Time to Science the S**t out of this.

Science was never my strong point at school, and I wouldn’t say that it has been something I have been interested in since I left school; so, if you’d told me that I would be enjoying learning about some of the science behind Anxiety, Depression and Addiction, I would have laughed and shrugged it off as nonsense.

“So in the face of overwhelming odds, I’m left with only one option.  I’m going to have to science the s**t out of this.” – The Martian

When I had my first panic attack I honestly believed that something had snapped in my brain (I told you I wasn’t much of a scientist); all I remember was feeling scared and broken.  During the early stages of my illness I had no idea what was going on, all I knew was that the stresses at work were causing it.

My learning started when I attended CBT through the NHS.  My therapist gave me some booklets that contained some really useful information on the basics of what was going on in my head and body, but this information only covered the tip of the iceberg.

I was on Sertraline and Diazapan, and while they helped, I did not feel as though things were getting better; in fact, they were getting worse.

The feeling of being highly anxious all the time made me feel as though the medication wasn’t working and so I started using alcohol as a form of self medication, and that’s when I started struggling with the addiction.

So, now I had another thing to try and deal with.

Fortunately Kim is passionate about natural therapies, and she has an extensive library of books that cover all kinds of subjects so with her support, I started to collect books on dealing with anxiety, depression and addiction (as detailed in my blog ‘Lots of reading to do’).

This is where my journey into the deeper depths of the issues I was dealing with began, along with my growing interest and excitement of learning about the science behind my conditions.

I will be writing loads of blogs on the science behind anxiety, panic, depression and addiction, and how to heal your mind and body.  Don’t worry, I won’t get too technical because it has to be digestible (I do tend to switch off when it gets too technical and unpronounceable words get involved).

Subjects I will cover include:

• Neuroscience
• The Anxiety Neural Pathways
• Re-wiring your Brain
• Nutrition
• ‘Leaky Gut’
• Healthy Digestion
• Supplements
• Problems with Antidepressants & other Medication used to deal with Anxiety, Depression & Addiction.
• Benefits of Exercise
• Benefits of Sleep
• Mindfulness
• Meditation
• Happiness
• Self Love & Compassion
• Gratitude
• The Power of Living in the Present
• Breathing
• Words and Music
• Flow
• Crystals
• Aromatherapy
• CBT
• Play
• Acupuncture
• Connecting with Nature
• Angels & Ascended Masters

Some of these you may feel are not very scientific, but I feel that as they contribute to improving mental health and addiction then there is some science behind them.

Most of the subjects have scientific evidence to back them up, and some do not; nearly all of them have been around for hundreds of years and there are plenty of examples that prove they work.

Some of the subjects will challenge the way you think, and that is exactly what I want to do.  To really change your mental health you need to think outside the box and be an open door to let new ideas in.

If you are suffering from anxiety, panic, depression and addiction then it is a sign telling you that something is not working and needs to change, so what have you got to lose?

Your body and mind are hugely complex but they will heal, if you give them the opportunity to do so.

My eyes have been opened wide, and I hope that by sharing the science then you will see that there is hope and that there are opportunities to recover and grow.

For those of you who are not in the grips of mental health issues or addiction, this is still important information to look at because everyone gets stressed, everyone struggles in some way or another, so I hope that this information will help you to make the small life changes that can make you feel super healthy and ready to tackle any challenges head on.

I have gained enjoyment and relief from my explorations and will continue to do so, and I hope you do to.  My journey is still in it’s infancy.

Thank you, thank you, thank you.