A Personalized Vitamin Approach to Anxiety and Depression

Ever feel like you are lost in the vitamin aisles? You are not alone. Millions of Americans visit those overcrowded vitamin aisles and experience massive confusion around the selections that would be right for them. Many people with anxiety or depression never find a vitamin formula that would benefit them. However, the emergence of personalized vitamin brands has taken some of the guesswork out of the process and helped certain consumers discover their optimal vitamin blend. These services involve a personalized vitamin assessment that looks at attributes like anxiety and depression to determine the right formula for the individual. These solutions like to match the right mix of nutrients and proper dosing levels with individualized needs.

These symptoms of anxiety and/or depression are some of the most common we hear about in our practices. It is of course very common for many people to have times in their lives when they feel particularly anxious or down in the dumps and depressed. There is a range in severity of these symptoms and accordingly there is a range in the type of treatment needed to address them. This is by no means an attempt to provide a comprehensive approach to mental health issues; rather, it is a discussion of how vitamins may be a part of that conversation. However, to contextualize vitamins’ role properly, let’s first discuss how anxiety and depression are typically treated in the United States today.

It goes without saying that severe forms of anxiety and depression, and any indication of wanting to harm oneself or others, are matters that should be addressed by a qualified health-care professional. 

We focus on ways in which vitamins may play a role in treating some of these symptoms, either as stand-alone solutions or, more often, as a part of a comprehensive plan that may include prescription medication, lifestyle interventions, and a therapy component. Anxiety and depression so often go hand in hand. While in some ways these conditions’ symptoms represent opposite ends of the spectrum (anxiety = more wired and hyper; depressed = more lethargic and low energy), there is still a great deal of overlap. In other words, many people experience both either simultaneously or intermittently; therefore, the treatments also have some overlap and some distinctions. Many prescription medications are co-indicated for both anxiety and depression, while others are not. Likewise, many supplements have been recommended for use in both conditions, but some are more specific to those with anxiety-type symptoms, while others are more geared toward depression. In our discussion, we will talk about both anxiety and depression separately and will include the different vitamins useful for each condition. There is some overlap, but we feel it’s important to discuss each vitamin as it relates to the specific symptoms.

Find a personalized vitamin brand that you can trust with medical doctors involved in the process. Be sure to always consult your physician on these matters and ensure the personalized vitamin that you rate taking fits seamlessly with the rest of your care. Be diligent and you can experience better mental health through proper nutritional support.