Herbal Treatment for Anxiety?

[aembry]

I was wondering if anyone has used herbal remedies for the treatment of mild Anxiety? I am considering trying an Herb for my anxiety but I have read about so many herbal treatments that I don't know which to choose. I have read about valerian, passion flower, ashwaganda, and chamomile and they all seem to be pretty effective. Has anyone had success with this form of treatment?

[andrewm88]

i have been through the ringer with herbs for my anxiety, as your anxiety is mild herbs would be a perfect combination for you. i use ashwagandha and brahmi, these are great auyervedic herbs for anxiety and depression.the ashwagandha definitely needs to be used the brhami though to feel the full effect, and give it at least 2-3 weeks before you feel a difference. i didnt like valerian or passionflower but they may work for you, everyone is different. also make sure to be taking a your B vitamins and omega 3 oils :)

[aembry]

Have you ever taken St. Johns Wort?

[andrewm88]

no i have not actually, but i have the bottle of the stuff sitting right infront of me, im kina waiting to see how my results go with the ashwahgandha and brahmi before i try st johns wort

[aembry]

I have heard ashwagandha is very good for treatment of anxiety. How long have you been taking it.. and do you take the ashwaganda and brahmi together??

[andrewm88]

iv been taking the ashwagandha for about 3 weeks now, they say you need to take it for 3 months before you can see full effects but i find that i am seeing results already, and yes i take it together with the brahmi which is known for its calming properties :)

[Paxiled]

St. John's Wort is more for depression than anxiety.  There are many herbs and amino acids that help with anxiety, and seldom would an herbalist use only one.  A good book to read on this is Natural Highs by Hyla Cass, a psychiatrist at UCLA.

[trdofbeingtrd]

Of course consult doctor before drinking, but, here it is. Two teas you can buy from the store that work decent, my two teas recipe for anxiety, and my one tea recipe for sleep. Feel free to alter it as you wish and as needed for taste and strength. I have checked (studying herbs for about 5 years now) and I note which herbs have a negative interaction with each other in my teas. Even though I have mixed certain herbs below together and had zero bad side effects, I have to list any interactions studies claim to have shown. Please always make sure if you want to make your own teas, to thoroughly study the herbs and take into account any medicines you take as well. There is a great place to do this but I don't know if I can post the link, so feel free to message me if interested. Other than these tea recipes, I will first list a nice list of relaxing herbs to help with anxiety.

Relaxing Herbs:
California poppy, Catnip, Chamomile (both Roman and German, although German has negative interactions if mixed with other relaxing herbs more than roman). Clove, Lemon Balm, Passion flower, Rose hips, Skullcap, Valerian

Known Herb Interactions:
Lemon Balm with Valerian root
German Chamomile and Valerian root
Catnip and Valerian
Catnip and Chamomile
German Chamomile and lemon balm
Catnip and Lemon balm
German chamomile and Rose hips
I would not use skullcap, passion flower, or catnip in a tea.


Ok, the first tea you can buy that is good for calming is celestial seasonings "sleepytime" tea. The second is Bigelow "sweet dreams" tea. You can try them both, see which one gives you the best calming effect and which one tastes better to you. I prefer the "sweet dreams" tea. Also, I will be honest with you, it was these two teas that inspired me to learn about herbs and inspired my recipes. There is a couple differences though, so I didn't rip them off completely :-)

What some people don't know, is that herbs are more potent, have different tastes, and smell better or worse depending on how you brew the tea. That is one of the differences in my teas from the store bought.

Ingredients for my three teas:

-Roman Chamomile (Personally, I have used both and never had problems, but, studies claim that German Chamomile have dangerous interactions with the rest of the herbs in this tea, also WARNING, NEVER take anything with chamomile while pregnant)

-Hibiscus (this is used for taste, you can try my amount, then change to preference)

-Spearmint (again, used for taste and you can use peppermint if more to your liking)

-Rose hips (please check with local professional before use, I always use it in this tea and never had a problem, but it is claimed to maybe be unsafe with German Chamomile)

-Valerian Root (Very very bad taste but strong relaxing effect and can be used to sleep )

-Orange blossoms (this is for taste and you can use orange zest as substitute)

-Clove (This is for taste, it should be noted that it can reduce blood sugar levels)

-Catnip flowers and leaves (This is used for soothing effect on humans, with cats it can soothe unless they get to much of it)

-Lemon balm (This has a calming effect as well as thought to be able to improve mood and mental performance)

Utensils :
1 medium to large sauce pan
1 tea strainer or large coffee filter (Strainer preferred)
1 Stirring spoon (wood preferably)

Calming tea #1 (Again, please check with health professional before consuming)
2 Tablespoons Hibiscus
1/2 cup Chamomile (roman preferred)
1 Teaspoon spearmint
2 Teaspoons rose hips
1/4 Teaspoon Orange blossom or Orange zest
1 Tablespoon Lemon balm

Fill medium to large saucepan with water 3/4 full. Bring water to a boil. Turn off heat and immediately put in 2 tablespoons hibiscus and 1/4 teaspoon orange blossom or orange zest. Stir, place lid on pan. Wait 3 minutes and put in 1 teaspoon spearmint, 2 teaspoons rose hips, and 1 tablespoon lemon balm. Stir, place lid on pan. Wait 2 minutes and add the 1/2 cup chamomile. Stir, place lid on pan and let sit for 5 more minutes. Stir once more, strain, add sweetener if desired and enjoy.

Calming tea #2 (Please check with health professional before consuming)
2 Tablespoons Hibiscus
2 Tablespoons Spearmint
1/2 cup chamomile (Roman preferred)
1 Clove

Same directions for Calming tea #1 except toss clove in with Hibiscus.

Sleepy tea (Please check with health professional before consuming)
2 Tablespoons Spearmint
1/2 cup of honey
3 Tablespoons Valerian root
1 Tablespoon chamomile (roman preferred)

Fill medium to large sauce pan 3/4 full with water. Bring to boil, let sit for 1 minute put in 3 Tablespoons Valerian root, stir. Put lid on, let stand for 4 minutes, add 1/2 cup honey, 2 tablespoons spearmint, and 1 Tablespoon chamomile. Stir, place lid on pan, let sit for 5 minutes, strain, and add sweetener if desired.

When I got into herbs as a way to control my anxiety and panic disorder, these were three teas I made that worked for me. Expectant mothers should not consume any of these, and always check with health professional before consuming. While I put what herbs can interact bad with each other, if you don't know if you are allergic to any of these herbs, do not risk it.

[aembry]

Thanks for the advice. I'm not sure if I can do the teas, it just depends on the taste. I may buy one of the store brand ones to try. I'm am looking more for a supplement that I can take.

[trdofbeingtrd]

I completely understand, the only reason I make teas though is because I can make them as strong as I need to do the trick. I wish nothing but the best for you though :-)