Vitamins for Anxiety and Depression
June 5, 2009
With our profession demanding more from us, we have become so obsessed with our work that it hampers our lifestyle. After a period of time, a person feels frustrated due to repetitive work and starts suffering from anxiety and depression. The term is more commonly known as anxiety disorder and affects many people amongst us. Though it’s not a contagious or life threatening disorder but severe anxiety disorder can deteriorate the condition of the patient to the extent that he feels committing suicide. The reasons for causing anxiety and depression can be many – stress, work pressure, competition and disturbed relationships.
Similarly the types and symptoms of anxiety disorder can also vary for every individual, but share a common symptom of irrational fear. It can be phobia of something or even a panic disorder, but the main thing is that any of these conditions causes depression for the individual. Since anxiety does not have any fixed cure, the only way in which a patient can be stabilized is by making certain lifestyle changes. Proper exercise, socializing, confidence building activities can reduce the anxiety and depression. A proper diet that is rich in vitamins can help tremendously in fighting depression.
Vitamin B is very important for the production of neurotransmitters, which act as chemical messengers in our brain. Biotin, Niacin, Thiamine, Vitamin B6 and Vitamin B12 can help in providing the daily dose of these essential vitamins to the brain, thus making it function at its optimum level. Vitamin C makes the immune system stronger and helps in reducing the phobia of diseases within an individual, thereby reducing his anxiety. Vitamin E is known to be a strong antioxidant which helps in transporting requisite amount of oxygen to the brain cells. This helps in proper functioning of the brain and prevents damage to the cells due to free radicals.
Therefore, it is very important to include all these important vitamins in the daily diet. Vitamins are one of the safest and easiest solutions to overcome anxiety. Whether you consume vitamins through natural sources like fresh fruits and vegetables or through some artificial sources like vitamin pills is not that important. The important thing is to consume proper amount of vitamins to stay away from depression, nervousness, tension, stress, insomnia and anxiety.
We should try to overcome depression as it affects a person’s thoughts in such a way that the person doesn’t see when a problem can be overcome. It’s as if the depression puts a filter on the person’s thinking that distorts things. Someone with severe depression is unable to see the possibility of a good outcome and may believe they will never be happy or things will never go right for them again.
These were all some great and helpful suggestions, if I might add a few I have found that St.John’s Wort, SAMe, L-Theanine, and Tryptophan have been beneficial natural remedies. Also there’s cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and programs like Panic Away and The Linden Method that are always nice to try. Hope this helps!