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How to Use Herbal Remedies for Anxiety

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Written by Lisa Barger   

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Introduction to Herbal Remedies for Anxiety: Everyone worries sometimes but if the worry and anxiety you feel are preventing you from living the life you want, you may have a medical condition known as generalized anxiety disorder, or GAD. While only your doctor can give you medical advice, here are a few techniques, using scientifically proven herbal remedies for anxiety, to bring up during your next doctor's visit.

Step 1: Ask your doctor if St. John's wort is safe and effective for you. St. John's wort, or Hypericum perforatum, is a small annual herb rich in a group of chemicals known as hypericins. Some studies have found standardized extracts of St. John's wort that contain p to 1.0 mg of hypericins as effective as pharmaceutical anti-depressants at treating mild depression and some forms of anxiety.

Step 2: Diffuse lemon essential oil during stressful times. A 2006 study published in the journal Behavioural Brain Research found that the scent of pure lemon oil directly affected the hippocampus of the brain and produced measurable anti-anxiety effects in mice. This study supports the folk reputation of lemon and other citrus scents to improve mood and ease stress.

Step 3: Take a valerian bath in the evenings. Steep 100 grams (3.5 ounces) of cut valerian root, or Valerian officinalis, for 10 minutes in a covered container then pour the "tea" into your bathwater. The naturally occurring essential oils, combined with the warm bath water, will have a mild sedative effect that may help your muscles relax in the evenings.

Step: 4: Drink a cup of lemon balm tea in the evenings. Lemon balm, or Melissa officinalis, contains chemical components long used to promote better sleep. To make lemon balm tea, steep 2 to 4 teaspoons of the cut dried leaf for at least 5 minutes. Strain and let cool.

Tip 1: Herbal remedies for anxiety can vary widely in their quality and price. To make sure you're getting your money's worth, look for supplements that list both the common and botanical names of the source herb. Stay with name brands and, when available, choose standardized extracts instead of cut herbs.

Tip 2: Dosage information for this article came from Max Wichtl's Herbal Drugs and Phytopharmaceuticals and are based on Commission E guidelines. These are for informational purposes and are not intended as medical advice.

Warnings: Every herb, no matter how "natural", has at least some potential for side effects and the most commonly used herbal remedies for anxiety are no exception. Before using these or any other self-treatment regimen consult the only person qualified to give you medical advice--your own doctor.

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