Written by Diana Robinson, MBA, Esthetician, lecturer, and Professional Blog Writer.
Studies show Anxiety disorders are present in up to 13.3% of individuals in the U.S. This is just the number of people who are willing to talk to someone about it.
Imagine a person with anxiety that is highly functional. Have you ever heard of smiling anxiety? some of the happiest people among us are the most depressed and anxious. There are many different types of anxiety such as Generalized anxiety, social anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder Obsessive-compulsive disorder, and more.
How do we identify anxiety?
It is not common to have more than one type of anxiety at any given time. However, lately, this is no longer the case. Some of the main causes are biology, stress, and genetics. The best treatment will stem from understanding the reason for the anxiety. Research shows anxiety is a disorder that cannot be taken lightly. Anxiety disorders account for decreased productivity, increased morbidity and mortality rates, and the growth of alcohol and drug abuse in a large segment of the population.
Common symptoms are
- Panic
- social awkwardness
- Obsessiveness
There are 3 ways that we look at anxiety using the ABC METHOD
A-is for Alarm -it gets your attention, it starts provoking a thought or triggers a sensation
B-is for beliefs, this behavior relies heavily on previous experiences and personal and cultural background, Do you believe it to be true or is it just random?
C-is for coping, how will you be able to deal with the situations hence coping mechanisms emerge. Some people might experience something traumatic and as soon as something that resembles trauma, embarrassment, death, sickness, job loss, etc shows up they immediately panic. In this situation, a person needs constant reassurance that their health, safety, and well-being are excellent.
What type of anxiety are you experiencing?
SOCIAL ANXIETY
This a condition that occurs when anxious people enter large groups of people. This person could start feeling inferior, as if they will make a terrible mistake, blushing, sweating profusely, etc.
OCD- a striking stressful event or a continuous persistent stressful event that can cause OCD to trigger. This involves constant obsession and compulsion.
General anxiety -This anxiety is common and very dangerous. This type of anxiety is ongoing and interferes with daily lives
PTSD- Stress triggers PTSD, This is a type of anxiety that is triggered by stress. This usually comes from trauma this could come from death, experiencing a violent or sad situation, an embarrassing event, etc
How to rapidly cure anxiety without meds
Our main focus is to tackle anxiety disorder without meds. There are so many meds out on the market today for anxiety, that it would be impossible to talk about them here. If you would like to read about meds, you can read here.
This is by no means medical advice, however, this is for educational purposes based on in-depth research. Research shows some ways that Oxford University suggests anxiety can be handled by using cognitive behavior therapy among other alternatives.
Exposure – This is where you will be exposed in a gentle slow way to whatever your fears are. Take daily steps such as talking about the fear, over the next couple weeks, visit the exact place of fear whether it be physical or emotional. Do an activity with a supportive friend or family member resembling the fear. Be realistic and not put yourself in harm’s way but do as much as you can safely. Repeat these steps to familiarize the brain and lessen anxiety.
Mindfulness- yoga teaches “awareness of present experience with acceptance.”This is important to help a person to understand that their present moment is real which is why we have thoughts and concerns. However, we are not our thoughts and cannot be identified with thoughts. We are the watcher of the thought but we do not identify or label ourselves with the thought.
Following herbal treatment – Using herbs and a well-balanced diet to help the system and the brain.
Other Therapy Options that have limited trials and investigations
(consult a doctor before performing any of these )
Electroconvulsive Therapy -Application of brief electrical impulses to the scalp to induce large-scale cortical neuronal discharges
Vagal Nerve Stimulation – stimulate brain networks relevant to anxiety and fear processing
Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation – Focal magnetic stimulation of the scalp has the advantage of being able to target brain regions thought to be involved in anxiety disorders.
References
Bystritsky A, Khalsa SS, Cameron ME, Schiffman J. Current diagnosis and treatment of anxiety disorders. P T. 2013 Jan;38(1):30-57. PMID: 23599668; PMCID: PMC3628
