Natural and Holistic Help for Anxiety, Stress & Panic Attacks
If you’ve arrived to this page, you must have been searching for ways to manage or overcome symptoms of anxiety and panic. You may have been searching for some time, or have had to deal with these symptoms for a while. Or you may have felt deep down that medications and pharmaceuticals were not getting to the root of the issues. I’ve been there, and I feel your frustration. BUT, healing is possible. My passion is helping people learn how to connect to their own bodies, feel empowered to recognize what their bodies may be needing in order to feel not only calmer, but able to live optimally and in control of their lives. Read on to learn more about Natural Holistic Help for Anxiety and Panic.
The Background:
I had my first panic attack at age 17. Like most first time panic attacks, I had no idea what was going on and thought I was dying or going to pass out. I was dizzy, the room felt like it was spinning, my throat closed up so it was a struggle to breathe, chest felt like there was an elephant sitting on it, I was sweating profusely, and everything around me felt removed, as if I was in slow motion or somehow detached from physical reality. Like many folks who experience panic attacks, I ended up in the emergency room with EKG wires stuck to my chest, told nothing was physically wrong, and sent home with Xanax and a recommendation for further testing or psychiatric help.
I spent the next year experiencing 1-4 panic attacks on the regular, usually daily, worrying that there was something very wrong with me, which of course, made the panic attacks infinitely worse. That year, I went to more doctor’s appointments than I can count — cardiologist for stress tests, EKG’s and Echocardiograms where I got to run on a treadmill with wires sticking out of my shirt; I went to an ENT to check my ears and vestibular system for the dizziness — apparently the testing chair they put me in was somehow related to NASA and astronauts had sat in it before…. difficult information to appreciate when you’re trying not to projectile vomit on the staff as they spun me around in circles; I saw a psychologist who told me that life was like the weather and we had to learn that we can’t control it and have to make peace with that hard fact (somehow this didn’t magically heal me); I also saw my PCP so many times that year that I was told I was likely a hypochondriac and that I should probably stop coming.
Aside from being told over and over again that nothing was wrong with me, I was given more Xanax prescriptions (which I rarely took because ironically, the forced relaxation of my physical body and the overwhelming fatigue that came with it actually would increase the anxiety and panic, the only difference is that my body was numb so it felt like I was panicking inside, but couldn’t do anything about it). I just lived like this for years. Once I understood that the panic attacks wouldn’t kill me, I learned how to make them dissipate quicker, or how to prevent them from becoming full blown.
Once graduating college, I found myself questioning this idea that panic attacks and now other health problems that were popping up, were something I was going to have to live with. Digestive upset, hormonal imbalances, acne, weight fluctuations, fatigue, anxiety, dizziness, migraines, and more became my reality. Conventional doctors labelled it everything from anxiety, labyrinthitis, migraines, to even possible MS, dysautonomia, etc. I became obsessed with learning everything I could about every diagnosis that was thrown out there to me. Surely there was more to life than this. In my research, I naturally started coming across holistic approaches which I started looking in to. These approaches, seeing the body as a whole and looking for the underlying causes or imbalances resonated and made so much more sense than popping pills to numb myself out.
I began my journey into holistic health and started working with all sorts of practitioners and healers. You name it, I have probably tried it. Reiki, EFT, hypnosis, past life regression, psychic healers, meditation, etc. I also saw Naturopathic Doctors, Acupuncturists, some amazing therapists and Holistic MD’s. I learned that basic labs often don’t show the full picture. I learned that food was medicine, not just what you didn’t eat, but what you do eat, and how you eat it. I learned that the mind is a powerful thing and that past trauma, chronic stress and unresolved grief can affect your physical body and prevent you from healing. Not one time in my search for answers in doctor’s offices prior to this did anyone ask me about past trauma or grief. Not one time did anyone inquire about my happiness or joy, or even anything about my lifestyle.
I discovered the world of supplements and vitamins and learned how to SUPPORT my body with what it needed, rather than trying to cover up the symptoms. I took courses, webinars, read as many books as I could on topics of mind-body healing, working with nutraceuticals, herbs, etc. I started noticing, after years and years of my symptoms getting worse, that I was seeing improvements here and there. This encouraged me so much, that I had the urge to share it with everyone who might be suffering. I talked to friends and family, who were not always receptive to it. People have to come to things on their own time. Finally, I decided to get a license to practice holistic medicine and enrolled in a graduate Acupuncture program to study Chinese Medicine and Herbal Medicine.
I graduated in 2008, and my learning and education has only continued every day from there. I consider many of my “labels” and “diagnoses” a thing of the past at this point in time, over 20 years later. I see symptoms now in terms of imbalances that need addressing, and recognizing the subtleties that our bodies are communicating to us. When we pass the threshold that our bodies are able to manage, larger symptoms and conditions develop. Through my own experiences and through the lives of my patients and loved ones, I am continuing to learn the intricacies of what healing is, how we get sick, how we heal, why we might not heal, and the ever evolving needs of our souls to keep us aligned with optimal health.
The Work:
If you’ve read this far, thanks! I always find that a little background on the person who is assisting with your healing is often appreciated.
I believe that any successful wellness program for people is customized and personalized to a certain extent, since we are, after all, unique with very different backgrounds, underlying imbalances, genetics, life experiences and goals.
I am also one who likes details and to know what I’m signing up for — perhaps that’s the anxiety brain… always looking for some sense of structure or predictability. Because of that, I create written up programs for patients, outlining our plan. Of course, like life, these programs are a work in progress and evolve with time as the body changes and as we get more information from it.
The Wellness Programs:
Natural Holistic Help for Anxiety and Panic
In general, programs can involve a combination of:
- Some form of Acupuncture point stimulation therapy — for virtual DIY at home work, we have Acupressure or non-needle techniques that can be done at home, which are non-invasive and easy to use light therapy patches that stimulate the body to create a biochemical change, for example lower inflammation, calm the nervous system, promote the immune system, improve sleep, support serotonin production, etc. These are drug free, and nothing is going INTO your body. They create changes in your body similar to how sunlight helps your body synthesize Vitamin D through your skin. Your program would involve a protocol written up for you with the specific type of patches appropriate for you, as well as the acupuncture points you will put them on yourself at home. The initial program usually starts with the first week of treatment and includes around 4-5 patches.
- Acupuncture –in office acupuncture may be recommended for you
- Supplement and Herbal Plan — designed specifically for your symptoms, needs, and if appropriate, based on your lab results
- Diet Plan — designed for your needs and symptoms; I also take into account your realities, lifestyle, activity levels and goals (eg. if you hate cooking, I have simple meals and snack options; P.S. I actually don’t love cooking myself). Believe it or not, nutritional and dietary deficiencies can contribute to panic attacks, as well as imbalances in blood sugar and insulin resistance. My plans address these factors.
- Lifestyle — we look at your sleep hygeine, your work/life balance, your posture, your daily routines to help optimize your health
- Relaxation Techniques — meditations, EFT, and/or breathing techniques are recommended for you
Below is an example of an at- home, non-needle acupuncture stimulation on my own wrist — this is a patch on acupuncture point Lung 9 which was chosen to help support the immune system and body during a period of extra stress (we were moving our house and my office in the same week).
If you’d like to learn more about how my personalized programs might help you with overcoming anxiety, stress and panic attacks, set up a free consult. We can see if this might be a good fit for you.
Book a FREE 15-minute phone or video consultation, click here: REQUEST A CONSULTATION
Work with us ONLINE. All programs are offered in person or via video/phone chats, click here to learn more: WORK WITH US ONLINE
Virtual Online Health Coach & Boston Acupuncturist
Nicole Brown, Licensed Acupuncturist & Certified Health Coach
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