This article may contain affiliate links, and we may earn a small commission when you click on the links at no additional cost to you. Read the full disclaimer here.

Anxiety Treatment Without Medication

Therapy Services

Many individuals may be familiar with the general idea of Therapy — sit down with the therapist, discuss your experiences and how to approach things best moving forward — but may not fully understand the different approaches. This is important because talk therapy can be personalized based on your preferences and offers many methods to help you with your specific needs.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

The most common approach to therapy is CBT. During the COVID-19 pandemic telehealth services like Online-Therapy.com have become much more prominent, providing easier access for many individuals and a range of services to match individual needs. CBT has been effective for many individuals managing a variety of anxiety-related conditions, including:

1. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
2. Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)
3. Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
4. Specific Phobias

Therapy sessions can be individualized and include more specialized treatments like exposure therapy when appropriate. Exposure therapy can be especially beneficial for specific phobias or management of obsessive compulsive behaviors.

Cognitive behavioral therapy follows a structured framework designed to help individuals recognize the connection between their thoughts, emotions, and resultant behaviors. Identifying thought patterns and, if necessary, challenging them can foster a more balanced perspective on the challenges of daily life.

Therapists often encourage developing a self-care routine. Effective treatment often integrates a number of options for relaxation and stress management techniques, helping you identify which ones work for you and how to apply them. This helps promote self-awareness balanced with forgiveness and can serve as a foundation for improving mental well-being over the long-term.

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)

The fundamental concept behind ACT is recognizing that stress is an inevitable part of our existence. Trying to avoid negative emotions has the potential to lead to unproductive behaviors, such as isolation or substance use.

In essence, ACT’s central tenet can be summarized as, “It’s okay to not be okay.” This perspective encourages self-compassion during trying times, while identifying core values to help act as pillars for our decisions. This, in turn, can fortify our sense of purpose and overall well-being, empowering us with the confidence to navigate life’s hurdles in a healthy manner.

Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT)

In certain aspects, Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) can be likened to Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. The term ‘dialectical’ implies ‘opposite,’ and this therapeutic approach tackles anxiety by embracing it while concurrently working to enhance our coping mechanisms in the face of stress. DBT frequently integrates mindfulness practices and exercises related to social interactions, including learning how to be assertive in healthy ways by understanding how and when to set boundaries.

Other Forms of Therapy

• Music Therapy: Listening to music or playing an instrument can be beneficial for anxiety. Music has been associated with lower blood pressure and heart rate as well, with references exploring beneficial effects as far back as 1789.
• Art Therapy: Therapy is ultimately effective when you become comfortable expressing your thoughts, feelings, and experiences. For some, creating art is an excellent way to accomplish this. There are also clinical studies that associate art therapy programs with an improved sense of well-being. These benefits also extend specifically to anxiety management.

Exercise

Incorporating regular exercise into your routine enhances overall physical well-being and has also been linked to alleviating anxiety symptoms. Simple activities like walking can be beneficial, but engaging in more vigorous physical activities may yield a stronger response. The release of endorphins by the body offers a plausible explanation for this phenomenon. Endorphins are known to mitigate both depression and anxiety symptoms while bolstering our self-esteem.

Cardio is certainly not required, however, as many beneficial exercises can also focus on relaxation. Yoga, in particular, proves highly beneficial for mental health. Often combining breathing techniques and meditation practices, yoga effectively aids in the regulation of the autonomic nervous system, ultimately enhancing the body’s ability to cope with stress.

Breathing Techniques

Exploring various breathing exercises and becoming comfortable with their practice can be especially beneficial in challenging situations or during episodes of anxiety. Engaging in deep breathing techniques and structured breathing can trigger a relaxation response. Sometimes, all it takes is a few minutes to alleviate physical symptoms of anxiety, such as high blood pressure.

Mindfulness

The central objective of mindfulness is to recenter your focus on the present moment. Many people dealing with anxiety often get caught in the cycle of rumination (repetitively dwelling on the same thoughts), excessive planning, and worrying. Cultivating a mindfulness practice can help disrupt these patterns. Mindfulness is often introduced through meditation and may involve various breathing techniques.

Support Groups

Participating in a support group can serve as a valuable means of establishing a shared connection with others. Coping with anxiety can sometimes lead to feelings of isolation. Recognizing that you are not alone and that there are people who have navigated similar challenges can offer solace. Your own experiences hold value, and you can also provide support and assistance to others in the group!

Can You Overcome Anxiety?

Our culture places a lot of emphasis on speed and efficiency, which can be helpful in some ways but quick fixes are not always the answer. It’s crucial to set realistic expectations and goals. Whether anxiety treatment involves medication, therapy, or personal coping strategies, it may not necessarily lead to the complete elimination of anxiety, and it’s likely to take time.

The key focus is on management – the core principles of stress and anxiety management typically revolve around recognizing triggers and symptoms and aiming to minimize their impact over time. Anxiety may still exist, but it can become less intrusive and more manageable.

Tips For Improved Anxiety Management

Limit Caffeine

Caffeine raises blood pressure and heart rate for a short time after ingestion and makes it more difficult to sleep. These effects are greater with higher doses, so limiting your intake may be helpful. Some individuals switch to herbal tea or other beverages to avoid these side effects.

Improve Your Sleep Hygiene

Inadequate sleep is linked to an increased release of cortisol, a stress hormone. Sleep hygiene encompasses a set of recommendations aimed at enhancing the quality of sleep, and some examples include:

1. Establishing a regular sleep schedule to align with your body’s natural circadian rhythm.
2. Refraining from daytime naps.
3. Avoiding caffeine consumption in the afternoon.
4. Turning off electronic screens an hour before bedtime.
5. Maintaining a diet that is low in sugar and minimizes highly processed foods.

For individuals experiencing sleep difficulties despite trying these methods, there are also Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) services tailored to specifically assist people in managing insomnia.

Cannabidiol (CBD)

If you have reservations about using prescription medications but are open to trying a CBD product, these options have become increasingly accessible in recent years. Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is the cannabis component responsible for producing psychoactive effects, or the ‘high.’ Unlike THC, CBD does not induce these psychoactive effects. While the precise mechanisms of CBD are not fully understood, it has been found to interact with various receptors, including the serotonin receptor, which is also targeted by prescription medications to alleviate anxiety symptoms.

Emerging studies are starting to reveal promising results regarding CBD’s potential role in treating anxiety. It’s essential to bear in mind that these products are not currently mandated by law to undergo content verification, underscoring the importance of thorough brand research. Green Roads is an example of a company that submits its products to independent third-party laboratory testing, a positive indicator of reliability and safety.

References

1. Bandelow, B., & Michaelis, S. (2015). Epidemiology of anxiety disorders in the 21st century. Dialogues in clinical neuroscience, 17(3), 327–335. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.31887/DCNS.2015.17.3/bbandelow
2. Kaczkurkin, A. N., & Foa, E. B. (2015). Cognitive-behavioral therapy for anxiety disorders: an update on the empirical evidence. Dialogues in clinical neuroscience, 17(3), 337–346. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.31887/DCNS.2015.17.3/akaczkurkin
3. Dindo, L., Van Liew, J.R. & Arch, J.J. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy: A Transdiagnostic Behavioral Intervention for Mental Health and Medical Conditions. Neurotherapeutics 14, 546–553 (2017). https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s13311-017-0521-3
4. Hu, J., Zhang, J., Hu, L., Yu, H., & Xu, J. (2021). Art Therapy: A Complementary Treatment for Mental Disorders. Frontiers in psychology, 12, 686005. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.686005/full
5. Aylett, E., Small, N., & Bower, P. (2018). Exercise in the treatment of clinical anxiety in general practice – a systematic review and meta-analysis. BMC health services research, 18(1), 559. https://bmchealthservres.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12913-018-3313-5
6. Hopper, Susan I.1,2; Murray, Sherrie L.1,2; Ferrara, Lucille R.1,2; Singleton, Joanne K.1,2. Effectiveness of diaphragmatic breathing for reducing physiological and psychological stress in adults: a quantitative systematic review. JBI Database of Systematic Reviews and Implementation Reports 17(9):p 1855-1876, September 2019. | DOI: 10.11124/JBISRIR-2017-003848 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31436595/
7. http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov. (n.d.). Sleep Health | National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI). [online] Available at: https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health-topics/education-and-awareness/sleep-health.
8. Lee, J. L. C., Bertoglio, L. J., Guimarães, F. S., & Stevenson, C. W. (2017). Cannabidiol regulation of emotion and emotional memory processing: relevance for treating anxiety-related and substance abuse disorders. British journal of pharmacology, 174(19), 3242–3256. https://bpspubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bph.13724
9. Wright, M., Di Ciano, P., & Brands, B. (2020). Use of Cannabidiol for the Treatment of Anxiety: A Short Synthesis of Pre-Clinical and Clinical Evidence. Cannabis and cannabinoid research, 5(3), 191–196. https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/10.1089/can.2019.0052