by Tess Thompson / Native Remedies

Anxiety disorders are the most common of all mental health disorders and affect the lives of millions of people every year, including approximately 19 million in the U.S. alone.

If you are one of them, you may wonder if your symptoms are standard, and if there are behavioral and medical treatments that might be effective for you.

While everyone experiences anxiety in some form -- perhaps before giving a public presentation or in the midst of major life changes -- those with anxiety disorders experience it unusally often and irrationally.

There are many different types of anxiety disorders, each of which have unique features, but all of them share the symptoms of dread and excessive fear.

Five common types are panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, social anxiety disorder and generalized anxiety disorder.

As with most disorders, each individual will experience symptoms slightly differently, and response to treatment will vary as well.

While there are prescription medications for anxiety, for those who are wary of the side effects there also exist natural treatments for anxiety which contain herbal ingredients that can produce equally positive effects.

Passion flower (or Passiflora Incarnata) is a natural ingredient that is often used for anxiety relief, as well as to treat hyperactivity, insomnia, nervous tension and even Parkinson's Disease.

Passion flower helps to calm and soothe and is believed to be able to reduce nervous tremors and lower high blood pressure.

Lavendar (or Lavandula Augustifolia) is one of the most popular natural ingredients for treatment of a variety of conditions, including anxiety disorder.

Lavendar is a general tonic for the nervous system and is well-known for it's calming properties, making it among the most effective of natural panic attack treatments. The active ingredients in lavendar are tannins, flavinoids, coumarins, triterponoids and volatile oil.

Lemon Balm (or Melissa Officinalis) is a natural ingredient that is used as a resorative for the nervous system and also calms the digestive system and reduces blood pressure. Lemon Balm has also been used to treat Grave's disease (hyperthyroidism), and to treat depression and insomnia.

There are no quick fixes for anxiety disorder and anxiety disorder treatments should usually focus heavily on behavioral therapy.

No matter how many times you might hear that you "worry too much" or that you should relax, your symptoms are not character flaws but indications of a serious disorder that is not your fault.

Anxiety disorder is caused by biological, physiological and genetic factors, and may make your life seem stressful and difficult.

There are many others like you who have found effective treatment through therapy, medication, herbal remedies for anxiety or some combination of the aforementioned, and you too have the ability to overcome your disorder to lead a happier, healthier life.

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For a number of health solutions, see the Native Remedies site.

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See more articles by Tess Thompson.

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