When Magic was not enough

The Power of three will set you free.

And you thought they can magically brush all their cares away? Three witches destined for magic greatness, the Charmed ones as they are popularly known, drew great TV following with their supernatural-effects among the dedicated TV viewers. Prudence “Prue” Halliwell (Shannen Doherty), the eldest sister who had the power of telekinesis; Piper Halliwell, the witch who has the power to freeze molecules; and Phoebe Halliwell, the youngest and rebellious sister who has the power of premonition – these three blood-bound witches became the most powerful witches of all time. Enduring for eight long seasons, these three magically captured the hearts of televiewers with the whisk of the hands and catchy incantations.

However, even with their apparent control over their powers, these cool and modern-day witches have constantly faced, lost to, but, eventually managed to get over with daily wiccan stresses. In one episode, Piper cried a river because the Elders, supreme protectors of good, had to take her husband away from her. Even as she experienced what seemed like an anxiety disorder, she vowed with all her witchly powers that she will one day get her husband back.

Leo (Brian Krause), Piper's husband also had his share of panic, or anxiety attacks. He discovered that his son Chris, was killed by their trusted friend Gideon – who was also an Elder. He wreaked havoc as he hurled thunder from his arms and shot it across the room. These manifestations of anxiety attacks was due to his overwhelming grief over his son's early demise.

Another turning point of the Charmed Life series was when their eldest sister Prue died because time was manipulated by the Source (highest demon). The remaining witches grew skeptical about their destiny and found themselves on the verge of breaking point. Good thing is, the power of three was reconstituted with the advent of their half-sister Paige. Paige Matthews, was the daughter of Paricia Halliwell, the Charmed Trio's mother. However, Piper, the closest to Prue, gave Paige a hard time because she did not let go of Prue's memory. With her grief and anxiety attacks, she became a creature called “Fury”, a curse that almost made her destroy her own sister. In the end, she did managed to bring her emotions across to the right place – Prue's grave.

Even though blessed with wiccan powers, Piper, Phoebe, and Paige, constantly struggled with different emotions that no spell can totally dispel. But the good things is, as always perceived in the TV series – their most trusted power over mind boggling trivialities and blood thirsty enemies are not their wiccan gifts. Their answer is their sisterly bond --- which also became their best anxiety relief. Sisterhood, not their inherent powers, was their best anxiety relief and power against all that the underworld can hurl at them. In the end, after years of wiccan supremacy, the Charmed Ones managed to keep their family legacy, which was written in their book, The Book of Shadows.

So, let's take it from the Charmed Ones – family ties, not any magic, is the best cure for any anxiety.

Where Everybody Knows Your Name

Life today is full of stress and anxiety. There is so much pressure to perform socially, professionally, and personally that it takes everything that the average person has not to go completely insane. All this stress and anxiety can easily build up in a person's mind, if left unattended. The steady build-up of anxiety and enormous stress can actually lead to serious psychological illnesses.

Relieving stress and anxiety early on is key to prevent serious mental disorders. But the ultimate question is: How can you find effective anxiety relief?

You might decide to take pills for anxiety relief, as there are medications that are designed to help with that. After all, like most moods and states of mind, anxiety, excessive worrying, and stress are firmly rooted in the brain's complex biochemistry. Since most anxiety relief drugs are of the psychoactive sort, meaning they affect the chemical and neural responses of the central nervous system. That means that your typical anxiety relief medication might have side-effects on your mental health, which could end up being worse than the stress and anxiety in the first place.

There is, however, one particular alternative to the expensive anxiety medication products you might find in the market. Anxiety relief need not come in the form of a pill, after all. Anxiety medication doesn't even have to come in the form of a bottle, though small amounts of alcohol during particularly stressful times can really help. Perhaps the simplest, oldest, and easiest anxiety relief out there comes in the form of the people around you. The best way to relieve stress could very well be simply gathering your close friends in a place where the sources of stress are as far away from you as Pluto is from the sun. This idea is best exemplified by the lyrics of that old Gary Portnoy song:

Sometimes you want to go

Where everybody knows your name,

and they're always glad you came.

You wanna be where you can see,

our troubles are all the same

You wanna be where everybody knows

Your name.

As the song says, sometimes the best way to relieve yourself of the burdens and stresses of everyday life is to go to a place where you and a few friends can just take some time out and relax. For some people, this might come in the form of a pub where the gang can gather around and tell stories of their lives. Nothing like a little ranting and raving to blow off some steam, after all. This approach is usually better with a little alcohol thrown in, just to loosen the inhibitions a bit. However, it is advised that people who take this route to avoid too much alcohol intake.

To be honest, any location where a group of friends can gather and talk freely, without worrying about the boss listening in or being rebuked by somebody. A pub, an apartment, or a coffee shop can all serve as a venue for people to relieve stress and feel liberated from the “mask” they wear while at work. It is in these sorts of environments that people can cut loose and just let everything roll out without really paying much attention to the potential consequences. It is in environments such as the above where people can just sit back, let go, and unwind. In the end, isn't taking a little time to relax a better method of anxiety relief than expensive medications?