Natural alternative to Alzrazolam (Xanax) for anxiety

Source: Prevention

Key Statistics: Women are 60% more likely than men to experience an anxiety disorder, according to the National Institute of Mental Health.  

Natural Remedy: Write It Out. Anxious feelings may start out small but can spiral out of control. Each time you have an anxious thought about a certain situation (such as speaking in front of your managers at work), physical sensations such as butterflies in your stomach or nausea may accompany it, setting off a vicious cycle. Journaling can help you better understand what triggers your anxiety and what helps it, says Nomita Sonty, PhD, associate clinical professor at Columbia University. Here are her tips for keeping a journal:

• Take 10 to 15 minutes every day to write about your experiences, including your anxious ones.
• Start by asking yourself: What happened to me today? What triggered nervous feelings?
• Then note how you reacted to those feelings. (Believing that the worst would happen magnifies feelings of anxiety.)
• Finish by recording how you dealt with it and how it made you feel. For example, if you drank alcohol to help curb your anxiety but ended up feeling worse later, write that down. Or if you notice that each time you got anxious you went for a walk and felt better, write that down too.

“Journaling about your thoughts, feelings, and actions can help you become more aware because you can look back at your entries, so it’s easier to identify your triggers and patterns of behavior,” says Dr. Sonty.
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I used to do this a long time ago and it did help somewhat.  Mostly it helped me create this list of causes and this list of coping mechanisms.  I don't have panic attacks as much anymore but do take medication for it.  I think it would be a good idea for me to start doing this again when the anxious moments arise.  Definitely cannot hurt and if I learn something from it then it is most definitely worth it.