AD – This is a paid advertorial but all thoughts are my own. I am not a medical professional and information within this post should not be taken as such. Please consult your own GP to discuss treatments for anxiety if you feel like it’s impacting your daily life.
Now we’ve got that out of the way, let’s talk about treatments for anxiety. If you’ve been reading this blog for long enough, you’ll know I have a VAST history of an anxiety disorder. Generalised Anxiety Disorder to be specific. It ruled my life for almost a decade. It turned my life entire upside down. Lost me friends. Lost me jobs. And just about everything else a girl could possibly lose. The last 8 years of my life have been controlled by anxiety.
Good thing is though, following on from my latest stint in CBT last Winter, I’ve now been formally told that I no longer have an anxiety disorder! Cool, huh? The disorder itself may have gone but the remnants of how it changed and ruined my life will always be here. Guess that’s something I’ll always have to live with.
But over the years of having that disorder (and even now, after it’s gone), I’ve tried and experimented with a bunch of different treatments for anxiety. Because getting treatment for mental health conditions is NOT weak. It’s the strongest damn thing you can do. Of course it’s such a personal thing too. We all have such different needs.
So today I wanted to discuss 6 different treatments for anxiety (5 of which I’ve personally tried myself) for anyone who’s struggling and needs some advice on what to do next:
Traditional medication for anxiety
Probably the most obvious one here and that’s traditional medication prescribed by your doctor. The decision to go on medication for anxiety should not be taken lightly and should always be discussed thoroughly with your GP. It took me 8 years to pluck up the courage to take medication for my anxiety. And what do you know… it changed my life.
Medication doesn’t work for everyone and there’s always side effects to be wary of. For me, I had an UNBEARABLY dry mouth for months after I started taking it! I was drinking constantly all day and no amount of liquid would help. I also lost my appetite for a the first 2 weeks but other than that, I got on pretty well with my medication.
NHS therapy
I’ve been referred to CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy) through the NHS twice now. The first time was around a year after I started experiencing my anxiety disorder. And the second was last Winter but that time was in a group setting. For me, personally, CBT doesn’t help. But I can appreciate what it’s trying to do and how helpful it is for so many people. For me, the group session did wonders because it really brought me out of my shell and out of my comfort zone and I’ve made some incredible friends through it.
Private therapy
My private therapy was what helped me the most at the time. This was years before I touched medication and also during probably one of the darkest times of my mental illness. Finding a private counselor absolutely changed my life. I know I’m very lucky to have been in a position to do that as so many people aren’t but I’m adding it into list because it IS another treatment for anxiety to consider if you can.
CBD
This is only point on here that I don’t have any personal experience with. However I do know of people who have had huge success with CBD and I’d be more than happy to try it myself – was I not on medication. So for this point, I’m delighted to introduce Enhance – a company founded in 2019 and who’s goal is to help YOU find the right CBD supplement. They provide the education and resources to help you take control of your well-being and using CBD to enhance that further.
Founder Tom, has had some fantastic positive experiences with CBD himself. He says:
Seeing these benefits pushed me down the path to creating EnhanceCBD. Working with CBD for the last couple of years has shown me that everyone is different and finding the right CBD for you is key. That’s why we created our 5ml variants to help people start CBD without the large price block as well as our taster packs to allow people to start CBD easily.
One I have seen is that people view CBD as a ‘magic potion’ that will cure their problem quickly. It’s important to remember that CBD is a supplement and the best way to view it is there to support you.”
So if you’re struggling with anxiety or stress, CBD could certainly be an option for you. As Enhance have told us, it’s so important to find the right product for you and do your research beforehand.
Other natural treatments for anxiety
This is what I used to rely on before I was put on traditional medication. And looking back now, I know that I needed MUCH MORE than just natural remedies to help control and manage my anxiety. But I’m glad I tried it and the products that I did try, I really liked. This option would be great for those who need something to take the edge off – not for during full-blown anxiety attacks.
Self care and looking after your well-being
Okay, this one isn’t a “treatment”. And it’s something we should all be doing anyway. And absolutely NOT something that you should rely on if you have a severe anxiety disorder – like I did. Of course it helps but if your anxiety is impacting your day to day life to the point where you can’t continue as normal then you should seek alternative treatment options – such as the suggestions above.
But I wanted to include this point here because it IS important. We so often neglect our self care, especially when we’re feeling low or stressed. When that’s the EXACT time we need to be focusing on it the most. Why is it we focus more on self care when we’re already happy and content? Even the most basic acts of self care are so important when we literally don’t want to get out of bed.
This is more a point for anyone who gets stressed easily or gets a little anxious during certain situations. Because as human beings, we all suffer from a bit of anxiety every now and again. So just put yourself first sometimes, okay?