Instinct: The Power to Resolve or Avoid

Pressures of obtaining and protecting their food and the threat of wild animal attacks frequently worried our earliest ancestors. Fearing dangerous animals and strangers, they had to either fight or run when confronted. Today, we have complex webs of fears that unlikely they encountered. We usually don't have to fear wild animal attacks, or fight or run; yet, we still maintain this fight or flight instinct.

Now, when we come face to face with adversity, we use this instinct as a power within us to either resolve or avoid unpleasant situations. If we run from them, we build up pressures that are difficult to release while creating tension and fear within us.

When we stand our ground and confront adversity, we may experience being overwhelmed, but our convictions strengthen us. Fear maintains its hold over us only if we give up. Courage strengthens us and dissolves tensions produced by fear.

When Fear Becomes Overwhelming

Fear preys upon uncertainty. It weakens our determination if we allow our doubts and confusion to surface to the forefront of our minds. Every time we give in to our fears, we lose strength and confidence.

Some people have so little confidence that they compensate for it by never leaving their homes. They may know that their fears and phobias are not rational, yet there is a panic and shaking from within themselves that nothing or no one seems to be able to help.

When fear becomes overwhelming and normal functioning is impossible, drugs or institutionalization is the usual course of help. However, are drugs and institutionalization necessary? Is this the best care available to the person afflicted with panic attacks? Perhaps not.

Nutritional Link to Fear

What appears to be a psychological problem may sometimes be a nutritional imbalance.

Eating refined products that contain artificial additives, preservatives, coloring agents and bleaching agents along with smoking, alcohol, coffee and drug abuse create havoc with the psyche. Toxic substances contribute to symptoms of anxiety, panic attacks, fear, and phobias.

Continued fear and resultant stress on the body can lead to a depletion of the adrenal glands. Stress, by far is the biggest factor of adrenal depletion. A body under severe stress continues to provide adrenaline in response to reflex reactions. Under prolonged, severe, stress, various upsets to the body occur. Adrenal depletion also leads to depletion in immunity to disease.

What to Do?

By cleansing the internal body of toxins through using botanical supplementation and whole food nutrition, the body has the opportunity to heal itself of anxiety related symptoms. By consulting this Food Advisory Chart, you can better determine what may be toxifying your body as well as nutritionally sound substitutions for those food products.

A calm mind helps to maintain a calm body and alleviates stress. It puts us in touch with spirit. Place high regard on pursuits that provide you with calmness and clarity. These pursuits may be in the form of meditation, prayer, exercise, walking in your neighborhood or in nature if possible as well as many other calming activities.

Above all, have no fear. Fear interferes with everything you can do to help yourself to be free from fear.