Now more than ever, anxiety patients look for new ways to treat their condition.
This is something you can probably relate with. According to the latest reports, medicinal drugs traditionally prescribed to treat anxiety disorders have many dangerous side effects. In fact, some reports have provided us with alarming conclusions.
One report showed that as much as 99% of the patients taking prescription drugs don’t find relief from their condition. Oftentimes, their condition actually gets worse, or at best, they only get temporary benefits while taking prescription drugs to relieve anxiety.
What’s most alarming is that patients who actually succeed controlling anxiety with prescription drugs usually end up depending on those drugs to maintain their well-being.
Natural alternatives to anxiety drugs
Since modern science has not yet perfected the cure for anxiety attacks, it follows naturally that more and more people tend to favor natural medicines. As such, there is now an increasing demand for traditional therapies like herbal medicines and physical therapies.
The Chinese are a good example of people known for their use of herbal medicine. For thousands of years, they researched the use of herbal leaves and other natural products. Over time and through extensive practice, they have developed natural treatments to all sorts of illnesses, including anxiety attacks.
Aside from China, there are many kinds of natural herbs that are readily available in other parts of the world. Some examples include:
Lemon balm: shown to be effective in reducing stress and anxiety, aiding restful sleep, and sharpening concentration. Its leaves contain terpenes, a chemical that plays an important role in its relaxing effect.
Passion flower: known for reducing muscle tension and spasm. It contains chrysin, a flavanoid that calms the CNS and lowers blood pressure. Also, it has mild sedative effects without the addictive property common to most anxiolytics.
Kava Kava: said to increase feelings of well-being. It contains kavalactones that relaxes muscles and promotes sleep.
Chamomile: a good remedy for relieving anxiety and stress. Like the passion flower, it contains chrysin that reduces stress and aids sleep.
Lavender: an essential oil that contains natural phytochemicals, scientifically known to slow the activity of the nervous system. This substances help relieve the symptoms of anxiety, emotional stress, and depression.
Gingko biloba: known to effectively increase the oxygen concentration in the brain as well as other organs of the body, resulting to an improved mood and well-being.
These are widely accepted as effective anxiety treatments. Some of these though are not easily found. Fortunately, most of them are nowadays sold in tablet form, which makes them less expensive and easier to find in any drugstore.
Physical therapies that counter anxiety
The people of India have been practicing yoga for thousands of years. This kind of therapy has proved successful in contributing to the general well-being of practitioners, especially when it comes to dealing with anxiety problems.
Yoga is a mind-body practice that combines meditation, deep breathing, and physical poses to reduce anxiety. Patients who have used yoga as an alternative medicine for anxiety reports lowered symptoms of irritability, excessive worrying, and nervousness. This report is supported by a research trial conducted on year 2007. They found that 131 subjects suffering from mild to moderate stress levels had reduced feelings of anxiety after 1 hour of yoga per session for about 10 weeks.
Besides yoga, there are several other universally accepted methods applicable to all individuals and cultures. Physical exercises, breathing exercises and sports activities in general can be used with great effect to ease tension and prevent the development of further anxiousness.
Physical exercises such as brisk walking, running or cycling have been shown to greatly promote psychological health. The release of endorphins into the body improves mental condition and helps fight off stress and depression. Without an appropriate physical activity, the chances of developing mental-related disorders will likely increase.
Deep breathing is a basic relaxation exercise that provides an immediate solution to increasing anxiety levels. By properly taking in full breaths from the abdomen rather than the chest, carbon dioxide is expelled more, heart beats slower, and blood pressure lowers.
Engaging in sports activities such as swimming, tennis, or basketball may act as buffer against stress. It helps improve the cardiovascular system as well as protect the immune system from the consequences of stressful situations.
In this website, you’ll learn about several other physical therapies that you can try. Who knows, you might just find what works best for you. Natural methods to prevent or reduce anxiety attacks are a great alternative to the conventional modern anxiety medicines.
