Anxiety: What Is It and How to Find Relief

Anxiety touches nearly everyone at some point in life. If you’ve ever felt stressed or faced difficult situations, you’re familiar with the unsettling grip of anxiety. It’s a broad term that captures a range of emotions and physical responses, and to grasp its true nature, it’s important to delve deeper.

What is anxiety?

Anxiety is a rather broad and complex experience, encompassing emotions from mild unease to intense panic. Common mental triggers include worry, stress, and fear, while physical manifestations might involve muscle tension, heightened blood pressure, rapid breathing, and chest tightness.

In ancient times, these responses were crucial for survival in the wild. Today, however, the threats we face are more psychological, often arising from the pressures of urban life, work, and family. These modern stressors can lead to chronic anxiety, diminishing our overall well-being.

What are the types of anxiety disorders?

It helps the mind to categorise things so here are several types of anxiety disorders, each with its own unique characteristics:

1. Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD): Persistent and excessive worry about various aspects of life, such as work, health, or social interactions.
2. Panic Disorder: Recurrent panic attacks, which are sudden episodes of intense fear that trigger severe physical reactions even when there is no real danger.
3. Social Anxiety Disorder: Intense fear of social situations and being judged or scrutinised by others.
4. Specific Phobias: Irrational fears of specific objects or situations, such as heights, animals, or flying.
5. Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD): Characterised by unwanted, recurring thoughts (obsessions) and repetitive behaviours (compulsions).
6. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): Anxiety following exposure to a traumatic event, leading to flashbacks, nightmares, and severe anxiety.
7. Selective Mutism: Often seen in children and teenagers, it severely impacts their ability to communicate in social situations, potentially leading to social isolation.

What are the symptoms and signs of anxiety?

Anxiety manifests in various ways, and symptoms can be both physical and emotional:

1. Physical Symptoms: Increased heart rate, rapid breathing, sweating, trembling, fatigue, headaches, and gastrointestinal issues.
2. Emotional Symptoms: Persistent worry, restlessness, irritability, difficulty concentrating, and a sense of impending doom.
3. Behavioural Symptoms: Avoidance of anxiety-provoking situations, changes in eating or sleeping patterns, development of addictions, self-harm, and compulsive behaviours.

What causes anxiety?

To truly understand the origins of anxiety, we must move beyond the generic canned explanations found in most sources. Anxiety stems from a combination of mental and physiological factors, as observed in clinical practice at Radiant Flow:

1. Mental Factors: Stressful or traumatic life events—such as abuse, grief from the loss of a loved one, or financial struggles—can serve as significant triggers.
2. Physiological Factors: Chronic illnesses resulting from toxin and pathogen overload contribute to anxiety. These can be linked to poor diet, prolonged exposure to chemicals, and even inherited conditions.

Notably, some commonly cited causes, like heredity and brain chemistry, are absent from the above list. Labelling anxiety as hereditary due to genetics is misleading, as it implies a death sentence. You are not your genes. Likewise, brain chemistry is influenced by mental and physiological conditions and is not a direct cause of anxiety.

 

How can I test or diagnose the cause of anxiety?

Given the complex nature of anxiety, pinpointing its exact cause can be extra challenging. Many individuals undergo extensive medical testing—only to be told they are in perfect health, with doctors suggesting that their symptoms might be psychological or imaginary.

The issue lies in the limitations of diagnostic tools, which often lack the precision or sophistication needed to accurately diagnose anxiety’s root causes. Even if reliable tests were available, they would be prohibitively expensive for most people.

Complicating matters further, anxiety often has multiple underlying causes, leading to confusion and a wild goose chase searching for answers.

However, there is hope. While the science of anxiety may be intricate, the path to recovery is straightforward. As the saying goes, the proof is in the pudding—simple, effective solutions can provide relief sans the high cost of endless tests.

What are the natural treatments for anxiety disorders?

Treating anxiety effectively requires a blend of therapies and lifestyle adjustments. Here are some of the most effective approaches:

1. Hypnotherapy: Hypnotherapy delves into the subconscious to address deeply rooted psychological issues. Inner-child healing is a common technique used in hypnosis, allowing individuals to relive and make peace with past traumas in a safe, controlled environment. This method can bring swift and significant relief.
2. EFT Tapping: This self-help technique is highly effective for dealing with conscious mental and emotional challenges. By tapping on specific meridian points while recalling troubling experiences, individuals can release emotional blockages and reduce anxiety.
3. Nutrition Therapy: While hypnotherapy excels in addressing mental aspects, nutrition therapy focuses on the physical body. Over time, toxins and pathogens accumulate in the body, contributing to various symptoms, including anxiety. The Medical Medium nutrition protocol offers a way to detoxify the body, remove these harmful substances, and restore physical health.
4. Reiki Healing: Beyond the mind and body, we have an energy field that interacts with our environment. An imbalanced energy field can lead to anxiety. Reiki, much like Qigong or Taiji, works by channeling healing energy into the body, helping to restore balance and alleviate anxiety.
5. Sound Healing and Sound Bath: With the body consisting of 70% water, sound vibrations can have a subtle yet tangible impact. Whether through a one-on-one sound healing session or a group sound bath, practitioners use sound bowls to produce vibrations that restore harmony and balance to the body, much like Reiki but using sound as the medium.
6. Meditation: Mindfulness practices, particularly meditation, are widely recognised for their ability to reduce anxiety. By training the mind to stay present, meditation helps prevent ruminating on the past or worrying about the future, leading to a more peaceful and centred life.