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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.

Below is a list of suggested products. Those in bold are key products for the health issue explained on this page.
For details and ordering simply copy a product's name in the search box above or click on the bold name.




Therapies: Affirmation, Visualization & Meditation, Aromatherapy, Avoid Caffeine, Cleansing Programs, Deep Breathing, Emotional Healing Work, Exercise, Hiatal Hernia Correction, Hydration, Low Glycemic Diet and Stress Management

Herbs: Eleuthero, Kava Kava and Lobelia

Herbal Formulas: AdaptaMax, Nervous Fatigue Formula, Stress Relief, Stress-J and SUMA Combination

Nutritional Supplements: Nutri-Calm and Vitamin B-Complex

Nutraceuticals: Adrenal Support and Anxiousless

Essential Oils: Bergamot, Frankincense, Lavender, Lemon, Sandalwood and Ylang Ylang

Flower Essences: Be Courageous and Be Response-Able

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Disclaimer: We do not directly dispense medical advice or prescribe the use of herbs or supplements as a form of treatment for illness. The information found on this Web Site is for educational purposes only and to empower people with knowledge to take care of their own health. We disclaim any liability if the reader uses or prescribes any remedies, natural or otherwise, for him/herself or another. Always consult a licensed health professional should a need be indicated.