Posts Tagged ‘ Anxiety ’

Different Types of Natural Remedies for Anxiety

November 10, 2011
By

Zoloft tablets

Image via Wikipedia

Different Types of Natural Remedies for Anxiety

By Sherry Nature

 

Anxiety is a condition wherein people experience the feelings of dreadfulness, uneasiness, apprehension, worry and fear. In response to stressors that people experience, anxiety is a normal reaction or a normal coping mechanism. But for others, their anxiety can become excessive, in which point it then turns into a disorder.

Anxiety affects not only the emotional and psychological aspects but they also have physical and even behavioral effects on people. There is an anxiety treatment developed to help people with anxiety disorders. This anxiety treatment can be categorized into 3, namely medicine-based anxiety treatment, psychology-based anxiety treatment and the alternative approach to anxiety treatment.

 

Medicine-Based Anxiety Treatment

Many people who are suffering from anxiety disorders rely on drugs or medications in order to help them function and perform their regular daily activities. Of course, the main goal of the medical treatment is to try and eliminate the anxiety disorder. These drugs would also try to help reduce the symptoms and recurrences of these anxiety disorders. These are some of the common drugs used in anxiety treatment:

a. SSRI (Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors) – This class of drug helps to inhibit or block the reuptake (or reabsorption) of serotonin. Serotonin is a chemical in the brain that functions to regulate the mood as well as anxiety. SSRIs are the first drug of choice for some anxiety disorders. Examples of SSRIs include two well known brands, Prozac and Zoloft.

b. Benzodiazepines – These are drugs that are quite effective in relaxing and calming people. This anxiety treatment helps reduce many physical symptoms of anxiety disorders. Benzodiazepines, however, are only used short-term because prolonged use may cause problems with tolerance as well as dependence on the drug.

c. Tricyclic Antidepressants – These are effective anxiety treatment and are preferred for long term use as opposed to benzodiazepines.

People should exercise caution when taking these drugs because all of them have side effects that can be quite dangerous to one’s health so they must be prescribed by someone certified and their effects and side effects must be explained thoroughly to patients taking them.

 

Psychology-Based Anxiety Treatment

There are two main psychological anxiety treatments. These are the Cognitive behavioral treatment and the applied relaxation treatment.

a. Cognitive Behavioral treatment – Many people have benefited from this type of therapy because it aims to help people suffering from anxiety disorders identify the behavioral patterns as well as strong unrealistic beliefs that they have and then try to face them and change them into more acceptable behaviors and beliefs.

b. Applied relaxation treatment – This anxiety remedy aims to help people relax or practice relaxation techniques whenever they are faced with anxiety-inducing situations. One of the main aims of this therapy is to help you relax or loosen your muscles when you start to feel anxious. Breathing techniques or using words such as “relax” are examples of the applied relaxation treatment.

 

Alternative Approach to Anxiety Treatment

There are a lot of alternative approaches used for anxiety remedy today. Most of them are used as a complimentary treatment to either medical or psychological approach. Here are a couple examples:

a. Yoga – Yoga, with its breathing and postural control and even its meditation aspect is quite effective in helping one relax and control one’s anxiety. Because of this, it is considered as one of the best alternative treatments used in anxiety disorders.

b. Acupuncture – This technique of sticking needles into specific areas of the body to help with the flow of energy was introduced by the people of China, but it is now being used all over the world. It is also being used as an effective complimentary anxiety treatment.

Using natural remedies for anxiety is considered to be the best solution for your anxiety problem. Visit our site to learn more about natural supplements for anxiety that works.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sherry_Nature
http://EzineArticles.com/?Different-Types-of-Natural-Remedies-for-Anxiety&id=6678300

 

 

Be Grateful, and Beat Tension and Stress by Peter Shaw

October 22, 2011
By

Be Grateful, and Beat Tension and Stress

by Peter Shaw

Sometimes its as much as anyone can take – the kids yelling, the dogs barking, bills to be paid, but with what? Honestly, its enough to make you weep – and perhaps it does just that, to some of us! Stress, tension, worry – it all builds up in the mind, stretching your nerves further and further until you reach breaking point.

Smarties

Image via Wikipedia

I know what it’s like – I’ve been there.  Full nervous breakdown, suicide attempts – the lot.  I still take a fistful of pills every morning.  I think of them as my daily Smarties.  Apart from the fact that I am still on medication, and probably will be for life, I am now fully recovered and lead a happy, stable life.  That’s what most of us want, I think…….the ability to ward off pits of depression, no more panic attacks, just a normal, stable life.  Seems like you can never get there, though, doesn’t it ?  Well, I did.

I’d like to share with you a practice that has made a huge difference to me.  Now I am a firm believer in the power of the mind.  Like always attracts like when it comes to thoughts, attitudes and ideas, so you have to get yourself into a positive and optimistic frame of mind.  This is absolutely essential, otherwise you are likely to get stuck in a vicious circle, a downward spiral of thinking and being.  Easier said than done, you might think.

Consider others

Nothing could be further from the truth.  Firstly, it is very important to stop feeling sorry for yourself, and consider the effect of your condition upon others – your spouse, your children, your friends.  It is very difficult to live with someone who is permanently anxious or depressed, or whose life is seriously affected by the fear of panic attacks.

Think positive

The key to putting yourself into a more positive frame of mind is contained in one simple word – GRATITUDE.

Write down all the things you can think of for which you owe a debt of gratitude, starting with the gift of life itself.  Then add your family, friends, job, home, and possessions.  Then add the gifts of your senses – sound, sight, smell, touch and taste.  After all, some people have to do without some or all of them – I myself am very deaf, for example.  Keep on adding all the positive aspects of your life.  All of them. No negatives !   Then give humble thanks to the Universe, God, your Higher Power, your Master or whoever you believe guides your destiny.  Then get on your knees and thank Him again.

Do this without fail every morning when you awake, and every night before you sleep.  Do it whenever you feel a fit of anxiety or depression coming on.  IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO THINK NEGATIVE THOUGHTS WHEN YOU ARE REMEMBERING AND GIVING THANKS FOR ALL YOUR BLESSINGS.

What is more, you will start to think positive thoughts, which will create more, until eventually you are on an upward spiral mentally.  This ALWAYS works for me – why don’t YOU try it ?

Peter Shaw is a writer, columnist and bookseller based in South Africa.  He can be contacted through this website or on peter@definitionofstress.org .

Related articles

How To Stop Worrying – A Guide For Daily Living

October 16, 2011
By

Biting one's lip can be a physical manifestati...

Image via Wikipedia

How To Stop Worrying – A Guide For Daily Living

By Vic Torgeson

Worrying from time to time is helpful, especially if you need to solve a problem or take immediate action. However, if you always think of worst-case scenarios and “what ifs,” then it could become a real problem.

Fears, unending doubts and worries will not help you to be productive and motivated. It will only extract your energy and will shoot up your anxiety level. Worries will only interfere with your life without any positive return.

Mental Habit

The good part is that worrying can be stopped because it is just a mental habit that you need to remove from your thought process. Believe it or not, you really can tell your brain to stop worrying. Train your brain to look at life with a positive perspective and stay calm in times of distress.

You might be having a hard time removing your worries because it has been working for you. These are called secondary gains. For instance, you worry because:

1) You think you can find a solution from your situation.

2) You do not want to be surprised.

3) You want to take the responsibilities in all your decisions.

4) You do not want to miss out anything.

However, if you constantly worry too much, it can create anxiety. The first thing you should do is to stop believing that worrying will give you positive results. You need to realize that the process of worrying is the problem, then you will help control your mind stop worrying.

Tips to stop worrying

Here are some tips on how to stop worrying that you can start today.

How to stop worrying tip # 1: Pinpoint the real causes of your worry. You need to make some analysis and back track events in your life. You might be engrossed in thinking of what might happen or not happen. Do the realistic approach and analyze the current situation. Change your worrisome thoughts to positive statements.

How to stop worrying tip # 2: Learn to discipline and control your thoughts. Our minds are capable of controlling all the thoughts that comes through it. You can do it through telling yourself to “stop” thinking negative thoughts and “stop” worrying too much. Do it repeatedly. Instead, replace those thoughts with more positive and realistic feelings.

How to stop worrying tip # 3: Always think positive and be optimistic. Pessimism is the parent of worry. If you think with too much negativity, the result will be – you will worry. Live with a positive attitude because it can do wonders in your life. Make sure you know how to face any consequences that come with any situation. Know the facts and think of ways of how to improve the situation.

How to stop worrying tip # 4: Start keeping a journal. Scribble anything down that causes you to worry. If you write down all the things that make you worry, ask yourself why. Tackle them one by one. You need a plan of how to deal with it. When you notice that you are worrying over things that are unnecessary, learn to distract yourself. For instance, clean your room, bake cookies, knit, play with your dog, read a good book or do yoga exercises.

Worrying can create anxiety, and anxiety can effect our daily lives. At http://www.christiancounselingnyc.com we work with clients who are not only struggling with worry, but struggling with anxiety and depression as well.

For further information, please visit: http://www.christiancounselingnyc.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Vic_Torgeson

 

 

Related articles

Panic Attacks

October 12, 2011
By

Dont Panic

Image via Wikipedia

Panic Attacks

Panic attacks are sudden feelings of terror which may occur without warning, but which are fortunately almost always harmless, though they give rise to alarming symptoms.  Indeed, the sufferer may even imagine that his or her end has come when enduring a panic attack.  The panic attack may be triggered by some event, such as having to speak in public, or sit an important exam, financial difficulties, a change in sleeping patterns, an impending divorce, a bereavement, starting a new job – all are possible triggers.  Invariably the attack is related to some kind of stressor.

Symptoms of Panic Attacks

Among other symptoms, the sufferer may experience the following: difficulty in breathing, trembling or “shakes”, sweating, nausea, palpitations, tightness in the chest, hyperventilation, vertigo, vomiting and choking sensations.  These can be sufficiently extreme as to cause considerable anxiety in themselves to the sufferer.  This can cause a “positive feedback loop” or vicious circle, in which the victim’s panic levels rise and rise. Many unfortunate people think they are going insane, or about to suffer a heart attack, or a nervous breakdown, when in fact the condition will normally correct itself, usually after only a few minutes.

Causes and Treatment

Frequently, the attack is due to the body’s natural “flight or fight” response to threatening situations.  It is this response, which involves flooding the body with adrenaline, which is responsible for many of the alarming symptoms.  Other causes may be biological, stemming from a disease, or a vitamin deficiency, or a parasitic infection.  In other cases, there may be a genetic cause, where panic attacks appear to be common in particular families. Substance abuse can also trigger these events, as can chemical imbalances in the body.  The good news is that they can be treated effectively.

In the majority of cases  a person can be cured permanently by one or more types of psychotherapy, without the need to have recourse to anti-depressive medications, though these may also be prescribed by your doctor.  It is important to remember that if left untreated, panic attacks can multiply and eventually take control of your life.  Many sufferers develop agoraphobia, which is the morbid dread of public places.  Such folk usually become withdrawn from society, seldom go out of the house, and live in constant fear of a panic attack which could occur at any moment.

Peter Shaw, the author of this article, has suffered frequent panic attacks in the past, and is now fully recovered.  He can be contacted at: peter@definitionofstress.org .

Related articles
Enhanced by Zemanta

The Causes of Stress

October 7, 2011
By

Panic attack

Image via Wikipedia

What is stress ?

There are a wide variety of potential stressors (causes of stress), and these can be both external and internal.  Furthermore, different stressors affect  people to different degrees.  A dressing down by a boss at work, for example, might be treated as a minor incident by you, but it would stress me out.  I would immediately perceive the threat of loss (in this case my livelihood).

Some external sources of stress might include pressure, deadlines or conflict in the work environment, the family (any number of potential stressors here!), money issues, care of aged parents, or they might be things over which we have little or no control, such as traffic, long commutes, violence, crime, simple misunderstandings, and much more besides.

Some authorities contend that stress is a natural reaction to our inadequate or perceived inadequate response to some threatening situation, which may involve personal loss of some kind (reputation, a family member, your job, the high opinion of your friends, a bereavement or life threatening illness, a robbery, rape or other crime – the list goes on).  In such situations the body naturally goes into a “fight or flight” response, which because flight is not usually an option for most of us, results in the body being flooded with adrenalin with no means of dissipating it.

The signs of stress are usually self evident, and will be dealt with in more detail in a later article.

It is important to realize that not all stress is bad for us.  In many cases, some degree of stress can be beneficial, such as in a sports situation, for example.  Furthermore, even though extreme stress can be very unpleasant and result in potentially devastating events such as panic attacks, the effect is not usually long term and there are a variety of options to choose from in dealing with stress, depending upon the stressor in question.

One of the central problems in dealing with that stress which is chronic, however, is its potential for creating long term behavioural problems for us, usually because we try to find relief in essentially short term and short-sighted ways.  These might include alcohol, tobacco and substance abuse and/or addictions, loss of self esteem and self confidence, memory disorders, somatic disorders, insomnia, food abuse, and  short temperedness.

 

 

 

Related articles