Overcoming Anxiety

December 15, 2011 By

Overcoming Anxiety with Mindfulness Therapy

By Sarah Hensley

BA, Grad Dip Psychology, Grad Dip Counselling, Psychotherapy & Diploma of Clinical Hypnotherapy

General Anxiety Disorder (GAD) is a very common condition that affects many of us at some time in our lives. At any one time it is estimated that nearly 15 per cent of the Australian population (around two million people) has been diagnosed with GAD and are actively seeking treatment through medication or some form of cognitive therapy.

In essence recurrent anxiety is a form of intense worrying about health, work, fear of the future or a wide range of situations that may occur in the future that creates an immense amount of emotional suffering. So what can we do to control our anxiety levels?

It is important to understand that anxiety, like most emotional reactions, has a structure.

We are all familiar with the patterns of recurring negative thinking: the thought loops that maintain and amplify worry and anxiety. This internal dialogue can be relentless and often hits us in the early hours of the morning, if we can sleep at all! This negative thinking tends to solidify into generalized beliefs about the future, about ourselves and other people that takes on a life of their own. We become consumed by worry about things that may never happen. But, most importantly, the worry thinking does not in any way help us deal with the objective reality of things that need our attention. In fact the reactive thinking makes us less able to cope, leaves us feeling drained and confused.

Clearly, the path to controlling anxiety must involve changing these internal negative thought loops and beliefs. However, most people find this extremely hard to do.

Mindfulness is a therapeutic technique that emerged from Eastern philosophy and encourages us to live fully in the present moment. Western psychology has borrowed many of the concepts and using aspects of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) works to make a distinction between who we are and what we think. So often what we think is going to happen, what we think other people are thinking and our own inner judgements and criticisms make life seem more stressful than it really is.

Focusing on releasing the trapped, frozen emotional energy that has become attached to habitual thinking is one of the primary focuses of Mindfulness Therapy. First we train ourselves to identify these negative thought reactions. This is most important, because we cannot change what we cannot see.

Therefore, we must make our reactions visible by paying very close attention to catch them as and when they arise. But after mastering this, we shift our attention away from the content or story that forms the cognitive structure of the anxiety reaction to the emotional feeling quality that gives it power. This is called “sitting with the emotion.” We learn to sit with our anxiety, without getting caught up in further reactivity and thinking, or in trying to attack the negative thoughts. We are, in fact, learning to turn our attention towards the reaction, and this changes everything.

Mindfulness Therapy is well researched and evidence-based. A recent study* took a sample of anxious subjects and treated one group with Progressive Muscle Relaxation and thought suppression and a second with Mindfulness Therapy. Both groups showed equal post-treatment improvement in the clinical and daily self-report measures. However, mindfulness participants reported better emotional meta-cognition (emotional comprehension) and showed improved indices of somatic and autonomic regulation (reduced breathing pattern and increased vagal reactivity during evocation of cardiac defense). These findings suggest that mindfulness reduces chronic worry by promoting emotional and physiological regulatory mechanisms contrary to those maintaining chronic worry.

EXERCISE

1. Sit down and get comfortable. Close your eyes. Allow yourself to relax and practice basic mindfulness of breathing to steady the mind.
2. Open the field of your awareness until it feels like a large space.
3. Introduce an anxiety emotion into this space and experiment with just sitting with it as you would with a friend: looking and listening very carefully with interest and an open mind.
4. Find the colour that best fits the feeling.
5. Experiment with surrounding that colour with another colour. Try the exact opposite colour first and notice the shift in feeling intensity of the anxiety.
6. Develop this imagery and try other modifications in size, position and movement.
7. Continue monitoring the change in intensity on a 1-10 scale. When the anxiety has reduced by at least 50% open your eyes and take a break before returning for another round.
8. Repeat the whole process 5 to 10 times for 3 to 4 days. Notice how your perceptions change each day.

Now, of course it is easier to do this with a skilled mindfulness therapist, but you will probably be quite surprised at how quickly things change once you get down to the detailed sensory level, made possible through focused mindfulness.

*‘Treating chronic worry: Psychological and physiological effects of a training programme based on mindfulness’ (Delgado, L. C., Guerra, P., Perakakis, P.,Vera, M. N., et al. (2010). Behaviour Research and Therapy, 1-10.)

 

Putting Eedi to Bed Night 3 of Exp

December 15, 2011 By

It’s 8.50pm, a little late, yes, I got home from work late, dinner was late now bed time is late. Oh well!

We’ve read two stories and now I’m sitting by the door with laptop on knee as that was the arrangement we came to together. Eedi and I had a discussion about how we were going to change the evening routine so it worked for both of us, not just her.

THE BACKGROUND:

My little darling is three and a half, I’m six months pregnant with number two and have been lying with her until she’s asleep and promptly falling asleep for the night myself. I have to say, all the extra sleep has done wonders for my complexion but the night just goes, presto it’s morning again and I’ve got nothing done – so – with another little one on the way – I thought it was time to change the routine.

Initially Eedi didn’t want to talk about it, but she came around to discussing different options… I could continue to sleep with her till she fell asleep (her pref), she could put herself to sleep entirely (that would be amazing – she was so not into that), Daddy could put her to sleep sometimes (she only wants me)… no no… it wasn’t looking good but then…

We came up with – I would read her some stories in bed, then I would work on my computer near the door so she could see me and she’d fall asleep by herself with the bed side lamp on. This solution worked for both of us – in theory!

CURRENTLY:

She’s come over for an extra cuddle, now we’ve said “sweet dreams” to each other and she’s gone back to bed. It seems she has already passed out – wow this would be fast if this is the case.

The first night we tried it (two nights ago) she fell asleep in two seconds and I was stoked. Last night it took more like 15-20 minutes – and tonight – I can hear the deep breathing – I think she’s gone already.

Bingo! Thanks “Redirecting Children’s Behaviour” by Kathryn Kvlos – I think that’s how you spell her name, I’ve lent the book to a client it’s so good. It’s all about connection parenting and how you can both get what you want and work through stuff together – I love it – have read it about three times.

Over and out people – my baby is asleep! I’m clocking off – it’s 855pm :)

The Fundamentals of Exercise: Pre, During, and Post Baby

September 22, 2011 By

By Anna-Maria Boelskov, yoga teacher and nutritionist

Often we get asked about exercise before, during and after birth. While there is no specific science, as everybody (and every body) is unique in their own way, there is a rough blueprint you can follow to insure you are getting your fitness in and keeping healthy without overdoing it.

Pre Pregnancy

This is a time for cleansing the body from toxins and building the strength and stamina you will need for the months ahead. Pregnancy and labour are taxing on the body and the more you prepare for this wonderful time the better. It’s a great time to focus on building back muscles and core strength for supporting the weight of your growing belly and to help you recover at a speedier pace post-pregnancy.

Keep in mind: No one should go from 0-100 so if you have not been exercising, start slowly and be sure to check in with your personal doctor.

The plan: 3-5 days a week of cardio. Running, biking, dancing and brisk walking are all great options.

This is a great time to start Pilates or yoga if you have not already done so. Both are great during and after pregnancy to help strengthen both your core and your back.

During Pregnancy

The first three months of pregnancy can be a difficult time. Some women feel quite affected by the change in hormones. Nausea and fatigue can be really prominent at this first stage. Don’t do too much: This is a time to be resting and nurturing yourself with a good diet and slowing down on activity.

The plan: Now is a great to start a prenatal yoga class or Pilates.  You can continue at the activity level you had before pregnancy (as long as it is not horse riding, scuba diving or rock climbing!) but don’t try to increase it. Working on your leg and arm strength is great because you will be doing a lot of lifting and squatting once your little bundle of joy has arrived.

Keep in mind:  While lifting weights after your first three months of pregnancy is okay, you will need to reduce the weight and increase your reps. Consult your personal trainer at your gym for advice and help.

If you are still feeling tired or uneasy do your best to incorporate at least a little bit of activity into your everyday, such as a walk to or from work or even a lunchtime stroll. In pregnancy your blood volume triples, so getting up and moving daily is so important as the body need all the help it can get to cope with the extra fluid in the body.  The more you move the less likely you will be to get swollen ankles and legs.

Another tip: It is also great to spend some time with your legs up! Rest on the couch and swing the legs up on the arm rest or up the wall, or lie on the floor with your legs on a chair daily.

We do recommend not reclining in later stages of pregnancy so that bub moves into the ultimate position for birth… things like dusting the skirting boards is a much better posi for you to encourage bub to be head down with their back aligned along your midline.

At the end of pregnancy you need to slow down again, and rest up before your little one arrives. If you can it is great so stick to your prenatal yoga and pilates (2-3 x week) and a daily gentle walk.

Post Pregnancy

Post pregnancy is a time to heal and restore. Ideally you need to rest and get nurtured by loved ones while you nurture your little baby. Getting enough food is important and while it may initially be a challenge, try to get enough sleep as well. Don’t worry about getting back into your pre-pregnancy shape for the first 6-8+ weeks! You need to rest when possible and the little walking you do with your baby in the pram will be enough at this stage.

The plan:  Walking is great and you can even join a ‘mum and bub’ yoga or Pilates class or get a group of mums together and hire a private trainer who is experienced with post pregnancy exercising.

Keep in mind: If you had stitches, c-section etc you might not be able to do anything for 8+ weeks. Allow your self to heal.

Another tip:  During and post-pregnancy it is extremely important to do your pelvic floor exercises daily!

Don’t push yourself too much in the first 6 months, respect the enormous changes and challenges your body has been through the past 9 months!

Two Keys to Overcoming Your Pregnancy Anxiety

August 17, 2011 By

It’s quite common: pregnancy anxiety. And why not! There’s a lot going on inside your body that feels completely new. As your belly grows, not only is your body changing shape, but you are also going through heaps of other physical (and mental) stress. It’s no wonder you are feeling a little bit anxious.

Calm your fears and feel free again. There’s no need to sit through nine months of “what ifs” and unanswered questions.

Side note: Have an important question you want answered now? Just ask. No twitter account? We still welcome your questions!

What you are putting into your body (in more ways than one) are the key to curing your anxiety: diet and acupuncture.

Red Tent’s in-house nutrition expert Anna-Maria Boleskov suggests including magnesium in your daily food regiment. Why? Magnesium plays an important role in keeping healthy blood glucose levels which helps to not only alleviate anxiety during pregnancy, but is also important for your energy and your mood. Magnesium also helps to reduce blood pressure, prevent preeclampsia, and can even help improve your sleep.

There are heaps of easy and delicious ways to get your daily dose of magnesium. Tofu and legumes are both rich in magnesium and work well together over a salad (choose green leafy veges and some spinach for your salad and you’ll add even more magnesium!) or in your soup. Just as easy: snack on Brazil nuts, almonds, and cashews for a filling and nutritious treat. Also on the list: whole grains, wheat bran, pumpkin and squash seeds and oatmeal. Some more menu ideas: oatmeal with fresh fruit for breakfast, a salad sprinkled with pumpkin and squash seeds for lunch, and a tofu and rice dish for dinner.

Next on the list: Schedule yourself in for an acupuncture treatment. How, you may wonder, does having someone stick needles in you alleviate anxiety?

Acupuncturist Natalie Simon can think of five solid reasons how a treatment can help alleviate your worries. Firstly, acupuncture calms the mind/shen, via the heart and pericardium channels. It can help calm your emotions, via the liver meridian. Furthermore, a treatment can help you sleep: a big contributor to anxiety. Acupuncture also has the ability to calm and relax, moving blood, moving Qi (we’ll cover that another time!), quieting down the heart rate, and lowering blood pressure. And keep in mind: Acupuncture is a form of therapy. Simply allowing yourself to lie back and be listened to welcomes a sense of relaxation.

The reasons you are suffering from anxiety may seem endless, but putting a stop to the stress and giving yourself a chance to embrace this gorgeous experience (you’re having a baby!) is only a few short steps away.

Give these suggestions a go and let us know how you feel! We welcome your feedback.

Anaemia and Pregnancy: What Can I Do?

August 16, 2011 By

Feeling dizzy? Digestion a bit off? Concave fingernails? A pale tongue? Fatigue? Nothing we haven’t seen before: you may be suffering from anaemia during pregnancy.

Firstly, don’t be afraid: You are not alone. It’s one of the most common issues we treat at Red Tent Health Centre. Here’s the good news: With the right foods and a few harmless needles, you can restore your iron levels and feel a renewed sense of energy.

According to our resident naturopath, Belinda Kirkpatrick, women’s iron requirements are about 80% higher than for men because of menstruation and child bearing. That’s not all: more than half of women consume less than the recommended 10-15 mg daily.

Help yourself heal by keeping foods that are rich in iron on hand. Belinda suggests lean red meats, sardines, mussels, wheat germ, parsley, dried apricots, peaches and prunes and almonds. Some tasty ways to include these foods in your diet: keep a small sack of dried fruit and almonds in your handbag to snack on throughout the day, add acidic dressings to your salad (such as lemon and vinegar), and eat bitter green veggies or fruit before or during your meals. Why? To help improve the flow of gastric acid which will assist you in absorbing the minerals you need. And you may want to lay off the coffee and tea for awhile. There’s no denying they both can benefit your health, but as far as iron deficiency is concerned, both coffee and tea can make absorption difficult. A fabulous alternative? A refreshing glass of water with a splash of lemon.

Eating right is only one piece of the puzzle. Red Tent co-director and Acupuncturist, Rebecca Mar Young explains “When one suffers from anemia it is an indication that their digestion is not operating properly. Acupuncture can help to improve your digestive system by assisting your body in making more blood.”  She reckons that a few months of treatment, paired with the right nutrition, will get your body in balance.

But does acupuncture hurt?

I can answer that one. I’ve been working on reception at Red Tent and treating myself to the many different natural health treatments here. In a word: no! I liken the feeling to an ever-so-slight pinch (in fact, I kind of like it!). And while some may find the initial insert just slightly uncomfy, once in, it’s smooth sailing: simply relax on the massage table, close your eyes and listen to the beautiful music, letting all the needles do their magic!

No need to suffer one second longer: Give our suggestions a go and let us know how you feel!

Coffee: Friend or Enemy?

August 8, 2011 By

By Naomi Abeshouse, Founder & Co-Director Red Tent, Acupuncturist, Herbalist & Doula

It seems there is a lot of confusion around coffee. Is it good for us? Is it healthy because its strong in antioxidants, a powerful medicine, a migraine preventative … Or is it dragging us into its charisma, and punishing us slowly, like an addictive, destructive relationship. When is it a good thing and when is it bad? and how much is ok?

I decided to ask our experts and together tackle the complicated relationship we have with coffee: Is it our friend or enemy?

Read about what our Nutritionist, Osteopath, Acupuncturist, Shiatsu Therapist and Psychotherapist have to say about coffee.

I asked our Nutritionist, Anna-Maria Boelskov, What are the benefits of coffee?

Anna-Maria: Freshly brewed coffee (not instant) contains antioxidant phytochemicals that may help protect the body from cancer and heart disease. Because coffee stimulates the central nervous system and metabolism it can help to improve concentration, reduce the feeling of fatigue and speed up fat metabolism. Used in moderation coffee can provide antioxidants, improve alertness and assist in weight loss.

Naomi: So how much is healthy?

Anna-Maria: Coffee intake should not exceed 3 cups per day. One or two is what I recommend, if you are a keen coffee drinker and only if you are not pregnant.

Naomi: When is it  unhealthy?

Anna-Maria: Coffee is a diuretic and in being so it depletes us of our water-soluble vitamins such as vitamin C and the B vitamins, especially vitamin B5 – our anti-stress vitamin. It also affects the mineral status of the body by preventing iron absorption and reduces Zinc, Magnesium, Potassium and Calcium levels in the body. All of these are very important nutrients when trying to conceive.

Coffee can also increase the likelihood of pre-term delivery and reduced birth weight. Caffeine readily crosses the placenta into the foetal circulation, which may be dangerous because the foetus is not developed enough to metabolise coffee yet.

I do not recommend the consumption of coffee in pregnancy as it reduces the function of the lower oesophageal sphincter, which may worsen or cause reflux. It also takes twice as long to metabolise caffeine when pregnant.

What Chinese Medicine has to say:

Naomi Abeshouse says:

“As an acupuncturist, I know that coffee has a direct impact on the liver. It is a ‘hot’ herb, and as such, moves energy and with higher doses can scatter our energy and with long term use, will be depleting for our liver yin. But what does that mean? It means that for those of us feeling stagnant, it can temporarily joggle things about and make us feel like we have more energy but its a cheap trick, because it actually ends up depleting our deeper resources. So, basically for us healthy humans, its okay in moderation. But it should best be avoided for those of us who tend to have poor circulation of energy (or liver qi stagnation, with symptoms including PMT, moodiness, depression, anxiety) or have been diagnosed by our chinese doctor with yin deficiency (yin gets depleted with overwork, lack of sleep and extra stress).”

The other thing to watch out for, is that using coffee can shadow other things that are going on – fatigue, tiredness, lethargy, and even depression. It can be a pretty strong stimulant that we crave and self-medicate with when we feel like we just dont have the energy (or ‘qi’) to get through the day. When we step over our bodies signals of tiredness we tap into our deeper resources and deplete ourselves in a way that impacts greatly on our longevity. The longer we avoid listening to our bodies cues, the further we dig ourselves into un-health.”

What our Osteopath, Morgan Langford-Salisbury, thinks about coffee:

“Coffee is an acid forming food which can cause inflammation in the tissues of the body aggravating inflammatory conditions like arthritis and gout, and can also contribute to inflammation in the gut contributing to IBS. If the bowel is irritated it can refer pain to the low back and vice versa through shared nerve pathways so by cutting back on acidic foods like coffee, you may have a positive effect on inflammatory musculoskeletal conditions.

There is a strong, positive correlation between back pain and the lack of adequate water intake (dehydration). This is particularly true for the intervertebral discs. The disc serves as a hydraulic shock absorber and experiences downward pressure when we stand or sit. In order for the disc to function properly it must have an adequate water supply. The water in the disc is retained by specialized molecules that are capable of holding more than 500 times their weight in water. This unique capacity accounts for the disc’s hydrostatic pressure when properly hydrated. A disc that becomes dehydrated loses hydrostatic pressure and cannot support the load placed upon it. When this happens the disc becomes inflamed (swells), causing soreness and pain.

Coffee is a diuretic meaning that it sucks water out of the body tissues. When the tissues aren’t well-hydrated they become more fibrous, less elastic and stiff, and blood and lymph fluid flow becomes stagnate. This means that the cells of the body are not replenished optimally if people don’t counteract coffee’s diuretic effect by drinking more water, and coffee intake is something to consider if you suffer from back pain. Are you drinking an increased amount of water to counteract the diuretic effects coffee has on the body?

Coffee also reduces calcium absorption in the body which may, with chronic use, be a factor associated with decreased bone density.

Lastly, coffee is a stimulant. A lot of us depend on our morning coffee to get us going and energised for the day. One coffee is fine, although increased caffeine intake from coffee can over-stimulate the sympathetic nervous system which controls our fight/flight response. If this part of the nervous system is constantly stimulated it can contribute to increased tension and tightness in the body. So if you suffer from neck and shoulder tension have you considered how much coffee you are consuming? This may play a part in stress-related tension headaches, neck pain and increase symptoms in people who suffer from anxiety.

Food for thought and my thought is that there are more cons than pros.”

And what is the perspective of our Shiatsu therapist, Sue Kyle?

Sue says: “I take a wholisitc view of coffee use which is informed by a macrobiotic/wholefood approach to diet and lifestyle. Coffee has very few benefits. It is made using chemicals and with dangerous pesticides that are harmful to the environment that it is grown in. Coffee is also grown in third world countries for a western market and much of the land that they could be using for their own food is used to grow coffee for the wealthier countries. From a physical perspective, coffee is a stimulant and regular consumption of coffee even as little as 2 cups a day can initiate symptoms such as nervousness, anxiety, insomnia, heart disease, stomach problems and moodiness. As a shiatsu therapist, I can treat these symptoms but only a change in coffee drinking patterns will alleviate them completely. Coffee is best enjoyed on a weekly basis or every now and then but regular daily drinking is really depleting your system and creating more stress in your body which is already dealing with your busy life at maximum capacity.

Sue recommends: “Experiment for yourself – before you have your morning coffee close your eyes for moment and notice how your body feels, notice your breathing and your heartbeat then do the same after you have your coffee – is your breathing different? How about your heartbeat? Experiment with withdrawing coffee from your daily routine and see if it results in more energy or better sleep, better concentration and less moodiness…..try it for yourself and then decide how you want to feel.”

What does our psychotherapist, Michele Haifer, have to say about it?

I asked Michelle: What may be some of the underlying reasons for excessive caffeine intake? How does one get through it?

 Michelle says: “If you’re finding that your intake of coffee is excessive and is affecting the way you feel or behave, it may be time to ask yourself some questions that will require some honest answers. “What else am I needing or not addressing in my life right now?” Maybe you’re stressed, feeling anxious, exhausted, needing time out or have ongoing difficulties that are unresolved. The quick coffee fix momentarily makes us feel good and keeps the underlying feelings at bay for a while. The first step is to talk about your concerns with someone to help alleviate the need to self soothe with caffeine. From there other steps can be taken to help you reduce your intake.”

Yummy Nutritious Lunch Box Ideas

July 5, 2011 By

Their food need to be delicious, nutritious and make them feel full. It can be hard initially because you’re not used to it, or have got into habits for a whole pile of reasons or your child is picky but it’s so worth the effort to get back on the nutrition track. Your child will be more attentive in class, they’ll feel better and be in a better mood for you at the end of the day. It’s the ultimate in health prevention!

Rebecca & her daughter Eedi

I remember being at school and feeling starved by recess, which is when I’d fill up on a small packet of chips, maybe a biscuit or two and some fruit. It did nada for my concentration and wasn’t satisfying. I would often feel a bit dizzy I’d get so hungry, which meant I needed more protein and certainly couldn’t concentrate on school work.

There is quite a gap between breakfast and recess, even more so when parents work or when kids start going to high school, so getting into good habits early will set them up well for life. Their lunch box needs to be filled with nutritional food. Of course it would be great if your kids had breakfast that started with some protein to kick off their day too!

Some suggestions for your child that will nourish their brain as well as taste buds and tummy include the following… where possible, get them to help you prepare the food as their input will mean there is a higher chance they’ll eat it:

RECESS:

  • Hard boiled organic free-range egg
  • Corn fritters (pop chickpeas in when making to increase protein levels)
  • A mix of sunflower seeds, pepitas, dried cranberries and shaved coconut
  • Miso soup, Free-range Chicken soup, Lentil soup in winter
  • Blanched carrot sticks, sugar snaps and snow peas
  • Fruit in season (check the side list) Blue berries, Strawberries, cut up apple, mandarins, grapes & cherries.
  • Cherry Tomatoes
  • Falafel (made with chickpeas so a good protein hit)
  • Savoury muffins: Pumpkin and basil, Honey and carrot (when cooking you can pop in some ground Chia seeds which are packed with anti-oxidants).

LUNCH:

  • Cooked tuna sushi
  • Wraps & Sandwiches with hummus, sardines (brain food) or salmon or free-range cold meats and lettuce
  • Instead of meat and fish you could also try tempeh and lentils for their protein fix in the wrap.

The key to lunch is that it’s packed with protein. So if your child is only into cheese or vegemite, it’s time to look at other ways of getting it in. You can buy tuna spread which is a good start to broadening their pallet.

by Rebecca Mar Young – Acupuncture, Chinese Herbs & Chinese dietary therapy for women and children