The Most Important Means of Treating Anxiety without Drugs

Anxiety is one of the most prevalent mental health challenges. The National Institute of Mental Health in the United States of America estimates that about 20% of adults have developed an anxiety disorder within just one year. If this indicates anything, it indicates the prevalence of this disease and the importance of awareness related to it.

Can anxiety be treated without drugs?

Treatment of anxiety without medication can be successful; This is provided in coordination with a psychiatrist or psychotherapist who is aware of the case and its degree, and a transparent discussion must be held regarding the available drug treatments, the benefits, and damages they can offer, and a comparison of that with the patient’s condition and degree of suffering.

Learn about the main concerns with examples:

Many people are often concerned about the future. They are worried about one of the following issues:

1.  The person may be worried about next week's work appointment.
2. The person may be nervous about meeting the annual financial goals of the company he runs.
3. The person may be worried about their ability to be a good parent even though there are no children or even pregnancy.

What is the main problem with anxiety?

We note from the previous examples that the main problem of anxiety lies in the inability of a person to live in the present moment, instead of the person’s anxiety being directed toward the current day or what they can do after a few hours or several minutes, they are busy with what they must do the next day or next week or a month from now. Likewise, anxiety is not limited to the future, as it may be caused by the mistakes of the past and re-memorization and rumination over and over again. 

Living in the present moment is one of the most important ways of treating anxiety without drugs:

Convince yourself that you are a human being living in this day, and you cannot control the future or invent a time-back machine to change the mistakes and pitfalls of the past. So, take every day as it is, but this doesn't mean not being proactive and working to avoid problems, but what we are telling you here is not to put all your focus on what happened in the past and what could happen in the future to create anxiety for yourself without any gain. 

The role of mindfulness and meditation in the treatment of anxiety without drugs:

Mindfulness and meditation are important components of fighting anxiety because of their inherent and rooted position in the present moment. So, you can try mindfulness and meditation even for a few minutes a day, and then gradually increase this duration. Make this exercise part of your daily routine whether you practice it in bed, in the workplace, or even on the balcony of the house, as it's a simple exercise that doesn't need tools or a specific place.

Is there a proven benefit for treating anxiety with aerobic exercise?

A systematic review and meta-analysis discovered that aerobic exercises, especially intensive exercises with little room for rest, are highly useful in treating anxiety. However, many critics have questioned the validity and reliability of this review due to the wide and significant variations in the quality of the exercise included, in addition to the relatively small sample size. Critics have concluded that more rigorous studies with a sufficient sample size are needed to prove the role of these exercises in treating anxiety.

Many doctors and researchers point to the role of physical activity in raising levels of serotonin and endorphins, which help a person feel emotionally better, and this reflects positively on all parts of the body. Since the brain cannot focus on two things at the same time, physical exercise will keep your brain from thinking about worrying matters.

Doctors recommend exercising for at least thirty minutes three days a week, not necessarily stressful or painful exercise. On the contrary, any physical activity can do the trick even if it's a simple jog around the house.

The role of psychotherapy in the treatment of anxiety:

Psychotherapy is one of the effective treatments for anxiety. The American Psychological Association asserts that psychotherapy may outperform drug treatment for anxiety. This is because this treatment allows the patient to express their concern and talk about the things that arouse these feelings within them. This helps them in one way or another to discover new mechanisms to cope with this disease and means to deal with it in a way that reduces its negative effects on their professional, social, and personal life. 

The role of cognitive-behavioral therapy(CBT) in the treatment of anxiety:

CBT may have some important benefits in treating anxiety. This treatment focuses on helping an anxious patient understand the relationship between their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, and then teaching and training the patient on the right way that they should use to disrupt anxiety-inducing negative thoughts, which leap into their brain spontaneously, as well as training them to develop new thinking patterns that are an alternative in one way or another to the anxious way of thinking. 

The role of diet in the treatment of anxiety:

Some people find that making some changes to their diet contributes to reducing anxiety. It may therefore be useful to commit to some of the following steps:

1. Reducing caffeine intake:

There is no doubt that coffee, tea, and mate are among the most famous caffeine-rich drinks, known for their role in the activation and stimulation of the brain and nervous system. This makes it more susceptible to anxiety, especially if it is drunk before bedtime. There are many studies, especially the aforementioned analysis, which proved a strong correlation between high caffeine consumption and increased stress and anxiety among students.

2. Drink less alcohol:

Although few studies have proven the correlation between anxiety and alcohol intake, many people who have used alcohol for quite some period find a marked improvement in anxiety symptoms when they stop drinking alcohol or reduce the amount they drink. 

3. Make a food log:

Keeping an accurate record of the foods you have eaten helps you know if your anxiety gets worse after eating certain foods. One study found a correlation between the high intake of saturated fat and the high level of general anxiety in adults, as well as added sugars that had an extreme role in aggravating anxiety, as well as some foods containing nutrients to relieve anxiety.

Techniques to address deadline and loneliness concerns:

Many techniques are useful in relieving stress and anxiety according to each case and each person. For example, people who are concerned that deadlines will be missed or that work will not be terminated on time find that a timetable reduces their anxiety.

As for people who worry about being alone at home during the night, they may find comfort in things that break their feeling of loneliness by buying a dog, raising it, feeding and training it, installing an alarm system to protect the house at night, or inviting a friend to stay with them at the house pending overcoming their anxiety. 

What are the most important daily strategies for dealing with anxiety without medication?

1. The muscle relaxation strategy can be used gradually. This is done by creating a continuous relaxation of the muscle groups individually.
2. Deep breathing exercises, such as taking a deep breath and then letting it out slowly, and counting these breaths. Deep breathing exercises can be combined with meditation exercises.
3. If you tend to write, you can present your services in a paper or electronic magazine because it has a great impact in emptying the anxiety in your interior and moving it to another space away from you. It also helps you invest this anxiety energy in useful things.
4. You can also decide to buy and raise a pet. Studies confirm the positive role of animal husbandry in promoting human mental health, and if you don't have time to raise a pet, you can spend time with one of the animals of your neighbors, friends, or relatives.
5. Self-care activities are useful in relieving anxiety and developing feelings of self-confidence, such as reading books, bathing, or trimming nails.

In conclusion:

Normal people may suffer from anxiety from time to time, and it is mostly temporary anxiety related to a specific cause, and it goes away with its

disappearance. However, if the anxiety persists for more than three weeks or is severe to the point of undermining sleep or having a significant impact on productivity at work or in social relationships, then this type of anxiety is a psychological disorder in most cases, and then it makes its owner seek help from a psychiatrist. Treatment is not necessarily the drug. Psychotherapy and behavioral therapy are important treatments that are essential, even if drugs are used.