Do You Have ‘False Anxiety’?

What is true and false anxiety?

Coined by Dr. Ellen Vora in her book ‘The Anatomy of Anxiety’, true and false anxiety are identified as the following:

True anxiety can happen when we’re living in a way that is actually out of alignment with our true self. This anxiety is helping us by sounding the alarm that things need to change.

False anxiety happens when there are things going on in our biology and/or environment that are constantly triggering our stress response (like infections, low blood sugar, nutrient deficiency). It’s no less uncomfortable, but it’s something we can absolutely address with functional medicine.

In this post, I’m going to highlight some of the most common triggers for ‘false anxiety’, because that’s where I spend most of my time supporting my clients. If there’s also a component of true anxiety involved, then we’re only helping the body/mind feel more present and calm by removing this extra layer of false anxiety first. I think of it as going for the lowest-hanging fruit, and working up from there once our moods start improving.

The following are some of the most common causes of ‘false’ anxiety:

1: Undermethylation + High Histamine

Methylation is the process of adding methyl groups to our DNA. Undermethylation can lead to low levels of serotonin and dopamine, as well as high histamine levels. High histamine alone can cause mood issues because it can act as a neurotransmitter in the body. If you’re an ‘undermethylator’, you may experience:

• High histamine symptoms/allergies

• Anxiety

• Perfectionism

• High inner tension

• OCD tendencies

• Perfectionism

• Depression

I assess my clients for methylation by ordering a functional blood test

2: High Copper

Copper is a mineral that is commonly elevated in the body. Copper pipes, birth control and pesticides are all sources. Copper excess can lower dopamine levels and increase stress hormones, which can lead to anxiety and mood disturbances. When copper is high in the tissues, you may experience:

• High estrogen symptoms

• ADHD symptoms

• High adrenaline

• Fatigue

• High anxiety

• White spots on fingernails

• Postpartum depression

• Autism

We check copper/zinc ratios on blood and hair tests in my Regulate + Restore Program

3: Insulin + Blood Sugar Imbalances

Low blood sugar swings create anxiety symptoms by spiking cortisol to raise glucose in the bloodstream- which can happen several times a day- leaving you feeling anxious often. With imbalanced blood sugar you may feel:

• Anxious, especially between meals

• Dizziness

• Mood swings and irritability

• Panic attacks, sometimes waking you up at night

Eating healthy protein and fat with breakfast (within 1 hour of waking) and having regularly-timed smaller meals every 3-4 hours will help steady your blood sugar and regulate your stress hormones.

4: Pyroluria Disorder

Pyroluria disorder is a little-known but common cause of anxiety. It occurs when there is an overproduction of hydroxyhempyrolin (or pyrroles) in the body. This can happen from excess stress or if you’re just genetically prone.

“Pyrroles have a high affinity for binding both zinc and vitamin B6. B6 is necessary for the synthesis of neurotransmitters like serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine, and zinc is needed to produce GABA. In people with pyroluria, the excessive concentration of these rings results in significant deficiencies of zinc and B6...” -Village Green Apothecary

Pyrrole Disorder symptoms:

• Low stress tolerance

• Anxiety and fearfulness

• Inability to tan, or lighter skin tone

• Little to no dream recall

• Premature graying hair

• Severe inner tension + social anxiety

• Autism and depression

I check for this imbalance with a super simple home urine test and assessment questionnaire.

5: Toxin Load

Toxins are seen as a threat to the immune system and can be a big contributor to anxiety. Gut infections, environmental toxins, or even food intolerances can lead to the ‘cell danger response’ getting switched on. Our cells, sensing a threat to safety (like with an infection) will immediately signal to the nervous system to go into the stress or freeze response to help address the issue. This can lead to chronic immune issues or mast cell activation.

Any type of toxin can trigger anxiety and/or low moods in the body. If the cells are in flight or freeze, our body, mind and emotions will be too. A few examples of toxin-based stresses that can contribute to anxiety are:

• Lyme

• Mold

• Gluten, dairy, food dye or other food intolerance

• Viral load and latent viruses

• Heavy metals like aluminum, mercury, arsenic

• Overgrowth of bacteria, yeast, parasites

• Pesticides + Herbicides

I like using GABA + somatic practices to help calm the body right away as we gently address whole-body health. Gentle detoxing may be needed but should always be done slowly and carefully so as not to overwhelm the body with excess toxins.

How to address your own ‘False’ anxiety?

My favorite way to understand my client’s unique anxiety biotype is to use targeted testing and detailed symptom assessments. This way we have customized information on exactly what nutrient therapy is needed to get you feeling better, rather than throwing different supplements/medications at the problem and hoping something sticks (which unfortunately, is often exactly what happens when practitioners are prescribing mood medications.)

And of course, I believe the best place to get started is with the simplest steps. Download my ‘Anti-Anxiety 7-Day Meal Plan to get tips on quickly lowering stress hormones and balancing blood sugar for calmer moods and better energy.

I hope this post has been helpful and empowering for you. Supporting your mood, energy and digestion doesn’t need to be stressful or complicated. There’s always a logical cause for your symptoms. Book your Initial call with me if you’d like to learn how functional medicine and somatic healing can help you feel better quickly and sustainably.

With so much belief in you,

Annika