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What are alternative ways besides medication to deal with the physical symptoms of anxiety?

307 Answers
Last Updated: 05/31/2021 at 3:41am
What are alternative ways besides medication to deal with the physical symptoms of anxiety?
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Top Rated Answers
neptne
January 7th, 2018 6:07pm
Obviously, medication can be super helpful, but in certain circumstances it isn't necessarily for everyone due to a multitude of reasons. Personally, I find (as cheesy as it sounds) it's super helpful to bring tea with me in a thermos water bottle thing to school because drinking it helps stop an attack before it can start. Another thing you could try is a dedicated habit of meditation, because clearing your mind can be really, really good at calming anxiety, but to do it under those stressful circumstances requires practice.
chefor
January 10th, 2018 7:22am
Meditation works best for me. Find a guided meditation thing to listen to and you can meditate for just a few minutes if you want, but once you get better at it you can use that when you start to feel the anxiety roll up. You can also use grounding exercises to calm yourself or distract yourself from spiralling. If you google grounding exercises there are dozens of them that you can try. You can either try to do them yourself or get someone you trust to do them with you.
Anonymous
January 10th, 2018 8:48am
I have learned to meditate to help with my anxiety. There are also many great breathing exercises to help as well. There are some visual ones to just show you to slowly breathe in, then slowly breathe out. I also have enjoyed yoga as another way to help. If it's social anxiety, do these things at home where you are more comfortable.
hearsid
January 11th, 2018 11:56am
There can be a couple of things that can help you tackle anxiety, grounding techniques are meant to handle the same, breathing to get relaxed and imaging things that make you calm are one of the most effectives methods.
Anonymous
January 14th, 2018 6:29am
Meditation. Yoga. I love gym! Wriring thoughts or feelings in a journal. Mobility and stretching exceises. Breathing techniques or deep breathing. Eating healthy. Sleeping and waking up on time. Surrounding yourself with positivity. Loving the heck out of yourself. Above all; have faith.
KimtheNaturalist
January 18th, 2018 4:54pm
Growing up, I had severe depression and Panic Attacks on the daily. I never took any type of prescribed medication to battle this either. What helped me was meditation and attention techniques that helped me to draw my attention away from the triggers.
lucyy
January 18th, 2018 5:11pm
When you begin to exhibit physical symptoms of anxiety (e.g. trembling, sweating, shortness of breath and paranoia), it can sometimes feel like you are spinning out of control, detached from the world. When this happens to me, I have a few steps that I follow in order to calm myself down, which almost always work. These may not work for everybody, because everyone is different. This is just what I personally do. 1. Find something stable, locked in place and unmoving to hold onto. This could be the hand rail on the bus, or doorframe in your house, or a shelf in the supermarket. It doesn't have to be a dramatic grasp, but I find that having a support that won't budge or change is the first step to calming my body down and feeling like I have both feet on the floor. It also gives your shaky hands something to do! Second of all I focus on my breathing. In through the nose for 4 seconds, hold for 7 seconds and out for 8 seconds. This is a trick that can also aid you in falling asleep, but by doing this your body is forced to slow your heart rate and calm your nerves. Thirdly, try and complete this list in your head to distract your thoughts while your body calms from the panic. Out loud or in your head, whichever works for you, find 5 things you can see, 4 things you can touch, 3 things you can hear, 2 things you can smell or look smelly and one thing you can taste, or imagine how it would taste. Takes a few seconds to do and you can easily pull it off as just thinking about what you're having for dinner, or looking out of the window of the car if you need to be discreet. Hopefully these tips can be of use to someone. Remember, anxiety is your body reacting to unharmful stimuli as if it were harmful. You ARE okay, and you are NOT alone. You CAN do this.
JuliaIsParticipating
January 20th, 2018 8:30pm
I found that grounding really helps when I feel like I lose control of my surroundings. In your head, name five things you can see, four things you can touch, three things you can hear, two things you can smell, and one thing you can taste. Focus on that and repeat if needed.
quietLion4
January 31st, 2018 8:50pm
Personally, I have found mindfulness extremely useful for anxiety. There are resources on 7Cups and lots of apps, websites and videos out on the internet.
victoriadestiny
February 2nd, 2018 5:44pm
Meditation is a great way to deal with anxiety. I do it all the time. Just focus on yourself, on your breathing. Deep breaths in and out until you feel yourself calming down.
Megan2603
February 3rd, 2018 12:47am
You can try different calming techniques such as meditation or different coping skills like grounding techniques and using mindfulness. Talk therapy is also an option.
musicalEnergy94
February 4th, 2018 2:52pm
medication for anxiety can make you tired, you may want to use different methods for dealing with anxiety like listening to meditation music or walking in nature. some people use painting or art therapy to cope. Excercise or going to a group for people who have anxiety may help. reaching out to a friend that you trust can help too.
issueseekerandproblemsolver102
February 7th, 2018 10:49am
To help sooth anxiety you should do something you enjoy which might be walking,drinking your favorite soda, or even playing your favorite game!
GxStephie
February 9th, 2018 12:08am
There are free apps available that help you cope with anxiety, you should try it out and see if it works for you. There are also anxiety hotlines that you can call. You could also talk to a friend and ask them for help.
Anonymous
February 10th, 2018 3:52am
Taking a moment to stop what you’re doing and relaxing by closing your eyes and taking a deep breath does help to recollect oneself. It relieves a rapidly beating heart, headaches, profuse sweating, and other symptoms after one takes the time to destress.
helpfulKitty48
February 10th, 2018 6:31am
I would suggest listening to calming music or trying some relaxing yoga techniques. It has usually helped with mine!
8Moonlight
February 10th, 2018 10:34am
Anxiety can get the best of you. Here are few simple ways to reduce anxiety. Mainly, focus on your breathing. Take deep breaths, and free your mind from all the thoughts for 2 mins. Limit your social media; looking at social media can raise your levels of anxiety. For example, if you look at Facebook and Instagram, and it makes you more depressed because you’re comparing your life to other people's. Meditation is also a great cure for anxiety.
ImHereForYou2282
February 10th, 2018 11:24pm
Try to take your mind off of it by doing something you love or finding a new hobby. The best thing to do is to fill your time with something peacefull.
HollyElizabeth
February 17th, 2018 1:05am
What always works for me is meditation and deep breathing. I know it's cliché but deep breathing physiologically slows the body down and decreases anxiousness, so it has both psychological and physical benefits. I hope this helps :)
genuineDaisy
February 17th, 2018 8:36am
I believe meditation and mindfulness is an amazing alternative to medication as it encourages an individual to focus on their breathing and present emotions in such a way that it may aid them in discovering why they may be feeling that particular way.
charmingBeauty55
February 23rd, 2018 6:00am
Doing the things u love.... Its an another easy way to deal with anxiety and it also boost up the energy and positive thinking :)
Anonymous
February 23rd, 2018 1:56pm
Firstly, remove yourself from whatever situation is causing the anxiety, then find something to do that you love, like reading or writing, or listening to music.
Anonymous
February 28th, 2018 12:32am
try taking deep breaths and clearing your mind. think of the positive things in your life and use those to fuel yourself.
BearCatTheCalm3
February 28th, 2018 2:46pm
Meditation and telling how you feel towards people. Anxiety is something you grow use to and can from that overcome more and more from doing more.
Havingfuninthesnow
March 1st, 2018 5:40am
By talking and talking a lot. Do you have a support team? Friends, therapist, pysc MD, support groups that you attend?
Anonymous
March 2nd, 2018 4:31am
Exercise, breathing and relaxtion techniques, mediatation, hobbies, journaling, and finding things that generally help to calm an individual
TeallyPo
March 9th, 2018 3:40am
To deal with my anxiety, I use breathing techniques, meditation, mandalas, distraction methods (such as art, music, games, cooking, activities I enjoy), exercise (Simply going for a walk around the block can help me sometimes) and I also carry things I can fidget with in my hands (such as rocks, a squeezy ball or a little sack I fill with rice)
LilyFlower112
March 9th, 2018 7:45am
Finding coping mechanisms can help at times. This is if you wish to deal with anxiety alone. Therapy can help you find possible solutions and coping mechanisms.
SammiieSmiles
March 15th, 2018 12:43am
Meditation is a fantastic way to help you combat feelings of anxiety. Taking time to sit and breathe through the anxiety and realise your ok is all it takes. Try searching for "guided meditiation" on Youtube. its really good and works very well for people with anxiety. Hope you feel better soon, remember we are always here if you need someone to listen. Take Care & Good Luck xx
icanbeahugger42
March 15th, 2018 1:15am
Meditation, yoga, any regular exercise is good. Regulating your breathing. Massage balls or other things that you can squeeze. Know your body, where are nerve endings that you can stimulate to calm down. Regular sleeping and general care for your body...