Anxiety comes in many forms, and most people know it as stress. Whether you suffer from panic attacks or mild stress, natural treatments are less intrusive than conventional medications, and finding the right treatment may alter your life.
What is anxiety?
Worry and fear are natural emotional reactions. A limited amount of stress is healthy and necessary for survival. Fear can initiate the “flight” that saves lives in the “fight or flight” response. When stress and fear are out of control, worry results and can escalate into anxiety.
Anxiety disorders are the most common mental illness. Extreme anxiety comes in many forms. A person may experience Complicated Grief after the death of a loved one. Panic Disorder is an intense attack of anxiety that peaks and resides, and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder effects people who witness or experience a traumatic event. Social Anxiety Disorder causes fear of embarrassment or scrutiny in public and is also known as social phobia. When a person becomes unduly stressed with relationships, finances, work, or other life situations, they may experience General Anxiety Disorder.
How to cope?
Conventional prescription medications for anxiety, anti-depressants, can be addictive, and possible side effects range from decreased appetite, nausea, and vomiting to suicidal tendencies and increased anxiety. These medications also require patient observation to gauge effectiveness. The amount of medicine required varies in patients, so fluctuations in dosage amounts may cause emotional stress until a proper dosage is found.
If you suffer from anxiety, whether from a consistent disorder or rare bout, alternative therapies may help you avoid the ups and downs, and potential side effects, of conventional prescription medications.
Anxiety may be prevented with alterations to your current lifestyle. For instance, exercise helps every system in the human body work more effectively, and experts recommend three hourly sessions once a week or more frequent, shorter sessions. According to the Center for Disease Control, exercise reduces the symptoms of anxiety and depression. Along with exercise, a healthy diet contributes to wellness. Caffeine, smoking, and high intake of sugars, salts, and fats add to stress and anxiety. Simply exercising and eating healthy can lower the risk of anxiety. Inositol, a natural glucose that the body can synthesize, is found in every cell. It aids in internal communication and can help reduce anxiety. Foods such as cereals and bran can aid in the maintenance and production of inositol.
In addition to prevention, therapies such as relaxation training and meditation can sooth the symptoms of anxiety. Yoga combines relaxation, meditation and exercise to calm and heal. Shiatsu massage slows the blood flow and calms the body. Reflexology, the oldest method of massage, is also helpful for anxiety. It incoporates body manipulation from a distal point and can be used to relieve anxiety. Swedish massage integrates long strokes and creams, which nurture and soothe. A simple self-massage can help soothe mild anxiety, and www.holisticonline.com offers free instructions. Acupuncture and Eastern medicine practices have also proven effective in treating anxiety and stress.
Herbal therapies offer a natural resource for anxiety management at home. Siberian ginseng, lime blossom, catmint, lemon balm, chamomile, valerian, and Kava Kava are supplements readily available at the health food retailers or pharmacies. Additionally, homeopathic remedies include aconite, ignatia, gelsemium, phosphorus, and other natural substances, recommended based on what symptoms reveal about deficiencies. Calming music, candlelight, and a warm bath provide simple ways of soothing stress and anxiety. Bibliotherapy involves reading to self-educate with insight and coping skills, or to relax with the mental stimulation literature provides.
Unique therapies are effective therapies.
While humans have a basic physical structure in common, mentally and chemically, each person is unique. Customized therapies, such as a mix of Shiatsu and Reflexology, homeopathy’s deficiency supplement strategy, and even conventional medicine’s dosage variations attest to the diverse treatments required to meet the needs of each unique person. To calm anxiety, find the therapy that works for you mentally and physically. If a bath and a book don’t alleviate your anxiety, experiment with massage or acupuncture. With the diverse natural therapies available today, you need not stress out.
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Source List:
CDC (The Center for Disease Control) information was gathered at this link: http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/physical/importance/index.htm.
The self massage mentioned in the article can be found at this link: http://www.holisticonline.com/massage/mas_selfmassage.htm.
Herbal therapies were found at this source: http://www.holistic-online.com/Remedies/Anxiety/anx_herbs.htm.
Homeopathy remedies were found at this source: http://www.holistic-online.com/Remedies/Anxiety/anx_homeopathy.htm.
