Natural Anxiety Relief Remedies

» Traditional herbs

By Sylvia D. - 2007-10-24

During an anxiety attack is not the time to be testing a new anxiety relief remedy. Before an attack occurs, the first step is to understand what natural remedies are available. Most importantly, you want to know their history in terms of effectiveness, as well as any potential safety concerns.

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During an anxiety attack is not the time to be testing a new anxiety relief remedy. Before an attack occurs, the first step is to understand what natural remedies are available.

Most importantly, you want to know their history in terms of effectiveness, as well as any potential safety concerns.

Here are 5 natural anxiety relief remedies that are available to you. The first four are considered safe, although you want to be sure the acupuncturist practices good hygiene to avoid possible infections and irritations.

Acupunture

Acupuncture is an ancient Chinese remedy based on certain points in the body along which energy flows. When these energy pathways in our bodies become interrupted, pain and illness can result. Interruptions can be caused by a number of things, including tension that tightens muscles and nerves and thereby blocks the energy flow.

Acupuncture works by stimulating certain points along the energy channels, or meridians, to free up that trapped energy and restore normal functioning.

It has been used to relieve back pain, lose weight, stop smoking, to trigger relaxation and anxiety relief and a host of other uses.

Only fine sterile needles are used which, it is said, are painless. Only a qualified acupuncturist should be sought for this treatment.

Aromatherapy

Aromatherapy involves inhaling certain fragrances to relieve anxiety, stress and depression. Those that ease symptoms include vanilla, orange blossom, rose, chamomile, lavender, sandalwood, nutmeg, patchouli oil, ylang-ylang and other floral scents. Of those, lavender is deemed the most helpful for relaxation because of its sedative characteristics. A few drops of lavender oil can be sprinkled on a handkerchief and kept handy to be inhaled when stress or anxiety strikes.

The only safety concern here is possible allergic reactions. If you are sensitive to the environment or if you have hay fever or asthma, it's possible this form of therapy will be a bad choice.

Breathing Techniques

Anxiety relief can be easy to achieve with proper breathing. It's been established that people who experience anxiety are chest breathers. Learning to breathe from the diaphragm will help bring anxiety relief. Unfortunately, it's not so easy to do when an anxiety attack is occurring. Proper breathing must be learned beforehand.

The goal is to be able to reduce breathing frequency to 6 breaths per minute. The ultimate end is to make diaphragmatic breathing as natural as... breathing, and to breath from the diaphragm all the times.

An easy way to learn to breath from the diaphragm is to get on all fours (hands and knees) so that the chest is in a fixed position. This makes chest breathing more difficult and practically forces diaphragm breathing. Practice this breathing technique in different positions - sitting in a chair, standing, walking - until it becomes natural. Next time an anxiety attack strikes, make sure you breathe deeply from the diaphragm for fast anxiety relief.

The only concern with this technique is whether you have any medical condition that can be affected by changing your body position. Holding a position on all fours might cause problems for you, depending on your underlying condition, such as heart or circulation issues.

Meditation and Relaxation

Practicing meditation and relaxation on a daily basis will help to replace negative thoughts with positive ones. While meditation works to relax your mind and ultimately your body, relaxation exercises relax the body. By doing these two regularly, you will find that anxiety relief will be much easier to achieve.

Meditation and relaxation can involve soothing music, physical exercise and nature walks to provide a form of distraction from your anxiety. Music therapy is another method for anxiety relief.

This is probably the only one of the five anxiety relief treatments that does not seem to have any potential risk. Exercise, however, should be done only if you know that it is okay for you to do so.

Herbal Remedies

Herbal remedies are becoming increasingly popular, but it's important to note that just because herbs are "natural", it doesn't mean they are safe. Herbal remedies work with the body's chemistry; therefore, there is always a risk of negative interaction.

Because of the way they work, it can take up to two weeks for herbal remedies to take effect and for you to see any benefit.

There are several popular herbal remedies for anxiety relief.

Kava Kava is used as a non-prescription drug for anxiety relief. The roots, when boiled, produce a mild narcotic. This is something to consider with this herb, especially when other prescription drugs are being taken.

Chamomile is a natural nerve relaxant. Chamomile tea has been used for many years and is considered to be safe.

Passion Flower has a sedative effect, it soothes and relaxes. It provides anxiety relief, improves mental concentration, and relieves nervous tension and agitation.

St. John's Wort is a popular herbal treatment for a variety of uses, and particularly for depression, however it is not much help for severe depression. In fact, this herbal remedy comes with a warning for people with manic-depression. St. John's Wort works on the neurotransmitters of the brain, therefore it can play havoc with and cause rapid mood swings.

Caution is advised when taking this treatment, especially if you are taking sleeping medications, if you are pregnant or are breast feeding. Also note that there are significant interactions with many commonly prescribed medications.

If you are scheduled for treatments that require anaesthetic, do not take herbal remedies. Always let the medical practitioners know that you have been taking them in the recent past.

As with any form of anxiety relief treatment, be sure to do sufficient research. Check with your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking any other medication or vitamin supplement before adding any herbal remedy treatment.

Remember that the term "natural" anxiety relief can be deceiving. As you can see, herbal remedies might help, but realize that there are always risks.

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