If anxiety is caused by lack or serotonin

[miniminx]

If anxiety is caused by lack or serotonin and by neuro transmitters in the brain etc, how can we change that, when its caused chemically? surely only medication can change that imbalance?

[Pipkin]

I think chemical imbalances are just one of many theories and there are lots of other contributing factors. There are things we can do apart from medication.

Keeping fit, getting plenty of exercise, eating healthily, drinking plenty of water etc. All these can help to alleviate anxiety.

Different things for different people, I guess.

Pip x

[Tero]

It's a bit more complicated. But I think serotonin is just a messenger. There are complex interactions of several chemicals.

Dietary serotonin has little effect. The drugs bind where seotonin binds.

[JaneC]

I don't think any of us really knows whether the serotonin theory is valid but here's something I was thinking about:

I was on Prozac for about six years and never had a panic attack. I still didn't feel quite right though so the psychiatrist I was seeing switched me to something else, an NRI, which doesn't act on serotonin.

The panic attacks came back and I ended up on a tricyclic. It did act on serotonin but I was never able to take more than a small dose and while it did work for a bit, the PAs came back.

Several years on, I'm back on Prozac and - no PAs. People might suggest the placebo effect is at work but it took me months to get settled on Prozac this time and I had some horrendous PAs on the way, to the point that it was very hard to keep faith with it.

I'm not suggesting we give up on other things, looking after ourselves with diet, exercise, CBT etc - that's very important too.

But maybe some of us really do have that chemical problem.