Anti Anxiety Treatments

You are too scared to leave your house, to take your kids to the park---even just to go grocery shopping. The very thought takes your breath away, your heart pounding like you stand on the precipice of a cliff. The tiniest things overwhelm you. You know it is irrational, but the anxiety will not go away and lasts not for days, not for weeks, but months. But there is good news---this is treatable.

Natural Treatments

• There are many natural or alternative methods to treating anxiety, ranging from aromatherapy to meditation and yoga, to herbal treatments such as Valerian and Kava. The University of Maryland Medical Center reports the scent and essential oils of lavender provide a calming effect. Dr. Isadore Rosenfeld, a professor of medicine at New York Hospital Weil Cornell Medical Center, stated on Fox News that the scent of lavender "reduces the level of anxiety by a tremendous amount" and further states "it is much better than the Valium." Another scent attributed to lessening anxiety is sandalwood oil, which provides a less floral scent. Rose is also effective as well as lemongrass, chamomile, and ylang ylang. Other natural remedies for anxiety include meditation, yoga, and even a crossword puzzle: anything to distract your thoughts from the worries at hand. Some swear herbs such as valerian root and kava are the way to go, but do your research and speak with your doctors. Evidence does not fully support many of these remedies yet.

Medication

• There are various angles at which your doctor may attempt to help your anxiety using medicine. Benzodiazepines and/or anti-depressants are the main avenues. Benzodiazepines include xanax and valium. These medications are addictive and also act as sedatives. Long-term use can lead to memory problems, so your doctor may only prescribe these anti-anxiety medications for a limited time. However, these medicines work quickly and are helpful on those harder-than-usual days.

  Anti-depressants such as prozac and cymbalta work by correcting the neurotransmitter(s) imbalance in your brain of either norepinephrine and/or serotonin. These medicines often take time to take effect, and often you may have to experiment to see which class of anti-depressants work for you. It is a challenging and exhausting process but one well worth the effort once you and your doctor have found the anti-anxiety treatment that works best.

Psychotherapy

• An anti-anxiety treatment often times coupled with medicinal treatment is psychotherapy. There are a few techniques your psychologist can opt for, but the most common is known as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. (CBT). The Mayo Clinic states CBT "helps you identify unhealthy, negative beliefs and behaviors and replace them with healthy, positive ones. It's based on the idea that your own thoughts---not other people or situations---determine how you behave."

  Another strategy, cognitive restructuring, is directed mostly to those who suffer from social anxiety. It calls for identifying and testing negative thinking and finding alternative, positive substitutions.

  Psychotherapy also provides someone to listen as you discuss what is bothering you. Often just talking will help alleviate the anxiety.

  Don't be surprised if your doctor wants to prescribe medicines to go along with this and other treatments. Remember the issue can be mostly chemical, and thus difficult, if not impossible, to control. Just ensure your doctor is aware of your ideas, if nothing but for possible drug interactions.