Natural Alternative Treatments For Anxiety: Herbs For Anxiety
Today Many people are looking for a natural method of treatment of anxiety and panic attacks. Fortunately there are a number of safe and effective herbal remedies for anxiety that are freely available.
When looking at any treatment for anxiety, the treatment needs to address a stressed and fragile nervous system. One of the most effective applications of herbal remedies for anxiety is in the strengthening of the nervous system. The most common type of herb used in the treatment of anxiety and panic attacks are called Nervines which are basically nerve tonics. These herbs & herbal formulas work directly on the weakened nervous system increasing the tolerance for stress and nervous strain. In treating anxiety attacks and panic attacks in this way there is often little need for additional sedatives or tranquillisers to ease the anxious states.
Here then is a shortlist of some of the most common herbal treatments for anxiety. These herbs have been used for hundreds of years either singularly or in combination and their effectiveness has been proven over those years.
Oats: Believe it or not this, common everyday breakfast cereal can be used as a very effective herbal nerve tonic in the treatment of anxiety and panic attacks. While most people are familiar with the use of rolled oats for breakfast, oats can also be taken in the form of pills or capsules as well as in the form of a liquid herbal extract. If you think adding oats to your breakfast menu is something you might want to try, please remember not to use instant oats, which due to processing, loses much of the nervine effect of normal rolled oats
Lemon Balm: Is another herb that is traditionally used for all complaints resulting from the disordered state within the nervous system. Recent research has shown that Lemon Balm has a profoundly calming effect and sedative action on the nervous system. This research backs up the traditional usage of Lemon Balm as a herb that can be used in all forms of anxiety and depression and their accompanying symptoms such as headache, palpitations and insomnia.
Passionflower: Is often the first choice of herbalists looking to treat nervous system conditions that affect the stomach and the heart. Abdominal cramps, bloating and indigestion and IBS along with palpitations and breathing difficulties that are very common symptoms of anxiety and panic attacks, can all be helped with passionflower. As a safe natural sedative, passionflower is often used for those anxiety sufferers who have sleeping difficulties as part of their symptom profile.
Skullcap: Is a very effective herbal treatment from anxiety that affects the body in two ways. It has an easy and safe sedating action that can very quickly calm and relax an overexcited nervous system. It’s other main action is as a strengthening and supportive herb for a nervous system that is chronically overloaded and exhausted which can obviously lay the foundation for anxiety and panic attacks.
Probably the most common herbal remedy for panic attacks and anxiety is Valerian. Long regarded as one of the most potent herbs in the treatment of all kinds of mental and emotional disorders Valerian’s reputation was such that the pharmaceutical drug Valium was named after it. While it has nothing in common chemically with Valium its action in helping with anxiety is similar in that they both affect GABA which is an amino acid involved in various states of anxiety.
As a natural herbal sedative it is especially effective and is most commonly used only when sleep disorders are part of the symptom profile of the anxiety sufferer.
If you are interested in using herbal remedies in the treatment of your anxiety and panic attacks you must always consider your current situation and health status. For the most part the herbs mentioned above, and many other similarly effective herbs that can help you dramatically with your anxiety and panic attacks, are safe and relatively free of side effects. But they need to be prescribed appropriately to your specific health condition. In some cases such as pregnancy, or if you are currently taking prescription medication, some of the above herbs may be contraindicated so it is wise to seek out an appropriately trained natural health practitioner.
