The Anxious Anxiety of GAD and Medical Cannabis

By Dr. Miguel J. De Puigdorfila, DOM

“Snap out of it, get it together.”- are common ‘friendly recommendations’ when we suffer anxiety. –“Seriously!? That’s your best?!”

From Greek ánkhõ, ‘to choke’, anxiety comes from Latin anxietãs, and anxius; synonyms to distressed, disquieted, troubled.

Anxiety is the autonomous sympathetic nervous system (ASNS) response to perceived or real threats. These are physical, emotional and/or environmental. Adrenaline is secreted for ‘fight or flight’: tachycardia, tachypnea, muscle tension, muscle blood concentration, etc. Once the threat ends, the parasympathetic system (PNS) relaxes back to ‘rest and ruminate’.

When Anxiety becomes permanent -no ‘rest-ruminate’, the unending “waiting for the other shoe to drop” ensues. That is General Anxiety Disorder (GAD); a physiological-neurological condition, NOT something whence one snaps out. It’s a domino of endocrine issues. 6.8 million Americans suffer from Anxiety and 40 M from GAD.

The sympathetic and parasympathetic phases are the gas and brake pedals. Try and push the gas and the brake at the same time: we crave sleep but can’t, we get hungry but food repulses, “stay with me but leave me alone”. GAD destroys the balance and we get a neurological storm.

GAD signs and symptoms include insomnia, extreme worry, irrational fears, physical stress, GIT-GUT disturbances, PTSD, crippling “wudda/coudda/
shoudda” flashbacks, self-doubt, self-deprecation, compulsive behaviors, etc. Why?

Anxiety’s constant adrenaline affects the cardiorespiratory system: the sinoatrial node: heart volume/rate/pressure, lung connections. It affects the cardio-renal connection: RAAS: renin-angiotensin-aldosterone essential for circulation and fluids. It destroys HCl-a/gastric secretions, we don’t eat and digest properly, our colon doesn’t absorb electrolytes, no stomach/colonic peristalsis, no bowel movements. Then come chime fermentation, chronic constipation, diarrhea, leaky gut and colonic conditions. Electrolyte absorption depletes, nutrition collapses, so thyroid and heart rate/volume/pressure are affected: HBP, hyper/hypothyroidism. Fluid balance is affected: constant micturition, more electrolyte depletion at glomerular level, trophism collapse. Then the pH imbalance: to keep the blood a steady 7.34pH we deplete our bones and muscles from calcium, our metabolism goes hyperacid: musculoskeletal chronic pains: TMJ, joints, inflammations. Such generalized crisis imbalance goes straight against the master gland: the hypothalamus. Mood is ‘done’ (dopamine, serotonin, endorphins, cortisol, pituitary) and we maelstrom into depression. Untreated GAD maelstroms drag into simultaneous depression and panic attacks. In extremis, lunacy and suicide. Why?

There is no vacuum in the subconscious. Mind-body medicine states that whenever there is a neurological secretion, our subconscious will identify a library catalogue of concomitant thoughts/emotions/memories. Stress secretions will bring stressful thoughts/memories hurtling us into the maelstrom. Maelstrom memories will endure as long as secretions endure.

Talk therapy doesn’t help. Every time we ‘tell’ we resuscitate trauma reactivating secretions. In one week, it’s an amino acid; in 3 weeks it’s a transmissible gene: GAD becomes a programmed tissular Pavlovian response.

Traditional Chinese medicine (TMC) does not separate mind and body. We are multidimensional and multifaceted. I don’t cease to be a son when I become a father. I’m all at the same time, depending on time and function. The Liver system manages anger, resentment, frustration, but also goals, performance, foresight, blood movement and some endocrine secretions. The Kidney manages fear, fright, shock, also the genitourinary, energy levels and connects to the Heart. Spleen is pensiveness, rumination and obfuscation, also digestion, blood and lymph. The cycle always goes back to the Heart.

5000 years of ongoing TCM clinical experience give us the body relay with 2500 points, 2000 herbs and formulas addressing all imbalances. By going to the higher aspects of Mind, housed in the several body organ systems dynamics, we enter the GAD vicious maelstrom at any point and stop the spinning. Known as huomá, TCM has used hemp and cannabis for millennia. It relaxes the adrenals so the hypothalamus can rebalance the metabolism. It uses similar neuro-pathways and endocannabinoids.

Pills and herbs will help for a while. We do not cure a miner from Black Lung Disease only to send him back down. With GAD, combining endocannabinoids and acupuncture, we must strengthen patients to, in as much as possible, change and face their exterior environment (Feng Shui), and glandular metabolism. When a good movie ends, we disconnect from its projection. In TCM we disconnect the trauma projection from the patient by stopping the spinning maelstrom and deprogramming the gene tissues.

Easy? No. Effective? Yes. Satisfactory? Indeed. Changes in patients are visible: complexion, voice, skin perfusion; we hear words of gratitude: “Thanks doctor, I FEEL fine”.

Good; “I am my brother’s keeper”.

The Author, is a FL and NM licensed Doctor of Oriental Medicine, Master in Naturopathy, Master Feng Shui, Board Certified Iridologist, with practice by appointment at

Miracle Leaf

13271 N US HWY 13721 US Hwy 441, Unit 2, Lady Lake FL 32159; 352-254-5544;
505- 900-1476; mjpedom009@yahoo.com
www.100physiciansmedicine.com

Source:
1 Anxiety and Depression Association of America:
www.adaa.org

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