Anxiety is a complex emotion . Within certain limits it is normal, especially when it occurs in particular situations in life: an exam, work problems, a non-optimal state of health …

Manageable, non-paralyzing anxiety is part of life. A real anxiety crisis , however, is not a pleasant experience.

Anxiety attack or panic attack?

Before addressing the discourse of prevention, let’s clarify a bit. What exactly is an anxiety attack and how is it different from a panic attack ?

These two conditions are often confused but, although they have common characteristics, they are not the same thing.

According to the DSM IV, the diagnostic manual that deals with disorders related to mental states, we can speak of a panic attack when a specific period of fear or discomfort occurs in which one or more than one of a series of symptoms occurs . and the peak is reached in 10 minutes .

Symptoms most commonly found in a panic attack are rapid heartbeat, sweating, tremors, choking, abdominal pain, nausea, feeling faint or unreal, fear of going crazy or dying, chills, hot flashes, tingling or numbness to different parts of the body.

Instead, we speak of anxiety attacks when a crisis occurs with milder symptoms and of shorter duration .

Read also Symptoms of anxiety, how to recognize and manage them >>

The causes of anxiety

Several theories have been developed on the causes of anxiety and there are mainly 2 schools of thought :

1. according to the first, the main cause of anxiety lies in pre-existing psychic conflicts ;
2. the second school of thought places the emphasis above all on the biological component and that is on the modification of some chemical substances present in the brain: noradrenaline, serotonin and gaba.

What to do to prevent anxiety attacks?

Anxiety must not be fought ; it may seem like a paradoxical statement but to learn how to manage anxiety you must first of all learn to give in.

Anxiety is often caused by inner conflicts, the desire to always appear perfect and the desire to adhere as much as possible to stereotyped models; in this case, to prevent anxiety crises, one should learn to accept one’s own limits and imperfections , trying to understand what one’s path is, the one that makes us happy, not the world around us.

Repressing creativity, desires and inclinations can cause anxiety attacks and panic attacks; identifying your own path and following it helps you to live more peacefully. By giving proper weight to inner needs, much can be done to prevent and address anxiety disorders .

Sometimes, then, it can be very useful to shift one’s point of view: it may happen, in fact, that the path to happiness is not clear even to us; you have to go and look for it, even in places where you wouldn’t expect to be able to find it.

When anxiety becomes pathological and prevents you from living peacefully, you should go to a specialist , without expecting to deal with the problem alone.

Coping with anxiety attacks with natural remedies

The first natural remedy to prevent anxiety consists, therefore, in acceptance and in that inner journey mentioned in the previous paragraph.

However, when it comes to emotional paths, the road can be very long and, while taking that wonderful journey that leads to self-discovery, it can be useful to resort to other natural remedies , which can act both emotionally and on the organic one .

• Herbal and herbal remedies. Chamomile and lemon balm calm irritability and nervous tension; passionflower is a natural anxiolytic as it has a sedative action on the central nervous system; magnesium stimulates nerve function and, in particular, the production of serotonin; Bach flowers act on several fronts to help prevent and manage different types of anxiety crises.
• Exercise . Physical activity, in general, appears to be effective in preventing anxiety states. However, there are some disciplines that are more useful than others, for example dance, movement therapy and integral yoga .
• Control your breathing . With techniques that help regulate breathing, a lot can be done to manage anxiety crises. For example, autogenous respiratory training may be useful .

Those mentioned are just some of the natural methods to prevent and deal with anxiety attacks. You can also follow Ayurvedic tips for managing anxiety