Warrior Wife Resource: Fighting anxiety with food

Because of the major health setback my husband experienced a few months back due to an unexpected adverse reaction to serotonin inhibitors, I decided to look into alternative methods of fighting and treating his anxiety and PTSD. Since my husband has limited options of meds that he can take due to the possibility of serotonin syndrome danger, we started to think more along the lines of eastern non-traditional treatments, group and one-on-one therapy, and changing his diet. Making the decision was fairly easy for both of us, but figuring out an active plan of execution along with finding away to maintain this new way of life became a looming question mark over both our heads for quite some time. We knew what we wanted to do, but had no clue how to pull it together. How do you treat anxiety disorder without meds? Better yet, is non-traditional treatment even possible? I decided to throw myself into internet research, along with sitting down with a nutritionist to determine what our options were, and what action we needed to take to get the ball rolling. As luck would have it, the amount of information on this particular issue was abundant which really helped us to take the first steps. The funny thing about my research is how simple some of the first steps were; most of all my research kept pointing in the same direction…food!

Food/fo͞od/

Noun:

Any nutritious substance that people or animals eat or drink, or that plants absorb, in order to maintain life and growth.

I never really thought about how food effects my mental stability, let alone did I ever think that by being cognizant of what I eat, I could possibly heal whatever mental or emotional state for good. This was a revelation that I found to be eye opening.

So here’s the 411 on foods that I have both researched and are trying out as we speak.

Carbohydrates-

Complex carbohydrates like whole grains  are packed with natural slow-release serotonin inhibitors that can help calm you down and even your serotonin levels. Grains will also keep you balanced, centered, energized, and help with focus and memory. Foods rich in Whole grain are: Whole grain bread, brown rice, quinoa, barley, oats, wild rice, and millet.

Magnesium-

Magnesium can actually help naturally relax your muscles, fight depression, insomnia, and anxiety. Magnesium enriched foods are: leafy greens (collards, kale, bok choy, and spinach), green veggies, whole grain and nuts.

B vitamins-

B-complex vitamins are super important for the body, but they also play a huge role in maintaining stable mental health. Some B vitamins have close interaction with your hormones, and your hormones play a huge role in maintain your weight, providing energy, distribution of minerals throughout the body, and breaking down sugar. Adding a balanced daily regimen of B vitamin enriched foods studies show can help keep your hormones in control which aid to your ability to sustain mental health.

This has all been such amazingly useful information for me and my husband. We’ve decided to try a vegan lifestyle for the next 30 days just as a trial to see how well all this works for him and myself. I’ll keep everyone posted as we go along, and hopefully at the end of the 30 days I’ll have some really good news to tell!

If you are interested in finding out more about how food can help fight anxiety, talk to your doctor and find out what your options are. 

Chronicle # 1...Warrior Wife

war·ri·or/ˈwôrēər/

Noun: (esp. in former times) A brave or experienced fighter.

When you think of the word warrior, what is the first thing that comes to mind? For most, the depiction of a soldier, or a heavily armed Conan the Barbarian look alike, dressed in leaves and war paint, and stalking his way through the woods with spears and body armor would be the normal assumption. Think Brad Pitt in Troy…yep, that pretty much sums it up. A little dramatic I know, but you get my meaning. More often than not the word warrior is basically used to describe someone with incredibly great strength, agility, focus, and in most cases skills that pretty much defy nature. A warrior is someone you would imagine as strong and physically and mentally able to overcome anything set before them. A real warrior not only posses physical strength, but is also mentally and emotionally sound when facing a battle, or tough decisions.

Do you get where I’m going with this?

Of course you do, because if you are anything like me, the term warrior is probably pretty fitting to your own characteristics when facing the day to day challenges of being partner to someone with PTSD.  Whether you are a Vet spouse, active duty military spouse, or parent or friend of either or the two, I bet my lunch money that if you really evaluated your day in day out challenges when battling PTSD, you will agree that the term Warrior is not just an appropriate title, it’s also necessary. Why? In my case, I feel the necessity to remind myself of what the word warrior means to me, and how it correlates with my current circumstances. Not only am I fighting the battles of my day to day life;10 hour days at work, trying to go back to school, raising our extremely energetic daughter, and trying my best to manage our finances and our household, I’m also responsible for keeping my brave husband sane enough to continue his treatment as well as continue his fight with PTSD. Sound like a lot? Well it is…A LOT. It’s a huge responsibility, which is why sometimes I have to stop and acknowledge just how many moving pieces I juggle on a daily basis. My reason for my acknowledgement is simple; I give myself credit for my efforts, to allow myself reassurance when things become unbearably discouraging.

Here’s what I mean by this.

When you have as much going on as I do, if you feel the way that I do, you can understand the feeling of sometimes doubting yourself, or feeling like there is no silver lining awaiting in the shadows. I have those moments where my worries, and fears of PTSD build questions that shake the very foundation of my emotional stability to the core. Questions like Will his anxiety attacks ever really stop? Or Will the group therapy sessions he’s going to even work? There are even moments where I think How long before we get back to feeling normal again? These questions begin to fester, and build, and eventually make my everyday battles seem hopeless. And it’s the hopelessness that causes the real damage. The hopelessness is what makes me feel like I can’t go on. Do I have the answer to these questions? No, but that doesn’t mean that obtaining an answer would change my circumstances for the better either. I can’t just rely on hoping for answers, so instead, in those darkest of moments is when I like to remind myself of who I am really. I am a warrior. I am strong enough to get through the rough patches, I am a fighter, and we will overcome PTSD. It’s in these moments that I remind myself of everything I do on a daily basis, because knowing what you are capable of accomplishing is not only encouraging for future endeavors, it gives you back what you need most to continue to support your spouse through this difficult time…Courage. And Courage my ladies and gents, is the defining line between losing yourself in this battle, or pushing through and refusing to allow PTSD to damage you, your loved one, or your family. Courage is the key to moving forward. It isn’t just defined by your ability to fight, it is also an intricate part in acceptance of your limitations, and ability to humble yourself and ask for help when needed. And besides, what good warrior have you ever met that didn’t have courage? That would be a nada captain.

It’s these simple moments that help me beat back my doubts, and keep my eye on what’s most important; supporting my husband, being the rock for my family, and staying positive even when things seem so bleak. Remember how I said a warrior’s strength isn’t just physical but mental as well? Makes sense now doesn’t it.

So…does the term warrior fit you?

Leave me a comment and tell me all about your warrior stories.