The 15 Best Alternative Remedies for Anxiety

Living with intense anxiety can take a huge toll on your life. Not only does it impact your mental and emotional well-being, it can also have far-reaching effects on your physical health and your interpersonal relationships. Anxiety is very common, yet it is one of the most misunderstood mental illnesses.

Those are huge numbers – in fact, Generalized Anxiety Disorder is the most commonly diagnosed mental illness. But what is anxiety? How can you know if what you feel requires treatment?

As many as one in every four American adults will experience an anxiety disorder during their lifetimes, and one in ten will have an anxiety disorder each year.

Facts about Anxiety

Like depression, anxiety is frequently misunderstood. A person who suffers from Generalized Anxiety Disorder may find it difficult to let go of things that other people shrug off easily. They always expect disaster, and can’t stop worrying about thinks like health, money, family, and work.

The symptoms of GAD include:

• Having an unrealistic view of problems and stresses
• Excessive and ongoing tension and worry
• Headaches
• Difficulty concentrating
• Irritability
• Muscle tension
• Sweating
• Nausea
• Difficulty falling or staying asleep
• Increased need to urinate
• Trembling
• Being easily startled

GAD is frequently co-diagnosed with other mental disorders, including depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and abuse of drugs and alcohol.

It can be difficult to pin down why one person has GAD and another does not, but there are three main things that appear to factor in:

• Family history. There is some evidence to suggest that GAD runs in families, so if other family members struggle with GAD you may be more likely to get it, too.
• Brain chemistry. When the neural pathways in your brain do not work correctly due to an imbalance of chemicals called neurotransmitters, it can result in feelings of anxiety and panic that have no basis in reality. There are prescription drugs that can help balance out the brain’s chemistry.
• Environmental factors. When you undergo a stressful event, such as the death of a loved one or the breakup of a relationship, the stress may lead to anxiety. Withdrawal from drugs and alcohol can also trigger an attack of anxiety.

Anxiety attacks can range from the mild to the severe, with the most serious example being a full-scale panic attack.

Alternative Remedies for Anxiety

While there are prescription drugs that treat anxiety, many of them have serious side effects and can be addictive. For that reason, finding alternative treatments may be desirable. Here are 15 of the best:

It is important to note that plants such as lemon balm, valerian, passionflower and cannabis should not be taken in conjunction with prescription anti-anxiety medication. Stick to one sedative at a time and figure out which one works best for you. The most important thing to remember is that while GAD may make you feel helpless, you are not. There are things you can do to help minimize and even eliminate your anxiety without spending a lot of money or relying on prescription drugs.