Natural Anxiety Relief Remedies: An Overview

Effective therapies for anxiety disorders are available, and research is uncovering new treatments that can help most people with anxiety disorders lead productive, fulfilling lives. If you think you have an anxiety disorder, you should seek information and treatment right away from a traditional mental health specialist. However, there is traditional medicine and natural anxiety relief - that is both healing and supportive.

Everyone has anxiety in the normal course of life - when anticipating a stressful situation, for example. When the stressful event is over, anxiousness disappears. However, there are also mental health disorders that call people to be filled with fear and uncertainty - which last six months or more - according to the National Institute of Mental Health. These can last six months or more, and can get worse if not treated. They affect about 40 million Americans - aged 18 years and older (about 18% of all Americans). There are therapies that can effectively treat Anxiety Disorders (Panic Disorder, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, Social Phobia [Social Anxiety Disorder}], and Generalized Anxiety Disorder. When a person is diagnosed with Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD), it is because they spend their days filled with tension and worry about everyday issues - and exaggerate the problems. They stress out about health, money, future possibilities, etc. As a result, they may have trouble sleeping - and eventually develop one or more of a number of symptoms such as fatigue, headaches,muscle tension,muscle aches, difficulty swallowing, trembling, twitching, irritability, sweating, nausea, lightheadedness, having to go to the bathroom frequently, feeling out of breath, and hot flashes.

GAD affects about 6.8 million Americans - and twice as many women than men. Although it can affect people at any age, it usually occurs between childhood and middle-age. Genes can also play a small part in the causation. Treatment by professionals usually involves prescription medication (anti-anxiety, antidepressants, and beta-blockers) and cognitive-behavioral therapy. In addition, other anxiety disorders often are coupled with this condition, along with alcohol (and/or other substance abuse), and depression. However, medication particularly is not curative - but a symptom reliever. It is not like natural anxiety relief - which, along with other modalities be curative. This is why other therapy is so important. And, since prescriptions have side effects, trying natural remedies may be a better choice for you.

There are many natural anxiety relief remedies - some of which will be listed below. They are very popular - and the reason for it is, of course that many, many people have found that they work!

Green Tea: L-Theanine is the substance in green tea that provides anxiety relief. It seems to play a part in the formation of the inhibitory neurotransmitter Gamma Amino Butyric Acid (GABA). GABA blocks the release of the neurotransmitters dopamine and serotonin, causing a relaxing effect on the body. Often tea drinkers report a feeling of calmness after ingesting a cup or two.

Acupuncture : Chinese Acupuncture views an anxiety disorder as being due to a dysfunction of the body's organs (ex: spleen, kidney, liver). Traditional Chinese medicine believes that health is dependent on Qi - which. when in good health, moves in a smooth and balanced way through a chain of fourteen main channels (meridians). By inserting needles into the points which belong to different meridians, we stimulate body's energy (Qi) to start the healing process and assist it to restore its natural balance. Patients are also encouraged to make changes in their lifestyles to help balance their mind; to help circulate their own energy and study a form of meditation to learn how to control and relax mind. Activities such as Tai Chi, Yoga are excellent forms of mind-body exercise that can improve the ability to control both anxiety and depression. Practicing these arts in conjunction with regular acupuncture treatments will provide the foundation for a positive change and medication free in an anxiety patient's life.

Yoga, Tai Chi: Individuals are guided to open their energy blockage through stretching, energy training and breathing. Combined with energy healing and acupressure sessions, these blockages will open and one could restore natural energy balance to achieve physical and mental health - and natural anxiety relief.

Aromatherapy (based on traditional uses and anecdotal information, and not on scientific studies):

1. Scents of vanilla, orange blossom, rose, chamomile and lavender (and other floral fragrances) have a noticeable calming effect on the way you feel.


2. Scents of lavender, sandalwood and nutmeg help you shrug off the ill-effects of stress.


3. Bergamot (Citrus aurantium): helps with anger, anxiety, frustration, sadness


4. Cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum): is a balm for apathy, emotional exhaustion, and emotional tension


5. Cedarwood, Atlas (Cedrus atlantica): It relieves symptoms of anxiety, anger, fear, and worry


6. Chamomile, German (Matricaria recutica): It helps to treat frustration, emotional over-stimulation, stress, moody tendencies, and bitterness


7. Chamomile, Roman (Chamaemelum nobile): It helps to calm anger, grief, irritability, emotional over-stimulation, sadness, stress, and worry


8. Clary Sage (Salvia sclarea): It is a treatment for fear, sadness, and worry and is a sedative and tonic.


9. Frankincense (Boswellia carteri): It is useful in the treatment for emotional exhaustion, grief, and stress


10. Geranium (Pelargonium graveolens): It assists in the resolution of anger, anxiety, moody tendencies, sadness, and stress


11. Grapefruit (Citrus paradisi): It is a balm for anxiety, emotional exhaustion, frustration, and sadness


12. Helichrysum (Helichrysum agustifolium): It helps to calm emotional over-stimulation, grief, sadness, and stress


13. Jasmine (Jasminum officinale): It helps to resolve anxiety, guilt, listlessness, sadness, and stress


14. Neroli (Citrus aurantium bigaradia): It relieves anxiety, emotional over-stimulation, grief, impatience, sadness, and stress


15. Lavender (Lavendula augustifolia): is probably the most useful of them all for relaxation. It is a sedative and a tonic. It relieves anxiety, irritability, sadness, stress, and worry. It also helps you to relax, at the same time; it also eases aches and pains, such as headache. Sprinkle four drops on a tissue and inhale deeply for sudden stress. Our ancestors carried with them handkerchiefs perfumed with lavender water or rose water.


16. Patchouli oil (Pogostemon cablin) helps to eliminate anxiety and lifts the mood (it is also said to be an aphrodisiac.).


17. Peppermint (Mentha piperita): It helps to relieved anxiety, sadness, stress Rose (Rosa damascena): It has a relieving effect on anger, bitterness, emotional exhaustion, grief, jealousy, sadness Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis): It helps with emotional over-stimulation, stress Sandalwood (Santalum album): It helps to calm anxiety, irritability, sadness, stress Spikenard (Nardostachys jatamansi): It is useful with conditions of anxiety, emotional over-stimulation, stress


18. Ylang-ylang is a euphoric, regulator, sedative, and tonic. Use it in moderation. It can cause headaches in some people. It helps to calm anxiety, emotional exhaustion, frustration, guilt, impatience, sadness, stress The most effective methods for using essential oils to help calm the mind and relax the body include massage, baths, and vaporization. You can use them singly or in combination.

Breathing Techniques: (such as diaphragmatic /abdominal breathing, conscious breathing, and standing exercise, and alternate nostril breathing technique)

Meditation and Relaxation

Herbal Remedies (not based on scientific, but anecdotal and common use):

1. Catnip Tea has soothing effect, relieves anxiety.


2. Fennel Tea relieves gastrointestinal upset.


3. Kava Tincture or capsules help minimize anxiousness. Hops Relaxing effect on nervous system.


4. Motherwort Tincture helps stabilize emotions, has calming effect.


5. Passion Flower: Used in tea or as tincture to promote relaxation and calm.


6. Skullcap Tincture or capsules help relax and nourish nervous system and induce sleep.


7. St. John's Wort tincture helps restore emotional stability and ease depression.


8. Valerian Tincture or capsules aid sleep.

Acupressure: During an acupressure session, the therapist will find out if there is any blockage of energy in the body. These blockages are usually caused by emotion, bad postures or other toxins generated by the body. For example, a lot of people complain about inflexibility on hamstring or calves area. In a lot of cases, their urinary and kidney meridian or energy channels are blocked.

The above are natural - nonprescription remedies that provide you with natural anxiety relief and may help you in relieving your general anxiety problems. Certainly, it is a great way to go that is non-toxic and healing to your body! These methods relieve stress and help to keep you focused and happy. May you find healing and an anxiety-free life!