6 Natural Remedies For Anxiety Attacks

The very phrase “anxiety attacks” sounds horrific. You have no doubt experienced anxiety to one degree or another. That such a powerful emotion could sneak up on you, jump you, and hurt you is a thought that would paralyze you if you believed such an attack were inevitable.

Unfortunately, for many Americans such an attack—and the misery surrounding it—is a regular part of life. Meet Barb, a prototype of one of the forty million Americans that are affected by anxiety disorders.

The sun shines brightly as Barb pulls out of the parking lot to leave work. She's had a good day. All of her clients have been smiling and courteous, and she has finally finished all the paperwork that her supervisor has been asking for.

Now, she has an enjoyable evening in store. Her sister is coming over in an hour to watch her kids while she and her husband take a well-deserved night out. Barb sighs in contentment as she pulls up to a stop sign.

Suddenly, fear grips her like a boa constrictor. Her intestines feel like they're being tied in knots and she can't breathe. A stabbing pain slices through her chest, and if she didn't know any better, she'd think she was having a heart attack.

But she knows better. This has happened before, many times since the age of twenty-one. However, the knowing doesn't bring her much assurance. The irrational fear is as strong as if she were headed at breakneck speed toward a steep cliff.

The car honking behind her doesn't help. She pulls into the intersection and turns on to a side street where she can park along the curb until the anxiety attack has subsided.

What is a panic attack?

You may have heard Barb's experience referred to as a “panic attack.” A panic attack is an acute type of anxiety disorder, disturbing and potentially paralyzing as it can lead to phobias. Some people who suffer regularly from panic attacks never leave their house, for fear of—well, fear.

Panic attacks tend to affect people who are perfectionists, worry warts, or social recluses, or who have experienced childhood abuse. Besides phobias, these attacks can lead to job loss and marital problems.

More often than not, the victims of anxiety disorders are treated with drugs. The drugs may do a good job at sedation, but, like all drugs, they fail to get to the root cause.

What causes anxiety attacks?

Some health care professionals believe that anxiety disorders are brought on by, at least in part, adrenal fatigue. Since our modern day lifestyle brings on our flight-or-fight reaction far more often than is natural, this diagnosis makes sense. Our adrenal glands are under constant stress, making adrenal malfunctions likely.

I believe that nutrition has a lot to do with it, as well. You don't hear about primitive African tribes or the traditional Okinawans suffering from anxiety disorders. Their diets are pristine, consisting of naturally grown, whole foods, untouched by any money-hungry food industry loading its goods with toxic chemicals that are better off in a hazardous waste dump.

One thing you can be sure of regarding anxiety attacks: they are not caused by a lack of a drug in the body. Therefore, drugs should never be considered as the sole, primary, or long-term solution.

Six natural treatments for anxiety disorders

Anxiety attacks can be treated—even cured—without drugs. Following are six treatments that have helped ease and sometimes eliminate their frightening symptoms. (Always consult a health care professional before changing treatments for any condition.)

1. Nutrition. See above. Eliminating processed foods from the diet ensures that you are not consuming any chemicals, labeled or hidden, that might compromise your brain chemistry. Especially the elimination of sugar from the diet has produced dramatic results in patients suffering from anxiety attacks.

2. Herbs. Winter cherry acts as a sedative, passion flower calms the central nervous system, and Siberian ginseng aids in mental alertness, as well as improving general physical health. Take care when using herbs. Some are contraindicated with certain drugs. Many store-bought herbs on the have been over-processed and sitting on the shelf for too long, and may therefore not be very effective. Your best bet is to counsel with an herbalist and make sure you buy high-quality herbs. 

3. Deep breathing. Just as taking deep breaths helps when you are under regular stress, it will also help a person when a panic attack hits. Be sure not to hyperventilate.

4. Magnesium. Magnesium is a natural muscle relaxant, found in such foods as avocado, spinach, cashews, and almonds. The sea mineral supplement ConcenTrace is a great source of magnesium, as well.

5. Vitamin B₅. The B vitamin complex as a whole have been found to alleviate symptoms of mental illness and mood disorders. B₅, found in mushrooms, yogurt, avocados, and salmon, specifically helps to lower stress hormone levels.

6. Professional counseling. Sessions with a psychologist or other licensed counselor could help the patient suffering panic attacks. As the patient works through mental blocks and belief systems that are aggravating his or her tendency toward anxiety, he or she may find permanent relief from the problem.

May I coach you? Anxiety attacks need not be a life-long affliction. These and other natural remedies are safe and effective methods that will help keep your mental and emotional functioning on an even keel.