Know Your Options When it Comes to the Treatment of General Anxiety

[Elsie Brody]

To call general anxiety a nuisance would be an understatement.
While many of us suffer from its almost constant effects, many more
endure signs and symptoms that can effectively disrupt lives. So
knowing your options in the treatment of general anxiety is the ideal
place to start.
You should always talk to your family doctor about any struggles
you're having with general anxiety, and especially if you've graduated
to having panic attacks. Your doctor can then perform a physical exam
and review your family history in order to identify any issues your
anxiety might inflame (mainly heart-related troubles). From there,
your doctor will almost certainly want to start you on a prescription
med and even refer you to a psychiatrist who will be better equipped
to help you deal with your anxieties.
But this course has drawbacks. First, its cost prohibitive to many of
us. Prescription meds alone are pricey and then repeated trips to a
psychiatrist -- even with medical insurance coverage -- will surely
put a sizable dent in your pocketbook. And then there's the physical
side effects of the medication. Drowsiness, loss of appetite,
headaches, lethargy, loss of libido -- these are just a few of the
common side effects many of us will encounter when taking these
prescription meds. So in effect, you've traded one set of problems
(anxiety) for another (physical symptoms), and that's only if you're
medication is helping you in the first place.
Many people now go right to the internet when researching anxiety
treatments, as they search for natural remedies they can pursue in-
home. Breathing exercises, meditation, use of natural herbs and
extracts, certain exercise plans and routines are certainly all viable
ways to help reduce the triggers that can set off a panic attack. But
where is the best place to find the right educational materials that
can help lead you to the right course of action?