My Harmony Solution

“While each person holds the key to their own choices, my mission is to provide exceptional support, resources, and harmonious solutions that empower them to enrich their lives and cultivate lasting peace, enabling them to fully embrace every moment”.
Dr. Rita

The Effective Solution to Anxiety

– An evidence-based alternative treatment –

Experiencing occasional anxiety can be a normal response, as it’s our body’s way of reacting to stressful threats through the fight or flight mechanism. However, when this heightened state of alertness becomes chronic and occurs daily, it can overwhelm the nervous system, diminish your quality of life, and potentially lead to an anxiety disorder.

There are various types of anxiety disorders, with generalised anxiety disorder (GAD) being the most prevalent. Other types include obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), complex PTSD (cPTSD), and specific phobias. It can be challenging to identify which type of anxiety you might be experiencing, making it essential to adopt a personalised integrative approach.

Many individuals endure anxiety in silence before seeking help, often accompanied by low moods, sleep disturbances, and digestive issues.

Addressing anxiety usually requires more than just one solution, such as dietary changes, meditation, or medication, as relying on a single approach can be frustratingly ineffective. Achieving optimal long-term healing typically necessitates implementing multiple strategies simultaneously. Unfortunately, this isn’t how standard medical care typically operates, which is why many patients find their treatment unsuccessful.

Chronic Illness and Anxiety

Anxiety frequently coexists with various chronic health issues, including low moods, sleep disturbances, and chronic pain.

These symptoms can overlap, making it difficult to distinguish between them, especially since specialists typically focus on their specific areas and often overlook interdisciplinary research. This can result in multiple medications with limited effectiveness or significant side effects, leading to fragmented care.

For instance, chronic pain can intensify anxiety by activating the brain’s anxiety networks, so it’s crucial to address both pain and anxiety together rather than treating each symptom in isolation.

Anxiety can affect many aspects of your health and life. If these issues aren’t addressed collectively, it can create a frustrating cycle of worsening symptoms, diminishing your sense of well-being and hope for recovery.

This situation is often compounded by attempts to manage your condition on your own, researching treatments independently, which can be exhausting when you’re already unwell.

An integrative-multimodal approach helps clarify the connections between symptoms and reduces feelings of overwhelm, guiding you back toward better health.

The Integrative-Multimodal Perspective on Anxiety

Anxiety has what are known as ‘multifactorial’ causes, which is why an integrative-multimodal approach is effective; it’s not attributed to a single factor.

This complexity also explains the wide range of symptoms, which can include physical signs as well as cognitive issues, such as an inability to deeply relax and persistent worrying, even when you’re fatigued.

The specific combination of contributing factors varies from person to person and includes:

• Cognitive brain neural pathways
• Genetic predispositions
• Hormonal fluctuations
• Microinflammation
• Neurotransmitter levels
• Regulation of the sleep-wake cycle
• Lifestyle elements such as sleep habits, exercise, and diet
• Chronic toxic stress
• The microbiome and the gut-brain axis
• Environmental factors, including exposure to toxins
• Anxiety resulting from pain and changes in brain function

The Toolkit for Anxiety

The Integrative-Multimodal approach to anxiety treatment involves psychotherapy alongside somatic-based techniques, dietary considerations, microbiome health, tailored combinations of supplements, as well as fostering a resilient environment.

When these elements are combined, they create a synergistic effect, resulting in an outcome that is greater than the sum of its parts.

This approach moves beyond mere ‘disease management’ to focus on enhancing quality of life, energy, mood, and reducing overall brain and body stress to promote well-being.

Somatic-based Therapy for Anxiety

Using various mind-body techniques can significantly reduce stress, stimulate the vagus nerve, and lower brain ‘noise’ levels, ultimately decreasing baseline anxiety. Techniques designed to activate the Relaxation Response, developed by Dr. J.H. Schultz, Dr. E. Jacobson, Prof. P. Levine, can lead to substantial improvements. Specific approaches, such as mindfulness-based programs and techniques like Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR) or Autogenic training, are selected based on your unique symptom profile. For optimal effectiveness, mind-body techniques are customised for each patient, as some individuals may initially experience what’s known as “paradoxical anxiety” when trying these methods independently. With proper guidance, these challenges can be addressed.

Diet and Microbiome for Anxiety

Certain dietary patterns can impact and alleviate anxiety by influencing factors such as the microbiome, neurotransmitter levels, and hormone pathways, including insulin and stress hormone regulation.

It’s crucial to customise the diet based on factors like symptom clusters, types of anxiety, gut and blood biomarkers, and other considerations that are evaluated as part of the treatment plan.

A good starting point for those experiencing anxiety is to stabilise blood sugar and insulin levels by reducing ‘free’ sugars, consuming low glycemic index whole foods, and significantly cutting down on processed foods and carbohydrates.

Dietary changes can lead to alterations in the microbiome, which in turn can affect neurotransmitter function and anxiety symptoms through various chemical messenger pathways within the brain-gut axis. Unfortunately, this aspect is often overlooked in standard medical care for anxiety, despite substantial evidence supporting its significance.

Supplements for Anxiety

Supplements can play a significant role in an integrative-multimodal approach to anxiety. It’s essential to find the right dosage and combination tailored to your individual needs for these interventions to be effective.

Many over-the-counter supplements often contain ineffective dosages or single ingredients that lack the synergistic effects necessary to address clinical levels of anxiety. Some supplements commonly used in integrative-multimodal anxiety protocols include:

• L-theanine
• Magnesium in forms such as glycinate, biglycinate, or threonate
• Ashwagandha
• Valerian (use with caution, as about 10% of people may experience an adverse reaction)
• Passionflower and hops extract
• Inositol
• Gut support, including specific probiotics and prebiotics when appropriate

Resilience Environment for Anxiety

Our environment interacts with our genes, affecting how we respond to external factors. For instance, if your genotype leads to less effective enzyme function, you might be more sensitive to environmental pollutants, which can contribute to various health issues, including anxiety.

One straightforward way to enhance your home environment is by incorporating indoor plants. Research has shown that they can reduce anxiety levels. Choosing plants that purify the air and positively influence mood, such as snake plants, spider plants, and ferns, is a great place to start.

Creating a calming corner in your home can also be beneficial for managing anxiety. This designated space can serve as a retreat where you can spend just five minutes practicing meditation or relaxation breathing when you feel stressed.

Additionally, reducing clutter—particularly in the bedroom and at workstations—can help lower anxiety levels.

Our relationships and internal ‘environment’ also play a significant role in anxiety and are considered in an integrative-multimodal approach.

Anxiety Case Study

Francesca, a 39-year-old, experienced intermittent anxiety since her early 20s, which worsened after the birth of her second child.

Goal: To overcome anxiety and panic attacks, and feel more confident and comfortable in social situations and parenting.

History: After trying medication and cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), she sought an alternative approach.

The Plan: Following a comprehensive integrative assessment and in accordance with her needs, Francesca started a cycle of 20 talk-therapy sessions focused on Transactional Analysis to gain a structured understanding of her anxiety, recognise the underlying transactions and ego states at play, and develop healthier way of interaction with herself and others. She also began a personalised diet and supplements protocol, along with a simple colouring and breath-based relaxation practice to support her nervous system and improve her sleep.

Outcome: Three months later, Francesca was no longer experiencing regular panic attacks. She reported feeling significantly happier, with an improved mood and fewer lows. Additionally, she felt calmer throughout the day, no longer struggled with sleep, and woke up feeling more rested, allowing her greater mental capacity to cope with stress.

Next Steps

Navigating anxiety on your own can be challenging, but there is a path to feeling better and maintaining mental, physical, and emotional wellbeing.

I have assisted thousands of patients struggling with hard-to-treat symptoms like chronic anxiety over the past years. Adopting a tailored, integrative strategy for anxiety and related symptoms is the key. It can significantly enhance your quality of life, even if you’ve previously experienced setbacks with multiple treatments.

To take the next step in your journey…

Why Choose My Harmony Studio?

Expert Guidance: Benefit from consistent support from a highly qualified specialist with over 25 years of experience in mental health.

Culturally Sensitive: My approach prioritises understanding and valuing your unique cultural background, ensuring you feel truly seen and appreciated.

Tailored Just for You: Experience bespoke treatment plans designed to fit your unique needs and personality through my Integrative-Multimodal approach.

Safe & Supportive: Enjoy an ethical, confidential, and non-judgmental space where you can truly be yourself.

Next-level Innovation: Explore the latest evidence-based methods.

Therapy on Your Terms: Whether it’s teletherapy or in-person, I am here to accommodate your busy lifestyle.