Natural remedies for stress and anxiety

Vitamin D and St. John's Wart.

If it's seasonal, I would recommend a real SAD (seasonal affective disorder) light. It's a lamp that displays similar lumens as natural outdoor light that you sit in front of in the morning.

In all honestly therapy was the best treatment for me, and if your symptoms are this great, it would be worth finding a medical professional.

I refuse to take the pharmaceutical route for my anxiety the xanax makes you feel like a zombie. Move to Colorado n theres plenty of herbal stress relievers. helps with appetite too

Lavender. I have a mist to spray on my pillow, as well as oil on a cotton ball around the house & at work.

Dark chocolate. Just a little. Or hot cocoa.

Exercise.

Valerian is a natural calming & sleep-inducing herb; make tea & hold your nose.
Or it might be possible to make capsules, but I've never gone that route.

A hot bath by candlelight.

.

ASKyle wrote:

Vitamin D and St. John's Wart.
If it's seasonal, I would recommend a real SAD (seasonal affective disorder) light.

Those are all for depression, but s/he is asking about anxiety.

Lifestyle change and eliminating the source of stress are, of course, most ideal. I occasionally use an iOS app called Breathing. It sometimes helps, sometimes doesn't.

Have you tried any known adaptogens? I've found ashwagandha effective with more supporting scientific evidence than most other herbal supplements. There's a lot of info with links to studies on examine.com. I just started drinking Tulsi (holy basil) tea, but haven't really noticed a difference. It's commonly used in Ayuvedic medicine. Chamomile is great at night.

Only thing that hasn't been mentioned that has helped me is upping my magnesium supplement.

Natural Calm magnesium supplement, fish oil, and eating plenty of good, natural fats.

MBSR meditation helps too.

As for non prescription drugs, I don't know, except maybe Vitamin D. SAD/blue light and regular exercise works wonders for me. Other than that, I have to say that there's no shame in going on medication. It's changed my life.

You may also consider therapy. After I was involved in a fatal car crash last year, I went for EMDR therapy and it was incredibly effective for my anxiety and PTSD. Google it....it sounds strange and I was skeptical, but it worked.

Best of luck. Anxiety and depression suck.

Yes. Drop your kids off with a friend and go out shopping!

blankiefinder wrote: »

diannethegeek wrote: »

I take 5HTP along with talking therapy and just bought a SAD light. The same regulation problems that occur with weight loss supplements happen with mood supplements, so do your research and check with your doctor.

I take 5HTP in a blend with melatonin and L-theanine every night to help me sleep, and I always feel less anxious the next day when I'm taking it.

I take straight up 5HTP, no melatonin, and it helps me sleep, even when I've got a bad case of the 'what ifs' and am lying in bed feeling panicked.

I second magnesium. I take it externally via magnesium oil, it's like $10 for a bottle that lasts forever. It's great for sore muscles too.

I read that our bodies use up magnesium in many different ways, 300 different biochemical reactions to be exact. Good stress (exercise), bad stress (negative thoughts).... magnesium gets sucked up. And it's not in the soil our food is grown in the way it once was when our parents and grandparents were growing up.

However, for crippling anxiety you may want to seek professional help as supplements I believe are only a way to get through the day.

Walking, Journaling, meditation, talking with a therapist, music, yoga. I plan a vacation to relieve stress.

I am dealing with anxiety too, been dealing for the past year or so. I tried medication but it wouldn't work for me and I felt like I wasn't myself anymore so I stopped it. Try a therapy, find a good person psychologist and talk to them at least once a week. I know you may question it but trust me it is working better than anything it tried so far, I am finally almost living my life without thinking about everything too much. Any advice msg me on private and good luck!

exercise.

i have GAD (and have for over a decade, thank you dear EX) and exercise is pretty much the only (non narcotic) thing that helps. breathing techniques, centering, and finding other coping mechanisms also help....

5htp, or Valerian root are both life savers

For me, I find exercising in bright sunshine is great for relieving stress. I've also started to increase my vitamin D intake, although I haven't been doing it long enough so I can't say how effective it has been.