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Anxiety Disorders
By Steven Horne, RH (AHG) & Kimberly Balas, ND
See also Insomnia, Stress and Adrenal Fatigue
Anxiety is a complex combination of feeling apprehension, dread, fear, nervousness and worry, in anticipation
of problems or misfortune. So, when facing unknown or "scary" situations, it's perfectly normal to experience the
sensation of "butterflies"or "knots" in your stomach that
signal a touch of anxiety. However, for a large number of
people, anxiety is something far more serious and persistent.
When anxiety is severe enough to interfere with family
relations, socializing and work, it can be debilitating. It can
manifest as shortness of breath, rapid heartbeat or heart
palpitations, muscle tension, trembling, insomnia, irritability, chest pain, cold sweats, feeling faint and general feelings of stress. These symptoms are bad enough, but to make
matters worse, anxiety contributes to the development of other health problems, including heart disease, high blood
pressure, cancer, diabetes, and pain-related disorders such
as arthritis and fibromyalgia.
There is also a high correlation between anxiety and addiction to alcohol, smoking and
drug use.
Clinicians recognize about 12 relatively distinct subtypes
of anxiety disorder, but the major ones are: panic disorder,
phobias, obsessive-compulsive disorder, post-traumatic
stress syndrome and generalized anxiety disorder. These
anxiety related problems have reached epidemic proportions in the United States. According to the Surgeon General, 16 percent of adults ages 18 to 24 experience one subtype of an anxiety disorder that lasts at least a year. That's a
lot of anxiety!
The large majority of those suffering with these disorders
are holding full-time jobs, many at executive and managerial levels, and are experiencing a relatively high degree of workplace stress. Most are just masking the symptoms of
their problem by taking some sort of medication, such as
tranquilizers, antidepressants or sleeping pills. Others are self-medicating through alcohol, cigarettes and drugs.
There are better ways to deal with anxiety, however.
Understanding Anxiety
To understand how to reduce anxiety in a healthy, natural
way, we first need to understand the nature of anxiety. Anxiety is not a "bad" thing. It is a natural reaction to real or perceived dangers. The perception of possible danger triggers
the release of hormones and neurotransmitters that prime
the body and mind for action. These physiological changes
can help us push beyond our normal limits and may actually help us perform better.
For instance, if a person feels anxious at the thought of
giving a speech or performing in front of a group, the perceived "danger" of humiliating oneself in front of a large
group of people creates a release of hormones that actually
prime the person to perform better. So, the key is not to
eliminate anxiety, but to keep
our anxiety at manageable
levels so we can
perform well in the tasks before us, and not
be paralyzed from action by excessive anxiety.
Fortunately, there are many simple, natural therapies that
can regulate the production of stress-related hormones and
ease anxiety-related problems. These natural approaches
don't just temporarily relieve the symptoms, either. They
can actually resolve anxiety problems and help a person get
rid of that crippling anxiety for good.
Natural Remedies for Anxiety
Start by reducing the output of stress hormones by taking
adaptogenic herbs like Eleuthero Root, Adaptamax, Suma
Combination and Nervous Fatigue Formula. AnxiousLess
also has adaptogenic effects. Also, start making more time
for rest and relaxation. One doesn't have to try to avoid stress
to reduce the effects of stress in one's life. Pleasurable experiences trigger the release of hormones and neurotransmitters
that counteract the effects of stress and a pleasurable experience creates more positive benefits than a stressful experience causes harm. So, instead of reducing stress, we should
be deliberately creating pleasure and enjoyment in our lives.
It's likely that a major part of the reason anxiety-related
disorders are epidemic in our society is because we are just
too busy. We are constantly on the go, and take very little
time for pleasure and recreation. Making sure we plan time
to do enjoyable things is very important to our emotional
and physical health. Consider activities like a warm bath, a
soak in a hot tub, a massage, listening to relaxing music or
taking a walk in the park.
As part of this process, make sure you are getting enough
sleep. If you have trouble getting to sleep there are many
remedies you can try. What works for you will depend on
the specific problems inhibiting your sleep. See Insomnia for more information.
People who suffer from anxiety usually have a lot of tension in their muscles. Anything that helps to stretch muscles
and get them to relax will reduce feelings of stress and anxiety. Good choices include stretching exercises, yoga, tai chi
or massage therapy.
You can also use supplements to help muscles relax. Lobelia and kava kava are great antispasmodic herbs that can
relax muscles and reduce anxiety. For long-term use, kava
kava is the best choice. It can help you stay relaxed, improve
your mood, but keep your mind alert and focused.
Calming the Mind
Finally, learn to quiet your mind. All of us have a constant
flow of verbal "monkey chatter" going on in our minds. In
some people these thoughts can become so obsessive that
they lead to constant states of worry, fear, anxiety and obsession. Learning to calm the mind through prayer and meditation can be very helpful. In many cases, counseling may be needed to help a person learn to "step back" from these negative thoughts and replace them with more positlve ones.
One way of calming the mind is to center one's attention more on directly experiencing the world around us. While breathing slowly and deeply, look around you and
notice colors, sounds, textures and smells. Touch things and
feel their texture. Coming to your "senses" in this manner
counteracts the effects of stress and reduces anxiety. And it doesn't cost anything!
These techniques, along with basic good health practices,
can help you recover from anxiety disorders. If the problem is severe, be sure to seek appropriate professional help.
Flower Essences: Be Courageous and Be Response-Able
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