Combating Anxiety: The Alternative Way

Perhaps you break out into a cold sweat when you have to deliver a talk before a group of people. Or perhaps you become nervous when you have to take a test. There are certainly numerous causes for anxiety. Similarly, there are a number of treatment options for those afflicted with the illness. If you don’t like the idea of medication, you might try an alternative approach to battling your anxiety.

It is estimated that nearly seven percent of Americans suffer from anxiety and panic disorders. While prescription drugs are routinely offered as a remedy for such illnesses, they can be dangerous if administered over a long period of time. Some of the more popular anxiety drugs include Diazepam and Wellbutrin.

However, increasingly, Americans are turning to alternative medicines in an effort to soothe their anxious feelings. In just the last decade, the demand for alternative medicine has skyrocketed 300 percent. This is partially the result of the fact that many alternative medicines offer relief from symptoms without the side-effects linked to prescription drugs. It should be noted, however, that natural remedies are not meant to be long-term treatments, although they can offer relief in the short-term.

Before you buy a natural remedy, it is important that you do your homework as far as your knowledge of herbs and vitamins is concerned. It is also imperative that you consult your family physician in order to ensure that the alternative treatment is safe for you.

A number of herbs offer relief from the symptoms of anxiety. For instance, St. Johns Wort is one of the most popular anti-anxiety herbs on the market. After taking St. Johns Wort for as little as two weeks, you should notice a difference in your anxiety level.

Valerian Root is another alternative option you might try. It is especially helpful in combating insomnia because of its sedative quality. In other words, it helps to lull the central nervous system to sleep. Research indicates that Valerian Root is effective in improving sleep 90 percent of the time. This is important, since much of anxiety is linked to sleep disorders.

Vitamins can also provide an effective treatment for anxiety. They can be quite important in enabling neurotransmitter synthesis and maintenance. For instance, B-complex can help produce neurochemicals, which in turn assists in the synthesis of serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine.

Yet another aid to combating anxiety is Passion Flower. It helps to calm the central nervous system, leading to feelings of peace. Meanwhile, Ashwaghanda Root can make you feel stronger so that you are better able to handle the effects of anxiety.

But perhaps no herbal remedy is quite as effective as Kava Kava. This is considered to be one of the strongest anti-anxiety remedies in the world. A number of studies indicates that Kava Kava is highly effective in relieving the short-term symptoms of anxiety. It is also considered quite safe to ingest, making it one of the most popular herbs available on the market today.

An herbal remedy called PureCalm is being marketed as a safe way to deal with general nervousness and worry. You may feel relaxed after taking only a few drops of this natural substance. However, if you suffer from severe anxiety, including panic attacks, you might consider a remedy called MindSoothe, which combines St. Johns Wort with Passiflora. Mindsoothe has been linked to good sleep, greater concentration, and better memory. Therefore, it is particularly effective in treating the symptoms of anxiety.

We all have feelings of anxiety from time to time. But how can you tell if your anxiety is out of control? If you experience racing thoughts, rapid heartbeat, extreme difficulty resting or concentrating, you probably need to get help. If you do not like dealing with the side-effects of prescription drugs, an herbal remedy may be in order. You should know in advance, however, that some herbal remedies carry their own risks and lead to significant side-effects. The more you know about herbal remedies, the better consumer you’ll be. Don’t allow yourself to be a human guinea pig. Take herbal medication only after you have thoroughly studied its effects upon the human body.

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Supermarket Stress

If you dread going to the supermarket, you’re not alone. A number of people consider grocery shopping to be a tremendously stressful experience. It can tax your mind, drain your resources, and cause your blood pressure to rise. It is certainly not surprising, when you consider all of the elements that are involved in a trip to the local supermarket.

To begin with, negotiating the parking lot can be quite stressful. You have to deal with a parade of cars going in all directions. You have to steer clear of shopping carts and strollers. Pedestrians might jump out in front of your car when you least expect it. The hazards increase if it is snowing or drizzling outside.

Once you arrive at the supermarket, you might have difficulty finding a cart—which can get your shopping trip off to a rough start. You might be shocked at the prices that you find plastered on the products that you need. You might also find that the daily special has run out…there is no one manning the meat counter…the line for the deli wraps around most of the store…the store manager is on edge…and the machines at the self-checkout are broken. All of these incidents can lead to further stress.

How can you reduce your stress level at the supermarket? For one thing, you can make it a point to shop at off times. Shopping early in the morning or late in the evening can help you to avoid the crowds. You’re likely to find the store to be quite peaceful at that time of day and your shopping experience should be more pleasant as a result.

As an alternative, you might consider setting aside a block of time when you can shop leisurely. This might enable you to test samples, to sip a cappuccino as you make your rounds through the aisle, and to browse shelves you might have overlooked in the past. If you put some work into making supermarket shopping a fun time, you might be surprised at the result.

Another way that you can better manage your time at the supermarket is by clipping coupons. This will mean that you will no longer have to spend time circling the supermarket searching for specials. Also, clipping coupons gives you a sense of control about your spending. This can make the entire shopping experience more enjoyable. In addition, you might be pleasantly surprised at the amount of money you save by using coupons.

While you cannot entirely control what happens to you at the supermarket, you can control your reactions to various events. For instance, if you run into a clerk or a cashier that is being unhelpful, resist the urge to lose your cool. Instead, deal with the disgruntled employee in a calm, rational manner. You should notice that your stress level decreases a great deal, once you have control of your emotions.

If the situation with a supermarket employee becomes intolerable, be sure to consult the store’s manager. He or she is paid to listen to your concerns and to try to make the peace. If you don’t get satisfaction after talking with the manager, consider contacting the company’s corporate headquarters. While taking such a step might seem stressful, it will actually reduce your stress over the long run. If you register a complaint, the store might actually change its procedures, and you could find your future shopping trips to be less stressful as a result.

You’ll need to also keep calm when dealing with other customers. People in grocery stores are often in a hurry, and so they may appear to be rude. A forgiving attitude can help you to keep your stress level under control even in the most trying circumstances. Try not to take slights personally. Recognize that shoppers are human and they may act badly from time to time.

You can’t avoid going to the supermarket, even if it is a stressful experience. Therefore, you must learn to deal with the stress as best you can. Visiting the supermarket during off-peak times, trying to save money as much as possible, and keeping your temper under control can go a long way to cutting your stress.

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Stress causes Anxiety, Panic Attacks and Phobias

When a person has a mental illness, chemical imbalance or a medical condition then stress can lead to panic attacks, phobias, and trigger anxiety.

Anxiety is a painful strain on the mind that usually surfaces when a person feels threatened, ill, or concerned and anticipating the worst. Anxiety is an abnormal overpowering sense of fear and sometimes it is marked by physiological symptoms, including tension, increase heart rates and sweating.

When this happens, a person will often doubt their ability to cope with the threat and view the threat as an obstacle that is bigger than life. Anxiety is a form of stress that we all want to avoid, unless some benefit follows suit.

Panic is similar to anxiety since it is an unsuspected overpowering fear. For example if a person is suddenly at risk of loosing their home due to financial difficulties, he or she may panic, acting out on emotions rather than thoughts.

When a person has Bipolar, paranoia personality type, or a paranoid personality type these people are often panic-stricken.

Phobia is another stressor and stress that causes a person to exaggerate a problem, however when a person has phobia they will exaggerate usually mysterious and illogical fears that are most times object related.

Similar to a photophobia type that has no tolerance for light, the phobia has minimal if any tolerance to stress and its stressors. Now if this is an ongoing problem then we need medical and psychological experts to help deal with the problem, rather than learning stress management techniques solely.

Persons with this magnitude of stress will find some comfort in stress management only if guidance is available. If the person has phobia, panic attacks, and anxiety coupled with other mental illness symptoms then ongoing therapy works best. Most likely, rather more than not the person will need medication to help them cope with the symptoms and stress.

A person with this level of stress is subject to suicidal thoughts and tendencies. Tendencies can be more life threatening since the person is inclined to act on impulses and emotions rather than thoughts. When a person is acting on impulses and backed by emotions the person will lack the ability to see through the problem sometimes, since the mind is cluttered.

On the other hand, thoughts can be just as or more dangerous than tendencies. If the person is giving considerable thought to suicide and planning out a strategy to die, while reasoning negatively, then danger is obvious. If this is you then you will need mental health support, medications and stress management techniques that help you deal with your fears.

The downside is the paranoid personality and paranoia personality types hallucinate, feed off illusions, voices, and delusions. Now we have a bigger problem and it is obvious medications is the only solution to help the patient cope with his or her stress.

Of course, stress management could benefit the person, however with the paranoia and paranoid types it is often difficult to get the person in stress management therapy since they believe the world is out to get them. The paranoid types often require hospitalization throughout their lifetime, since stress triggers them to act out on their symptoms.

Although I gave you brief details of these personality types I think it is also important to help those of us that are dealing with these types of personalities to learn stress management coping skills. The paranoid, paranoia types can drive a person insane. These types are major stressors that cause us stress.

For example, a child attends a school for disabilities, including paranoid personality type. You would think the child is getting help to manage his or her stress; however, the child goes to the store with the class and curses. The teacher informed the child when he curses that he has to write 100 sentences. The child becomes angry because he is not getting his way and asks the teacher why he has to write 100 sentences. The teacher tells the child 200 sentences and the child becomes angry kicking at the shelves in the store and speaking out verbally assaulting the teacher. He comes home and tells his mother about the incident; only a paranoid type will not admit most times when he or she is wrong.

We have a problem and it includes more than the person suffering stress because of his mental illness, so now we need to help those that are dealing with these types to learn stress management techniques to survive the rocky storm ahead. For all of you dealing with these types I have your back. In the next article, we are going to join and learn some techniques that will benefit us all.

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Combating Anxiety: Will a Pill Do the Trick?

At certain points in your life, you might have been plagued with worry. It might have been in the wake of beginning a marriage, starting a new career, or caring for a sick child. The worry might have affected you not only emotionally but physically as well. You might have experienced feelings of uneasiness, faintness, or breathing troubles.

There are degrees of severity when it comes to anxiety. For instance, it can be mild, lasting only a day or two, or severe, lasting an entire month. You might experience generalized anxiety disorder or something more specific such as phobias, panic, or post-traumatic stress disorder.

Anxiety might be treated with an anti-depressant or an anti-anxiety medication. Generally speaking, there are three categories of anti-depressants: selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors or SSRIs; tricyclics; and monoamine oxidase inhibitors or MAOIs. SSRIs include Paxil, Prozac, and Zoloft. These anti-depressants often have fewer side-effects than the older generation of anti-depressants. Initially, you might feel nervous taking SSRIs, but the feeling often disappears after a few weeks. One of the most important side-effects of these drugs is sexual dysfunction, which can often be corrected by changing the dosage.

Tricyclics tend to have side effects such as sleepiness, dizziness, and weight gain. They are older than the SSRIs, so there has been more research conducted on them. Meanwhile, MAOIs can cause a reaction if mixed with certain foods and drinks, such as cheese and wine. These reactions can include increased blood pressure and other life-threatening problems.

Side-effects of anti-anxiety medications include fatigue, confusion, or drowsiness. The medications may be taken two or three times a day or just when needed. Dosage starts low then increases until symptoms disappear. The amount of medication prescribed varies according to symptoms and a person’s body chemistry. Doctors generally believe that you should not drink alcohol while taking anti-anxiety medication because the combination can create a life-threatening situation.

Because the medication can lead to dependence, the drugs are usually prescribed for only days or weeks at a time. In fact, a user might be directed to take the medication only when symptoms of anxiety occur. In some cases, individuals suffering from anxiety may need treatment for an extended period of time. If you begin taking anti-anxiety medication, it is important that you stay on it until the doctor recommends that you stop taking it. If you stop abruptly, you may experience anxiety, dizziness, or loss of appetite. Common forms of anxiety medication include Valium, Ativan, and Xanax.

At times, physicians may prescribe beta-blockers to combat anxiety. While beta-blockers such as propanolol may be used to deal with heart damage, they have also emerged as an effective treatment for social anxiety. If you face a stressful situation, such as a job interview, your physician may give you a beta-blocker that can keep your palms from sweating, your head from swelling, and treat other symptoms of anxiety.

There are certain steps you should take before you begin a drug regimen for anxiety. For instance, you should do your homework on the drug. Find out what side-effects it causes, and determine whether you can live with those side-effects. Also, you’ll need to inform your doctor of any over-the-counter medications you are using. Be sure to find out how long you will have to take the drug. You should realize that if you decide to stop taking the drug, you could find symptoms of anxiety reappearing.

If you’ve been diagnosed with anxiety, it can be a daunting experience. You may not know where to go or who to turn to. However, it’s best if you begin your search for treatment with your family physician, who can refer you to a psychiatrist if need be. While any type of anxiety medication can lead to side-effects, many people report good experiences, particularly with SSRIs. By working closely with your physician, you can find the medication that’s appropriate for you. However, you should know that medication may be only one part of the treatment puzzle. You may also need to engage in talk therapy or join a support group in order to alleviate your symptoms. The good news is that the prognosis is good for those who’ve been diagnosed with anxiety.

LJB

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Panic Attack Help

As a sufferer of panic attacks for many years, I know how debilitating this illness can be. It can totally take over your life and you can get to the point where you think that life will never, ever be any better. In fact, my panic disorder got so bad last year that I was just one step away from being agoraphobic.

And even though things are better now, I still have bad days. Days when I feel like I can't leave the house. I find it is worse if I don't leave the house, and on those days I have a battle to make myself go out, even now, but I don't let it control me like I used to. It is something that you have to work on all the time.

That is why I have started this blog. So that I might be able to help others with the same problem by sharing some of my own experiences, to let others know they are not alone. So check back here often because I will be updating often, with not only my own experiences, but experiences of others also.

LJB

technorati tags:panic, anxiety, stress