#139 The Anatomy of Anxiety Made Simple | Ellen Vora, M.D.
Dec 20, 2022
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Dr. Ellen Vora, a psychiatrist specializing in anxiety, discusses the anatomy of anxiety and a new approach to treating it. They explore the connection between science and spirituality in addressing anxiety and the role of food, sleep, movement, and psycho-spiritual needs in mental health. The podcast also delves into supporting gut health and understanding anxiety as a catalyst for necessary changes. The power of love and self-compassion in personal growth is highlighted.
Anxiety can be categorized into false anxiety and true anxiety, with false anxiety being caused by imbalances in the physical body due to lifestyle factors and true anxiety serving as a valuable signal that alerts us to something that needs our attention.
Individuals with heightened sensitivity to anxiety should be valued and listened to, as their unique insights and intuitive sense can help identify and address issues that may go unnoticed by others, creating a more compassionate and harmonious society.
Deep dives
Understanding Anxiety as False and True Anxiety
In this podcast episode, Dr. Ellen Vora discusses the anatomy of anxiety. She explains that anxiety can be categorized into false anxiety and true anxiety. False anxiety refers to avoidable anxiety that is caused by imbalances in the physical body due to modern lifestyle factors such as blood sugar instability, caffeine consumption, inflammation, and gut health. To address false anxiety, Dr. Vora suggests making lifestyle changes like stabilizing blood sugar, reducing caffeine intake, improving sleep quality, and supporting gut health. On the other hand, true anxiety is highlighted as a valuable signal that alerts us to something that is out of alignment in our lives, which needs our attention. Dr. Vora emphasizes the importance of listening and honoring true anxiety as it can guide us towards purposeful action and personal growth.
Recognizing the Importance of Individual Differences
Dr. Ellen Vora emphasizes the significance of recognizing and honoring individual differences when it comes to anxiety. She explains that sensitivity to anxiety varies among individuals, and some people may have a stronger intuitive sense or an artistic temperament that allows them to detect imbalances in the world around them. Rather than dismissing sensitive individuals as overly anxious, Dr. Vora encourages understanding and appreciating their unique insights. She suggests that their sensitivity can be seen as a form of superpower, enabling them to identify and address issues that may go unnoticed by others. By valuing and listening to individuals with heightened sensitivity, we can create a more compassionate and harmonious society.
The Impact of Light and Sleep on Anxiety
Dr. Ellen Vora highlights the importance of managing light cues and optimizing sleep for reducing anxiety. She explains that our circadian rhythm, or sleep-wake cycle, is influenced by light, and our modern lifestyle disrupts this natural rhythm. Dr. Vora suggests getting strategic about light exposure, such as getting morning sunlight and avoiding blue spectrum light from electronic devices in the evening. She recommends using blue-light-blocking glasses to mitigate the negative effects of artificial light on melatonin production and sleep quality. By improving sleep hygiene and restoring a healthy sleep-wake cycle, we can significantly reduce anxiety and improve overall mental well-being.
Stress Management through Movement and Gut Health
Dr. Ellen Vora discusses two important aspects of anxiety management: movement and gut health. She highlights the benefits of regular exercise for reducing anxiety and improving mental health. Dr. Vora emphasizes that exercise doesn't have to be rigorous or time-consuming, but rather should be tailored to individual preferences and capabilities. Additionally, she emphasizes the connection between gut health and anxiety, explaining that an unhealthy gut can contribute to anxiety symptoms. Dr. Vora recommends supporting gut health by eliminating irritants like processed foods, incorporating gut-soothing foods like bone broth, and using a squatty potty to promote optimal bowel movements. By addressing movement and gut health, individuals can effectively manage anxiety and improve their overall well-being.
To be human is to experience anxiety. To some extent, our survival requires it. Unfortunately, anxiety can more frequently impede our living more than it helps.
Many times, we try to stuff it away, hoping to deny its existence, which doesn’t really work. As one of the biggest contributors to psychology, Carl Jung, once said, “What we resist persists" …and tends to get worse.”
So, my friends, it’s up to us to deal with this bugger.
While there many ways to deal with it, some are more helpful than others. How can we best attend to our anxiety? What are some simple lifestyle changes we can make that can reduce the negative impact it has on us? And how can we actually listen in to our anxiety to see what it might tell us?
Fortunately, I know just the person to ask these and so many other questions about anxiety! Dr. Ellen Vora (https://ellenvora.com/) is a Columbia University Medical School-educated psychiatrist who works in Manhattan. She’s the author of a book I devoured called The Anatomy of Anxiety about which Publisher’s Weekly said, “Readers struggling with anxiety would do well to seek out this first-rate primer."
I wholly agree. What’s more, Ellen creates a compelling argument that anxiety isn’t merely brain disorder but a whole-body condition and she addresses anxiety through that lens.
So, listen in as Ellen and I look at the Anatomy of Anxiety.
Book Link: https://amzn.to/43SOaw6 This is an affiliate link. It will provide me with a small commission on purchases made through it and help the podcast (but it won’t affect the price you pay).
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