The words ‘anxiety’, ‘stress’, ‘panic’ have become very common today. The fast, ever-changing world around us has made it almost impossible for anyone to take a break, to lag behind and to just be. If you want your dream house, if you want a secured future, if your children are growing up and need financial security or simply if you want to hold on to that lucrative job, you have to slog hours. It isn’t easy to survive but you must. That is when stress comes in and anxiety becomes common. Of course there are many other reasons why people suffer from anxiety disorder. From being in an abusive relationship to being witness to a traumatic event to fear of the unknown – there are many reasons why people suffer from anxiety. 

The good news, however, is that anxiety can be treated. There are several ways to relieve anxiety without side effects. A pragmatic approach is necessary if you are seeking relief from anxiety. But first let’s understand what anxiety disorder is?

Anxiety Disorder

Anxiety is that that mind-numbing, heart-wrenching fear without any reason or explanation. It is the fear of the unknown. When a person feels that doom is approaching and everything is out of control, it is anxiety. This feeling is not exclusive for those suffering from the disorder – everyone feels so once in a while. This can especially happen when one is tired and sleepless. In usual cases this feelinggo away quickly and you are back to being yourself. But when this fear of the unknown doesn’t leave you, when you are constantly worried, panicky and stressed, in all likelihood you are suffering from anxiety disorder. 

Types of Anxiety Disorder

Anxiety disorder has been identified in many forms. The most common types are – 

• Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) – One of the most common types of anxiety disorder, GAD is identified by excessive worrying, fear even when there is nothing to provoke such emotions. 
• Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) – OCD is that constant need to redo stuffs even when not required, such as cleaning the house, checking locked doors, counting numbers, wearing clothes in a certain manner and so on.
• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) – A person surviving a war or a natural calamity or a victim of abuse mostly likely suffers from PTSD. It is a condition when a person vividly recalls traumatic events, is unable to concentrate in work and is generally stressed out. 
• Social Anxiety Disorder – When a person hesitates to go to social events fearing retribution, he is likely to suffer from social anxiety disorder. Fear of speaking in public, fear of eating in front of others and generally being in a crowd are associated symptoms. 
• Panic Disorder –When a person experiences fear repeatedly followed by increased palpitations, chest pain, headache, nausea, he may be suffering from panic disorder. 

What is Anxiety Relief?

Simply explained, any sort of respite from that constant fear and panic is anxiety relief. Anxiety relief can come in many forms and mostly differs from person to person. What can relieve anxiety can thus be quite subjective. Below we shall be talking about the many common anxiety relief methods adopted by patients and care-givers. 

• Lifestyle Changes – One of the most widely suggested relief for anxiety is making lifestyle changes. This can include changing your diet to something that is less oily, includes a lot of vegetables, protein and greens. It is also recommended that you drink less alcohol and hydrate yourself with proper quantities of water. Caffeine doesn’t also help anxiety. Sleeping early, waking up at a fixed time, less screen time also help relieve anxiety.
• Exercising and Meditating -Exercising is very good for people dealing with stress and anxiety. Waking up in the morning and stretching, jumping, running, practicing yoga is good for the body and mind. Many experts also recommend meditation as a way to calm anxious nerves. Meditating properly and peacefully takes a little while especially if you aren’t used to sitting idly for a long time. It is difficult if you have to close your eyes and concentrate all your thoughts to a single point. But over time, with practice, it becomes easy and very relaxing. 
• Counselling – If treating yourself at home isn’t working, visiting a counsellor is a good idea. It helps to talk to a professional about your fears and apprehension without being judged. Most often people hesitate to talk about their anxiety fearing retribution. Consulting a professional means you don’t have to worry about these things and just find simple solutions to your complex problem. 
• Antidepressants –Many who suffer from anxiety and stress end up visiting a doctor. It is definitely a good step taken in the right direction. Most often doctors prescribe antidepressants which though effective in numbing nerves can have many adverse side-effects. It is important to understand the side-effects before you start antidepressants pills. Side-effect range from sleeplessness, dizziness, stomachache, nausea and poor eye sight. 
• Herbal Medications –Over-the-counter anxiety relief supplements are quite popular. There are many varieties available in the market. If you want to try a safe supplement that leads to little complications and has very few side-effects, you should try herbal supplements. Based on research done over thousands of years, each ingredient used in herbal supplements are effective in calming nerves. There are many things that simultaneously work in tandem – such as calming nerves using Chamomile herbs, blocking nerves that trigger anxiety by flushing in inhibitory neurotransmitters (using Gamma-Aminobutryic Acid) or enhancing the necessary B-Vitamin nutrients required to keep the nerves calm. 

So, if you are asking what can help to relieve anxiety, there are many options available. If you can identify your symptoms early, making lifestyle changes and exercising can help you immensely. However in severe cases, counselling and medication is important. It is necessary to understand how severe is your condition and what will and what won’t work. Remember ignoring anxiety will only aggravate the problem. Understand anxiety, read a lot about the disorder and talk to people. But most importantly, remain calm. The storm shall pass.