Guide to Naturopathy for Anxiety, Depression and Mental Health
We live in a fast paced society where self-care, down time, and our own mental health often place last on our to-do lists. We often forget that we are not alone in our mental health struggles, and that natural treatments are both highly evidence based and effective support options when we need them. For both those who don’t want to resort to using medication to manage their concerns, as well as those who are looking to combine the best of naturopathic and conventional medicine, Dr. Jennah has the skills to help.
Creating a safe and non-judgmental space for you to feel heard is incredibly important to Dr. Jennah. In your time together she may explore a variety of modalities to address the root cause of your mental health concerns, including acupuncture, nutritional/herbal support, and counselling. Dr. Jennah has both clinical experience and success in guiding her patients through a variety of mental health concerns, including:
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Postpartum depression
- Seasonal Affective Disorder
- Chronic Stress
- Panic Attacks
Whatever your concern, Dr. Jennah is here to listen. Book a free 15 minute consult to discuss how naturopathic medicine can best serve you on your journey to total body health; physical, mental, and emotional. For more information about Naturopathic Medicine in Toronto and Dr. Jennah, you can continue reading here.
Natural Treatments for Anxiety, Depression, and Mental Health Concerns
Nutrient Deficiencies and Anxiety
When assessing and treating the root cause of your anxiety or depression, Dr. Jennah will usually start with a thorough work up of nutrition and dietary intake. This may also include requisitioning blood work and laboratory values for certain micronutrients, such as vitamin D, B12 and iron. These specific nutrients are particularly hard to get in sufficient amounts via dietary intake alone in vegetarian and vegan diets, as well as in regularly menstruating females. When these micronutrients are deficient, then can often present as symptoms of anxiety, low mood, and low energy. By reaching adequate levels of these vitamins and minerals via diet or supplementation, you can help achieve better mood, energy and concentration.
Diet for Anxiety and Depression
Working together with Dr. Jennah, you can better assess your current nutrient status, as well as ensure that your diet is providing you with as much mood and cognitive support as possible. Anxiety, depression, and fatigue have also been linked to blood sugar imbalances throughout the day. By managing meal timing and macronutrient intake, you can help to achieve stable mood and energy all day long. Eating the right foods, at the right times, for the right reasons can be an indispensible part of supporting your mood and mental health naturally. Cut out the guesswork, and have Dr. Jennah support you through your anxiety and depression by making sure your diet is working for you, not against you. To better understand how food intake might be affecting your mood, book a free 15 minute Meet and Greet appointment with Dr. Jennah.
Food sensitivities may also be an area to explore with Dr. Jennah for improving your mood and mental health concerns. Sensitivities to specific foods may cause an increase in anxiety presentation, low mood, and/or fatigue, among many other symptoms (acne, eczema, headaches, etc.). Dr. Jennah may recommend further food sensitivity testing, or targeted dietary changes to assess whether these may be playing a role in your anxiety or depression.
Herbal Support for Anxiety and Depression
Once you’ve worked with Dr. Jennah to identify the root cause of your anxiety or depression, she may recommend a variety of options for naturopathic treatment. One option that you may consider to improve mood, is botanical support in the form of an herbal tincture, standardized extract, or herbal tea.
Dr. Jennah often creates custom compounded herbal formulas for her patients, to ensure that their care and treatment is as individualized and targeted as possible. For anxiety concerns, you may try herbs that support the nervous system with herbal actions like anxiolytic, nervine, and adaptogen. By re-training the body to enter a parasympathetic state (the portion of our nervous system that is responsible for the “rest and digest” actions), we can help to better manage acute anxiety (which presents when we’re constantly in “fight or flight” or a sympathetic state). Nervine herbs help to support the parasympathetic nervous system, while adaptogens help our body to adapt to daily stressors, both physically and mentally. Dr. Jennah may suggest a combination of these herbal actions to best support you and your mental health concerns.
Supplements for Anxiety and Depression
Nutritional supplementation can also play a key role in managing anxiety and depression. Supplements may be used to correct and treat nutrient deficiencies such as low or suboptimal levels of vitamin B12, vitamin D, and iron. Sometimes this is all it takes to correct for your symptoms of anxiety and/or low mood. Determining the proper dosage of these specific nutrients is just one of the ways that you and Dr. Jennah will work together, to ensure that you have a safe, effective, and evidence based treatment plan.
For those that need added support, Dr. Jennah may consider supporting other biological pathways such as ideal hormone balance and neurotransmitter levels. Your healthcare should be as unique as you are, and finding the ideal natural treatment may take a combination of multiple modalities. You can find out more about how naturopathic medicine and Dr. Jennah can best support you on your mental health journey, by reading more here.
How to Treat Anxiety and Depression Naturally
You can manage your anxiety, depression, and low mood by beginning your naturopathic treatment journey with Dr. Jennah. She offers free 15 minute meet and greet appointments to all new patients, which is a great way for you to discuss your health goals and concerns, have your questions answered, and determine if Dr. Jennah would be an ideal addition to your integrative health care team.
For those who are ready to dive in to their first appointment, Dr. Jennah offers 60 minute Initial Intake Appointments.
If you’d like to learn more about Dr. Jennah’s downtown Toronto naturopathic practice, then you can read further here.
She has a special interest in women’s health concerns, and enjoys treating everything from low mood and anxiety, to painful periods and general health promotion. She believes that your healthcare should be as unique as you are.
Book a Free 15 minute Meet and Greet Appointment
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