Healing Anxiety & Depression Naturally- My Formula

My heart goes out to all the lost souls battling bouts of anxiety and depression without a light source. It can be dark days, and stormy nights navigating these unexplained emotional blankets wrapping us up and smothering our authenticity.

Today we’re diving into how I learned to befriend my lifelong demons: Anxiety & Depression, without therapy, drugs, or a psyche ward.

My dark feelings have been following me since childhood. I didn’t have the words for it at the time, but looking back, I recognize that constant pit in my stomach as anxiety. I didn’t realize it wasn’t normal to always feel scared or to always be worrying. I was so stuck in my head, worrying about getting in trouble for this or that, worrying about money, feeling the weight of the world on my shoulders from at least age 6. Now why these dark passengers come to me so young is a completely other blog post.

Fast forward to high school – socially anxious, depressed, anxious Family wrote it off as – suck it up, it runs in the family. Treatment plan – Various herbs and supplements.

Fast forward to college – The muddy monster is still following me, I have dark days and darker nights.

Fast forward to post-college – Yep, still there… is it getting worse? Shit. I start working a stressful job, extreme dieting, and ebbing and flowing between being on top of the world and at the bottom of a ditch.

Fast Forward to today – I’m in control. I have a new outlook, a new toolset, and a new relationship with my dark passengers. I, for the first time in decades, have a hold on these dark days. The sticky moments grow farther and fewer between, and now when I do find myself feeling a little blue, it passes right on through, and my light continues to shine.

Some notes on anxiety and depression:

– Anxiety and depression naturally come and go for those who suffer from them. Many people who grapple with anxiety and depression find themselves in stretches of good followed by stretches of bad… and it’s emotionally exhausting to navigate and hard to wrap your head around.

– These ‘dis-eases’ can absolutely be managed naturally, but that doesn’t mean you might not need some help along the way! There are many tools, and what works for one may not work for all.

– There is more to our anxiety and depression than we’ve been taught… it’s not necessarily a mental disease. There are physiological factors involved such as hormonal regulation, gut health, and brain health.

– Your anxiety and depression may not be your fault; you didn’t ask for them, but you, my love, are equipped to stand up to this beast and live in the light. You can take charge and meet yourself anew.

My Journey

There was something that accompanied this journey I’m not sure I hear many people talk about: Good feelings. I historically did not know what it meant to feel good, and I definitely had no idea what it meant to feel love. There was a running joke in my circle (well maybe not a joke… because I’m not sure how funny it is) but the joke was I’d never felt love in my entire life until my dog Diya entered my life in my adulthood. She opened a little crevice in my heart that showed me what it felt like to love. Until then, I’m not sure I can say with much confidence I loved the people in my life, my family, my partners, or myself.

But there was one really pivotal moment that cracked me wide open and showed me what it was possible to feel: Mushrooms. Now I’m not advocating everyone do mushrooms, but I have to give credit where credit is due. Mushrooms were the THING that SHOWED me what was possible. They didn’t cure me or magically make all my problems go away. What they did show me was that I was full of light and love. They gave me a peek to a new version of myself… who was bad ass. It gave me something to aim for.

But the psychedelic trips were only one part of this story and come with their own cautionary tales. (Alas another story!)

So after the mushrooms…. Here’s my secret formula:

1. Food

2. Herbal Medicine

3. Regulating my nervous system

4. Self-help/Spirituality ( I wish I had a better word for this… number 3, but just read it to see what I mean)

Food

Food has played a pivotal role in becoming who I am today and who I aspire to be tomorrow. Learning what to eat, what not to eat, and how to approach food from a different lens has given me so much goodness.

Anyone dealing with anxiety and depression must both look at what they’re eating and what their body is doing with what we’re eating. Our Gut health plays a KEY role in how we feel.

– Ever notice butterflies in your stomach when you’re anxious?

– Ever notice a little boost of euphoria from eating certain foods?

– Ever notice eating cheese late at night and getting nightmares? *Cus me too

There is serious interconnection and interplay between your gut and your brain. They are quite literally connected by a giant nerve (your vagus nerve) That allows them to send bi-directional messages back and forth to each other. That’s right not only is your Brain sending messages to your gut, but your gut is sending messages to your brain!

Anyone I work with struggling with emotional issues – you bet your bottom dollar, food is part of the conversation.

*It also gives us the nutrients that our bodies need to work optimally! Which is essential here.

Herbal Medicine

I have partnered with my lovely plant allies to find my way. They have been warm, supportive, and absolutely profound in my journey. I’ve worked with a TON of stuff growing up but until I started educating myself in herbalism and picking what’s right for me AND getting the dosing right I found herbs and supplements ineffective. Herbs are potent but they must be employed with care and knowledge.

I now must shout out two of my allies: Ashwagandha and Shatavari, Both Ayurvedic herbs that have been absolutely game-changers.

Now herbs (we’re specifically talking about a category of herbs here called adaptogens) don’t magically make it all go away. They don’t remove all the hard and sad in your life (that’d be too easy!). Instead, they give us a cushion and the strength to navigate our woes. The best way I can describe it is they wrap you up in bubble wrap. Life might still toss you around a bit, but it doesn’t beat you up like it maybe once did. You are protected. You might feel a little jostled, but it’s not the bruising deep pain it once was.

I don’t know that my words can do the herbs in this context justice, you might have to feel it to believe.

Regulated Nervous System

Many people aren’t educated on the importance of a regulated nervous system, or on how to get one! Life, yes, our modern life, has got fast and messy. Many of us have become locked into our parasympathetic state – That’s the fight-flight-or-freeze state. It’s a great tool when we’re getting chased by a bear, but our body doesn’t know the difference between an upsetting text or deadline and a bear. So we get locked into this state, and when we’re in this parasympathetic fight or flight state, a lot of our body’s energy and resources are diverted away from its normal functions. Digestion being top of that list. Our body’s priority becomes survival not thrival.

Our dysregulated nervous system lead to:

Anxiety and/or Depression
Sleep disturbances
Chronic stress
Digestive issues
Immune system dysfunction
Muscle tension and pain
Cardiovascular issues
Cognitive impairment
Hormonal imbalances
Behavioral changes

What’s top of that list! Oh yeah… Crazy, right.

Learning how to regulate my nervous system has been a crucial step in this process.

Self-Help/Spirituality

I remember the book that changed my outlook on like everything. The 4 Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz. That little book full of Toltec knowledge gave me tools and insights to understand my predicament. It helped me understand my hurt in a whole new way that set me free. If you haven’t read it, I highly recommend. It’s an easy and short read that might just change your life.

This book lit the candle for me. One that carried me to many new places on my self-discovery journey. I’m a yogi and have a meditative and spiritual practice that are absolutely involved in my healing journey. Giving yourself over to something greater than yourself, and knowing that there is a new and better way to exist in this world is scary and hard at first, but it sets you free. Just the act of cultivating awareness is life-changing. Allowing yourself to just simply observe, make connections, and becoming an active participant in your choices and reactions.

This topic can take many forms, there are many tools and paths that suit different people. From Yoga to journaling, to dharma talks to nature walks.

One last Note

Now I know I didn’t give you all the answers, BUT I just wanted you to know what’s possible and that it IS possible to heal in natural and empowering ways. Changing the way you eat and herbs alone can be LIFE-CHANGING on their own. We don’t realize what a big impact we are able to make on our health and health outcomes, and that’s mental health included. Everyone should be taking a holistic approach to their health because our beautiful bodies are soooo interconnected and unique. I could write essays on it but they’d probably bore you.

If you or someone you know are struggling in these areas, I want to just say this. You are not your anxiety, you are not your depression. There is a world of light for you, and you mustn’t suffer any longer. I see you, I know your pain, and I hold a world of possibility for yo