Herbal Remedies for Anxiety Disorder
May 16, 2008

You can find a natural remedy for anxiety, which is an alternative to other anti-anxiety medication.

While there are several drugs on the market for treating anxiety, Herbal Remedies for Anxiety are becoming more and more popular for people with non-debilitating anxiety issues. Walking down the health food aisle of your local grocery store, you may find yourself bombarded with various Herbal Remedies for Anxiety that have bright-colored boxes and very little explanation, but high prices. For those whose anxiety does not strongly negatively affect their quality of life, these herbal remedies can be very helpful, provided you know a little bit about them.

St. John’s Wort

Hypericum perforatum is called Klamath Weed or Goat Weed, but is more commonly called Common St. John’s Wort. Often, anything in the species of the genus Hypericum is referred to as St. John’s Wort, but only Hypericum perforatum is true, or Common, St. John’s Wort. It is well known, and has been used since the ancient Greeks as one of the Herbal Remedies for Anxiety.

Various studies have indicated that St. John’s Wort is as effective for mild to moderate depression as conventional anti-depressants, without any of the negative effects that conventional drugs have as potentials. St. John’s Wort has been proven to be more effective than placebos in more than 27 studies that have been combined into a Cochrane Review. While the exact method that St. John’s Wort operates is, like with conventional medicines, not known, it is believed that it inhibits the reuptake of serotonin.

There are very few common side effects to St. John’s wort; for the most part, the side effects are similar to when someone takes a placebo. The most common side-effects are stomach problems dizziness, confusion, and a feeling of sedation. It is also an abortifacient (drug that can lead to miscarriage in pregnant women), and should be avoided by pregnant women.

St John's wort is also known to cause photosensitivity. This can lead to visual sensitivity to light and to sunburns in situations that would not normally cause them, but the incidence is reported to be rare. (Ernst et al., 1998).

According to the British Herbal Medicine Association (BHMA) in 1983, the dosage for various forms of St. John's wort are:

Dried herb: 2-4 g or by infusion three times daily
Liquid extracts 2-4 mL (1:1 in 25% alcohol) three times daily
Tincture 2-4mL (1:10 in 45% alcohol) three times daily

Kava Kava

Kava Kava is another one of the more well-known Herbal Remedies for Anxiety. The scientific name for Kava is Piper methysticum. It’s also known as ‘ava (in Samoa) ‘awa (in Hawaii), and yaqona (in Fiji). It tastes slightly pepper, and is related to common pepper, with similar physical attributes.

Like most Herbal Remedies for Anxiety, Kava is not addictive and is mostly considered safe. It is usually prepared in an herbal tea, though it can also be taken in pill form, and is sometimes prepared with coffee to make kavajava, which is said to combine the best elements of both kava tea and coffee. Kava generally numbs the tongue and lips slightly, and then the person who took the Kava generally becomes mildly talkative. There is usually a sensation of euphoric behavior; calming, sharper thinking and a sense of well-being. Sleep is usually restful, and there are no side effects.

Recently, however, there have been some questions about the safety of Kava. There have been some anecdotal reports of severe liver toxicity, causing some countries in Europe to outlaw Kava completely. However, research suggests that those who experienced liver complications were generally taking alcohol or other drugs concomitantly.

Dangers

The greatest danger of most Herbal Remedies for Anxiety is that they are not clearly labeled with contraindications and reasons. For example, a lot of herbal medicines have a message on the box indicating that pregnant women should not take them; what isn’t mentioned is that the reason pregnant women should avoid these medications is they are abortifacients. Pregnant women who take them run the risk of having miscarriages.

Overview

Herbal Remedies for Anxiety are generally effective for those with mild to moderate forms of anxiety or depression. There are many other types of Herbal Remedies, beyond St. Johns Wort and Kava Kava. Anyone who is experiencing debilitating symptoms, or who does not notice improvement when taking over-the-counter medicines, should consult with a qualified mental health professional for consultation, examination, diagnosis, and treatment.

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