Herbs for Anxiety
This topic is very near and dear to my heart. Anxiety is what started me on my wellness journey. Almost 20 years ago I was diagnosed with anxiety. At first, I denied it. I was taught that anxiety was for weak and crazy people. I didn’t feel weak or crazy. I just felt like I was losing control of just about everything. I finally admitted that I had anxiety, which made things better, but not perfect.
For years I struggled with mild to moderate anxiety. Until about 8years ago. I went through a very stressful time. In my opinion, my body wasn’t strong enough to handle this stress and I didn’t have the right tools. My anxiety when out of control, it became chronic and severe. I struggled to do everyday things. Driving became terrifying for me, something I once loved to do. Being in large groups became very overwhelming…and to be honest, is still a little to this day. It got so bad, that I almost got to the point where I couldn't leave the house.
I turned to western medicine and it made everything 10 times worst. Ugh! I felt stuck. I didn’t know what to do. I knew I had to do something though because I wasn’t able to be the wife and mom I needed to be. I decided to try a holistic lifestyle. I thought it was going to help with other things, but not anxiety. I mean how could it help with anxiety if anxiety was all in my head right? I was shocked though that turning to a holistic lifestyle did help my anxiety…drastically.
What is Anxiety?
Some people think anxiety is just nervousness and being worrisome, and maybe that is the definition of mild anxiety. However moderate to severe (chronic) anxiety is so much more.
Symptoms can include the following:
Nervousness
Shortness of breath
Brain fog
Lightheadedness/dizziness
Irrational thoughts
Muscle Tension in the chest, back, shoulders, and neck
Tingling in the head and crown of the head
Racing heart and palpitations
Hyper awareness
Headaches
Panic attack
Sweating
Dryness of mouth
Digestive struggle
More than 20 million Americans suffer from some form of anxiety. In my opinion from all the research I have done, anxiety is caused by many factors…a combination of struggles. So that being said, not one thing is going to “cure” anxiety. It’s going to take a combination of things. Some people experience anxiety from trauma and other people experience anxiety from a biochemical struggle. Most people probably have both trauma and biochemical factors contributing to their anxiety.
Some anxiety can be caused by a trigger and others can just come out of the blue.
There are so many different types of anxiety, for example, panic attacks, social anxiety, general anxiety, phobias, PTSD, and OCD.
If you are struggling with anxiety, you should not be ashamed of it. You are not weak. Being ashamed of anxiety is like being ashamed of having a broken leg. People who say anxiety is all in the head are people who are uneducated in the subject. You are definitely not alone. When I started telling people that I had anxiety, some of the people I viewed as confident and fearless reached out to me and told me they experienced anxiety as well. So please be kind to yourself.
Nervine Herbs
Nervine herbs are herbs that benefit the nervous system in some way. Your nervous system is made up of your brain, nerves, and spinal cord. People who suffer from anxiety tend to live in a ‘fight or flight’...or ‘survival’ mode…even when there is no threat... Nervine herbs can help with this. When your nervous system is happy, strong, and healthy, this should put your mental health in a good place.
Here is a list of my favorite nervines for anxiety:
Oats straw and milky tops are very supportive of the nervous system. They help to strengthen, tone, and restore tissue in the nervous system. Milky oats are best to take when you feel like your nervous system might be burned out, when you are overstimulated, stressed, anxious, overwhelmed, having a hard time focusing, and having a hard time relaxing.
St. John’s Wort is mostly thought of to be an antidepressant herb, but I had to add to it with anxiety because just like oats it can strengthen, tone, and restore tissue in the nervous system. St John wort is beneficial to those suffering from anxiety, depression, and pain…especially nerve pain. This herb shouldn’t be taken if you are on antidepressants though.
Chamomile is probably one of the most used herbs when it comes to anxiety. This is such a safe and gentle herb. It helps with anxiety and agitation. This is a herb that can be given to children without worry. Chamomile is also good for the digestive system, so I like to suggest this herb to people who are suffering from both anxiety and digestive struggles.
Lemon Balm is similar to chamomile with its medicinal properties. It is safe, gentle and perfect for both adults and children. It is also great for anxiety and the digestive system. This herb will uplift you when you are in a bad mood. Help you focus when you are feeling scatterbrained, and all around relax you without making you tired.
Linden has properties that are supportive of both the nervous system and cardiovascular system. This herb is nicknamed the “tea of happiness”. Linden has a calming effect on the heart and relaxes tension. Linden is also safe and gentle. Children over the age of two years old can use this herb safely.
Motherwort helps the nervous system, cardiovascular system, and reproductive system. This is a great herb to use when your anxiety is caused by hormonal struggles like menopause or PMS. This herb also helps with heart palpitations. If you are feeling overwhelmed, overworked, and underappreciated, motherwort is the herb you should be looking for. Works best when fresh and shouldn’t be used during pregnancy.
Wood Betony helps to tone and strengthen the nervous system. This is a great herb to have on hand if you are holding a lot of muscle tension due to anxiety. This includes muscle tension in the back, shoulders, neck, and tension headaches. Shouldn’t be used during pregnancy.
Skullcap helps to tone, strengthen, and restore tissue in the nervous system. This is a perfect herb for people who have very busy minds and need to calm their minds down. Skullcap helps people who are mentally exhausted. This herb can also help with anxiety caused by PMS. Skullcap is a very safe herb and can be given to children, however for some people it can have a sedative effect.
Passionflower has very similar properties to Skullcap and they are often paired together. Passionflower is great for people who experience anxiety, agitation, and have a short fuse. This herb helps to calm and diffuse the fight mode in anxiety. Like Skullcap it is a very safe herb, but in some people, it might have a sedative effect. For some people, it is great for depression, for other people it can put them in a deeper depressive funk. So be cautious.
Other nervines: lavender, mimosa, kava, Bacopa, Gotu kola, hops, and blue vervain.
Adaptogens
Before I can get into what adaptogens are, let's talk about what adrenal glands are. Sitting on top of each of your kidneys are glands called adrenal glands. These glands produce hormones. The two that we are going to talk about in this book are cortisol and adrenaline. When you are anxious and stressed your adrenals are pumping out cortisol. When you are really anxious, like going into panic mode your adrenals are pumping out adrenaline. This is great for when an emergency is happening, but not so great for everyday life. This causes the adrenal glands to become tired.
There is a class of herbs called adaptogens that help to strengthen and tone the adrenal glands. Which helps the body to cope and manage stress better. Most of the herbs I will be mentioning in this section are Auyvedic, which is old medicine from India. However, they are becoming quite popular in today's western herbalism.
Ashwagandha is probably the most popular adaptogen today. I know the word can be Intimidating. However, it is quite easy and I think it's fun to say once you get it. So this is how you pronounce ashwagandha: Ash - wa - gone - da. This herb supports the nervous system, adrenal gland, and thyroid. For me, and I have heard a few other people say this, it gives me energy, but in a calm way. Maybe the best way to describe it is to energize the body but calms the mind. No jitters.
Holy Basil, is not to be mistaken for the culinary herb basil. This is an entirely different herb with a very different taste….a distinctive taste. Very pungent and the best way I can explain it is it reminds me of Autumn. Holy Basil balances cortisol and stabilizes blood sugar. This herb helps support the heart during stress and is good to have on hand while you are grieving. It has the same effect as Ashwagandha for having both a calming and energizing effect. This herb is also very supportive of the immune system.
Licorice Root is not to be mistaken with licorice candy, which has a very different taste. Licorice root is VERY sweet. So sweet I like to pair it with something a little earthy. This herb has so many benefits. It supports the digestive system, urinary system, and respiratory system. Has anti-inflammatory properties. Licorice root also helps to strengthen, tone, and balance the adrenal glands. As amazing as this herb is, it shouldn’t be taken long-term because it can lower potassium in the body. So a few days on and a few days off would be perfect.
Reishi is a mushroom that is like licorice root and has many benefits. This mushroom has relaxing properties and helps muscle tension. It can help with chronic fatigue and lower stress.
Schizandra is an adaptogen that balances both the nervous system and the adrenal glands. Just like Ashwagandha and Holy Basil, Schizandra has both a calming and energizing effect. This herb…berry also has all “5 flavors” which are sweet, salty, bitter, sour, and pungent.
There are many other adaptogens, but in my opinion, these are the best to focus on when it comes to anxiety.
Disclaimer, this is for educational purposes only. I am not a doctor or a professional healthcare provider. I highly encourage you to do your own research.
References:
Petersen, D. (2015). HERB 201: Herbal Studies.Portland, OR: American College of Healthcare Sciences.
Groves Maria Noël. (2016). In Body into balance: An herbal guide to holistic self-care. essay, Storey Publishing.
