Treat Anxiety Without Medication

Medication is one of several types of treatments available to treat anxiety. Therapy and lifestyle changes are two types of non-drug therapies that also can be effective in the treatment of anxiety disorders. Non-drug treatments allow you to reduce your anxiety levels while avoiding the bothersome side-effects commonly associated with medications. Therapy and lifestyle changes require effort on your part, but in return you reap the rewards of feeling more relaxed and emotionally and physically healthier.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

Undergo cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) treatment with a licensed medical professional. CBT teaches you the skills to learn how to react and respond in a more desirable way to things that cause you stress. The Anxiety Disorders Association of America (ADAA) deems cognitive behavioral therapy as "a well-established, highly effective, and lasting treatment" with benefits that can start to be experienced within three or four months.

Auricular Acupuncture

Receive auricular acupuncture (ear acupuncture) treatments from a certified acupuncturist. A scientific study on auricular acupuncture conducted by the Department of Anesthesiology at Yale University School of Medicine concluded, "auricular acupuncture at the 'relaxation' point can decrease the anxiety level in a population of healthy volunteers."

Dietary Changes

Cut caffeine from your diet and stop using alcohol and nicotine, according to Johns Hopkins University. These substances originally produce a calming effect, but in the long-run increase anxiety levels.

Four Lifestyle Tips to Reduce Anxiety

1. Relax your mind through soothing activities such as prayer or deep breathing exercises.

2. Discuss your feelings with understanding friends and family members. Sharing your concerns and worries with others helps to comfort and ease feelings of anxiety.

3. Exercise daily to boost your energy and lower anxiety. Take an aerobics class, go for a walk, play tennis, take a dance lesson, play a game of golf or participate in another activity you enjoy.

4. Choose uplifting television shows to watch and books to read, instead of ones that contain sad, stressful or scary themes, which cause feelings of anxiety.

Resources

NIMH: About Anxiety Disorders
NACBT: What is CBT
NCCAOM: Find a Certified Acupuncturist
ADAA: Find a Therapist

References

ADAA: Complementary & Alternative Treatment
Anesthesia & Analgesia vol. 92 no. 2 548-553; Auricular Acupuncture: A Potential Treatment for Anxiety; Department of Anesthesiology, Yale University School of Medicine; Shu-Ming Wang, MD, Zeev N. Kain, MD; February 2001
Johns Hopkins University: Managing Anxiety Without Drugs