No matter what anyone tells you, the moment we start discussing solutions, we often fall into a trap—overthinking the problem, getting lost in analysis, and wandering aimlessly. The truth is simple: creatures on this planet experience something we all recognize as anxiety. We don’t need to split it into a hundred classifications unless we’re diagnosing for prescriptions or expensive psychological treatments—which can work, but not quickly or easily enough.
The most fundamental and effective tool for managing anxiety is teaching people how to breathe properly. Meditation needs to be part of the conversation, whether people want to hear about it or not. It should come first in all treatments, even before a diagnosis. Why? Because diagnoses, whether we like it or not, often create more anxiety—both for the patient and the doctor.
Everything in the universe has a cause. If we had the perfect intelligence or the right mathematical models, we could trace every issue to its root. But in the meantime, people are struggling. So, what’s the immediate solution?
For someone with PTSD or complex trauma, the first step is simple: teach them to breathe. Deep, deliberate breaths followed by sighs of relief. Take them to a safe place, let them cry, let them sit by a warm fire. Teach them about character, about compassion. Show them that trauma has existed since the beginning of life itself. And while we can’t erase it, we can choose not to be the cause of it. We can learn to breathe through it and take precise actions to move forward.
Of course, suffering exists on a spectrum. Some people are so incapacitated, suicidal, or homicidal that extreme measures must be taken—hospitalization, prescription medications, or other interventions. But we must not forget that these medications come with risks. They have toxic side effects that can be deadly or even counterproductive. There are antidepressants, for example, with side effects that may increase suicidal ideation.
So, while science continues to refine its understanding, we need practical, immediate tools. And the first tool, the simplest and most profound, is the breath.