Is it Possible to Solve Anxiety without Medication?

After studying this issue for 5 years, qualifying as a breathwork coach, working with neurologist and helping hundreds of people solve anxiety without medication I can share with you the clear path stopping anxious thoughts,  but first let me give you some context….

In my life I experienced regular IBS & migraines, I would also have weekends where I would drink a lot so that I could ‘let off steam”. Since I developed this process and have been practicing the techniques I’ve now been free of IBS, migraines and alcohol for over 2 years , so how did I solve anxiety?

Firstly, I have to tell you - you’ll never solve anxiety. What an odd thing for an anxiety coach to say, you may think. She wants me to come and pay her my hard earned money and she’s now telling me I can’t solve anxiety!

Let me explain. Anxiety is a normal bodily response. I don’t use the term anxiety with my clients once we start working together. The first thing we do to solve anxiety is we reframe it. We talk about fear, overwhelm, numbness, shaking - however anxiety is presenting for my client.

If I were my own client 2 years ago I would have said my belly is painful today or my head is thudding. These bodily responses become a problem when our brain and body are unable to return from an aroused response to homeostasis (balance)

What I do, rather than solving anxiety is I help my clients to balance their minds and bodies so that they release anxious thoughts and feelings before they become a problem. I’ll refer to it in this article as solving anxiety, but know I mean finding balance again.

So our first step to solve anxiety is to RECOGNISE our own unique signs.

Once we recognise the signs and how they present for us, the next step to solving anxiety is to CONNECT with our mind and body so that we can read the signs our body and mind are sending.

This is often more difficult than you may think, clients with anxiety have often cut off the connection with their body as this connection became painful to feel. So we do this step by step, gently and carefully and go at the pace that’s comfortable for the client.

Next, to solve anxiety, we start to CHANGE the response of our mind and body and teach the body how to come back to balance. This could be by using techniques to interrupt anxious thoughts or it could be using breathwork to help move the body to a rested state or even some somatic (of the body)  movement to release stored trauma from the body. This step is very different for each client, which is why in my programme I have one to one sessions included.

The fourth step to solving anxiety is to continually REFLECT on how we feel, reading little signs that our body gives us that we need to take action before we reach crisis point again. For me, this was when I would start to flit from one thing to another, not finishing what I started. This was a sign I was getting overwhelmed and if I notice myself doing this now, I take a rest day.

Connecting to myself in this way and learning to read signs from my body have meant that I can solve anxiety for myself before it escalates and I’ve solved anxiety without medication; I am no longer on any IBS or migraine medication (or self medicating with alcohol)

If you’d like to find out more about going on your own journey to solve anxiety in a supported way, have a look at my 8 week Break Through Anxiety healing journey or book a discovery call for a free, informal chat.