Everyone becomes anxious from time to time, but some people suffer from a serious and ongoing problem with anxiety. According to the Anxiety Disorders Association of America, anxiety disorders are one of the most common mental health issues in America and affect more than 40 million adults over the age of 18. Most physicians treat anxiety with medications that sometimes work well, but not without some potentially harmful side effects. Medications like Xanax, Buspar, and Klonopin can be addictive if used for long periods of time or if not used properly. If you are searching for a better way to treat your anxiety disorder without causing sedation or more dangerous side effects, there are many natural yet effective herbs that may work as well, but without the nasty side effects. It doesn’t matter if you suffer from panic attacks, generalized anxiety disorder, or some other type of anxiety-related illness, the many herbs available can be quite helpful.
Kava Kava
This herb is very popular for those suffering from stress and anxiety, and it works just as well as tranquilizers. Despite not being addictive, kava must be taken with care as it can cause liver toxicity in high dosages. This is why a dosage of 150 mg is recommended for most people suffering from anxiety. Kava can be purchased at just about any health food store, and a great website to purchase kava products from is at konakavafarms.com. They offer many different products containing the kava herb, which gives you the opportunity to decide which form works best for you.
Used as a remedy for many different ailments such as insomnia, anxiety, menstrual cramps, and more, this herb is a wonderful choice for a natural anti-anxiety. Unlike kava kava, valerian root is a lot safer, and if a larger dose than recommended is taken, it shouldn’t cause any serious side effects. You have the option of taking valerian root in the form of tea or by taking capsules, and a wonderful valerian root product can be purchased at vita-cost.com, and is manufactured by Nature’s Way. You can get 180 capsules for $6.19.
Skullcap
This is another gentle herb for combating anxiety disorders naturally. Used for over 200 years, skullcap can be consumed as a tea, tincture or in capsule for. It can be taken alone or with other herbs to promote relaxation in anxious individuals. Many naturalists use skullcap in helping those addicted to drugs and alcohol to detoxify, as it helps to lessen the effects of withdrawal. You can purchase skullcap at many health food stores or at allstarhealth.com for $5.24 for a 100 capsule bottle.
Chamomile
Often consumed as a tea, chamomile works gently at controlling episodes of anxiety. It also has a host of other usages, such as helping with ailments involving the digestive tract, eczema and more. Since it contains elements that naturally thin the blood, you must be careful when taking chamomile, as it can thin the blood too much if you’re already taking some type of blood thinning drug. Chamomile is otherwise safe and you can purchase 16 chamomile tea bags for $3.49 at tealand.com.
Gamma-aminobutyric acid
Although this product isn’t an herb, but instead an amino acid, like herbs, it’s all-natural. A product by Country Life, Gaba Relaxer, does exactly what its name says: relaxes you. This product, which is best taken on an empty stomach for better assimilation, works very quickly at getting anxiety under control, as it is a special rapid-release formula. It contains a few other nutrients which work together to promote relaxation. Even if you’re having a full-blown panic attack, this product works very powerfully and quickly to bring your attack under control. You can purchase Gaba Relaxer for less than $20 at your local health food store, and if your local health food store doesn’t carry it, by going to country-life.com, you can find a store that does.
