Why You Should Use Exercise To Relieve Stress

It's kind of ironic that two very common problems in our society today are stress and obesity, and that you can find relief for both of these problems with one simple act: exercise. Yes, it's true, you can exercise to relieve stress.

Your body produces endorphins when you exercise, endorphins can help you feel relaxed and at ease and produce an overall feeling of well being, even euphoria. This is what is referred to as the 'runners high'. This chemical is actually similar in structure to morphine.

By exercising regularly you are releasing these endorphins into your system which will help you feel less out of control and stressed. This feeling of well being will follow you throughout the day, long after you've left the gym.

Another stress busting factor in exercise is the ability to get out all, or at least some, of your pent up frustrations. Daily frustrations are cumulative and over time they can add up to one very big ball of stress.

We all know that if we allow stress to build up for too long we eventually explode. Regular exercise will help you get it out of your system. If we control those explosions by focusing that energy into something constructive, such as a boxing class, or a nice long jog, we can get the stress relief we need without getting ourselves into trouble.

If you're really angry nothing feels better than to do some very high intensity exercise. Do you still feel angry and upset after you've spent an hour at the gym, or running, swimming, biking, or even just taking a nice long walk? Most people will feel a pleasant calmness after an invigorating workout.

You can really melt away alot of stress and anger by converting that angry energy into a physical workout.

Another reason exercise is a good stress reliever is because when you work out you tend to have a much higher self esteem. When we feel insecure about ourselves we tend to be on high alert and in a low simmer all the time.

Much of the stress we face is self induced. It's sometimes our own doubts and insecurities that create stress for us. Instead of letting our doubts and insecurities be another stressor we can use exercise as a way to improve our physical and mental health.

If we are feeling good about ourselves, if we feel strong, in control and confidant, then we simply aren't as prone to making a mountain out of a molehill and getting all stressed out over the little ups and downs of daily life.

So exercising is a win/win. We can lose weight, get our bodies more healthy, and relieve stress all at the same time.

Using exercise to relieve stress will not only help you lower your blood pressure and be happier, it can also help you lose any extra weight you have. Losing excess weight will help lower your blood pressure and be happier. Neat, huh?

Understanding Anti Anxiety Medications

Anti anxiety medications might offer one quick solution to your anxiety problems. These types of drugs include traditional anti-anxiety drugs (benzodiazepines), as well as newer options like antidepressants and beta-blockers. They can help reduce your anxiety while you undergo therapy to get to the cause of the problem. However, it's important that you understand that these types of drugs don't cure anxiety and they do come with side effects. Long-term reliance on these medications is not recommended.

Benzodiazepines can reduce anxiety quickly--usually within an hour--so they are a good option if you are having a panic or anxiety attack. Alprazolam (brand name Xanax), clonazepam (brand name Klonopin), diazepam (brand name Valium), and lorazepam (brand name Ativan) are in this category of anti anxiety drugs. Side effects of benzodiazepines include sleepiness, "fogginess", and/or a feeling of being uncoordinated, all of which can cause problems if you need to be functional and alert. Benzodiazepines take a long time to get metabolized. For this reason, they can build up in your body if used for a long time. It you suffer from this build up, the side effects worsen and you may develop slurred speech, confusion, depression, dizziness, inability to think clearly and reason, memory loss and nausea, the inability to "feel" anything. Benzodiazepines decrease your anxiety but they also decrease feelings of pleasure and pain.

The advantage of antidepressants versus traditional anti anxiety medications is that the risk for dependency and abuse is less. However, the downside of antidepressants is that they can take from 4 to 6 weeks to give you relief from your anxiety--so, they are of no use to you if you are having a panic attack, for example.

Most commonly prescribed antidepressants are SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) like Prozac, Zoloft, Paxil, Lexapro, and Celexa and they are not without side effects: nausea, nervoursness, headaches, sleepiness, sexual dysfunction, dizziness, nausea, and weight gain.

Buspirone (brand name BuSpar) works only for generalized anxiety disorders (GAD). It relieves anxiety by increasing serotonin in the brain (like SSRIs) and decreasing dopamine. Buspirone takes about two weeks to kick into effect but it has its advantages: it's not as sedating, doesn't negatively affect memory and coordination and it's minimally addictive. It also has less serious side effects: nasuea, headaches, dizziness, drowsiness, nausea, constipation, diarrhea and dry mouth.

Beta blockers are generally used to treat high blood pressure and heart problems. But they can work for anxiety too by blocking the effects of norepinephrine, a stress hormone involved in the fight-or-flight response. Beta blockers control the physical symptoms of anxiety like rapid heart rate, sweating, dizziness, and trembling voice and hands but not the emotional side of anxiety.

The above information about anti anxiety medications does not substitute medical advice given by a health professional.

Types and Treatement of Anxiety Disorder

Anxiety disorder is an umbrella term for various specific forms of fear and anxiety including generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), panic disorder, phobias, obsessive-compulsive disorder, post traumatic stress disorder and separation anxiety.

Generalized anxiety disorder commonly affects older adults and is characterized by enduring anxiety that really doesn't seem to be about any certain subject, topic or concern. The anxiouisness in this case is continuous and makes daily life difficult.

Panic disorder is characteried by brief and intense bouts of fear or apprehension. Luckily, the feelings usually peak in fewer than ten minutes but can last as long as a few hours. Sometimes the cause of these attacks is easily identified but often, it is unclear.

Linked to panic disorder is agoraphobia, the anxiety about being in a place or situation that may be difficult to get out of. People who suffer from agoraphobia usually need to be near doors or openings at all times. In severe cases, this leads to the individual never wanting to leave his/her home for fear of not being able to leave wherever he/she is going.

Phobias represent the largest category of anxiety disorders. If you suffer from a phobia or several phobias, you know exactly what the object of your fear is. Social phobia (otherwise known as social anxiety disorder) is an abnormal fear of public embarrassment or humiliation which can occur, in severe cases, just when the person enters any social environment, or in specific cases such as when a presentation or speech must be made. Social anxiety often manifests specific physical symptoms, including blushing, sweating, and difficulty speaking.

Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) is mainly characterized by repetitive obsessions with certain thoughts or images and compulsions to repeatedly perform certain actions or rituals. OCD thought pattern could be compared to superstitions, where the person who is affected thinks that if he performs a certain act, any sort of worry or perceived evil will be eliminated. In many cases, the compulsion is entirely inexplicable, just an urge, set off by nervousness, to complete a certain ritual.

Post-traumatic stress, as the name suggests, can result from just one traumatic experience such as combat, rape, a serious accident; or from long term (chronic) exposure to trauma like physical abuse or war. Common symptoms include flashbacks and depression.

Separation anxiety disorder is abnormal concern over being separated from a person or place. Although separation anxiety is a normal part of development in children, it becomes a disorder when it becomes excessive.

There are many treatment options for the above disorders/phobias: psychotherapy focuses on increasing the individual's sense of their own well-being. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) aims to get at the root of the dysfunctional emotions, behaviors and cognitions and to treat them accordingly. And pharmaceutical therapy employs various medications to relieve symptoms but is rarely used just by itself as it doesn't treat the core problem, only its symptoms.

This information does not substitute medical advice given by a health professional.