Exploring Anxiety and how Systematic Kinesiology can Help

It is very normal to feel anxious in certain situations, for example before an exam, a job interview or during a hospital appointment. This feeling is our body's natural fight-or-flight response to a perceived dangerous situation. However, continuous or severe feelings of anxiety can be difficult to manage and disrupt daily life; ultimately resulting in the sufferer feeling depressed, helpless and in the most severe cases, suicidal. Anxiety means feeling uneasy, worried or fearful and every person in the world either has or will experience anxiety at some point in their lives. In this article, we will aim to provide a clear definition of anxiety, its symptoms and its causes. We will also look in detail at how Systematic Kinesiology can help with anxiety, enabling the sufferer to lead a healthier, happier life. 

What is anxiety?

Anxiety is extremely common, in fact in the UK, 8 out of every 100 people have reported experiencing anxiety, in any given week.  The Oxford Dictionary defines anxiety as the state of feeling nervous or worried that something bad is going to happen. According to the NHS, there are a few key reasons why an individual may experience anxiety: 

1. As a result of a triggering event

2. As the main symptom of a condition such as a phobia, or Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).  

3. As a result of Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD) 

What is Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD)

It is normal to experience anxiety from time to time, however, when it is excessive, ongoing, difficult to control and interferes with daily life, it tends to be a sign of generalised anxiety disorder. GAD is a long-term condition that causes the sufferer to feel anxious about a wide range of situations and issues that occur in everyday life. Because it is so generalised (hence the name) it is quite a broad diagnosis. People of all ages (children and adults) can develop generalised anxiety disorder and in many cases, it occurs alongside other mental health disorders such as depression. 

There are a variety of other commonly diagnosed anxiety disorders such as health anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, panic disorder and social anxiety disorder. They are all mental conditions that involve excessive worrying or stress about specific situations or life aspects. Whatever the form of anxiety that the sufferer is experiencing, it leaves the individual feeling troubled, defeated and exhausted.

What are the symptoms of anxiety?

Below are some of the mental and physical symptoms an individual may experience when feeling anxious. However, it is important to remember that anxiety feels different for everyone, so there may be some symptoms that are not listed below that anxiety sufferers may experience. 

Mental symptoms: 

• Difficulty concentrating on one topic

• Experiencing a constant sense of dread

• Fearing that others are angry, upset or offended by something you have said

• Feeling like you cannot stop yourself from overthinking and worrying 

• Inability to stop thinking the worst

• Low mood and depression

• Perceiving situations as threatening when they may not be

• Restless and unable to relax

• Ruminating over past experiences and how you could have acted differently

• Worrying about potential future events

Physical symptoms: 

• Diminished libido

• Fatigue

• Exhaustion

• Headaches

• Irritability

• Nausea

• Panic attacks

• Sweating

• Tense muscles

• Trembling

• Trouble sleeping

How does anxiety affect everyday life?

Anxiety can disrupt a person’s life, impacting their social relationships and occupation. Struggling with the disorder can lead to diminished self-confidence, strained relationships or even substance abuse, as a way of escaping the overwhelming feelings. For example, if an individual is suffering from social anxiety, this diagnosis means the person will experience extreme fear triggered by social situations (such as parties, workplaces, or everyday situations where you have to talk to another person). Can you imagine how overwhelming it must feel to be anxious to speak to another person? Unfortunately and sadly that for some this is the case. 

What forms of treatment can help with anxiety?

If you or someone you love is experiencing any form of anxiety, it is important to remember that help is available to you. Here is just a small list of some of the options: 

• Breathing exercises: There is a wealth of information online about breathing exercises. An example of this is the breathing techniques developed by Wim Hoff. He believes you can accomplish incredible feats by developing command over your body through breathing. It is said to help you improve your productivity, performance, and overall well-being. Wim Hof is also an advocate of cold showers for anxiety relief, you can read more about the science of this here.

• Meditation: This is the practice of focusing your attention on a single point of reference, such as the breath.  According to the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH), meditation can be used to calm the mind and enhance overall well-being. There are different free guided meditation apps available that can assist with it such as ‘Headspace’. 

• NHS: At the moment in the UK we are lucky enough to have free healthcare. Anxiety may not be a physical ailment, but it still has a huge impact on sufferers. If you go to the doctor and inform them of your symptoms they may be able to refer you to a counselling service. Unfortunately, with this route waiting lists can be lengthy.

• Systematic Kinesiology: This is a form of holistic natural health care that uses muscle testing to determine imbalances in the body. Muscle testing helps to establish where health issues stem from, where imbalances and energy drains are located and what particular stresses are affecting people. 

Often people may find it beneficial to employ and try out a combination or variety of different techniques and modalities before settling on the option which works best for them.

How can Systematic Kinesiology help with anxiety? 

The goal of Systematic Kinesiology is to help bring the body back to balance by focusing on the root of the problem, enabling us to develop healthier patterns, and ultimately lead happier and healthier lives. It can assist in many ways but some of these are listed below:

• Encourages honesty and sharing: Systematic Kinesiology allows clients to elaborate on their personal feelings in a private one-on-one setting. This encourages people to express difficult thoughts and past traumas that they might not have been comfortable sharing in other settings.

• Greater insights into self: Systematic Kinesiology helps individuals learn more about themselves and the root causes of their issues. This can help people better understand themselves and how they work.

• Energy balancing: meridians are a system of channels through which vital energy (also known as Qi/Chi and Prana) flows. It is believed that energy can become blocked or depleted, causing imbalances and leading to disease. Anxiety, for example, would contribute to energy blockages. Running meridian points from start to finish helps give energy back to the meridian and thus leaves the client feeling calmer and relaxed.

• Restoring gut health: did you know that the gut produces approximately 90 percent of the body’s serotonin and 50 percent of all dopamine? Dopamine and serotonin are neurotransmitters, which are chemical messengers used by the nervous system to regulate countless functions and processes in the body. Dopamine and Serotonin are specifically involved in depression, digestion, and sleep.

  • Dopamine: known as the “feel-good” hormone, it is part of the body’s reward system. When you’re doing something pleasurable, your brain releases a large amount of dopamine so you feel good and you seek more of that feeling. If you have the right balance of dopamine you feel happy, alert and motivated.

  • Serotonin: is responsible for mood regulation. It can reduce feelings of depression and anxiety and increase feelings of joy or happiness.

    Consequently, with the above knowledge in mind. It is not surprising that it is thought by some researchers that gut health plays a part in whether someone feels anxious and/or depressed. Systematic Kinesiology can help to locate imbalances in the body through muscle testing. So, if a person has poor gut health, which in turn could be increasing their feelings of anxiety and sadness (on some level); then Systematic Kinesiology can help bring the body back to homeostasis. To do this, Systematic Kinesiology works with a range of supplements such as vitamins, minerals, probiotics etc. The practitioner can muscle test which supplements the body is lacking and thus help to restore the body to optimum health. 

• Reducing inflammation: researchers have found that depression is associated with inflammation in the body. Our body can become inflamed for several reasons, but one of the biggest causes is diet. Specifically, diets rich in Omega 6 are known to cause inflammation in the body. Omega 6 foods include fast foods, pizza and crisps. (For more information on this please explore the blog post: Fats, the good, the bad and the ugly). Systematic Kinesiology can help to identify if an individual is facing inflammation in the body and to rectify it, restoring balance to the body.

Summary

To sum up, anxiety is something which can affect people of all ages, leaving them feeling exhausted, depressed and nervous. If someone is experiencing symptoms of anxiety, there are many modalities which can help individuals cope and feel better. Systematic Kinesiology is one of these modalities. It can help clients live healthier, happier lives. If you would like to find out more please do not hesitate to contact us.