Alternative Treatment for Anxiety Disorders

In addition to the traditional, more or less contested antidepressants there are other alternatives to cure anxiety. Complementary and alternative medicine has come up with several treatments based on herbs or on alternative practices such as acupuncture and meditation. Some of these alternative remedies have been studied and approved by specialists in the field, while others have no scientific ground whatsoever.

Herbal Remedies

Plants like kava, St. Jones wort, chamomile and valerian have been used by people to treat anxiety. While the first two have been proved to be effective, it has also been discovered that they have serious side effects. For example kava is very destructive for the liver and St. Jones wort provokes serious damage when used in combination with the traditional anti-anxiety drugs.

For the other two plants mentioned above there is no evidence that they are indeed effective. In spite of this they are very popular among stressed, worried or nervous people.

In order to be sure that you are doing the right thing when taking these herbs you should ask a doctor about their effects and about whether or not they are recommended in your situation. Be sure you mention to your doctor the other medicines you are taking so that he would not prescribe you herbs which may interfere with your existing treatment.

Acupuncture

This is probably the most effective way of alternative anti-anxiety treatment. The studies which have been made and the long history which stands behind this procedure recommend it as a technique which may alleviate anxiety states. Also, it has been proved that the positive effects were not obtained by chance. To be effective, acupuncture should be made by a person who is specialized in this field.

Meditation

Meditation was included on the list with alternative anxiety treatment because of its calming effects. Although no clear scientific statement has been made about the usefulness of this technique in treating anxiety, it is said that meditation can help you relax and forget about your quotidian worries.

The best thing about meditation is that you do not have to worry about side effects. This means that you can try it and if it works good for you, if it does not work you have nothing to lose. This conclusion is supported by Amit Sood, MD and researcher.

Healthy Lifestyle – An anti-anxiety approach

Changing your lifestyle with a healthier one is an approach which may keep you away from anxiety. You can start a new stage in your life by adopting a healthy diet and make physical exercises every day. There are a lot of relaxing activities which will get the worries out of your mind. You can try walking, jogging, dancing, massage, yoga or swimming. Even though this change in lifestyle does not cure your anxiety for good, you will certainly gain more confidence in yourself and the ones around you and will be less dependent on antidepressants.