Anxiety
I’ve suffered from anxiety my whole life! I didn’t realize how terrible it was until I grew up and entered the “real world”. Sometimes I still get triggered as my childhood was traumatic and I sometimes get surprised by my triggers. My entire childhood was lived in a fight or flight response and our bodies can get addicted to the own chemicals we produce from our emotional states. It’s truly a process and a journey of self-healing especially if you deal with chronic anxiety. Getting to the root of our anxiety is a key component and we can’t heal anything if we don’t have the awareness first. We really need to be mindful of the thoughts we let ourselves entertain since our emotions originate from our thoughts.
Why I don’t use psychiatric drugs for anxiety
Several years ago after my experience with psychiatric drugs and getting extremely ill from them, I knew I had to find other ways to overcome and manage the anxiety I felt. So I went down a rabbit hole learning about alternative modalities and NATURAL options to deal with it all.
Everyone’s body is different so the herbs that work for me may not work for you. Just breathe and take your time in experimenting with what herbs work best for you. After researching and trying different herbs and experimenting these are the winners. If you’ve tried herbal remedies before and they don’t do much for you, I highly recommend you go to this post on the complete tools that go beyond herbal remedies.
Remedies
I always heard about using lavender essential oils to help reduce anxiety. For me, applying lavender oil topically did nothing for me. My Naturopathic doctor recommended these lavender oil soft gels from Integrative Therapeutics. I was a bit surprised, I had no idea you could actually ingest lavender like that! Klonopin is no match for these soft gels, these truly relax me so much. I feel so much comfort once it dissolves and it relieves the anxiety like no other herb.
2. Ashwagandha
This is known as Indian ginseng, and it helps with energy and stress levels. Ashwagandha fortifies the adrenal system that is associated with anxiety. One study of 64 individuals observed a reduction in stress and a significant decrease in cortisol levels in individuals taking ashwagandha compared with placebo. When I take ashwagandha, I just feel soothed. At the same time, I feel like I have a mini boost of energy without feeling like I drank coffee.
Valerian root is known to be taken to aid with sleep. This herb is much too mild for me to have any effect on anxiety at all. However, just keep in mind that everyone’s body reacts differently. For me, Valerian root is the least effective yet it might be your favorite. It is supposed to work with your body to calm your mind, slow down your thoughts, and ease muscle tension.
I like to go to the Whole Foods Market if I’m in a pinch. I truly love Global Healing Center, I haven’t been disappointed with any product I ever tried from them. Thrive Market is also great because a lot of the products are cheaper than you’d find at Whole Foods. Always look for organic supplements that come from a trusted, high-quality source.
Sometimes when we are in a state of anxiety we tend to forget how to cope when our mind is racing, our chest is pounding, and our palms are sweaty. After years of struggling with anxiety, I’ve learned several holistic methods in helping with anxiety and I created with lots of love a special checklist of tools here for you. Just enter your email and I’ll send it right to you. You don’t need to print this out and you could just save it on your phone to pull up when you really need it.
Another guide that will be extremely helpful for you is the
alternative tools for anxiety.
Sending you lots of love -Cristine
