Stressed-Out Women Take Control: Shun Prescription, Seek Natural Solutions To Ease Stress

Short tempers, snapping at loved ones and failure to concentrate are the unfortunate hallmarks of today's stressed-out American women, according to a new survey conducted by Nielsen and commissioned by Rescue Remedy for National Stress Awareness Month in April.

So what is the root of the stress affecting women? And what are they doing about it?

Money (61 percent), weight (48 percent), and family relationships (42 percent) topped most women's lists as their top three stressors. There is still plenty more that women stress about, though, as 24 percent named traffic, 20 percent cited world events and the war in the Middle East and 16 percent said car trouble. The survey polled 200 women across the country aged 18 to 54.

Stress manifests itself in a variety of unhealthy ways. In addition to that bad temper (52 percent) and distracted nature (46 percent), many women complain of medical ailments from headaches (44 percent) breakouts (18 percent) and even hair loss (9 percent).

Yet women are increasingly aware of the issue and in order to fight it overwhelmingly reject prescription medication (85 percent) in favor of natural solutions as diverse as watching television (49%), a good cry (44%), prayer (40 percent), sex (20%) or natural medicine like Rescue Remedy (ten percent).

"Stress compromises your ability to fight off disease and infection," said Ronald L. Stram, M.D., founder of Center for Integrated Health and Healing. "It can even rewire the brain, making you more vulnerable to everyday pressures and problems such as depression, anxiety and sleeplessness, so it's important to learn effective and appropriate ways manage it."

Dr. Stram prescribes Rescue Remedy to his patients, and he also prescribes Rescue Sleep to help them slumber faster and wake up feeling refreshed.

Women's choice to go natural is consistent with new findings from the US Centers for Disease Control, showing natural remedies are becoming more mainstream. The increasing popularity of natural medicine is driven in part by real and perceived risks of other conventional medicine. For instance, the US Food and Drug Administration recently warned of dangerous and bizarre side effects from prescription sleep aids, such as sleep driving and sleep eating.

"Holistic approaches to health and stress management have become more accepted and trusted among Americans," Dr. Stram says. "I often recommend Rescue Sleep to my patients as a safe, natural, non-narcotic solution to combat their stress levels. Rescue Sleep works to calm a racing mind, and help users sleep easier. It's a safe, effective, and practical way to balance emotions and restore energy."

Rescue Remedy, Rescue Sleep and the full line of Bach Flower Remedies made by Nelsons are an all-natural, non-narcotic healing system, which help relieve stress, worries, and anxiety. Consumers can easily find Rescue Remedy and Rescue Sleep at Walgreens, Whole Foods, Wild Oats and other fine natural product stores.