Buddhism for Anxiety

Buddhist practices focus on the emotional, spiritual and mental development of the practitioners. The ultimate goal of Buddhism is to reach Enlightenment. This kind of calming, peaceful philosophy, with meditation and relaxation as key components, can be quite helpful to those living with anxiety.

Anxiety Description

• Anxiety disorders are characterized by feelings of panic and nervousness, either during times of stress, at random, or in public places. These feelings must interfere negatively in a person's life for an extended amount of time in order for the person to be classified as having an anxiety disorder.

Buddhism as Treatment

• People living with anxiety disorders look to Buddhism as a means of treatment, either on its own or in conjunction with other forms of treatment such as medication or behavioral therapy.

Buddhism and Anxiety

• Buddhism helps people with anxiety disorders because it forces practitioners to sit and reflect, rather than focusing on the anxiety itself.

Psychotherapy Connection

• The link between Buddhism and psychotherapy is one that is becoming more widely recognized by psychiatrists and psychotherapists. Meditation is suggested as a means to keep anxiety at bay.

Countering Negativity

• Buddhism aims to counter negativity and selfish thinking, such as overly anxious behavior. This step away from selfish thinking in order to reflect upon a broader sense of the world to keep calm is what makes many believe that Buddhism works well for anxiety.