A Functional Medicine Approach to Anxiety
Anxiety Isn’t All in Your Head: A Functional Medicine Approach
Anxiety can feel like a mental fog, a racing heart, or a sudden sense of dread that seems to come out of nowhere. And while mainstream treatment often focuses on the brain—therapy, medication, mindset—the truth is, your entire body is involved and it's often deeply rooted in your body. In functional medicine, we look beyond symptoms to uncover imbalances that may be fueling anxiety, from nutrient deficiencies to gut dysbiosis and genetic variations. Having worked in general medicine for over a decade before specializing in psychiatry, I am particularly tuned-in to how the body and brain are connected.
If you’ve tried therapy or medication without full relief—or you’re curious about a more holistic approach—this post offers a few basics in the science of anxiety from a functional lens, along with evidence-informed ways to test and support your system.
Reframing Anxiety: A Systems-Level Problem
Anxiety is a symptom, not a diagnosis. It’s a message from the body that something is out of balance. In many cases, that message may be linked to:
Nutrient deficiencies affecting neurotransmitter production
Hormonal shifts, thyroid dysfunction, or vitamin D deficiency
Gut dysbiosis (imbalanced microbiome)
Genetic variations that affect how your brain uses nutrients
Unresolved trauma that keeps our nervous system in a state of “fight or flight” (not exactly functional but how could I not mention it?)
What the Labs Can Tell Us
The first step in a functional approach is to check your biological foundations. Some of the most common contributors to anxiety show up in simple lab tests:
Vitamin B12 – Needed to produce serotonin and dopamine
Vitamin D – An influence on serotonin levels, it is linked to mood regulation and immunity
TSH and thyroid panel – Both hyper- and hypothyroidism can mimic anxiety symptoms
Ferritin and CBC – Iron deficiency can lead to fatigue, irritability, and brain fog
Homocysteine – Elevated levels can suggest methylation issues, impacting neurotransmitter function
All of these are routinely available through standard bloodwork, but they’re often overlooked if anxiety is treated as “just psychological.”
Going Deeper: When Routine Labs Aren’t Enough
Sometimes, standard labs look normal on paper—but symptoms persist. That’s where functional medicine testing comes in. There is no standard prescription for how I test; and I look at each person holistically with a science-based common-sense approach. There’s often a lot we can do before getting into fancy tests but at times they can be incredibly useful.
Take methylation, for example. It’s a biochemical process that affects everything from DNA repair to brain chemistry. If you have a genetic variant like MTHFR, your ability to produce and regulate neurotransmitters (like serotonin, dopamine, GABA) may be compromised.
Another overlooked piece? Pyrrole disorder, also called kryptopyrroluria (KPU). This condition causes your body to lose critical nutrients like zinc and B6—nutrients essential for emotional regulation. People with KPU often report chronic anxiety, sensitivity to stress, and even mood swings that feel hard to explain.
Anxiety Is a Signal, Not a Flaw
This is where functional medicine offers something powerful: a reframe that focuses on root cause, not just symptoms.
Instead of seeing anxiety as a flaw in your brain or personality, we view it as a signal—your body’s way of saying “something’s out of alignment.” By investigating the root causes and restoring balance, many people experience profound relief with common sense holistic treatments often used beside conventional medications, or when psychiatric medications are not working.
In my next post, I’ll discuss the importance of digestive health in the treatment of all psychiatric disorders including anxiety disorders.
