Alternatives to Anxiety Pills

According to a report made by the Surgeon General, anxiety disorders are the most common mental-health illness. Among the many different types are generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and acute distress disorder. Generally, these disorders are treated with anti-anxiety medication or antidepressants. For those who do not want to experience the side effects of these drugs, there are alternative methods for managing anxiety.

Psychotherapy

• According to the Mayo Clinic, there is evidence that cognitive behavior therapy can improve symptoms of anxiety. Generally known as talk therapy, a therapist, social work, psychiatrist or counselor encourages the client to talk through his problems. The goal of these therapy sessions is to be able to change thought patterns in order to lead more fulfilling lives. The National Association of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapists states that this type of therapy is one of the fastest ways of receiving results. Their estimation is that a patient generally has 16 sessions of treatment. Find a therapist in your area by going to the link in references to connect to a database.

Stress-Reduction Techniques

• Stress can often either lead to anxiety or exacerbate anxiety disorder symptoms. Meditation can be quite useful for relieving stress. There are two common types of meditation that help individuals: concentrative meditation and mindfulness meditation. Concentrative meditation has one single focus such as breath, sound or image. People who follow this form of meditation concentrate on the inhalation and exhalation of their breath. They can use breathing exercises to either make them more awake or calm the nerves. Mindfulness meditation includes allowing thoughts to enter the mind without casting judgment or exerting emotions. This form can be helpful for dealing with anxious thoughts or panic attacks. Check out both of these forms of meditation. Many yoga studios use one of these forms. Follow the link below to see a national network of yoga instructors.

Exercise

• Barbara Rothbaum, Ph.D., director of the Trauma and Anxiety Recovery Program and professor of psychiatry at Emory University, recommends for people to engage in exercise at least three times of week. People can have problems finding time to exercise or getting motivated. Start small by exercising for 15 minutes every other day. Take a walk around the block or bike-ride. Break up an hour lunch into time that you eat and time that you take a walk. Increase the amount of exercise you do every week. Join a yoga or pilates class for a relaxing excises. Check out a class that may take your focus off your anxiety. Try some of these methods for relieving anxiety and see if they make a difference in your life.