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Can You Manage Anxiety Without Medication? Yes—And Here’s How

  • Writer: Budd Therapy
    Budd Therapy
  • May 19
  • 2 min read


Woman using mindfulness to manage anxiety
Woman using mindfulness to manage anxiety


Did you know 1 in 5 adults in the U.S. experience anxiety?


Anxiety is one of the most common mental health challenges in the U.S., affecting about 19.1% of adults, according to the National Institute of Mental Health. While medication is one treatment route, many people are unaware of an equally powerful alternative: coping skills.


At Budd Therapy Group, we work with clients to build real-world strategies for anxiety relief. One client, after 10 years on medication, shared this after just one session of EMDR:

“I didn’t know you could manage anxiety with coping skills.”


Coping Skills For Anxiety


Coping skills are more than just a backup plan—they’re tools that help you feel calm, focused, and in control.


  • Reduce overwhelm – Breathing exercises and imagery calm your body’s fight-or-flight response.

  • Interrupt negative thought patterns – Mindfulness and grounding prevent anxious spirals.

  • Restore a sense of control – Skills empower you to face stress head-on.


Categories of Coping Skills


  • Physical: Exercise, deep breathing, yoga, progressive muscle relaxation

  • Cognitive: Mindfulness, thought reframing, problem-solving

  • Emotional: Journaling, talking with someone, creative expression

  • Behavioral: Establishing routines, limiting social media, engaging in small enjoyable activities

  • Social: Reaching out for support, group participation, therapy


Tools We Use at Budd Therapy Group


At Budd Therapy, we use evidence-based tools to help clients manage anxiety and build resilience, including:


  • Guided Imagery:

    • Calm Place: Visualizing a peaceful, safe place using all five senses, anchored by a cue word

    • Light Steam: Imagining anxiety as a shape in the body surrounded and soothed by a healing light

    • Lava or String: Visualizing anxiety moving through the body and out the fingertips as steam

    • Guided imagery exercises can be found here: https://www.buddtherapy.com/resources


  • HeartMath® App: This app-based tool promotes heart rate coherence through regulated breathing, reducing anxiety and promoting calm. https://www.heartmath.com/


  • Installing Positive Affirmations: Through bilateral stimulation (tapping), we help clients internalize feelings of strength, control, and safety by focusing on past empowering experiences. Worksheet to create positive affirmations: https://health.arizona.edu/sites/default/files/MH%20Mastermind%20Week%202%20-%20Self-Talk.pdf


Coping Skills = Empowerment


Coping skills aren’t just alternatives to medication—they’re essential tools for emotional regulation, stress management, and long-term mental wellness.


Need Support? We’re Here


At Budd Therapy Group, we help you heal from the inside out—starting with tools that work in real life.

📞 Contact us today to schedule a session and start managing anxiety with confidence.





References:

National Institute of Mental Health. (2023). Any anxiety disorder. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/any-anxiety-disorder

Shapiro, F. (2018). Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy: Basic principles, protocols, and procedures (3rd ed.). The Guilford Press.

National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. (2021). Relaxation techniques for health. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/relaxation-techniques-for-health

HeartMath Institute. (2022). Science of the heart: Exploring the role of the heart in human performance. https://www.heartmath.org/research/science-of-the-heart/heart-rate-variability/

Kabat-Zinn, J. (2003). Mindfulness-based interventions in context: Past, present, and future. Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, 10(2), 144–156. https://doi.org/10.1093/clipsy/bpg016

 

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