Can Relaxation Techniques Be Used To Conquer Your Anxiety?

There has been a shift in how people are treating their medical problems since the late 1960s and alternative therapies have been gaining ground ever since. Some more enlightened doctors are now using these far older treatments as part of an holistic or complimentary therapy program. And amongst these treatments the idea of controlled breathing and relaxation techniques as a method for achieving a relaxed state of mind and body have become very popular.

Now the question here is whether or not these relaxation techniques are a help or a hindrance when it comes to dealing with your anxiety and panic attacks? Are they a magic cure for your anxiety issues or might they possibly make matters worse for you? We're going to have a look at this issue in some depth here in this article.

Being aware of and practicing relaxation techniques is an important element of any program to help you deal with anxiety but they should only be an element and not the only solution you use. Like any medical condition you'll generally need a multi-pronged approach to deal with it most effectively.

When you experience a heightened state of anxiety or a full blown panic attack then your body is in full "fight or flight mode". You'll have adrenaline pumping through your system which can cause sweating, shaking and rapid breathing. A set of relaxation techniques, such as deep breathing, can help shift your physiological state back to something that bit more calm.

Now here's the issue with relaxation techniques in the context of an actual panic attack. The deep breathing is designed to slow your heart rate, flush the adrenaline from your blood and put you in a more relaxed state. But it simply doesn't deal with the cognitive or psychological issues involved with anxiety attacks and because of that their effectiveness is going to be limited - especially if an attack is already underway.

Because our brains work in very "emotion first and logic second" type of way once you're mentally experiencing the early stages of a panic attack it's already too late for the breathing or relaxation exercises because your body is now in a state known as emotional hijack where your emotional brain has taken over and is driving the car - so to speak.

Regaining control of your mental state at this point is going to be far more beneficial because once your brain tells your body that everything is ok because you understand your anxiety triggers then the body will already be working to calm itself down.

To properly deal with your anxiety issues you need a far more holistic approach to the issue - there are no one-size-fits-all solutions to this particular, and very human problem.