Anxiety & Depression


Anxiety and depression affects 1 in 3 Canadians. They are the most common forms of mental struggles. Whether manageable or debilitating, anxiety, depression & panic attacks can impact so much in your life. Statistically, almost everyone goes through anxiety or depression at one point in their life. Sometimes we can choose to make a conscious decision to take away some life stressors, but in other times, we can’t. It’s when we can’t remove ourselves from a situation, Dr. Tali believes that resiliency to stress is key. Resiliency comes by adapting your body to your daily life.

Both anxiety and depression may co-exist with each other. Managment is important because if it lingers long enough, it can really affect your body as a whole. We know that stress is the root cause to many diseases and conditions as it predisposes you to inflammation and hormonal imbalances. Good news is, anxiety and depression are well treated using evidence based Naturopathic Medicine.

Mental conditions can truly feel paralyzing at times. Naturopathic doctors also address panic disorders & panic attacks as well as phobias. Our body and mind are connected, therefore a wholistic approach, looking into the body as a whole, is in your best interest.

A note on conventional treatment for anxiety and depression – while prescription medications help you live better, some of the common side effects outweigh the benefits of them. Dr. Tali will always collaborate with your prescribing medical doctor if you are on any medications (in this case, specifically for anxiety and depression), whether your goal is to add to them or come off of them. 

Your concerns are real and valid, your mental health is important. Please know it has to do with much more than just stress management. Dr. Tali welcomes you to share in a safe space.

anxiety depression causing panic attacks from stress

Anxiety Symptoms:

  • Feeling nervousness
  • Difficulty concentrating / focusing
  • Heart palpitations
  • Difficulty breathing
  • Chest heaviness / chest tightness
  • Sweating
  • Muscle spams
  • Constant worrying
  • Feeling tired but wired
  • Insomnia
  • Choking sensation
  • Abdominal distress / nausea
  • Fear of dying and losing control

Depression Symptoms: 

  • Lack of energy
  • Poor focus
  • Irritability & indecisiveness
  • Feeling down, depressed or hopeless
  • Thinking about harming yourself or others
  • Appetite changes as well as unintentional weight changes
  • Lack of motivation
  • Low libido
  • Suicidal thoughts

Anxiety and depression can be presented in many ways, its important you get a licensed regulated health care professional such as a Naturopathic Doctor to perform the right testing and investigation in order to diagnose you properly.

There are different causes that can predispose you to anxiety, depression, panic attacks and other mental health conditions. You should know that what you are feeling and experiencing is real and your concerns are valid – Dr. Tali is here to offer a safe space to listen and help you get back the life you want to have. Helping you feel your best self is a mission of hers, and this is far more than just the physical aspect.


Anxiety & Depression Causes:

While daily stressors and life events can be the predisposing factors, it’s important to make the body more resilient to them especially if we can’t remove ourselves from the situation.   

Let’s dive deep into the common causes for anxiety, depression and panic attacks:

  • Nutrient deficiencies- vitamin and mineral deficiencies such as B vitamins, Iron, vitamin D, zinc and magnesium can predispose you to anxiety and depression.
  • Irregular sleep patterns – it’s important to mention that it’s a vicious cycle as anxiety and depression further affect you sleep and insomnia. Read more here about natural treatment for insomnia, using evidence based naturopathic medicine.
  • Adrenal fatigue – your adrenal glands are your stress warriors. When your body can’t handle the amount of stress you are experiencing, your adrenal glands pump cortisol which is your stress hormone. This happens when your resiliency to daily stressors is low. Having a high amount of cortisol circulating in your blood may lead you to feel anxious or ‘tired but wired’. After a while, your adrenals get tired and a state of exhaustion takes over. Dr. Tali, a Toronto Naturopath, offers Salivary Cortisol Testing for your adrenal gland function, which will help to take a deep dive into some of your hormonal patterns that may predispose you to anxiety and depression.
  • Gut and brain connection – Yes, your gut feeling is real. In fact, different probiotics in your gut have a straight connection to your brain, affecting different neurological pathways. This is just one of the many ways your gut and brain are linked.
  • Diet – your diet affects anxiety disorders, depression and mental illness in many ways, inflammation is one of them. The foods we eat impact directly our gut health (Gut-brain axis). Furthermore, food is directly associated with our inflammation levels and neurotransmitters that affect depression. Sugars and dehydration have been known to exacerbate anxiety.
  • Brain injury – if you had any form of concussion and started experiencing symptoms of depression and headaches, reach out to Dr. Tali and ask her what can be done and why this is happening.

Anxiety & Depression Naturopathic Treatment 

Addressing the root cause of your anxiety and depression is key. We will dive deep into your health history, as well as talk about your stress management strategies (Dr. Tali will help you implement those). Through a comprehensive intake, an individualized treatment plan will be customized to you, your needs and your body. For starters, your anxiety and depression will be addressed while we will be working on the root causes to your mental health concerns. Our goal is to eliminate any symptoms that are holding you from living your life and feeling your best self. Some Diagnostic testing may be done, depending on your individual case, such a comprehensive blood work. Adrenal Fatigue Hormone Testing and Comprehensive Stool Analysis Testing are also used to get to the bottom to your anxiety if it’s suggested that your gut or your hormones are the cause.

It’s important to address stress, anxiety and mental health as it can throw off other hormonal pathways and affect your period, fertility, thyroid levels, testosterone levels and play a huge role in your metabolism. Dr. Tali`s approach to treating anxiety and depression is very individualized as no two bodies are the same and mental health concerns can be presented differently from person to person. This will be done using evidence based naturopathic medicine such as herbal medicine, acupuncture, Chinese medicine, supplements, nutraceuticals, diet, nutrition and lifestyle recommendations.

As a Naturopathic Doctor, she strives to make her patients become more resilient to stress, as this is the root cause in most cases. We live in a world where we aren’t meant to: stress too much, eat junk food, sleep too little and be exposed to toxins. Therefore, it’s important to adapt your body to your lifestyle – Doesn’t that sound ideal? especially in an urban and busy city as Toronto.

Let’s get you sleeping better, feeling better and more excited about life. Feeling your best self is possible, you have already taken the first step by reading this and being here.