Anxiety is a feeling of unease, fear, and alarm about what's to come. It’s the body's natural response to stress and pressure. Most people feel nervous and stressed under certain conditions for example the first day of school, going to a job interview, or a speech competition. That’s normal. But if these anxious feelings or severe stress last for a much longer time, such as more than six months, or if these feelings affect your day-to-day life, you may have an anxiety disorder.

Anxiety affects daily life activities; it can be extremely challenging to manage and can become permanent. A person suffering from the disorder may avoid such situations to prevent anxiety or stress.

Types of Anxiety

Under the umbrella of ‘anxiety’, there are many different types that people can experience. Some of the major types include:

Agoraphobia

People who have agoraphobia have a strong fear of situations where it might be difficult to escape, such as leaving home to go to the supermarket. If they find themselves in such situations, they will most likely experience a panic attack. Naturally, they will avoid these places, and instead, for example, order their food shopping online.

What is a panic attack?
It’s a rush of intense mental and physical feelings. It’s when your body’s fight-or-flight response takes over. During an attack, you might experience a racing heartbeat, feeling faint, sweating, fear of dying, chest pain, shortness of breath. It can be very frightening and symptoms usually last 5-20 minutes.

Generalized Anxiety Disorder

People with GAD experience chronic and excessive anxiety. They feel nervous about everything and are convinced that nothing good will ever happen to them. This is even though nothing has occurred to provoke these feelings.

Panic Disorder

Panic disorder is an anxiety disorder where people experience continual panic attacks.

Social Anxiety Disorder

This type is characterized by overwhelming anxiety in everyday social situations. People will experience over the top self-consciousness. Depending on the severity of the disorder, people may only experience these feelings in one type of situation. For example, public speaking. Others, however, may feel excessive fear from simply being around other people outside of their home.

Selective Mutism

This type is common in children. In this, they cannot speak in certain situations, for example, in school and social gatherings. They are still able to communicate with family members and friends. This condition affects their schoolwork and social functioning greatly.

Separation Anxiety Disorder

This condition is also common in children, which is caused by anxiety or depression. Kids mostly experience this disorder after separation from their loved ones.

Phobias

In this type, people fear a specific thing, place, or person. Their response is to completely avoid all these things that will trigger their anxiety.

Symptoms of Anxiety

Symptoms can vary between people. But generally, you feel out of control and feel no connection between mind and body. People may experience panic attacks, nightmares, fear, negative thoughts, and sadness.

Further symptoms can include:

• Trembling
• Sweating
• High heart rate 
• Weakness or tiredness 
• Feeling tense and nervous
• Fear of future danger
• Hyperventilation
• Problems sleeping or insomnia 
• Trouble concentrating
• Gastrointestinal (GI) problems
• Desire to avoid triggers to provoke anxiety

What Causes Anxiety?

According to the National Institute of Mental Health , the actual cause of anxiety is still unknown. However, there are few factors that play a role. These include:

Environmental Factors

According to most research, environmental factors are the leading cause of anxiety. These factors include childhood abuse or mistreatment, domestic violence, loss of loved ones, financial problems, and any negative life incidents.

Genetics

According to researchers, it can sometimes be inborn or genetic. It can be inherited from parents to children.

Drugs Withdrawal/Misuse

Few drugs are used to control anxiety but misusing them or using for extended period can make it worse.

Medical Conditions

Some medical conditions, like heart problems, lungs, and thyroid problems, can also cause anxiety or further increase symptoms.

Brain Chemistry

Others claim that an anxiety disorder may be due to fault in a specific part of your brain’s ‘wiring’; the part that controls emotions and fear.

Dopamine & Serotonin

Dopamine and serotonin are neurotransmitters that regulate various human functions such as sleep, digestion, and mental health. According to researchers, deficiencies in these are linked with anxiety issues too.

Dopamine

Dopamine is also called ‘the happy hormone’. It’s linked with hope, motivation, and reward. It plays a role in how we feel pleasure.

As we have discussed, the main symptoms of anxiety are:

• Low motivation
• Feeling hopeless
• Loss of interest

According to experts, these are symptoms that are due to a problem in dopamine system functions. Furthermore, according to researchers, people experience anxiety due to a low level of serotonin.

Anxiety Medication

When you're flooded with constant panic attacks, paralyzed by fear, exhausted from yet another sleepless night, you will do anything at any cost to get relief. Of course, medication provides relief from anxiety. But the question is, are drugs always the best option?

Different types of medications are used to treat anxiety disorders, including traditional drugs like Benzodiazepines, and modern options such as SSRI antidepressants. These drugs provide temporary relief, but they have certain side effects and safety concerns.

Use of Benzodiazepines to Treat

The most widely prescribed medication for anxiety is Benzodiazepines, also termed tranquilizers. Other drugs like Xanax (Alprazolam), Klonopin (Clonazepam), Valium (Diazepam), and Ativan (Lorazepam) work efficiently and quickly.

Benzodiazepines help you relax both physically and mentally by slowing down your nervous system. They provide relief within 30 minutes to an hour. If they are taken during a panic attack, they can be very effective.

But the problem is is that they are highly addictive and can easily become an addiction. These are not recommended for long-term use. They cause ‘rebound anxiety’, which ends up being worse than the original problem.

Furthermore, they are not even a cure. They don't provide relief for the long term because your body becomes immune to them over time. The American Academy of Family Physicians claim that a person becomes resistant to Benzodiazepines if used for 4 to 6 months regularly. What happens then, is that you require a larger dose to get the same relief you used to feel in the beginning. This can be dangerous.

Finally, if a high dose of medication is given, then it can cause severe problems with school, work, or daily life activities such as driving. The effects of the medication can last into the next day.

Unfortunately, there are also side effects of taking benzodiazepines. These can include:

Side Effects of Benzodiazepines

• Insomnia or sleeplessness
• Fatigue
• Dizziness
• Lack of concentration
• Poor coordination
• Short term memory loss
• Slurred speech
• Stomach disturbance
• Blurry vision
• Headache

Natural Remedies for Anxiety

On the other hand, natural remedies are safe to use.  People who suffer from anxiety should really try and incorporate as many natural remedies as possible to try and control their disorders. Natural remedies for anxiety don’t have any side effects and you can follow and try as many different ones as you wish.

Traditional medications may still be required in serious cases however you should always try and think long-term. 5mg of Ativan during a panic attack may relieve the suffering in the moment, but what about the next time that it happens?

Psychologists suggest few natural remedies for treatment including:

• Exercise
• Balanced diet
• Writing
• Aromatherapy
• Cannabinoids oil
• Meditation
• Herbal teas
• Time with pets

Coping with anxiety is a 24/7 job so you must find what works best for you. All people are different and although it might take time and trial and error, it’s worth it in the long-term.

What Supplements are Best for Anxiety?

Doctors have suggested several natural supplements, herbs, and vitamins for treatment. Some include:

• L-thiamine
• Omega-3
• Vitamin D
• Chamomile
• Lavender
• Lemon balm
• Vitamin B complex
• Magnesium
• Valerian roots

Our expertly created anti-anxiety supplement works by producing both dopamine and serotonin naturally without the need for chemical medications. The supplement is made of 19 natural ingredients, have zero side-effects, 100% vegan, and can be taken in higher doses without the worry of overdosing.

Our supplements are rich in amino acids tryptophan, lysine, and phenylalanine. These boost serotonin levels to boost your mood.

The capsules are further rich in:

Magnesium – for its calming properties on the nervous system. It assists with irritability, restlessness, and tension
Vitamin E – to reduce oxidative stress and anxiety levels by protecting cells from damage caused by free radicals
Vitamin C – to protect the nervous system leading to a sense of calm and higher emotional stability.

Final Words

As a final note, I want to say that it’s important to remember that natural supplements for anxiety may help calm symptoms but, in some cases, it will not cure. The same goes for traditional medications.

This is especially true for those sufferers who experience anxiety due to emotional trauma and/or past life events, that most likely, they have not dealt with. It can be uncomfortable, expensive, and painful to face, but the reality is is that many cases, it’s necessary.

If you are struggling with anxiety, reach out to someone close to you, or somebody who can relate. If you have any questions about our Anti-Anxiety product, please get in touch. Take care.