People begin to develop anxiety disorders for many different reasons. Living with anxiety can also present itself in everything from subtle signs to more extreme symptoms that affect our day to day lives. Fortunately, many people willing to seek professional care have found profound improvements with anxiety therapy and other natural remedies.
The different approaches a licensed therapist can take to treat anxiety are equally diverse and generally depend on the symptoms and type of disorder itself. In other words, there is no one-size-fits-all form of anxiety therapy. There are, however, many options that have proven to be successful either on their own or when paired with other treatments options.
The most common forms of treatment for anxiety disorders are:
- Therapy For Anxiety
- Psychiatric Medication
- Exercise and Nutrition
- Natural Remedies
For the sake of this article, I will only address the three treatment options that do not involve medication. Although there are certain cases where psychiatric medication is necessary, it is my experience that many people have the ability to overcome their symptoms without pharmaceutical intervention. Only a physician can make the determination about whether medication is necessary and appropriate in each person’s case. However, even if you do require anxiety medicine, these approaches can still provide you with symptom relief and allow you to discover a more relaxed and peaceful way of living.Â
The Most Common Form of Therapy for Anxiety
Probably the most common form of anxiety therapy used today is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, known as CBT. The focus of CBT is to explore and ultimately change unhealthy behavior and thinking patterns through ongoing sessions with a licensed therapist. CBT provides patients with new coping mechanisms that allow them to identify and manage symptoms over time.
The unique advantage of CBT (or other forms of anxiety therapy) over medication is that the resulting benefits tend to be sustainable and long-lasting rather than only providing short-term relief. Other modalities like EMDR and Hypnotherapy have also proven to be highly effective for treating anxiety disorders and can be paired to form an integrative counseling plan that increases the chances for stimulating positive, lasting change.
How Exercise and Nutrition Help With Anxiety
There have been many mental health and psychological journals that have researched and published studies covering the wide-ranging benefits that exercise and nutrition have on anxiety and depression. This is primarily due to the natural stimulation of certain brain chemicals and neurotransmitters that exercise causes in addition to the reduction of the harmful effects certain foods are known to induce.
However, it’s understandable that the symptoms of anxiety complicate the motivation for people to regularly undertake these changes. In this case, setting small goals in anxiety therapy to begin can help to lay the foundation for sustaining these positive changes moving forward.
Known Natural Remedies For Anxiety That Work
Mindfulness Meditation
Practicing mindfulness meditation is one of the most proven holistic remedies for treating symptoms of anxiety. Try sitting in a quiet, peaceful setting and focusing on your breathing for 10-15 minutes. If you find your thoughts venturing off, bring them back to your breathing again.
Journaling
Anxiety often manifests with racing thoughts that quickly spiral out of control. Journaling is a useful tool that can help to focus thoughts while giving you a better idea of what factors are triggering your symptoms. It can also be useful to journal all the thoughts that come to your mind without analyzing them at all as a way to distract yourself.
Aromatherapy
Certain smells are thought to have a calming effect on people living with anxiety. Two of the most common oils used in aromatherapy for anxiety are chamomile and lavender, which are believed by some to be soothing and relaxing. There is, however, little scientific evidence proving their effectiveness.
Conclusion
Living comfortably with or even overcoming anxiety is possible and many people believe professional counseling to be highly beneficial. Anxiety therapy in addition to certain lifestyle changes and healthy natural remedies are a great way to begin overcoming anxiety disorders and learning to live a peaceful life free from unbearable symptoms. If you’d like to schedule an appointment with a licensed therapist in Boca Raton to help you begin your own journey towards wellbeing, contact Morgan Center today.
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