Anxiety causes a person to feel apprehensive, nervous, scared, self-conscious and worried. This common psychological problem can be accompanied with certain physical symptoms involving the heart, lungs, gastrointestinal system, and the nervous system. Five of the most wide-spread anxiety disorders include generalized anxiety disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorders, panic disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, and social anxiety disorder.
Causes and Symptoms of Anxiety
Many factors can contribute to the development of anxiety disorder. Some of the most common ones include genetic factors, too much stress over a period of time, major accidents, childhood environment, insomnia, biological factors like chemical imbalance of the brain, etc.
Anxiety disorder usually causes both emotional as well as physical symptoms. Common emotional symptoms include apprehension, fear, nightmares, frequently repeating behavior like washing hands, memories of traumatic experiences, uncontrolled obsessive thoughts, etc. Physical symptoms associated with anxiety disorder include cold hands, shortness of breath, uncontrolled shaking, sleep disturbances, racing heartbeats, chest pain, dry mouth, and gastrointestinal upset.
Treating Anxiety
Anxiety disorder is usually treated with the help of medications and psychotherapy. Relaxation techniques, behavior therapy, cognitive therapy, and cognitive-behavioral therapy are some of the most popular techniques to overcome anxiety disorders. Medications like antidepressants and mild tranquilizers can also be used to treat anxiousness. However, these anti-anxiety medications should be taken only if you have a doctor’s prescription. Besides these conventional anxiety treatments, you can use safe and effective natural remedies that involve proper diet, regular exercise, nutritional supplements and vitamins, herbs, and stress–reductions techniques.
Natural Cures for Anxiety
Caffeine is known to complicate the symptoms of an anxiety disorder. Other foods that can aggravate anxiety symptoms include refined sugar, honey, maple syrup, and cow milk. If you are prone to anxiety attacks, then you should exclude all these foods from your diet.
The amino acid Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) can be very helpful in reducing the effects of anxiety. Some other supplements that can be used to overcome this psychological issue include calcium, magnesium, vitamin B complex, and pantothenic acid.
Herbal treatments have also proved to be very helpful in controlling anxiety. Kava or Piper methysticum is an herb that is commonly used to cure anxiety, insomnia, tension, nervousness, and agitation. The herb Valerian is often used to overcome insomnia. This herb has a positive effect on the nervous system and also helps to balance mood swings. Some other herbs that help to treat anxiety disorders include chamomile, hops, passion flower, lemon balm, skullcap, and suma. Passion flower contains vitexin, which is a chemical that helps to calm the nerves, relieve tension, and reduce anxiety symptoms.
Regular exercise is one of the safest and most effective ways of managing stress. Cardiovascular exercises like walking along with calming breathing exercise can be very helpful in treating anxiety.
Aromatherapy is another good natural way of overcoming this disorder. Some essential oils that are effective in relieving anxiety and nervous tension include bergamot, lavender, cypress, geranium, rose, jasmine, ylang-ylang, neroli, and sandalwood.
Massage therapy promotes muscles relaxation, stress reduction, and better quality sleep. Some simple techniques that anyone can use to reduced stress and get control over anxiety include breathing exercises, self-hypnosis, massage, physical exercises, yoga, Tai chi, and meditation.
Although all the natural anxiety cures explained above produce good results, it is recommended that you consult your doctor before opting for any form of anxiety treatment.