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B-Vitamins, Depression and Anxiety

Researchers have mixed opinions about Vitamin B and its affects on depression. While some claim that taking Vitamin B-12 has been shown to have no effect on people suffering from depression and anxiety, others have made the link between a lack of Vitamin B with anxiety, depression and insomnia.

If your Vitamin B-12 level is just a little bit low, you might not have any symptoms, but if it’s considerably low, you can experience depression and other conditions.
For instance, some people with low vitamin B-12 also have high levels a certain amino acid in the blood. If you have a high level of the amino acid, homocysteine, as well as low Vitamin B-12, you might be at higher risk of developing heart disease and stroke.

So what is Vitamin B-12?

Vitamin B-12 is an important vitamin that is mainly found in meat and dairy products. It helps make red blood cells and keeps your nervous system working properly.

True vegetarians who avoid meat and dairy products are at risk for low vitamin B-12. Most people with low vitamin B-12 levels generally have trouble absorbing vitamin B-12 from their stomach or small intestines.

There are several things that can cause problems absorbing Vitamin B-12, including people with pernicious anemia that can destroy cells in the stomach that helps absorb the vitamin. Another contributor is the excessive long-term use of heartburn and ulcer medications.

As well, lack of magnesium and insufficient intake of Vitamin B and Calcium can contribute to anxiety, depression and insomnia.

To combat these shortfalls, make sure you add to your diet foods that are rich in these substances such as wholegrain cereals, leafy-green vegetables and low fat diary products. Fresh, unprocessed foods are best.

Avoid nicotine, caffeine, salt, and artificial additives such as preservatives as these trigger the adrenal glands which is one of the main stress chemicals.

Vitamin B6 as a Contributor

People who consume large amounts of alcohol can be at risk of Vitamin B6 deficiency, generally because they tend to have a low intake and poor metabolism of this vitamin.

People who are under-nourished and who have poor diets will also have a Vitamin B6 deficiency. While severe Vitamin B6 deficiency is relatively rare, the symptoms include irritability, depression and confusion.

Once again, researchers are in conflict. While some believe there is evidence to suggest that Vitamin B-6 deficiency may lead to depression, clinical trials have not provided evidence that an increase in vitamin B-6 is effective in the treatment of depression.

As a layperson who has experienced great improvement with regular supplements of a Vitamin B complex, I can assert that they do, in fact, have a positive effect on depression, anxiety and overall well-being.

I question the tests that do not detail the length of the studies done. In my case, the supplements were taken for an extended period of time before the improvement was noticeable. It took approximately 2-3 months of All-B and Calcium (high-level Stress Formula vitamins) before I began to feel better. Consequently, I wonder whether their tests were given adequate time since they seem to have been conducted over several weeks, not months.

Keep in mind, too, that all people are different. They have different variables that contribute to their depression and anxiety. For some, it’s an inherited trait and is locked into their genes. For others, it’s contributable to other general health issues. In still others, it’s about lifestyle, how they feel about themselves, and what problems they have to deal with. Also, other medications can affect how your body reacts both to events and to how vitamins and minerals are absorbed and used.

Clearly, no one answer will benefit everyone. That’s why it’s important to understand yourself and your own condition.

The important thing is that we all can be helped. Vitamin B is a relatively safe vitamin to take. Plus there are other steps that are proven beneficial that you can take to relieve your condition.

What is a Full Blown Anxiety Attack?

There are relatively simple anxiety attacks that come with a stressful event. This might be a change in lifestyle, a change of job or a move to another region.

It’s normal for people to experience anxiety at this time because there are a lot of unknown elements involved. They will wonder if they’ll like the change and everything that comes with it. They will be concerned about how they will adapt and what surprises are in store.

Once these questions are answered and these people regain control of their destiny, the anxiety usually will end.

Then there are people who experience anxiety for no apparent reason. When this anxiety lasts more than six months, it must be treated or it can worsen.

A full blown anxiety attack is one that doesn’t go away. It involves a constant apprehension about life in general. The person’s life becomes filled with irrational fears, doubts and general nervousness that extend beyond simple life changes. They encompass situations that, in the past, have not triggered anxiety or fear, like shopping or speaking in public.

People experiencing an anxiety attack go through a number of symptoms.

At first, they might feel an unexplainable odd sensation for no apparent reason. Sweating and nervousness soon follow, along with an inner discomfort and dis-ease that cannot be explained. As the condition worsens, some people might develop chest pains that simply add to their growing fears. They think they are having a heart attack as they experience all the common symptoms.

There are a number of things that can cause anxiety besides life changes. Alcohol and drug abuse are two common contributors. Until these and any other underlying mental health issues are resolved, the anxiety will be difficult to cure.

Of course, in certain drug treatments anxiety is a side effect. If you suspect any drugs you might be on, ask your doctor or pharmacist so that modifications to your treatment can be made if necessary.

Physical illness also can trigger anxiety attacks as the person worries, perhaps needlessly, about the outcome. In some cases, anxiety can be the early sign of a physical illness as the body begins to react defensively to the problem within, before the person even knows the illness exists.

Generally, full blown anxiety that is long lasting doesn’t resolve itself and, in fact, can get worse. At this point, what might have started out as simple agitation and apprehension becomes attacks of outright terror. It affects the entire life of the sufferer who is now afraid to leave the house, afraid at every turn and with every irrational thought.

Now, the anxiety has become a Panic disorder. As well as the pounding heart, sweating, weakness, faintness and dizziness that came with the anxiety, he or she is paralyzed with sudden attacks of terror. The person might flush or feel chilled, their hands might tingle or feel numb; and they might experience nausea, chest pain, or smothering sensations. During the panic attacks the person usually develops a sense of unreality, a fear of impending doom, or a fear of losing control.

The resulting irrational fears include fears of having a heart attack, of losing their minds, and that death looms.

It is imperative, therefore, that the underlying causes of anxiety be resolved so that the anxiety can be cured in its early stages before panic becomes so overwhelming that the person is too paralyzed to think rationally and seek help. At this level, treatment is much more long lasting.

To learn more about anxiety and some treatments that can help, visit http://www.book-titles.ca/anxietycure.htm