Treat natural anxiety cures as extras

You have read the story of someone who says they cured crippling anxiety in four months with exercise, no coffee and facing their fears. You want it to be true. Some of it may help. Some of it can hurt.

Try the self-help ideas as extras, but see a doctor first if your anxiety comes with physical symptoms like a racing heart, or if it is stopping you living your life.

The rest of this page says what people find helps, where the self-help stops, and what the doctor is for.

What people say helps

Some people say that improving your physical health, with food, exercise, sleep and fewer stimulants such as caffeine and alcohol, lowers how anxious you are day to day. The NHS says much the same: get enough sleep, exercise regularly (running, walking, swimming and yoga), eat regular meals, and do not use alcohol, cigarettes, gambling or drugs to relieve anxiety. On caffeine, some people say it is a major trigger, and that switching from coffee to tea cuts it only slightly, because tea contains caffeine too, unless it is herbal or decaf. The NHS also advises against lots of coffee, tea, cola or energy drinks, because the caffeine can disrupt your sleep.

Some people say that fighting anxious feelings makes them stronger, and that accepting the feeling without judging it lets it pass sooner. Some people add that it does not vanish at once; accepting it changes your relationship with the symptom, making it more manageable. Some people say changing how you read your thoughts and feelings changes the response, for example seeing anxiety as an alarm that is protective but overactive. Some say meditation or observing thoughts without engaging with them helps you step away from the spiral, and that writing the thoughts down or naming the anxiety reduces its force.

Acceptance has limits, and the people who describe it say so. One person calls it a cheat code for mild anxiety, not necessarily for full panic attacks. One person says relying on it alone can delay starting medicine and prolong suffering. And one person says it can feel like being gaslit when the anxiety is triggered by real problems, such as eviction or homelessness.

See a doctor first if your body is involved

Racing hearts have causes other than anxiety. One person says an elevated heart rate and other symptoms could be thyroid problems or low blood sugar, which need medical attention and not just a change of mind. One person warns against relying on acceptance alone if unexplained physical symptoms such as a fast heartbeat persist, as they may mask a medical condition. The NHS says an overactive thyroid can cause nervousness, anxiety and irritability and an unusually fast heartbeat, and that a blood test can often show whether symptoms come from a thyroid problem. Anxiety itself can also bring a noticeable heartbeat, the NHS says, and its page on panic attacks lists a racing heartbeat, chest pain and shortness of breath. The emergency numbers are at the top of this page.

One person says that if you feel detached from reality, which is called derealisation, you should not rely on diet and exercise alone, and should tell a doctor.

See a doctor if it is severe, or not lifting

The NHS says to see a GP if you think you might have generalised anxiety disorder, or if you have been diagnosed and treatments are not helping. It names talking therapy, usually cognitive behavioural therapy, and medicines, usually an antidepressant of the SSRI type, as the usual treatments. In the UK you can refer yourself to NHS talking therapies for anxiety without seeing a GP, if you are registered with one and aged 18 or over (16 or over in some areas). In the US, start with your doctor or a licensed therapist; the SAMHSA National Helpline, below, can point you to local treatment.

One person says self-help is not enough for some people, such as those with a neurological condition or a severe disorder, and that they need professional help. How long treatment takes is argued: one person says therapy and medicine can take months or years to show their full effect, while the NHS says antidepressants usually start to work in 1 to 2 weeks and can take up to 8 weeks to work fully. The disagreement over medicine is set out below the main text.

People report medicines in different ways. One person found one medicine numbing and another helpful. Another says side effects are manageable compared with the alternative. One person warns that some side effects can last after stopping. Ask your doctor what to expect. One person warns against taking an allergy medicine for anxiety without medical supervision. Any medicine for anxiety is a question for a doctor or pharmacist, as is whether to start, change or stop any medicine.

Facing what you fear, safely

Some people say that avoiding what you fear has never cured anyone’s anxiety, and that facing feared situations or thoughts, wisely, is how the fear loses its power. The word that matters is wisely. One person corrected the “face your worst fear” version: exposure has to be done in small steps, or it can reinforce the avoidance. One person says it is not a push-through exercise; you choose manageable steps and check how they went. One person says self-directed exposure can make anxiety worse if you stop at the peak of the distress and not when it eases. One person says doing exposure the wrong way can reinforce the pattern, and another that it is best done with a therapist who understands your anxiety. Some people add that exposure done alone is risky for anxiety rooted in trauma, or for severe panic. And one person points out that some fears, such as a house fire, cannot be safely rehearsed. The NHS describes cognitive behavioural therapy as done with a therapist, with practice between sessions.

Access is a real barrier: one person says public systems may limit therapist visits, and another that a therapist is recommended for scaling the steps though not always affordable. How to do it safely without a therapist is not covered here.

A breathing method to avoid

Some people say a well-known breathing and cold-water method has been linked to deaths, and one person says not to do its breathing while submerged. This page cannot check that claim, but the rule it points to is sound: the Royal Life Saving Society says hyperventilation should not be permitted before breath-holding, and not to resist the urge to breathe under water. One person also says if breathing exercises make you want to hurt yourself, or bring physical distress, do not rely on them alone.

Who this page is not for

If your anxiety is about something real, such as money, housing or safety, advice to accept the feeling can sound like being told it is all in your head. The problem itself needs attention first. If getting through the day is already too much, the tips above ask for energy you may not have, and that is a reason to see a doctor, not to try harder. If you are already in treatment and it is not helping, the NHS says to go back to your doctor.

And if the anxiety has brought thoughts of harming yourself, call or text 988 in the US, or call Samaritans on 116 123 in the UK. If you are in danger right now, call 911 or 999.