Isabella Bennett

Professor Blouch

English Composition II

3 March 2020

Literature Review Essay

The troubles of anxiety is something that millions of people struggle with. Not only is it

extremely difficult to control, but it is nearly impossible to work through it. Everyone

experiences anxiety in different ways. For some people, they just get some nervous jitters before

a test. But for other people, they have complete emotional breakdowns whenever they are

worried about something as simple as what to eat for breakfast that morning. Luckily, there are

many treatments that help people with managing their anxiety. Many of which have proved to be

more effective than prescription medication. In my research essay, I will be exploring the

question of “how effective are treatments for anxiety that exclude prescription medications?” and

I will be evaluating how well these forms of alternative treatments work for individuals with

varying levels of anxiety.

For centuries, anxiety is a mental condition that is widely frowned upon in society. When

people find out someone has anxiety, they often describe that person as “being crazy” or “having

something wrong going on in their head.” In reality, this is entirely unfair to the individuals who

suffer from anxiety disorder. This is something that they have no control over. They didn’t bring

the anxiety upon themselves, that is just the way their brain works. The brain is the one at fault

for making people constantly overthink and worry. This is why someone with anxiety might

experience difficulties when trying to get prescription medications. Especially since anxiety can

be hard to diagnose, and nobody wants to be improperly prescribed medication to treat

something they don’t even have. With anxiety being hard to diagnose, the opioid prescription

medications can be misprescribed and eventually lead the patient to addiction. There is a whole

whirlwind of trouble with prescription medications aside from jut these issues. But above all,

they are widely frowned upon, and have been for years. If someone takes a Xanax, that would

mean that they are admitting they have a mental health issue. And that could lead them to being

treated as so by others because of how our world views mental illness.

When it comes to anxiety, there are many different methods that can be effective in

treating it. One of the most common of which I discovered after reviewing the five most crucial

sources for my research paper. This method involves at home remedies, such as meditation,

relaxation, yoga, etc. Often times these methods work well when someone presents with minor

anxiety that doesn’t necessarily require medication. One essential home remedy in the

management of anxiety, is the use of lavender in body care products, or in an essential oil

diffuser. As Catherine Paddock discusses in her article, “Does Lavender Really Help With

Anxiety,” lavender is a scent that the human brain associates with serenity and tranquility. This

means that when someone uses lavender in an at home remedy, they essentially can help calm

their anxiety.

Another method for treating anxiety that was mentioned in almost every article I read

about the topic was exercise. According to “Can Exercise Help Treat Anxiety” by John Ratey,

exercise can be extremely effective at lifting someone’s spirits, which inevitably decreases the

amount of anxiety they experience. This could mean that exercise could be an alternative to

prescription medications when i comes to managing anxiety in patients. Additionally, WDSE did

a news report titled “Speak Your Mind- Running For Your Life: Exercise and Mental Health”
which also supports how exercise can be an extremely important thing when it comes to helping

people with anxiety.

As far as any confusing or conflicting information gos, there were two articles that I came

across that did have some information that doesn’t necessarily support the research paper I’m

trying to write. In “Anxiety Drugs: Stressing the Importance of Innovation” Suzanne Elvidge

mentions how important new methods for treatment are, but she also explains how likely they

won’t be as effective as the prescription medications. This contradicts my paper because I am

trying to explain how other methods could be better put to use than prescription medications. In

addition, The Mayo Clinic Staff wrote in “Generalized Anxiety Disorder” that often times

prescription medications are the best, and sometimes only option of treatment for those who have

severe anxiety.
 Works Cited

Elvidge, Suzanne. “Anxiety Drugs: Stressing the Importance of Innovation.”

pharmaceutical-journal.com. August 4, 2016. https://www.pharmaceutical-journal.com/news-

and-analysis/features/anxiety-drugs-stressing-the-importance-of-innovation/20201479.article?

firstPass=false

Paddock, Catherine. “Does Lavender Really Help With Anxiety.”

medicalnewstoday.com. October 23, 2018. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/323422

Ratey, John J. “Can Exercise Help Treat Anxiety.” health.harvard.edu. October 24, 2019.

https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/can-exercise-help-treat-anxiety-2019102418096

The Mayo Clinic Staff. “Generalized Anxiety Disorder.” mayoclinic.org. October 13,

2017. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/generalized-anxiety-disorder/diagnosis-

treatment/drc-20361045

WDSE WRPT-PBS. “Speak Your Mind- Running For Your Life: Exercise and Mental

Health.” January 5, 2018.