Stress and Anxiety:

Complimentary and
Alternative Medicine
Joann Myers
HW 499-01
Kaplan University
05 July 2016

Talking Points:

Introduction

Treating Stress and Anxiety with Complementary and Alternative

Medicine (CAM)

Educational Resources

Recommendations on using of CAM for Stress and Anxiety

Conclusion

Introduction

Todays youth face more stress then they have ever due to social
issues, because of sports and school, and because of what society
thinks. In our community we can find more and more clinics and local
resources that offer complementary and alternative medicines to help
overcome and manage stress and anxiety. If we can learn to stop and
breath, to take control of our own body, we can learn to manage these
symptoms without taking drugs that affect our way of thinking.
Focusing on youth is important because as they grow they need to
learn manage stress before it becomes anxiety and leads to
depression. Because school sports are so competitive, youth want to
always be the best and at the same time have to do great in school as
well as be part of the group. With all these youth issues many
parents go straight to doctors and get prescribed drugs, this is an
issue, and therefore the idea and practices of CAM should be
incorporated at an early age to help our youth.

Stress and Anxiety treated with CAM

When it comes to youth and stress it is important to use CAM as soon as it is noticed
because the further a youth becomes stressed the more likely they reach anxiety.
Anxiety is when the stressor is gone but the person continues to stress.
The use of medications such as Celexa, Prozac, and many other drugs only cover the
issue rather than manage and prevent it.
Use of the following is safer and will help prevent the addiction to drugs within your
youth:
Stress and Relaxation Techniques
Some people use relaxation techniques (also called relaxation response
techniques) to release tension and to counteract the ill effects of stress. Relaxation
techniques often combine breathing and focused attention on pleasing thoughts
and images to calm the mind and the body. Some examples of relaxation response
techniques are autogenic training, biofeedback, deep breathing, guided imagery,
progressive relaxation, and self-hypnosis. Mind and body practices, such as
meditation and yoga, are also sometimes considered relaxationtechniques
(National Center for Complementary and Integrated Health, 2016).

Stress and Anxiety treated with CAM

cont.

Yoga, which combines physical postures, breathing exercises, meditation, and a

distinct philosophy, is one of the top ten CAM practices. Studies suggest that
practicing yoga (as well as other forms of regular exercise) might confer health
benefits such as reducing heart rate and blood pressure, and it may also help
alleviate anxiety and depression (Anxiety and Depression Association of America,
2016)

Acupuncture
This is another source of relief from stress and anxiety. The use of licensed and
trained personnel will allow you find release by being treated with needles in
certain points of the body which helps release that stress or anxiety.

Kava
A plant found in the South Pacific, kava has been shown to be safe and effective
in treating anxiety and improving mood. Prescribed in tablet form, it has also had
a positive impact on reducing depression levels (Anxiety and Depression
Association of America, 2016).

Meditation
This is a good practice and can be done in many ways, guided, imagery, or even
just deep breathing. This will help you relax and release stress.

Educational Resources

Being able to learn how to help your child is important, Using web
resources such as the American Academy of Child and Adolescent
Psychiatry is a great way to teach and learn with your child.
http://www.aacap.org/AACAP/Families_and_Youth/Facts_for_Families/FFFGuide/Helping-Teenagers-With-Stress-066.aspx

http://www.helpguide.org/

Complementary and Alternative Medicine resources at

http://healthandwellness.kaplan.edu/resources.html

MayoClinic: Meditation: a simple, fast way to reduce stress

http://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/meditation/in-depth/meditation/art20045858

Recommendations

A simple addition of meditation or yoga into each day will help fight and
prevent stress

Eat healthier

Do your research and try different botanical resources to see what works
best. If you do not want to use these stick strictly with meditations,
yoga, or other forms of CAM

Find the best time of the day and see what works best for you

See a professional and take classes to learn the proper ways for CAM

The more you learn the better you will be able to adjust to this new
lifestyle and you will be able to preform the techniques correctly
allowing for a more successful relief from stress and anxiety

Conclusion

Though drugs are quick working, they only cover an issue and do not
treat issue. Happiness can not be fixed by a pill, you have to be able to
take control of your body and learn to relax. The use of CAM will not
only help when an issue arises but it will help keep you healthy through
a lifetime. CAM is the way to go when it comes to stress and anxiety, it
is safe and it provides a healthy way of life.

References:

Anxiety and Depression Association of America. (2016). Complementary

& Alternative Treatment. Retrieved from:
http://www.adaa.org/finding-help/treatment/complementary-alternativetreatment

National Center for Complementary and Integrated Health. (2016).

Stress. Retrieved from: https://nccih.nih.gov/health/stress

Questions?