Homeopathy: Link Between Stress, Anxiety, and Your Stomach
There is a significant link that exists between the state of your digestive tract and the way you feel emotionally.
Homeopathy treats you as a full person by taking into consideration ALL of your symptoms on ALL levels, and I am gradually becoming more and more aware of the predominance of gut disorders while addressing psychological states such as anxiety, stress, and depression.
Homeopathy treats you as a whole person by taking all of your symptoms into account on all levels. You may want to read some of my other blog postings if you’re interested in learning more about your gut and the important function it plays in our bodies as a so-called “second brain.”
What Do You Feel in the Pit of Your Stomach?
Do you ever wonder what it is that people mean when they talk about having a “gut instinct”? It is now widely accepted that your digestive tract functions as a second brain due to the presence of 100 million neurons, which is more than are found in the peripheral nervous system.
In fact, research in the field of science has shown that our gastrointestinal tract responds to circumstances and triggers a physiological reaction in the body before we are even consciously aware of what is happening. Just consider that!
Before you are consciously aware of anything, your gut will communicate with the various systems of your body and instruct them how to react.
Additionally, we are aware that the majority of communications between the intestines and the brain are directed from the intestines to the brain.
This is a very crucial piece of information for our health as it implies that if our gut is not healthy and in balance, then we are going to be sending some signals that are less than happy to our brain.
This knowledge indicates that if our gut is not healthy and in balance, then our health will suffer. Our digestive tract, on the other hand, will be the organ that informs our brain that anything is amiss: “Hey, brain! There’s a problem down here!
Therefore, our gut sense is genuine, potent, and empirically shown to exist. It also plays a key role in determining the emotional and physical states in which we find ourselves.
Anxiety and the Microbiome of the Individual
Because anxiety is so widespread in our modern culture, I consult and practice homeopathy with a great number of patients who are looking for ways to overcome their condition and reduce or eliminate their reliance on pharmaceuticals.
It is quite probable that the health of our gut, in particular its biome, which is comprised of the two kilograms of bacteria that reside there, is playing a key role in many of these situations.
During the first consultation with me, one of my customers shared with me that she has had chronic, extreme anxiety for many years and that she is certain that “it’s coming from a medical condition in her body.” I have a sneaking suspicion that she is correct!
Then, how is it that the microbes in our stomach can produce such severe psychiatric symptoms? The human digestive tract is responsible for the production of 90% of the important neurotransmitter serotonin.
Therefore, if the bacteria in the gut are out of whack or there aren’t enough of them and they can’t make it, our levels of serotonin are going to be off to begin with.
It has been demonstrated that people who suffer from anxiety and depression have comparable characteristics. These characteristics include the following:
- Increased degrees of inflammation in the body
- Reduced amounts of the growth hormone BDNF are found in the brain.
- Increased levels of the stress hormone cortisol are indicative of an exaggerated stress reaction.
- Heightened intestinal permeability (unfavorable in every way)
Dr. David Pearmutter, author of the book “Brain Maker,” asserts the following in his work:
It is becoming obvious that anxiety disorders as well as sadness are caused by a mix of variables that most surely involve the health and function of the gut and the residents of the gut.
When I am treating anxious or depressed patients, I always obtain a detailed medical history with an emphasis on the health of their stomach.
It is really essential to have a healthy gut if we want to have a good emotional state, and both the emotional and physical symptoms need to be carefully addressed in order to have a good emotional state.
I actively seek out indicators of gut imbalance because it is quite important to have a healthy gut. If you would like to be treated for depression or anxiety, it is important that you book an appointment with a practitioner who has the training and expertise necessary to take a holistic approach to a problem that, at first glance, may seem to be just a psychological one.
