Keywords
Anxiety; Mental illness; GAD; COVID-19.
Abstract
Background: Mood disorders including anxiety are complex and multifactorial. Lifestyle changes caused by job-related or social stress can impact the severity of anxiety and overall quality of life. Currently, prescription drugs are the first course of treatment to manage anxiety disorders. While lifestyle interventions for anxiety treatment have demonstrated positive outcomes, the impact of personalized nutrition therapies is not as well documented in clinical care. In large part this is because Nutritional Psychiatry is a nascent field with few active clinical practices worldwide.
Case Description: A 32 year-old Asian American female presented with new onset anxiety and sought urgent medication management. Upon obtaining a comprehensive medical and psychiatric history, nutritional therapy and counseling was offered as a first line of care. A personalized nutritional psychiatry plan along with lifestyle intervention was created to include lower alcohol consumption, meal planning and healthy snacking, as well as sleep regulation.
Conclusion: This case report demonstrated the use of targeted nutritional psychiatry interventions in a consumer who did not need a pharmaceutical as the first line of therapy resulting in a marked improvement in the anxiety symptoms. It highlights that a comprehensive integrative and holistic approach may be a beneficial option for individuals with GAD.
Citation
Tholla TS, Naidoo U (2024) Managing Anxiety through Nutritional and Lifestyle Psychiatry: A Case Report. SM J Nutr Metab 8: 3.