Healing Anxiety & Depression Naturally: NO Drugs, No Therapy

I always used to refer to my depression and anxiety as “seemingly unexplained.” I didn’t understand why I had them, how they originated, or how to get rid of them. Looking back now, I recognize those creeping feelings of anxiety and depression rooted deep in my childhood—unwelcome passengers that have been with me since the dawn of my time.

These feelings became so commonplace that I thought everyone lived life like this. I grew up in a household that didn’t believe in therapy or medication, and we tried all the natural remedies under the sun to quell my “moodiness”—this emotional side of me my parents clearly did not know how to handle. I’d find temporary relief from the classics: St. John’s wort, feminine hormone balancing blends, 5-HTP, essential oils, and all kinds of other alternative hacks. But the depression and anxiety would always come creeping back.

As I’ve never been one to ask for help, I took it upon myself to “fix” this problem of mine. I actually attributed all the feelings to one thing: I was overweight. I kept telling myself that as soon as I “fixed” that part of me, everything would be hunky-dory. There would be sunshine and rainbows, I’d love myself, and everyone would love me too. Fast forward to a “successful” weight loss journey, and I found myself at rock bottom. Despite all my efforts and successes in the quest for weight loss, the lows kept getting lower. I learned two things during this rocky moment:

• Weight loss didn’t change what I thought it would. It didn’t solve my problems, it didn’t help me love myself more, this destination I picked did not fill the ever-growing void in my heart. It may have even deepended it. 
• Life is extremely painful and hard when you feel such dark, intense, uncontrollable feelings, and all the things you thought would fix it fall short (including partners, dogs, good jobs, more money, weight loss, you name it).

This harsh realization inspired me to go on a new journey—one where weight loss wasn’t the quest, but feeling good was. One where I would discover WHY we suffer so much and how to turn that suffering into grace. And after decades of anxiety and depression, for the first time in my life, I’ve been able to discover and maintained an existence that wasn’t suffocated by the thick blanket of Depression and Anxiety.

Before I jump into what’s worked for me, I want to note a few things:

• I’m not you, and you’re not me. Our journeys and needs may differ. I share this story to show what’s possible, what exists, and how, with new perspectives and tools, we can shift our being.
• Helping people with seemingly chronic and unsolvable symptoms such as anxiety and depression is what I do for work. It’s what now feeds my soul and warms my heart. I put myself through schooling and educated myself on foods, herbs, yoga, psychedelics, and everything in between. You can streamline your journey by working with a trusted practitioner! Not everyone wants to spend years in school to figure themselves out, and that’s why wounded healers like me exist.
• There is a world of light and love out there waiting for you. One where your day is filled with warmth and welcoming.

I’m going to break my journey down into three categories—the three places that made the biggest impact on conquering my anxiety and depression. It’s never just ONE thing. It’s the combination of things. The way everything comes together in connection to orchestrate our health is what conquers our disease.

Using Food as Medicine

What I learned during my weight loss journey was that food was medicine, but it was also poison, and there was a difference between being skinny and being healthy. I started my journey with food on a quest to lose weight, looking to play with my macros and restrict my calories. What I didn’t know at the time was the interplay of micronutrients, and it’s not just about what we’re not eating, but making sure we’re getting what we need.

Our body is complex, and everything we put in it has a ripple effect on our mind, body, and soul. In the context of anxiety and depression, a couple of things happen:

Our bodies can’t digest or process what we’re giving them. Our digestive system plays a key role in our brain function, moods, and overall wellness. If we’re providing our body with foods that don’t provide nutrients or our body is in a place where it’s not actively able to utilize the food we do give it, we invite imbalance. One of the ways these imbalances can manifest is through our moods—think right back to that anxiety and depression. Our gut and our brain send messages back and forth all day long. You can’t look at mood expression

Our gut and our brain send messages back and forth all day long; you can’t look at mood expression without considering what’s going on in the gut.

To give you a better visualization of this, I don’t do well with dairy, something that’s taken me a long time to figure out. I started to notice that if I ate dairy before bed, I would have very visceral nightmares. My body couldn’t digest what I was putting in, and it was literally manifesting as sweaty, anxiety-filled nightmares at night. When I changed my diet to one that served me better, I was able to avoid nightmares and sleep in peace.

Many people don’t realize the subtle connection that exists between our mind and body. It’s a fascinating topic of interest, but to keep it short and sweet for you today, know this:

What you eat affects your mood (think foods that don’t serve us)

What you don’t eat affects your mood (i.e. lack of nutrients)

What your body can do with the food it eats affects your mood (think digestive health)

Food can be thy medicine or thy poison. It’s important to work out what foods best serve you and your body for optimal mental health.

Using Herbal Medicine

The next pivotal piece of my journey was herbal medicine. As I mentioned earlier, I spent years trying all kinds of herbs and supplements. What I didn’t try was doing it effectively with years of herbal study under my belt. Here’s the thing: a lot of products out there overpromise and underdeliver. Many people take the wrong herbs for THEM at the wrong doses.

Selecting proper herbal medicine is as much an art as it is a science. Herbalism isn’t simply going to the health food store and asking someone to point you to St. John’s Wort.

My mind was absolutely blown open with all the herbs that are out there to support us in the mental health department, but it takes some know-how to make sure we’re using them effectively and selecting the right herbs for us.

When I finally dialed in what I needed to be doing, I saw amazing results. Tangible, noticeable feelings of warmth and cushioning to the sharp corners of life. I dialed in my herbal regimen with adaptogens and female endocrine tonics, and it’s worked wonders on the specific flavor of anxiety and depression I dealt with. Herbs were an integral part. I still continue to take herbs daily and know that they have something to offer us in every aspect of our health. They’re a true ally and one I use regularly with patients looking to conquer their anxiety and depression naturally.

Seeing What’s Possible (Spirituality)

One last piece of the puzzle for me was the spiritual component. Spirituality can mean a lot of things to a lot of different people. For me, it meant connecting with myself and shifting my perspective in a new way. My first spiritual experience was the first time I took mushrooms, and I didn’t find Jesus or see elves… what I felt was far more powerful. I found what it felt like to be present. To be in my body in a moment instead of stuck in my head worrying, fearing, or feeling inadequate. Mushrooms broke a bond that was held so strongly in me, and showed me that those states I was living in (anxious and depressed) did NOT serve me and were not the only way. They showed me a simple truth: what it was possible to feel like. My psychedelic journey was short-lived; they opened my heart, pushed me out of my comfort zone, and allowed me to get curious about this crazy little thing called life.

I started reading books like The Four Agreements, and just being open to a different way of being. As I started exploring, things began to click. The trifecta: I felt better physically by dialing in my food choices, which gave me the SPACE and ENERGY to explore. I partnered with herbal allies so I felt held and supported as I navigated the new and unknown. And lastly, I allowed myself to be open to the world being beautiful, which took a dose of radical responsibility.

Part of the journey to coming out on the other side of mental health challenges involves a willingness to get curious, to shift your perspective, and to find what feels good. For me now, I meditate instead of using mushrooms. I process feelings and emotions with awareness instead of reacting on autopilot, and I can show up in this world with a lot more light and love.

Conclusion

The journey to finding your authenticity and peace is long and winding. It’s not a single destination that you arrive at. It’s a place within yourself that you access that allows you to ebb with the flows. A place where you stop being at life’s mercy and start living in your own strength. It’s a beautiful place, and it is there for you as well. There’s no one magic solution, pill, or protocol that fixes you. There’s just a journey you can go on toto learn what works for you and your light.

When I work with clients navigating these challenges we take a multifaceted whole person approach exploring all aspects of a persons being. We come up with individualized protocols rooted and have regular checkins filled with love and support.

Navigating mental health is no joke, but I promise you it’s a worthy journey and there is light at the end of the tunnel.

If you’re struggling with anxiety and depression and want to see if our services are for you, I invite you to book a free discovery call with us today.

Namaste,