7 Best Holistic Anxiety Remedies
7 Best Holistic Anxiety Remedies
Anxiety. The dreaded word. Roughly General anxiety disorder affects about 6.8 million people a year. Unfortunately only a fraction of those people actually seek help because of the astigmatism of the disorder. Anxiety is the leading mental illness in America. Yet if someone sees your Xanax bottle you are classified as a “pill head” or “pill popper”.
Someone who does not have anxiety, does not understand anxiety. So coming from me, who has extreme anxiety, let me break it down for you.
Classic symptoms include but are not limited to:
- racing heart beat
- shortness of breath
- blurry vision
- dizziness
- nausea
- extreme fear for no reason
- insomnia
- inability to sit still
- inability to “stop and smell the roses”
- lack of concentration
- forget things easy
- nervousness
- fast talking to cover up the impending doom you feel when an anxiety attack is approaching
These are just a few of the symptoms I can recall off the top of my head. Symptoms I experience daily, weekly and monthly. Something as simple as a cluttered desk makes me so nervous that I cannot focus on school work. When I have to take an exam, I literally get dizzy and develop blurry vision. A crowded room, even if it is people I know, increases my heart rate. Anxiety is REAL! Very REAL!
There are many ways to learn to live with anxiety and many treatment options. Such as this blog. It has helped me immensely to be able to write. I journal daily which is another creative outlet. Yoga, reading, exercising, eliminating caffeine all help but do not get rid of it completely. So what does a person do? Well you can take Xanax. But do you want to take that forever, like forever, as in the rest of your life? I know I don’t. So I set out on a journey to find alternatives!
First let me say, I am not a doctor. Any anything contained in this post should be run by your doctor before adding any supplements to your daily regimen.So lets get started with some of these amazing supplements that improve if not get rid of anxiety symptoms that you can find at your local health food store or grow yourself!
7 Best Holistic Remedies for Anxiety
1. Valerian Root is a pretty powerful herb. It is said to be natures Valium. It relieves insomnia related to anxiety and promotes calmness. It is not something you want to take if you have to drive. It is one of the active ingredients in Sugar Bear Sleep Aid. I have been taking it for a month and love it. You can find it here.
2. Ashwagandha is an adaptogen. It comes in a powder form that you can add to drinks or a capsule. It is consider one of the strongest Ayurvedic supplements. It helps the body manage stress as well as resets and restores the body after a stressful encounter. Check it out here.
3.Passionflower is another one of my favorites. There are several varieties. P. incarnata is the one I am discussing today. It can be boiled in hot water for tea, you can get it in a concentrated oil or capsule format. It works on the GABA transmitter in the brain to help reduce insomnia. It has other benefits as well including soothing upset stomach.
5.Magnesium is a very important one. It has several benefits and you can readily buy it just about anywhere. Magnesium works by reducing cortisol in our bodies. Cortisol is a stress hormone. It also helps to raise GABA, a neurotransmitter in our brain that promotes a calming affect. It is also wonderful for muscle pain or PMS. Here is a great article about the benefits of magnesium.
6.Tryptophan is just amazing. It is actually found in foods, specifically Turkey. So the real reason all the men fall asleep while watching football is because of all the Turkey they ate. Tryptophan works naturally with the neurotransmitters in our brain to boost serotonin. Serotonin then promotes calmness, reduces anxiety and depression. As well as promoting sleep!
7.Chamomile and Lavender. Combining these two together such as in a tea or even essential oils added to your bath, produce a calming affect on your body. Both have strong herbal sedative properties.
These 7 natural remedies are just a fraction of what is available besides your good ole Xanax! I am not knocking xanax by any means. I just personally want to find other alternatives. As I said before though, I am not a doctor, so before trying any of the herbal supplements I have listed here today please check with your physician!
XOXO
