Natural Remedies To Reduce Anxiety: No Medications Needed
Anxiety effects 40 million adults in the U.S. according to anxiety and depression statistics. Clinical anxiety is a mental health condition that goes beyond the occasional fear and heightened stress that comes with life. Clinical anxiety interferes with your ability to function in seemingly “normal” daily activities, an increased reaction when you are triggered, and a sense of loss of control when responding to certain situations. The good news is that there are proven methods that have shown to significantly decrease anxiety in adults. These proven methods include psychotherapy, medication, and anxiety-reducing activities such as physical exercise, creating and maintaining a healthy diet, and reducing outter stressors as much as possible.
Some symotoms of anxiety include:
increased heart rate
rapid breathing
restlessness
trouble concentrating
For a more comprehensive list, click here.
So, what do you do if you believe that you have clinical anxiety or have been appropriately diagnosed with anxiety by a medical professional and do not want to take medication? continue reading this article to find out…
Why Some People Might Not Want Medication To Treat Anxiety?
Some of the reasons why individuals may not want to take any medications are:
To not be labeled: Many times when we cannot “see the injury” there may be a sense of invalidation that individuals may feel which leads them to not want medication because “nothing seems to be wrong externally”.
Fearing side effects: Not knowing what side effects may occur can be a stressful thought for some, but for those with anxiety it is double. This fear of the unknown causes individuals to not want to take medications at all.
Believing medication as a treatment option to be ineffective: Since everyone is different then they will respond to medications in different ways. This means that it may take a few tries to find the right medication for each individual. This may cause added frustration and confusion that most individuals with anxiety do not want to endure.
Natural Remedies To Reducing Anxiety
PLEASE NOTE: *Before taking any recomendations from this blog, please remember to speak with your primary care physician even if you are taking natural remedies*
1.Physical Activity:
If you add anything to your holistic approach to treating anxiety list, exercise needs to be close to #1. Why? Because there are countless benefits to daily exercise such as:
Combatting a number of health conditions and diseases
Improving mood
3. Boosts Energy
4. Helps you sleep better
5. Enhances desire for intimacy in men and women
Increasing your exercise has been proven to change your brains chemistry and create more of the happy or good neurochemicals such as:
brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) **My personal favorite
Have I convinced you yet? Get outside, go on youtube and find a free workout video, put on your favorite playlist and dance around your home like no ones watching.
2.Reduce Or Stop Drinking Alcohol And Smoking Cigarettes
If you don’t want to take any medication and want to follow a holistic lifestyle then it completely defeats the purpose to then put chemicals in your body through alcohol. Although there are studies showing the benfits of some alcohol with restricted amounts and limited to certain types of alcohols if you are suffering from anxiety, it’s best to steer away from this. Also, there are many more research-based articles that would suggest you remove alcohol from your diet entirely to improve your overall health and reduce anxiety. Additionally, the earlier in age you start smoking the more suseptible you are to developing an anxiety disorder according to research studies.
3.Sleep
I really wanted to make this #2 but this is still highly important. Have you ever thought about what happens while you sleep? During the different stages of sleep your brain activity, breathing, and heart rate slows down and your muscles have a chance to relax (perfect for individuals who struggle with anxiety). Next, hormones! Your hormones are regulated during sleep. Some of the hormones positively impacted by sleep include melatonin (sleep), growth hormone (bone, muscle, and metabolism), cortisol (stress response), leptin and ghrelin (appetite). The impact of not gifting your body (yes, it is a gift) enough sleep is astronomical and a leading contributor in the anxiety you feel every.single.day. Here is an article that explains in more detail how much sleep you should gift yourself based on your age as well as the benefits and drawbacks of not gifting your body enough sleep. Click here to read more.
4.Vitamins
Here is a list of vitamins that will help reduce anxiety. Remember that any recommendations in this article should be consulted and approved by your primary care provider before taking any of these.
Vitamin D: mood regulation, nerve, brain health
Vitamin B complex: includes several different nutrients that help reduce stress
Magnesium: impacts almost every system in the body. The endless benefits of mangesium us more than I can include in this article but if you’d like for me to write a different blog on the importance and benefits of magnesium comment below this blog under the “comment” section and I will.
5.Therapy
Am I biased with this very important bullet point? Well, I have a PhD in mental health counseling and I specialize in treating individuals with anxiety, depression, and trauma so yes I am a but biased. But in the best way possible because therapy is the best place to verbally process all of your frustrations, confusion, and questions about anxiety and how it manifests within your life (remember that part about everyone being different and therefore benefitting from different forms of resources?). Working through your anxiety with a therapist that you trust and have built great rapport with has been proven to decrease anxiety. Not convinced? Read this article by the cleaveland clinic on the impact of a good therapist.
Moral of the story: you can find several different ways to reduce your anxiety without the traditional use of medication. However, this means that you will have to be on top of your game and work really hard to setup and consistently execute a healthier routine for your new lifestyle but it can be done. For more support, click here to see how we can help you through this process.
Begin Online Anxiety Treatment in Orlando, FL
Managing your anxiety is often easier said than done. But, you don't have to start the new year alone. A caring therapist can help you practice these tools and cope with anxiety. We offer support from our Orlando, FL-based online counseling practice.
Other Services Offered at Exhale Counseling Center
