. Now I share on my blog all the things I did to heal and bring my nervous system back into regulation (a calm and peaceful state).

That’s why I’m going to share with you a mantra, which by definition is just a word or phrase that can help ground you into the present moment. This is incredibly helpful when panic attacks arise, but mantras can also be really helpful during times of intense anxiety or episodes of DPDR.

But first I want to explain what’s actually happening in your body when you are experiencing a panic attack.

In my experience, once I understood what was happening when I was having a panic attack, I was equipped with the knowledge that what was happening to me was nothing to be afraid of.

With this understanding I was able to work on healing and getting over them a lot faster and more effectively. (This same concept applies to DPDR)

So, what is happening during a panic attack?

When you are experiencing a panic attack your brain has perceived something that wasn’t an actual threat as a threat. Basically, the stress response is now a little off.

Your brain really can’t tell the difference between being overstressed and over stimulated by work, life or anything else and a real threat to your safety like a bear about to attack you.

When you are experiencing a panic attack the brain is literally just doing what it was wired to do, and that is keep you safe and alive.

The amygdala or the alarm center in the brain perceived a threat and sent the alarm bells ringing, your adrenal glands then release adrenaline into your veins so you can either fight off the bear or run from it.

Understanding that your body is doing its job rather than trying to make you uncomfortable is the basis you can work of off. Now you know that simply the stress response needs a little work to stop overreacting to stressors.

Responding this way simply means that the nervous system is a little dysregulated and your body and nervous system just need a little help getting back into regulation.

This is where a Mantra comes in:

Mantra for Anxiety

A mantra is just a word or phrase that brings you back into the present moment and can ground you during times of anxiety and panic. They work to bring your mind of off the uncomfortable and scary symptoms of anxiety and panic and onto peaceful, calming thoughts and feelings.

Mantras:

So, for me whenever a panic attack would arise or I would start to feel the anxiety buildup in my chest I would take a breath, place one hand over my heart and the other on my belly and repeat phrases like “I always return to baseline. My body always returns to a state of peace and calm” which means that the panic attack will subside because it always does, no one has ever had a panic attack last forever. That can be a major fear for those experiencing panic attacks, and this fear alone is enough to escalate the panic attack even more.

I also liked this one “I’ve made it through this before I can do it again” or simply “I can do hard things”

When the fear would really strike, I love this verse “For God did not give me a spirit of fear but one of power love and a sound mind” my therapist shared this one with me and I loved it. There were times where I would just pace the floors repeating this over and over.

The goal with these phrases is to get your mind off of what’s happening to you and onto the words that you’re saying and the meaning of the words you are repeating.

Pattern Breakers

These phrases can also be used as pattern breakers. Pattern breakers are anything that gets your mind off of your symptoms and onto literally anything else by disrupting the anxiety and panic cycle. Instead of negatively reinforcing the symptoms and fears of anxiety and panic, pattern breakers work to rewire the brain and body for balance.

Pattern breakers work best during the first 7 seconds after the first sign of panic arises. The first seven seconds are the most important time to either escalate or deescalate the panic attack and anxiety symptoms. Pattern breakers are great tools to deescalate anxiety and rewire an anxious brain to a more calm and centered brain and nervous system.

Start Now

So go ahead and write these phrases down in a notebook or somewhere easily accessible on your phone for when panic and anxiety arise. Pull them out and start repeating them out loud or in your head the minute you feel the slightest symptom begin.

Feel free to even come up with your own phrase, the more personal the better it will work for you! Let me know if you give this technique a try and how it works for you!

Disclaimer: The information contained in this post is not meant to diagnose or treat any medical condition. If you have any medical or psychiatric concerns, please seek the advice of a licensed healthcare provider.

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2 Essential oils for Anxiety, Panic and DPDR.

Essential oils have a long list of healing properties, medicinal uses, they are fairly easy to use, and they’ve been around for 1,000’s of years so there’s plenty of research on the benefits of essential oils.

In this particular post I’m going to be talking about the benefits of clove and lime essentials oils specifically for anxiety, panic attacks and everyday stress.

Understanding the Nervous System

In order to understand how these oils can help, it’s important to understand how the nervous system works.

Quick rundown: The body’s central nervous system is composed of the brain and spinal cord. The autonomic nervous system is what connects our brain and spinal cord or CNS to our internal organs so they can send messages back and forth.

The autonomic nervous system has 2 main branches: The sympathetic nervous system which is fight or flight and freeze and the parasympathetic nervous system which is rest and digest.

There are varying degrees of activation within the sympathetic nervous system, fight or flight (stress, panic anxiety) and freeze (DPDR, disassociation)

How Can Essential Oils Help?

This is where the essentials oils come in.

lime and clove essential oils when mixed together work to stimulate the Vagus nerve. Stimulation of the Vagus nerve helps regulate the nervous system by turning on the parasympathetic branch of the nervous system and bring on a sense of calm and wellbeing.

The parasympathetic branch of the nervous system is where our body restores, rests, repairs and heals. Coming into this state or branch of the nervous system is the goal when healing anxiety, panic and episodes of DPDR.

How to use Essential Oils

There are several different ways to utilize essential oils:

Aromatherapy: Simply smelling essential oils is an easy and effective way to get the benefits of the oils.

You can place some cotton balls in a ziploc bag and place a few drops of each oil onto the cotton balls and breath in through the bag as needed.

You can also diffuse 2-3 drops of each clove and lime in an essential oil diffuser in your space.

Topically: using oils topically is another great way to get the benefits from these oils.

You can dilute the oil with a carrier oil of choice. I use fractionated coconut oil by filling a roller bottle 3/4 of the way full of coconut oil and placing 3-5 drops of each clove and lime oil into the bottle.

You can rub this mixture on your wrists or behind your ears as needed to bring on a sense of calm and wellbeing during times of stress.

Essentials oils are a great tool to add in with other therapies to bring the nervous system back into regulation, which is the ultimate goal when healing from anxiety, panic and DPDR.

Disclaimer: The information contained in this post is not meant to diagnose or treat any medical condition. If you have any medical or psychiatric concerns, please seek the advice of a licensed healthcare provider.

Let me know in the comments if you try this and how it works for you. Also, if you have a favorite oil or blend for anxiety, please share it!

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Movement is Medicine: Breaking free from anxiety by moving the body

have you heard the term that movement is medicine? Movement and exercise can be incredibly powerful tools to utilize when recovering and healing from any mental health conditions. These include anxiety, panic and DPDR.

Exercise releases Endorphins

Serotonin is considered the feel-good neurotransmitter. Lower levels of serotonin can cause symptoms of anxiety, depression, obsessive worry, increased self-guilt and shame, trouble sleeping, mood swings, increased sensitivity to pain and cravings for sweet and salty foods.

Dopamine is another feel good chemical in the brain that is released when exercising. Dopamine acts on different areas of the brain to give you feelings of pleasure, satisfaction and motivation.

Dopamine levels also play roles in sleep and facilitating healthy responses to stress. Symptoms of low dopamine include Lack of motivation, fatigue, inability to concentrate, mood swings, inability to feel pleasure from activities that used to bring you joy, depression, decreased sex drive and sleep disturbances.

Somatic Practices

Somatic practices are a form of body work that emphasizes internal physical perception and experience. Basically, somatic practices bring your awareness to the sensations inside and outside of your body.

Since things like anxiety, depression and trauma can cause disruptions in the mind body connection, somatic practices aim to bring that connection back. This brings healing and restoration to the nervous system, which is the goal when healing from anxiety.

Some forms of movement and exercise are also somatic practices. when we move the body, we allow the releases of stagnant stuck energy to move and be released. The best practice to do this is through mindful movement.

Yoga is a great mindful movement and somatic practice. Yoga brings awareness to the breath and to the body, without judgement, and creates a safe space for the practitioner to learn and explore how their feelings and emotions feel and impact the body.

Yoga is a great integrative practice for anxiety, depression and those who have experienced or went through traumatic events.

Good Physical Health= A Healthy Mind

Movement and exercise also boost the body’s immune system. proper immune system function is important for a healthy nervous system and a healthy nervous system = good mental health.

Exercise, especially somatic shaking stimulates and supports the lymphatic system. A major component of the immune system. When the body’s lymph fluid is moving and flowing like it is supposed the body is able to detox toxins that can exacerbate anxiety, depression and other mental health issues.

Exercise especially yoga supports the digestive system. regular movement and exercise stimulate the muscles in the GI tract increasing gut motility, decreasing the number of bad bacteria in the gut and increasing the number of good bacteria. Gut health is imperative to mental health. read more about that here.

Mindful Movement

yoga is a great practice that encompasses all of the above, its not only a great somatic practice but also a form of moving meditation that quiets the mind and releases stress from the body. Yoga is also great for the digestive, immune and lymphatic systems of the body.

Click here to check out 6 yoga poses for anxiety.

Disclaimer: The information contained in this post is not meant to diagnose or treat any medical condition. If you have any medical or psychiatric concerns, please seek the advice of a licensed healthcare provider.

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Magnesium: What you need to know before supplementing

Magnesium is a very important mineral for the human body, in fact it is involved in OVER 600 enzymatic processes in the body. It’s HUGEly important to say the least.

Disclaimer: Please note this post may contain affiliate links. This means I may receive a commission if clicked at no extra charge to you.

So whets the big deal? don’t we get enough in our diets? unfortunately no. this is because our soil has been over farmed for decades without being replenished with magnesium. Since its missing from our soil, its missing from our foods.

Magnesium is important for heart health, bone health, nervous system function, gut health, hormone balance etc. I’m sure you get the point. Magnesium plays a role in every body system.

I talk mostly about magnesium for mental health. Click here to read about why you should be supplementing with magnesium if you have anxiety.

In this post I want to discuss what you need to know before supplementing, especially if you are taking it for anxiety and mental health.

You Might Feel Worse Before you Feel Better

What a bummer right?

I know its not fair and frankly it sucks.

When you have been deficient in magnesium for a long time, and you start adding it back in by supplementation your body can go a little crazy. Why? Because it has been without it for so long. Your body is basically like yay! magnesium, let’s put this to work all over the body and then the body goes into overdrive using the magnesium.

This can cause slower healing, not seeing results as quickly as you had hoped.

That’s what happened to me, but I’m so glad I stuck it out.

Magnesium supplementation can also cause detox symptoms.

Detox Symptoms

Magnesium supplementation can cause detox symptoms. Magnesium is a powerful detoxifier of the body and without it the normal detoxing processes of the body can be disrupted, backing up toxins into the body.

As we increase magnesium we also increase the detoxification processes which can cause detox symptoms that include:

  • Headaches
  • GI upset
  • Flu like symptoms
  • insomnia
  • body aches
  • mood swings
  • irritability

Start Out Low and Slow

This is especially important if you are taking magnesium for anxiety. When you are already anxious and you’re taking something that is going to alter how you feel, you could end up being anxious over that.

The slower you start out the better you will feel. The slower you start out the less likely you are to experience the detox symptoms listed above. I reccomend no more than 100mg/day for the first couple a weeks and increase as tolerated.

It’s Going to Take Time

You will gradually feel better as time goes on, but it won’t make all your symptoms go away or heal a deficiency in a week, It can take months to a year. It really depends on how deficient you are.

Stick with it. I promise you won’t regret it. Magnesium has been a major factor in my healing journey. From burnout and adrenal fatigue to my severe anxiety and DPDR. It has helped in all of those areas. It’s now been a year and I feel so much better.

Check out this book, it was life changing for me:

Let me know If you’ve tried magnesium and if its helped you.

I wish you healing my friend.

Disclaimer: The information contained in this post is not meant to diagnose or treat any medical condition. If you have any medical or psychiatric concerns, please seek the advice of a licensed healthcare provider.

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Controlling the breath to ease anxiety and panic

When symptoms of anxiety and panic arise like sweaty palms, elevated heart rate, shallow fast breathing and racing thoughts it can be difficult to focus, and fear escalates. It’s a viscous cycle.

The panic and anxiety cycle continues when we reinforce our fear by being afraid of the symptoms we are experiencing. Read more about that here.

You don’t have to fear the symptoms even though they seem scary. Let’s talk about a really simple and very accessible intervention you can start using today to calm the nervous system and begin to rewire your brain.

Breath

Breathing with control and intention is a very powerful and underestimated intervention that anyone can use to break the symptoms of a panic attack or anxiety.

Breathing is the only bodily function that is regulated by the autonomic nervous system that a person can take control of. The really great thing about this is that you can do this anytime, anywhere when you feel anxious or panicky.

Why the Breath?

When a person experiences anxiety or panic adrenaline rushes into the blood stream and quickens the heart rate. These bodily functions are put into place to help us either fight or flee the supposed threat.

This then causes breathing to begin to quicken and become shallow. This increases the intake of oxygen for the muscles to either fight or run, but when we experience a panic attack, there is no real threat. This can leave us with symptoms we don’t know what to do with.

That’s why taking control of our breathing when we feel anxious or panicky can be really helpful. Consciously breathing by taking in long deep breaths and slowing down our exhale can not only help ground us into the present moment, but it actually stimulates the Vagus nerve and sends a message to the brain that it is ok to relax and that there is no real threat.

Breathing Technique

There are several different breathing techniques that you can utilize when you feel anxious or during a panic attack.

The 4-7-8 breath technique is one of my favorites! It is simple, easy to remember and very effective at slowing down your breath. It also brings your awareness to your breathing which helps ground you into the present moment, which is really important because when we are anxious, we are spacey and disoriented.

4-7-8 breathing is also great at slowing down your exhale. When we can slow down our exhale it actually lowers the heart rate, this is super helpful during a panic attack. By slowing down the breath the vagus nerve is stimulated and it sends the signals of calm to the brain. It’s like a reassurance that there is no real threat.

How to Breath

To begin this particular breathing technique you don’t need anything but yourself. I wouldn’t recommend doing this while driving.

Just find a comfortable seat. You can close your eyes or soften your gaze. You can place one hand on your chest over your heart and the other on your belly to help bring your full attention onto your breathing.

Begin the technique by inhaling to the count of 4 seconds, then hold your breath for the count of 7 seconds then exhale slowly to the count of 8 seconds. Then repeat for a total of 4 rounds of breath.

Like this:

  1. Inhale 2..3..4 hold 2..3..4..5..6..7 exhale 2..3..4..5..6..7..8
  2. Inhale 2..3..4 hold 2..3..4..5..6..7 exhale 2..3..4..5..6..7..8
  3. Inhale 2..3..4 hold 2..3..4..5..6..7 exhale 2..3..4..5..6..7..8
  4. Inhale 2..3..4 hold 2..3..4..5..6..7 exhale 2..3..4..5..6..7..8

Repeat as needed to bring a sense of calm and ground you into the present moment. If your new to breathwork I recommend taking it slow with the breathing exercises until you become more comfortable.

Let me know if you give this a try and how it worked for you!

Disclaimer: The information contained in this post is not meant to diagnose or treat any medical condition. If you have any medical or psychiatric concerns, please seek the advice of a licensed healthcare provider.

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3 ways Alcohol Impacts Anxiety, Panic and DPDR

If you suffer from anxiety, panic DPDR or any other mental health issue AND you currently drink alcohol there are a few things you should know.

Alcohol can negatively impact mental health in several different ways. It can make depression, anxiety and panic attacks worse, further perpetuating the anxiety and panic cycle.

This post contains affiliate links, which means I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

I’m not sharing this information to shame you or make you feel guilty. The society we live in today has glamorized and glorified alcohol in so many different ways. It’s called the alcohol trap and a lot of people have fallen for it, including me. I was stuck in the alcohol trap for about 10 years.

The Alcohol trap convinces us that alcohol actually solves or helps our problems, but the truth is it masks our issues for a short time while drinking, only for them to resurface when the effects wear off. Sometimes leaving us worse off than we were before.

For me, alcohol was negatively impacting my mental health in several different ways, I decided to try dry January 1 and a half years ago and I noticed how badly alcohol was affecting my mood that I continued to abstain as the months went on. I’ve now been sober for 1 and a half years and it was one of the best decisions I ever made for my mental health.

Read on to see how alcohol can impact mental health:

Alcohol and Nutrient Deficiencies

Alcohol can cause vitamin and mineral deficiencies, including but not limited to magnesium and vitamin b12. I talk a lot about these two important nutrients because they are vitally important for mental health. Check out these two blog posts: Vitamin B12 Deficiency Anxiety: What You Need to Know. – SoulMedicinals, Magnesium deficiency and Anxiety: 4 Reasons your Body Needs It – SoulMedicinals

Alcohol is also toxic to the gut and can cause disruptions in the guts microbiome which can further worsen deficiencies by leaving the body unable to absorb nutrients. Read about how important gut health is for mental health here.

Alcohol and Sleep

Alcohol has many detrimental effects on sleep. Alcohol consumption reduces the quality of our sleep by decreasing the amount of REM sleep we get at night. REM sleep is important for cognitive function, and it is where the brain processes the information it received during the day, filtering the information between important and non-important. REM sleep is where emotional processing, brain development and dreaming occur. When we don’t get proper REM sleep this can cause irritability, difficulty concentrating, impaired work or performance function.

Not getting enough REM sleep and lack of good quality sleep are also detrimental to the adrenal glands, the organs that sit on top of the kidneys that manufacture and release stress hormones like adrenal and cortisol.

Alcohol and Neurotransmitters

Alcohol can effect the function of several mood stabilizing neurotransmitters like dopamine and GABA. Alcohol causes the brain to release dopamine ( the reward and motivational nuerotransmitter) however, overtime chronic alcohol consumption can actually deplete and lower the amount of dopamine in the brain. This causes you to crave more and more alcohol and this subsequently sets the stage for an alcohol addiction.

Alcohols effects GABA ( the calming neurotransmitter) by reducing the production of GABA, when GABA levels decrease it creates greater sensitivity to stress and lack of resilience to stress causing situations.

Long term use of alcohol can deplete serotonin (feel good neurotransmitter) and disrupt the production of serotonin and interfere with serotonin receptors in the brain.

Learn More:

For me, at first, I was nervous about giving up drinking because of how much my life revolved around it. Drinking was a part of every occasion of my life. Good or bad, happy or sad, alcohol was there. I wondered if I would be able to enjoy my life without alcohol. You might be wondering the same. That’s why I want to share this book with you that I found really helpful for the fear of missing out. Turns out all you really need to enjoy your life without alcohol is a mindset and perception shift. Check out the book here.

Wherever you are in journey I hope you take the time to become mindful about where alcohol fits into your life, I promise you won’t regret it.

Disclaimer: The information contained in this post is not meant to diagnose or treat any medical condition. If you have any medical or psychiatric concerns, please seek the advice of a licensed healthcare provider.

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Rescue Remedy for anxiety, panic and DPDR.

Hi, my name is Kim and I naturally healed myself from debilitating anxiety, panic attacks and episodes of DPDR and now I share on this blog what worked for me. This post is my personal review of Bach Flower Remedies Rescue remedy formula.

This post contains affiliate links, which means I may earn a commission if clicked at no extra charge to you.

Bach Flower Remedies was developed in the 1930’s by a homeopathic physician named Dr Edward Bach. Dr Bach devoted his time to researching the effects of different plant and flower essences on the healing and regulation of different emotions. He believed that emotional health and wellbeing was key to optimal physical health. His studies showed significant results with plant medicine bringing restoration and healing to emotional health.

Rescue Remedy is a form of homeopathic medicine. Homeopathic medicine is a form of alternative medicine that utilizes natural substances prepared in certain ways and given in a specific way to bring a person to optimal physical, emotional and spiritual wellbeing. The thing I love most about homeopathic medicine is that it is an incredibly safe form of medication because it utilizes small amounts of plant medicine for every dose.

Bach Flower Remedies has I believe 38 different plant and flower essences that each work on different emotional difficulties and complaints. I highly recommend you check out the website to learn more about all of the Bach Flower Remedies.

Rescue Remedy for Anxiety

Rescue remedy is a form of plant therapy that Bach Flower Remedies offers. This is the remedy that I have personally used and continue to use to this day. Rescue remedy contains 5 different flower essences that work together to combat stress, anxiety and irritability. This can be work stress, basic life stress or any stress. Rescue remedy is also used to help individuals navigate major life changes and periods of trauma and or shock. You can read more about it here.

I found rescue remedy to be a crucial part in my healing from anxiety, panic and DPDR. There were months that I used this product every day! For me it really took the edge off of my anxiety and my panic and I feel like it gave me what I needed to cope and to heal. I still use this product if I ever get anxious, for me now, I only get anxious occasionally when I am driving but within a minute of using Rescue Remedy, I feel the calming and grounding affects.

Rescue Remedy = Great Complimentary Therapy

Rescue Remedy used alone I believe could be effective enough, but if used as a complimentary therapy to talk therapy, EFT, Yoga, somatic practices, EMDR, CBT, TRE, etc in my opinion is the way to go! This is such a great complimentary form of therapy that in my opinion will expedite your healing.

I always recommend that you do your own research and consult with your healthcare provider before beginning any new treatment. Homeopathic medicine is incredibly safe and found to be really effective so I encourage you to do your own research and give Rescue Remedy a shot if you are suffering from anxiety, panic, life stress, major life changes or if your just dealing with anything that is impacting your mental health in a negative way.

Products and Dosing

I have personally used the drops, pastilles and spray forms of Rescue Remedy and my favorite by far is the spray for its ease of use and convenience. I’ve found that its much easier to just grab the spray and pump a few sprays on my tongue using one hand vs. having to drop a certain number of drops into my mouth using both hands. I also found the spray was more convenient than the pastilles because you don’t have to wait for the pastille to melt in your mouth and I wasn’t really fond of the taste.

For dosing the product always refer to the medication label. All Rescue Remedy forms are clearly labeled with proper dosing instructions.

Let me know what you think!

Have you ever tried Rescue Remedy before? I would love to know what you think about it and how it worked for you!

Disclaimer: The information contained in this post is not meant to diagnose or treat any medical condition. If you have any medical or psychiatric concerns, please seek the advice of a licensed healthcare provider.

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