M2 How to Handle Your Anxiety

Now for the second question: What are the best anxiety treatments who don't want (or are afraid) to take medicines? Is there anything that might ease their concerns? Is there a point where medication becomes essential? Dr. Raison states that, "By far the best studied non-medicine treatment for depression or anxiety is psychotherapy. Literally hundreds of studies have shown that on average psychotherapy works as well for these conditions as do medications." The best study of psychotherapy is cognitive behavioral therapy, or CBT. Talking to a therapist about your problems in any way can do nothing but promote positive mental health. Exercise has been famously known to help with the problem of depression. St. John's Wort has been known to decrease depression in patients. But does it actually work? "The data for St. John's Wort is plus/minus. Some evidence suggests that omega-3 fatty acids and N-acetyl-cysteine may hold promise for the treatment of depression," CNN states. There are many traditional, as well as non-traditional, ways to end suffering from anxiety and depression. "If someone has a pattern of becoming depressed every winter, bright light therapy with a light box delivering at least 10,000 lux of light has been shown to be very effective. About 10% of the population suffers from some degree of low mood and energy in winter. This phenomenon is more common in cold, dark, gray places than in warm, sunny Southern ones. The power of a light box to lift mood and give energy can really be exceptional. This is an option that is sadly too often overlooked," Raison states. There are so many different kinds of depression and anxiety and different levels of severity. The fact of the matter is if someone is dedicated to solving their mental health issues, they will be resolved.