Introduction to Anxiety Relief

A Response to Stress Gone Awry

Humans respond to direct stressors by producing an array of hormonal cues that stimulate both mind and muscle to prepare for a confrontation with the stressor. The removal of the stressor should in theory, damp the response, but this is not always the case. Sometimes the stress response continues, perhaps at lower levels of intensity, long after the stressor has disappeared. This low intensity stress response, characterized by mental, emotional and physical discomfort, is known as anxiety.

Seeking Anxiety Relief Directly

Anxiety can last just a few hours or instead become a permanent state that ultimately diminishes quality of life. In such cases, anxiety relief, or methods of reducing and eliminating anxiety, should be sought directly. Popular methods include but are not limited to cognitive behavior therapy, self-guided meditation or chemical means. Studies have shown that at least some people respond to each of these treatment options, although there is not yet a universal "cure" for anxiety.

Anxiety Can Be Negatively Self-Reinforcing

Left untreated, this psychiatric disorder has a tendency to reinforce itself. For example, people who suffer from "panic attacks", ironically and unfortunately, become anxious in anticipation of their next episode. Acquiring up-to-date medical understanding, and knowledge of one’s particular condition is the best way forward, whether one are working with a physician who can prescribe the correct types of medication, or is exploring strategies to achieve remission by oneself.

Pharmaceutical Medication

In terms of medications, there are two broad classes known as the SSRIs and SNRIs, which respectively block uptake of serotonin and noradrenaline, both of which promote psychiatric and mental stability thereby alleviate symptoms of anxiety and depression. Our limited understanding of neurochemistry has at least identified neurotransmitters and hormones which are correlated to symptoms and behaviors associated with many pschiatric disorders.

Natural Anxiety Relief

As is usual in the field of natural medications, there are some herbal treatments thought to be effective for treating anxiety. The majority are not supported by carefully controlled, clnical results but have the backing of ethnic oral tradition. Actaea rosea is an example of an herb that is being used for anxiety and depression in Native American cultures of the Northeast. St. Johns Wort is one drug of many that has been the target of intense scrutiny by scientists, which has led its confirmation as a truly effective anti-depressant. It is thought to be also a form of natural anxiety relief.

Psychiatric Therapies and Behaviorial Modification

In terms of non-medicated approaches, psychiatrists have pushed for psychotherapeutic approaches, one of which is the well known cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) that attempts to analyze, breakdown, and modify patterns of thinking in and effort to break the mental feedbacks which drive psychiatric conditions. A coordinated approach using both methods has also been suggested with positive results reported. Although most physicians will acknowledge that the true goal in treating any disorder is complete remission, the goal is elusive as we have yet to achieve a clear understanding of the chemicals or cognitive patterns which drive anxiety-related disorders. Most psychiatrists will say that the first goal is management of the symptoms, and only the second is complete remission.