Debilitating. Frustrating. Toxic. Depressing. This is anxiety.

Anxiety is no walk in the park.

In fact, the hurdles and the potholes on your path is anxiety trying to deter you from finishing your walk in the park. Having dealt with anxiety for 3 years of my life, struggling with panic attacks, and at one point being diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder, I am pretty familiar with the antagonist. But rather than re-iterating the struggles and challenges that anxiety brings for us, I am going to plant a little seed in your head. Anxiety doesn’t have to be for forever. Anxiety can go away. Anxiety can lessen from the abnormal levels to the regular intensity that people experience in everyday life. I am living proof of this.

I went from being so overwhelmed from my anxiety and panic attacks that I was borderline suicidal, to being happy and anxiety-free (relatively speaking) today.

In my 3 year battle, I tried many different treatments to cope with anxiety. Some helped a little, some helped a lot. I ultimately went on anti-depressants for a few months to balance out my serotonin levels that were seemingly out of whack. I do believe that the medication was vital and useful to my recovery, but I am no longer on them and actually don’t NEED them.

There is a belief out there that anxiety is something that is not curable and has to be lifelong. I once believed this too. I believed that I was going to be this way for the rest of my life (even though I never had problems with anxiety in my childhood and adolescence). I know that for some people who have struggled with anxiety since a young age, it may be a longer journey. But I just want everyone to know, people who are literally at war with their anxious minds, that it is POSSIBLE to get rid of it. I know it’s hard to even entertain this idea, especially when you’re in the thick of it. My anxiety disorder was not mild. I would experience panic attacks at work and have nightmares at night; it was interfering with my quality of life. I am happy to say though, that I haven't had a panic attack in an entire year. I have not felt excessively anxious for 6 months. Just trust me, it’s possible. Some treatments work better for some people than others, but as long as you never give up it is possible to achieve remission from this terrible illness.

These are the tools that have helped me in my journey of overcoming anxiety.

Therapy

Sometimes you need to talk it out. There can be underlying reasons or issues that cause anxiety (as the symptom to the cause). For example, my anxiety was at its worst when I felt like I had no purpose in life. I felt unfulfilled and as if I was just going through the motions. Basically, existential anxiety. Going through therapy helped me realize this so I could address the cause to my symptoms.

Yoga (or Exercise)

I fell in love with yoga during the height of my anxiety. Anxiety often results from high levels of stress. Yoga was a way for me to release all the pent-up adrenaline in my body in a healthy way. If your body has a means to relieve the stress, then it is less likely to produce anxiety to do it instead. Any form of exercise is a good coping mechanism for anxiety.

Medication

It is possible that there could be a biological influence to your anxiety. Just like how your thyroid’s hormone levels can get out of balance, so can your brain’s. Medication can help remedy this, but it doesn’t mean that your brain can’t ever do it on its own. Sometimes you need to jump start your car when the battery is dead, but after you drive it for a little while it’s good to go on its own.

Laughter/Distraction

A common symptom of anxiety is ruminating thoughts. You’re like that hamster on the wheel, never-ending. Give yourself a break by watching a funny movie or going out with your friends. Sometimes the distraction is enough to end that cycle you have going on in your head.

EFT/Tapping

For those of you that seek holistic treatments, this one’s for you. This new-age treatment “Emotional Freedom Technique” is a psychological acupressure technique based on the same energy meridians used in traditional acupuncture. During an EFT session, you focus on a particular issue while tapping on the energy meridians and voicing positive affirmations. The best way I can describe the way this works is that it “snaps” you out of the anxious sequence that you’re currently stuck in. This video from Huffington Post is a great introduction to what EFT is and how it works.

Gratitude

I know firsthand that one of the hardest things to do when you’re experiencing extreme anxiety is to be grateful or thankful for anything. Anxiety really clouds your perception and makes your world appear gloomy and terrible. But if you can remember that anxiety is like a lens, and if you just take off those shades, you’ll see that your world is a lot brighter than what you’ve been observing. Writing down a list of your blessings and what you are grateful for is an exercise that can lift your mood and remind you that not everything is bad. Helen Keller once said, “I cried because I had no shoes, until I met a man with no feet.”

Meditation

I used to be extremely resistant to meditation. I couldn’t understand the point or purpose of just sitting or lying there all quiet, it’s not like my mind could shut up anyway. Well just like anything else, meditation takes practice. And there are tons of resources out there, apps and audios, that you can listen to which will help facilitate the process. Once I got the hang of it, I realized how much meditation benefited me. Whether it was calming me down after a stressful day, slowing my breathing (which consequently slowed down my racing heart), or even triggering my creativity when I experienced writer’s block, it has been an instrumental tool that I’ve incorporated into my weekly routine.

These are the major techniques and treatments that have helped me in my journey with anxiety. Don’t lose hope, for there is always the promise of tomorrow.

Disclaimer: I am not a doctor, a psychologist, or any kind of health expert. The purpose of this post was to share my journey, my personal experiences, and what has worked positively for myself. When it comes to your health, please consult your physician. Any mention of a drug or treatment is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice. If you are in need of specific health advice, please contact a health professional. You should consult a physician before starting any health regimen. If you choose to follow any of the recommendations given on this post without consulting your physician, you are doing so at your own risk.