On college campuses, at dance clubs and private parties across the country, predator drugs are used to make women and men sexually vulnerable and open to rape. This article focuses on three drugs threatening personal safety:

• Rohypnol (Roofies, Rope, Ruffies, R2, Ruffles, Roche, Forget-pill)
• Gamma Hydroxy Butyrate (GHB, Liquid Extacy, Liquid X, Scoop, Easy Lay)
• Ketamine Hydrochloride ('K', Special K, Vitamin K, Ket)

Rohypnol

It is a potent tranquilizer which produces a sedative effect, amnesia, muscle relaxation, and slowing of psychomotor response. The pill is distributed in 0.5,1.0 to 2.0 milligram form (Restrictions have been placed on the 2.0 mg form). It is colorless, odorless, and tasteless and dissolves without leaving any traces. It takes effect approximately 10 - 20 minutes after ingestion. Rohypnol can be added to any liquid (effect lasting 2-8 hours) but when added to alcohol it produces disinhibition and amnesia (effect lasting 8 - 24 hours). Rohypnol can be detected in the blood for 24 hours and in the urine for 48 hours. Some individuals use Rohypnol as an alcohol extender for a rapid and dramatic high. This is something to watch for in social settings if individuals seem extremely intoxicated after consuming only a small amount of alcohol. Hoffman-La Roche changed the formula so trace particles or a color would appear when Rohypnol is dissolved.

Street Names: Roofies, Rope, Ruffies, R2, Ruffles, Roche, Forget-pill.

GHB

It is an odorless, colorless, liquid depressant with anesthetic qualities. It is also used as an amino acid by bodybuilders. GHB is usually distributed as a sodium salt in powder or tablet form commonly dissolved in water. This drug gives a feeling of relaxation, tranquility, sensuality, and loss off inhibitions (especially for women). The drug takes effect 10 - 15 minutes after ingestion and lasts 2 - 3 hours unless combined with alcohol, where effect may last 20 - 30 hours. Large doses can induce sudden sleep within 5 - 10 minutes.

Street Names:: Liquid Extacy, Liquid X, Scoop, Easy Lay.

Ketamine

Street Names: 'K', Special K, Vitamin K, Ket.

HOW TO PROTECT YOURSELF:

• Don't drink anything out of a punch bowl..
• Monitor the behavior of friends who seem more intoxicated than the amount of alcohol would warrant.
• Never accept a drink from someone you don't know and trust.
• If you hear someone "kidding" about date rape drugs, pay attention. That should be a warning to leave that party or individual.

If a rape victim suspects he/she has been drugged, he/she should request a drug screen immediately as traces of some date rape drugs disappear from the body within a few hours.

"Hormones that pour through the body help promote health and healing."

Sex is a much broader concept that genital connecting or having an orgasm. Psychologist and author Gina Ogden, Ph.D. notes in her book, "Women Who Love Sex", that sex has everything to do with openness, connection to and bonding with a partner, feelings about what is happening to us, and memories. For those who love it, sex permeates their lives and is not merely a specialized, time-intensive, physical activity that takes place under the covers--as quickly as possible.

As a result of interviewing many women, Dr. Ogden learned that sexual desire, or lust, was produced by much more than physical stimulation. For women, according to Dr.Ogden, it has more to do with feelings of connectedness in their relationships: "Heart to heart, soul to soul, even mind to mind."

"For women, it has to do with feelings of connectedness in their relationships."

When discussing sexual connecting, Dr. Ogden's interviewees spoke of a FLOWING CONTINUUM OF PLEASURE, ORGASM, AND ECSTASY, rather than a one-time experience. They also described peak sexual experiences as coming from stimulation all over their bodies--not just from their genitals--including fingers, toes, hips, lips, neck, and earlobes.

Obviously, arousal and satisfaction evolve not only from receiving sexual energy but also from the joy of stimulating one's partner. Sex, then, is a commitment to give and take.

Finally, the women Dr. Ogden studied have their own concepts of safe sex, essential to experiencing sexual pleasure and ecstasy. This kind of safe sex does NOT relate to preventing STDs or pregnancy; it relates, instead, to emotional and spiritual safety. Such safety is CRUCIAL for sexual closeness. Most of the women insisted that warm, loving connections with themselves and with their partners were essential to and inseparable from the experience of sexual ecstasy.

When people feel deeply close while merely holding hands, they are having sex. When people display caring for each other through hugs, caresses, and kissing, they are also having sex. When connecting people in a crowded room wink at each other in their own secret way, they are communicating sex to each other; such non-contact sex can be excitedly arousing and emotionally fulfilling. And, of course, during sexual union when the sky seems to open so a lightning bolt can strike the couple--while fireworks ignite and the earth stops spinning-- this is sex, too.

But wait. Do men also need this almost spiritual connection to enjoy sex and achieve good health? Well, yes and no. Men need sex and men need emotional connection, but many men don't necessarily need to put the two together!

According to Dr. Bernie Zilbergelt, who wrote The New Male Sexuality, sex for women is intertwined with personal connection. For some men, sex is unto itself--an act to be engaged in with or without love, with or without commitment, with or without connection.

Presently, younger boys are being socialized in a more enlightened manner; consequently, male attitudes toward sexual union are changing. But, unfortunately, the socialization of many men born in or before the '60s provided very little information of value to the formation and maintenance of intimate relationships. These men were taught, as youths, that males showed love by doing, not by talking or "connecting" with girls.

"Fortunately, anyone can...restore closeness, intimacy, and sexual flow."

Older men were usually also socialized to be strong and self-reliant, which usually means one doesn't easily talk about or admit personal problems. Many such men do not acknowledge worries and fears to their partners; they simply try to handle everything on their own.

A consequence of such reticence is (1) lack of intimacy in the relationship, with the wife feeling "left out" of her husband's life; and (2) men often don't get what they need because they don't know how to ask for it, so they feel distanced and frustrated when they really want closeness and intimacy as much as their partner does.

Sex under these conditions creates distance in the relationship or creates sexual dysfunction which drives an even deeper wedge into the relationship. This is especially true if a man is married to a woman must be wanted by her husband to have her sexuality validated.

Consequently, sex routinely becomes mechanical, unfeeling, and unfulfilling. Fortunately, anyone can break this vicious cycle and restore closeness, intimacy, and sexual flow in the relationship.

Author Anthony Fiore, Ph.D. , is in private practice, teaches sex therapy, and owns September Products, a multimedia resource center to enhance relationships and improve sexuality.

Learn the skills that lead to better and more intimate relationships.

People who successfully build intimate relationships with friends and/or a significant other knows of the benefits a healthy relationship can provide in an individual's life:

• Mortality rates for people with strong supportive ties are two to five times lower than people with limited or no relationships.
• The incidence of terminal cancer is higher among isolated people than those with close emotional ties.
• The rates of mental hospitalizations are five to ten times greater for patients who report few or no relationships compared to other patients.

Practicing some of the following skills can foster closeness with others:

1. BE YOURSELF. Don't try to relate to others by acting like you think they would want/expect you to. Being real from the start gives each person a chance to see if they can be comfortable with each other's beliefs, interests, looks, and lifestyle.
2. COMMUNICATE BETTER. This is an essential skill in a good relationship of any type.
   • Use "I" statements when talking to others about your thoughts or feelings. This promotes ownership of what you are saying, which establishes a strong, direct position.
   • Self disclose at a slow, but steady rate. This is the art of sharing your private thoughts and feelings with people you trust. Revealing too much too soon can cause the speaker to feel overly vulnerable and the listener to feel uncomfortable and obligated to reciprocate. Take your time. You can increase your rate of sharing as you get to know the person better.
   • Ask for what you need/want. Others cannot read your mind, so limit your expectation that the other person should be able to guess what you prefer out of their affection for you. The best chance of receiving what you want is to speak up and ask for it!
   • Check out your assumptions. You are no mind reader either. Misunderstandings can arise from acting on what you guess your friend/partner wants.
   • Give both of you permission to peacefully refuse each other's requests at times.
3. RESOLVE CONFLICTS. Take the relationship from MY WAY/YOUR WAY to OUR WAY through negotiation and compromise. Start the problem solving by listening to and respecting each other's point of view. Conflicts are more easily addressed when both people participate in the solution, instead of one person dominating the decision making process. Aim for a balance of power.
4. RECIPROCATE. Give equal importance to the feelings, interests, and needs of each person in the relationship. Develop the skill of both giving and receiving emotional support.
5. ENJOY EACH OTHER! Let good humor and fun together be a part of your regular schedule.

Source: Information provided by the University of Texas at Dallas Student Counseling Center

Social interaction is enhanced rather than diminished by online interfaces, according to new research on the virtual program Second Life.

Eryn Grant, a Ph.D. student at Queensland University of Technology's School of Humanities, recently completed a study which took an in-depth look at social order in emergent online environments.

In doing so, she said she had immersed herself inside the 'game' Second Life, an online social interface that allows people to interact socially and economically in a 3D virtual space.

"I wanted to see how you go about being a functional member of Second Life, what the rules and norms were, and how they were put into place, and I did that by analyzing conversations," she said.

People on Second Life communicate through their avatars using textual chat-like features and can meet at dance clubs, join groups with common interests and have philosophical discussions about their virtual world.

"There are not many places we go in the world where we are guaranteed social contact, in real life, it is harder and less likely that you will go up to a stranger and start a conversation," said Ms. Grant.

She said a major finding was that Second Life could act as an important tool in connecting strangers by making it easier for people to find a world in common.

Ms. Grant said she did not share the worry of some that increased online interaction would detract from traditional social skills. "One major thing which I found was that you cannot have this intense kind of web-based interface without real-life tools - if you can't communicate to someone in real life, you won't be able to do it online," she said.

"You have to be able to go into these settings and perform according to the social rules, which you need to have learned in real life.

"I think this is where the world is heading; when you look at social interfaces, people are able to have quick and easy connections on platforms like Myspace, Facebook and Second Life. I think this is telling us we need to be and that we love to be social.

"The research ended on a positive note demonstrating our social and communication skills are changing, but they are not being eroded.

"I think it is like an extension of who we are as social beings, you go to work, see your family and log on to either Second Life, Facebook, Myspace and it is just about reaching out even more - who doesn't want to feel connected after all?"

Source: Queensland University of Technology (2008, July 21). Second Life Improves Real-life Social Skills.

What does it mean to open up to others and how do you accomplish that?

The word "open" is used a lot. Many of us first heard it when we were very small and someone was hovering over us with a spoonful of strained food in their hand and urging us to open up wider. Over the years, you've probably heard others say "open up." Open your heart, open your mind. It's used in many, many ways.

Most people would like to be more open than they are right now. We know it feels good to share with others. It's really a nice feeling to get things off our chest, to get them out in the open. We sometimes use our friends and families for this purpose. If feels good to talk to somebody about things we're concerned about. It's good to be able to trust somebody.

The Meaning of "Opening Up"

What do we really mean by becoming open? Trying to talk about yourself in such a way that something of the inner person, that is you, is communicated to others might be one way of being open or at least thinking about being open. That inner person is a complex person who has a variety of thoughts and feelings. So, wanting to share with other people these inner feelings and these inner thoughts is one way of becoming open.

Being open is a kind of invitation to others. What you share about yourself should encourage others to come in, so to speak, and make contact with you. To involve themselves with you. Being open is difficult. It makes us feel vulnerable, psychologically naked and usually anxious. But it also is important in terms of really letting others get to understand how we think, how we feel and what we believe.

Being Open with Others Isn't Easy

We often hide our inner thoughts and feelings because we're concerned if they'll be accepted by other people. But we also shut out other people from knowing and accepting us by not being open. By not being open with others, we're really saying we don't fully accept ourselves. We're denying ourselves that chance to speak out, to declare our inner thoughts and feelings.

It's up to you to decide just how you're going to talk about yourself and what you're going to say. Telling somebody where you bought that new pair of shoes might be one way of being open. However, it might be more meaningful to share why clothes are important to you. What is it about those pair of shoes that is important to you? Another example might be to say that work or your relationship is terrible, it's horrendous. However, it's more important to share why you're saying that about work or your relationship. That puts the conversation on a little deeper level.

There are risks attached to sharing that information. Most important is an immediate here-and-now honesty that goes along with being open. For instance, sometimes when a person resents someone, they still smile and pretend they're happy. It would be more honest and open to share resentment openly with the person and that way the situation and your feelings can be changed. On the other hand, you have to be prepared for the other person's reaction. And when you are open and honest about negative feelings, it also makes you responsible for suggesting alternatives to change those feelings.

You have the power to change things by being open and sharing things. Keep in mind also that being completely open with everyone in every situation may be very inappropriate. You may want to be more open with your spouse or close friends, but not with your boss or people you don't know as well. You may choose not to be open with people you don't fully trust because to be open is to share vulnerable information about yourself. And if you don't fully trust how someone else will use that information about you, you may choose not to share it. Also, some people may be very uncomfortable with too much openness and you may not want to be as open with them.

Openness is making your outer world as similar to your inner world as possible. When you're feeling jealous, happy, anxious or sad why not share with other people what you're really feeling. We call this being congruent. That is letting what shows, your expression, frown, words represent what you actually feel and think. That takes hard work and a lot of honesty. (Again a reminder of caution about being open and sometimes being too open. In the name of being open we say everything we feel or think to others, but fail to be sensitive to others feelings about our openness. We may make them feel very uncomfortable or say something that hurts them. Being open also carries a responsibility with it and that is to be aware of others reactions to us and to respect their reactions. This may mean not disclosing everything with some people out of respect for their feelings.

What does it mean to open up to others and how do you accomplish that?

Being Open is a Two-Way Street

Becoming open also means becoming open to what others are saying and sharing about themselves. Learning to be a good listener. An example is someone talking about doing badly on a test. Try to be open to what that person is sharing about their feelings. Be sensitive to their feelings. Understand its importance to them and their trusting you with this feeling or thought. Trust will be very important for you also in what you're willing to be open about. By building mutual trust, you and your listener will share a great deal more. So be sensitive to others and try to be open and receptive to what they're sharing with you. By being sensitive to others, you'll avoid making three common errors.

1. You will not share your feelings or thoughts too quickly and thereby push your listener away.
2. You will not bore your audience.
3. You will not have someone listen to you too long, without giving them hints about the kind of listener you want them to be.

Here are 5 ways for you to be more open.

1. Make your outside behavior the same or congruent with your inside feelings and thoughts.
2. Focus on feelings. It's usually easier to share opinions or thoughts about something. Everybody has an opinion. It's harder to share feelings. Be in touch with how you feel. Share openly the feelings as much as you can. Some feelings cover or come from other feelings. Anger may come from hurt. We might find it easier to show the anger. However, if we work really hard and try to understand the hurt, if we share the hurt and are open about the hurt, we are actually being more open at a deeper level.
3. Try to change your questions into statements. Sometimes, we have an attitude or feeling about something and we're afraid to share it, we're afraid to be open. Instead, we ask a question. For instance, we might say "do you love me?", when instead we want to say I love you. Change your questions into statements you can make about yourself.
4. Communicate in the first person. Begin sentences with "I" instead of "you". You might say, " I feel happy that you're here," instead of asking, "Are you glad that you're here?"
5. Try not to say, "I don't know." This generally means I don't want to think about it anymore. You're probably getting to a level of being open that makes you anxious. Decide what it is and whether you can really trust it with the other person or persons.

Keep in mind that some ways of being open are more appropriate and helpful than others. For instance, when you're angry, there's a difference between throwing a book across the room and talking out your feelings. Both are certainly ways of being open about anger. However, if other people are with you, talking to them about your anger is probably easier for them than ducking from a book you just threw towards them.

Finally, the extent to which others are open with you will depend on how open you are with them. Many people discover that as a relationship develops, openness is reciprocated and the relationship becomes more meaningful. When we stay open to learning, new experiences open up for us. Perhaps the same can happen to you.

Schizoaffective disorder is a mental illness in which symptoms of schizophrenia and symptoms of a mood disorder are present. Just as there is more than one type of mood disorder, there is accordingly more than one type of schizoaffective disorder.

The types of schizoaffective disorder include bipolar type and depressive type. These are more than just ways to describe the illness. The type is specified when the diagnosis is given: someone receives an official diagnosis of either schizoaffective disorder bipolar type or schizoaffective disorder depressive type.

The bipolar type involves at least one manic episode. If someone with schizoaffective disorder has ever experienced mania, then he has the bipolar type. His mood symptoms might only be manic, or he may also experience periods of depression. Either way, his schizoaffective disorder is bipolar type.

The depressive type of schizoaffective disorder is diagnosed if the mood symptoms are only related to depression. Schizoaffective disorder depressive type can involve any symptoms of depression, but the symptom that must be present is a persistent low mood.

With either type of schizoaffective disorder, mood symptoms must be present for the majority of the illness. Other than a period of time that lasts at least two weeks during which the person experiences psychotic symptoms but not mood symptoms, the mania or depression must be persistent during the illness.

Schizoaffective Disorder, Either Type

Schizoaffective disorder does include mood symptoms, but it’s important to remember that mood isn’t the only component of this illness. Schizoaffective disorder is categorized as a psychotic disorder.

Regardless of which type someone experiences, she will also have the psychotic symptoms of schizophrenia. These are

• Delusions
• Hallucinations
• Disorganized speech (speech that is easily derailed or is incoherent)
• Grossly disorganized or catatonic behavior
• Negative symptoms (flat expressions, loss of pleasure/anhedonia, lack of motivation/avolition, and other experiences that are “taken away” from the person)

Depending on the type of schizoaffective disorder, someone will also experience the symptoms of bipolar disorder or the symptoms of major depressive disorder.

Schizoaffective Disorder Bipolar Type

To be diagnosed with the bipolar type, someone must experience at least one period of mania. Schizoaffective disorder bipolar type symptoms include:

• Excessively elevated, happy, excited, euphoric mood
• Expansive mood in which she is very talkative and overly enthusiastic
• Talking with excessive emphasis on certain
• Persistent irritability and even anger, especially when someone interferes in his plans
• Grandiosity, an inflated sense of self-importance and self-esteem
• Unrealistic belief in her abilities, to the point of delusion
• Acting on the delusions of grandeur
• Decreased need for sleep
• Racing thoughts and pressured expression of those thoughts (and others have difficulty understanding him)
• Extreme distractibility so that the slightest thing derails her
• An increase in goal-directed activity, involving hyper-focus despite distractibility
• Risk-taking behaviors, especially spending money, substance use, and/or sexual promiscuity

Symptoms of schizoaffective disorder bipolar type can also involve depressive symptoms, but to be bipolar type, symptoms must include the symptoms of mania.

Schizoaffective Disorder Depressive Type

When someone has psychotic symptoms and depressive symptoms without an episode of mania, she will be diagnosed with the depressive type of schizoaffective disorder. The schizoaffective disorder depressive type symptoms include these mood symptoms:

• Low mood most of the day, nearly every day
• Lost of interest in activities once enjoyed
• Decreased ability to feel pleasure
• Sense of hopelessness
• The feeling that life has no meaning
• An inappropriate sense of guilt (feeling responsible for things that are out of his control)
• Feeling unlovable and unworthy
• Reduced activity
• Lethargy
• Slow movement
• Fatigue and loss of energy
• Sleeping problems (sleeping too much or too little)
• Change in appetite and weight
• Difficulty concentration and making even small decisions

A key element in the depressive type of schizoaffective disorder is low mood. To receive this diagnosis, someone must have a pervasive depressed mood. In schizophrenia, loss of interest and pleasure and other experiences are part of the negative symptoms that define the illness. Therefore, to be schizoaffective disorder depressive type, these symptoms aren’t enough. Someone’s mood must be consistently depressed.

The two types of schizoaffective disorder—bipolar type and depressive types—are part of someone’s diagnosis because knowing the type and the symptoms that go with it help determine what treatments and schizoaffective disorder medications are likely to work best. Just as bipolar disorder and major depressive disorder are managed differently, so too are the different types of schizoaffective disorder.

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Signs you should be concerned about relationship violence, date rape or abuse and your personal safety.

Pay Attention to Cues When You Are Getting to Know Someone

Be careful if your date or boyfriend

• Tells you who you may be friends with, how you should dress, or tries to control other elements of your life or relationship.
• Gets jealous when there is no reason.
• Drinks heavily, uses drugs, or tries to get you drunk.
• Berates you for not wanting to get drunk, get high, have sex, or go with him/her to an isolated or personal place.
• Refuses to let you share any of the expenses of a date and gets angry when you offer to pay.
• Is physically violent to you or others, even if it's "just" grabbing and pushing to get his/her way.
• Acts in an intimidating way toward you by invading your "personal space" (sits too close, speaks as if he/she knows you much better than he/she does, touches you when you tell him/her not to).
• Is unable to handle sexual and emotional frustrations without becoming angry.
• Does not view you as an equal--because he/she is older or sees him/herself as smarter or socially superior.
• A man who thinks poorly of himself and guards his masculinity by acting tough.
• Goes through extreme mood changes (highs & lows).
• Is angry and threatening to the extent that you have changed your life so as not to anger him/her.

Be aware of your surroundings at all times and don't put yourself in a position of being alone with someone you are afraid of. If you are concerned about your personal safety, tell someone nearby or get help immediately.

Anxiety is a very real part of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and is typically brought on by triggers such as anniversaries of traumatic occurrences or experiencing similar scenarios or feelings as occurred during the traumatic event. Sometimes you may know when you’ll be dealing with potential PTSD triggers, but other times triggers, and therefore the PTSD anxiety, can come on unexpectedly. Read on for ideas on how to deal with PTSD and anxiety triggers.

How to Cope with PTSD Anxiety from Unexpected Triggers

You can’t always know when you’re going to face triggers, so it’s a good idea to have a toolkit of strategies to deal with PTSD anxiety for whenever and wherever it may occur. The toolkit doesn’t have to be full of overly-complicated practices, but rather fill it with things that you either think will work for you or know will work for you based on having done it before. Here are some strategies to consider.

1. Ground yourself. Grounding yourself means bringing yourself out of the panicked and anxious thoughts and back to the concrete world. This can be done with simple tasks such as counting or naming objects you can see or moving your body. These types of activities force your brain to change its focus and bring you out of the triggered thought process.
2. Use your phone. Apps that help calm you down or even ones geared specifically toward PTSD, such as PTSD Coach, are great additions to your toolbox, especially since most of us have smartphones and take them with us everywhere. Coloring apps and journaling apps can also be helpful in relieving your PTSD anxiety.
3. Reach out to your support system. Your PTSD support team is comprised of people you can lean on when you need help coping with PTSD-related anxiety; whether they’re physically there or not. You can reach out by sending a quick text or making a phone call. If one is present with you, ask them to go for a walk with you.
4. Use mindfulness. Mindfulness is a technique that calms your thoughts by requiring you to focus on the present and what you are doing or experiencing in the present moment. Instead of running away from the experience, mindfulness teaches you to cope with it as its happening.

How to Cope with PTSD-related Anxiety and Expected Triggers

There are times you will be going into situations where you know there may be triggers that cause PTSD anxiety. The above tips are definitely still applicable to these situations, and something else you can consider is planning for what may happen.

This can be tricky since anxiety has a knack for spinning the “what ifs” out of control, so keep it simple. You know what triggers may occur, so plan for those specific triggers and how you can deal with them, whether it’s using grounding techniques or pulling out your phone to use an app.

You can also reach out to your support network for help in these scenarios. Perhaps someone from your support group can come with you or you can reach out to them before, during, or after to manage and deal with the PTSD-related anxiety you’re feeling.

Both PTSD and anxiety, separately, can contribute to feelings of helplessness. So when coupling the two together, it can feel insurmountable. However, using the above PTSD self-help tips can make a positive difference in how you cope with PTSD anxiety and help you to not get stuck in those feelings.

Foods can help anxiety, and foods can hurt anxiety. What we eat directly impacts our body, brain, and even biochemistry. It makes sense, then, given that anxiety has biological components, nutrition plays a vital role in anxiety. Decades of research has consistently shown that some foods help with anxiety and a sense of calm while other foods can cause, or at least contribute to, anxiety and stress (Bourne, 2010).

Our being functions as a whole unit. Especially in the Western world, we often think in terms of “body,” “mind,” and “spirit” as separate entities. However, in reality, we are one system functioning together. What we eat affects how we feel, which in turn influences how our mind perceives the world and how it thinks. Thoughts impact mood, which also affects thoughts; together, these influence what we eat. Food does both help and hurt anxiety in many ways.

It’s encouraging that food can have a direct impact on anxiety. What we eat is in our control. We are in charge of what we eat and how we eat it; thus, we can not only avoid aggravating anxiety but actually reduce it with food.

Foods That Reduce Anxiety and Stress

Certain foods have the power to reduce anxiety and feelings of stress in many ways. Different foods offer a variety of benefits. General ways that foods help with anxiety include:

• protecting the nervous system to ensure healthy functioning,
• calming the brain in ways that mimic meditation,
• increasing serotonin to induce relaxation,
• inducing muscle relaxation,
• providing tranquilizing effects similar to the prescription sedative Ativan but without side effects,
• soothing the digestive system, which is often aggravated by stress and anxiety,
• counteracting excess cortisol, one of the hormones implicated in anxiety and stress.

Collectively, the foods on this list are some of the best foods to reduce anxiety and the feelings of stress:

• vegetables in general (celery, lettuce, green beans, asparagus, artichokes, beets, onion, leeks, garlic in particular),
• fruits (especially citrus, peaches, raspberries, blueberries, bananas),
• potatoes,
• soy
• quinoa
• salt (in small amounts, regulates adrenal gland’s production of cortisol and aldosterone),
• omega-3 fatty acids,
• protein
• complex carbohydrates
• whole grain breads, rice, cereal
• green tea

Foods to Avoid with Anxiety

Food can hurt our experience with anxiety for a variety of reasons. In general, foods can

• spur the body into fight-or-flight mode
• increase the neurotransmitter norepinephrine, the over-production of which causes an unhealthy level of arousal and releases adrenaline (courtesy of caffeine)
• lead to chronic tension, increasing vulnerability to anxiety and panic (caffeine is one of the culprits of chronic tension)
• cause poor blood circulation in the brain
• inhibit the production and/or absorption of neurotransmitters
• stimulate the adrenal glands to create cortisol
• create symptoms in the body that mimic a panic attack

Just as some foods help anxiety, some foods exacerbate it and contribute to the effects of stress. Foods that cause or increase anxiety should be reduced or eliminated from your diet:

• caffeine,
• salt (while some salt helps the adrenal glands, too much depletes the body of potassium, an important nutrient for nervous system functioning)
• saturated fats
• chocolate (because of caffeine and sugar)
• processed foods
• preservatives
• refined sugar
• colas

How You Eat Can Help Anxiety

Perhaps you’ve heard the old statement, “You are what you eat.” When it comes to anxiety and stress, there is wisdom in that statement. There is further wisdom in the statement, “You are how you eat.”

The way we consume our food has been shown to play a role in anxiety and how we experience stress. Methods for eating in a way that reduces anxiety and increases a sense of calm and overall wellness involve:

• grazing, or eating five- to six small meals a day every two- to three hours to keep your blood sugar and stream of nutrients balanced and stable,
• eating breakfast to supply the proper nutrients and prevent your body from feeling starved, which kicks in the fight-or-flight response,
• slowing down rather than eating on the run,
• chewing thoroughly to aid digestion and the proper absorption of nutrients,
• drinking no more than eight ounces with a meal to avoid the dilution of digestive enzymes and stomach acid
• practicing mindful eating, during which you slow down, put work and worries aside, and focus on the experience of eating and the food itself.

Says psychiatrist Ted Dinan of Ireland’s University College Cork, “You can’t have a healthy brain without a healthy gut” (White, 2016).

Food is important in anxiety reduction and stress management. You can make a positive difference in your mental health and wellbeing by being intentional about what you eat and how you eat it.

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