# Natural Remedies for Anxiety?



## pretyhowtown (May 1, 2010)

snail said:


> Ah yes, I have a bottle of that. I sometimes put a few drops in a spritz bottle with some water, then spray it all over myself. (undiluted, it is too strong for me.) It works wonders for certain kinds of emotional tension, and it seems to aid in physical relaxation.


I'm glad it works for you! I was surprised to learn that massaging the third eye and back of neck apparently allows the lavender to cross the blood brain barrier. I previously thought it was only the scent of lavender that induced a calming effect. I need to do a bit more research, but I have found the massage method to be quite effective.

Whatever works, right?


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## snail (Oct 13, 2008)

pretyhowtown said:


> I'm glad it works for you! I was surprised to learn that massaging the third eye and back of neck apparently allows the lavender to cross the blood brain barrier. I previously thought it was only the scent of lavender that induced a calming effect. I need to do a bit more research, but I have found the massage method to be quite effective.
> 
> Whatever works, right?


I have never tried it that way. I don't understand, scientifically, why it would work, but I suppose it is worth testing out.


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## Dimensional Transition (Sep 12, 2011)

Chamomile tea seems to help a lot for me. I used to have panic attacks daily, and chamomile tea + do-it-yourself internet research about anxiety seem to have helped me to completely stop the depersonalization and constant anxiety.

Chamomile tea is a mild anxiolytic and sedative, and it eventually just grew out into a psychological thing for me. The warmth of the cup, the relaxing smell, it all instantly makes me feel a lot better now. But I'd say the biggest aid for me in stopping anxiety was more in myself. The best way to fix anxiety is to completely understand what causes it and how to battle it. What I found out is that the one thing you should do to battle it, is to not battle it. If you let it be, and decide for yourself that it's been enough and that you'll just accept it, it'll slowly fade. The earlier you are able to accept the shitty feelings, the quicker it fades.


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## Redwood (Apr 15, 2012)

snail said:


> Marijuana is the best remedy for anxiety (and it eliminates nightmares), but it is still illegal where I live.


Marijuana promotes alpha brain waves like little else, which is what gives that mellow mood vibe. There are other ways to get into this state that don't involve drugs, which I would recommend instead, since you are better off training your brain to be the way you want it without depending on external substances. Google "boost alpha brain waves" or something like that for ideas.



Chipps said:


> A big one for me, is sun light. I can think better if an apartment is dark and quiet, but I feel alive when the sunlight hits my skin through the window.
> 
> Another thing that gets me sometimes, is light. I prefer very soft lights and cant stand white light, fluorescent or overhead lights. It doesn't consciously annoy me, but I know my mood improves when I remove those forms of stimuli.


Sunlight is awesome, but through a window it's far less effective than directly on your skin. For one thing, you won't synthesize any vitamin D when the UV comes through glass. Gotta get it direct.

As for fluorescent lights, yeah, they're horrible. Really bad for moods and all kinds of things. Plus, they have mercury in them, so if you break one at home you can get affected by that, too. Mercury is really bad news and insidiously affects your moods and cognitive function slowly over time after your initial exposure, as your body converts it from a fairly benign form into a more toxic form before trying (only with partial success) to expel it.



nádej said:


> I didn't even think about the effects not eating enough could have on anxiety. I'm wondering if that played any role in my little anxiety overload last night; I hadn't eaten since early in the morning as I'd been busy and not terribly hungry. It might actually explain a lot as that's something I tend to do. I'll monitor it more closely - it's something I hadn't even considered!


Your brain pretty much runs on sugar and water, so a deficiency of either of those will not be great. When I say 'sugar', by the way, you're better off not having it from a refined source. Also, when your blood sugar drops, your body releases adrenaline to keep your energy up, which not only makes you more likely to feel anxious, but you will also crash later.


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## nádej (Feb 27, 2011)

As an update - I've been doing vitamin B and magnesium (this is day 3) and it has made a noticeable difference...there is still anxiety (obviously, as the stressors haven't gone away), but it seems less overwhelming and I've been able to keep perspective more. Previously it was like I'd lost all sense of perspective and everything seemed insurmountable, no matter how insignificant and fixable it was in reality.

My body is notorious for having weird levels of things it needs to function, so it makes sense that some insufficiencies might have been coming into play.



Thanks for all of your help.


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## snail (Oct 13, 2008)

Redwood said:


> Marijuana promotes alpha brain waves like little else, which is what gives that mellow mood vibe. There are other ways to get into this state that don't involve drugs, which I would recommend instead, since you are better off training your brain to be the way you want it without depending on external substances. Google "boost alpha brain waves" or something like that for ideas.


Thank you for the information. I intend to follow your advice, since I have never yet found anything other than marijuana that has been able to prevent nightmares effectively. If there is a better way, especially if that way is legal, discovering it could save me a lot of suffering. I am not allowed to use marijuana where I am currently living, out of respect for those whose home I share, and sleeping has been miserable for the last few years.


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## Redwood (Apr 15, 2012)

You're welcome. I suggest you try to find brain entrainment therapy or audio downloads for boosting alpha waves and go from there. Hopefully that will be a start.


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## strawberryLola (Sep 19, 2010)

If you're looking into holistic/natural alternatives- I suggest looking into amino acid supplements (natural brain chemicals such as 5-HTP as a precursor for serotonin) Or other alternatives such as:

L-theanine -another amino acid that works incredibly amazing for anxiety. It's extracted from green tea leaves and helps with concentration. I usually take it on an empty stomach.

Holy Basil helps with overall well-being. L-theanine + Holy basil as a combination feels great!

There are other remedies that may work such as GABA. It makes me more anxious. I already have really poor attention/concentration problems. GABA makes me overcompensate by feeling even more anxious. Great for bedtime when there's no need for focus.

Look into investing in one of Dr. Amen's books. He's a neuroscientist (kinda a douche) but his information on amino acid supplements are pretty useful otherwise.


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## Redwood (Apr 15, 2012)

strawberryLola said:


> Look into investing in one of Dr. Amen's books. He's a neuroscientist (kinda a douche) but his information on amino acid supplements are pretty useful otherwise.


A good author on aminos is Julia Ross.


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## dilletante (Apr 13, 2012)

Cognitive-behavioral therapy is a very effective treatment for anxiety. You basically train your mind and body to respond differently to what's causing the anxiety. 
Several people have mentioned meditation already, this is totally free and works. Also maybe some breathing exercises that can train you to control your breath and heart rate in stressful situations...and no caffeine!


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