What do you do for anxiety? Would you suggest some natural remedies? I need something to get me through a difficult time right now. I may just go to the doctor and get a prescription, but I don't want to take anything for any length of time and especially something that is addictive. Have you taken anything natural that helps or are you taking a prescription that helps?
By Betty from Lubbock, TX
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Read up on magnesium deficiency. Most Americans don't get enough magnesium in their diet, and one of the symptoms can be anxiety. I was waking up in the middle of the night with a panicked feeling. I started reading up, looking for a non-prescription remedy. It's amazing what magnesium deficiency will affect!
I started taking Natural Calm in the lemon flavor. It is a powder that you dissolve in hot water. Just a little water at first, because it fizzes vigorously. It says it's naturally sweet from stevia, but I need to put a spoon of honey with it.
If you start to take it, start off with a small amount of the powder (it comes with instructions). I've read that it can loosen up the bowels a bit, but I've never experinced that.
Good diet is important. Mrs. Story mentioned magnesium but you should also make sure you're getting enough B-vitamins and zinc. Try to limit the use of caffeine and alcohol. Stay hydrated and try to get plenty of sleep, easier said than done when you're feeling anxious!
Herbal teas made from chamomile, lemon balm or lime (linden) flower can help with nerves. Aromatherapy can also be very helpful; lavender, bergamot and rose are some relaxing scents. There are many herbal remedies for anxiety and stress available too, but make sure you look into any possible side effects or drug interactions before taking them. God bless and I hope you're feeling better soon.
I also forgot to mention that any herbs or essential oils should be used with caution if you happen to be pregnant or breastfeeding. :-)
There's nothing as good as Valium (diazepam) and you can use self-control to prevent it becoming addictive. Or if you buy it online as I do, the cost alone means you won't over-use it.
Go to the dr. Just because he gives you an RX doesn'rt mean you will have to take it for a long time.
5 HTP is a miracle worker for anxiety and depression. And it's not expensive. I use Doctor's Best 5HTP. Good luck! I hope you feel better soon.
take a walk along the beach, I did that for years, if you are not by a beach, take time for yourself and enjoy a good mystery book. Lost my son in Desert Storm and I had to do either one for years, and it still hurts, but I had a lot of anxiety attacks, night and day, and vitamin B complex.
There are many supplements that reduce stress! Fish oil and flaxseed oil, vitamin d, selenium, folic acid. Holy basil (delicious as a tea), chamomile (if not allergic to daisies), etc. Also try Swansons Vitamin and look up what they have in that category. Their prices are great. Magnesium and calcium together help one sleep. All of this is researched. Black tea calms the brain almost instantly. Please, if possible, avoid any of the SSRI antidepressants. People supposedly have an awfully hard time getting off of them, and they are not as effective for most depression as thought initially.
Kava Kava has always worked for me and my daughters in stressful times. It's natural and not habit forming.
Hi there,
I recommend Sleepytime tea. Its an herbal tea that always relaxes me & calms me down. Its a green box, with picture of a bear asleep in a chair.
Excuse the long post, but as a health care worker I felt the need to add on to what others had posted. All the suggestions already listed are good, but be careful with anything that isn't regulated by the FDA. A lot of those "supplements" are just fine and work for many people, but some are rip-offs (just vitamins, nothing special) and many don't have to list their ingredients at all because they are not subject to the same laws. There can be ingredients in their "proprietary blend" that you are allergic to or may have adverse reactions with certain medications. I'm a firm believer in trying herbal remedies (carefully), but I'm also a nurse and know that adverse reactions can and do happen. Herbal teas, aromatherapy, a warm bath or shower, relaxation techniques, meditation and/or prayer, talking about your stress, exercise, proper diet (including the possible use of a daily multivitamin) and taking some "you" time are all great non-prescription ways to relieve stress.
Here's some herbs that are documented as having a calming or "sedative" effect.
Chamomile and Lavender are top of the list for me and generally very safe provided you're not allergic (if allergic to daisies you may be allergic to chamomile). Chamomile is more or less an herbal wonder drug and Lavender can be used in teas and cooking as well as aromatherapy. Other good herbs are catnip (really, not just for cats), valerian, lemon balm, lemon verbena, nettle, sage, vervain, hops (not beer), and elecampane. I may have missed some too.
Use the following with utmost caution:
kava kava, lots of adverse reactions with certain drugs.
St. John's Wort, works in much the same way as an SSRI antidepressant. You cannot use this with prescription anti-depressants or you can induce a severe complication that can kill you. That said, a friend of mine found it helped greatly with her mild depression as a shorter term intervention.
Celestial Seasonings makes a lot of tasty herbal teas such as Tension Tamer and Sleepytime that I have found are especially useful to help you calm down before bed. They contain many of the herbs I've listed above. Some people don't like herbal tea much. Trying combination blends that have something else you like the taste of or throw some packets of the tea in the bathtub. I personally don't like the flavor of chamomile by itself, but I like the mint combo in Sleepytime and sometimes throw packets in the bathtub.
If none of those suggestions are cutting it for you, go to your doctor. If you're having panic attacks, defintely go to your doctor first. As someone that has experienced them, I can tell you that they often get worse if untreated and can even be dangerous depending on the situation. Anti-anxiety drugs such as Valium (diazepam) and Xanax are very useful and can be real lifesavers for some folks, but as mentioned in a previous post, just because your doc writes you an rx doesn't mean you have to fill it. Sometimes knowing you have a "back up" helps relieve stress too! I also agree that you should not take an antidepressant unless really necessary such as if you have a diagnosis by a psychologist or psychiatrist that warrants their use. These drugs are meant more for long-term use instead of getting through a difficult time as you are describing. Most general doctors recognize this and prescribe carefully, but some just like to throw drugs at your problem, even if it's just short term. Regardless of what you decide, keep your doctor informed if you start taking herbal remedies (even herbal tea). These are still drugs that affect your body. Overall, know that you are not alone and are not "weak" for looking for help. You are nipping the problem in the bud, which is healthy and shows that you are self-aware. I wish more folks had that kind of forethought! :)
The magnesium might help, but st john's wort, tryptophan & or 5HTP work really well. Often as we age, we don't digest a lot of the protein we consume & this is where you get the tryptophan that gets converted to serotonin. This is the feel good, all's right with the world hormone. With tryptophan, you have to take small amounts of B2, P5P, chelated magnesium, vitamin C & niacinamide, this is needed to make the conversion to serotonin.
BTW, if you have digestive issues, this cold help that also, 70-80% of the serotonin made in the body, is made in the intestines & this makes the gut work as it should. Oh, tryptophan can make you sleepy, especially f you have trouble sleeping. The body will latch onto it, so you can try the tryptophan at nite & take the 5HTP during the day.
St. john's wort is a natural answer for depression, anxiety, nervousness, stress & many other things. I have heard that it can interfere with sleeping, if u take it at night, so don't take it after say 5:pm, & maybe the tryptophan right b 4 sleep. This really works, i have used & still do sometimes take these.
cmt.
I know each person reacts differently to medications, but I must say Zoloft worked for me. I had a problem with anxiety, mood, etc., when my husband died. I was very hesitant and told the doctor that I didn't like the idea of taking a drug for the problem. However, he told me it would not make me jumpy or alter my personality. He was right. Within a week of starting the medication, I was so much better. Took it for about two months, then stopped on my own. Again, what works for one person may not work for another. But my experience with Zoloft was very positive.
Go to a health food store, and look at the essential oils, like lavender, and others, that you can keep in your purse. Aromatherapy helps! Also, look a their products for tension, anxiety. They usually have some that are not herbal, which can be like drugs, and don't agree with everyone. I use a couple of things from the health food store, and also, watch your coffee intake, get exercise, deep breaths, inspirational reading. I've used it all, and still do. Good luck!
I went to a holistic/natural healing rehabilitation center for a month and the doctors there taught me a bunch of things about how to deal with stress and anxiety naturally. One supplement they put me on was GABA (500mg)daily, and it works like magic! You have to give it a few/several days worth but it does work. It's actually a chemical already found in your brain but when your brain doesn't produce enough(due to stress) anxiety sets in. So look up GABA on the internet and do some research for yourself. It works for me:) Hope this helps.
My daughter has suffered from anxiety since she was very, very young. Instead of using medications, we have found some other ways to get her through her anxious moments. Yoga helped a great deal. You need to find someone who sees yoga as a slow process of stretching and breathing- and only to do what you can. The deep breathing has helped so much! She is now 11 and still suffers from several anxiety triggers but she has learned how to calm herself by taking some deep breaths. If things are bad I do some stretches with her and help her to focus.
We are definitely open to having her take meds if she needs to when she is older. However she has come such a long way I don't think she will need it.
Another thought is to have someone teach you to meditate. I once went to a free seminar for meditation and it has helped me a great deal when I am stressed.
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