Anxiety

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  • Grammyprepper
    Grammyprepper Posts: 168 ✭✭✭

    Lots of great ideas here! I find breathing exercises most helpful when in a 'panic' or 'anxiety' situation. Remember Lamaze classes, if you've had kids? When I was a practicing nurse, I used those breathing exercises to help patients thru all kinds of stuff...The best for me, and that I used to teach patients was breathing in slowly to a count of four, and then slowly breathing out to a count of four. Breathing through your nose, not your mouth. Simple, easy to remember, and useful in the midst of whatever...

  • sarah121
    sarah121 Posts: 129 ✭✭✭

    Skullcap is a great herb, although it is quite expensive. A good alternative is Valerian but not everyone can tolerate this (in some people - usually those with a lot of heat or high pitta, it can have the opposite effect.)

    I stumbled across this article about herbs which were used for anxiety during WWII. Its such an interesting article and might be helpful.

    https://theherbalacademy.com/sheltering-with-valerian/?ap_id=alchemilla

  • maimover
    maimover Posts: 359 ✭✭✭

    @RhondaBusby so many great suggestions already. I use chamomile, lemon balm, and lavender. I recently heard that simply running your hands through lemon balm and inhaling works rather quickly.

  • tomandcara
    tomandcara Posts: 712 ✭✭✭✭

    @RhondaBusby You have gotten many great ideas. One thing that hasn't been mentioned directly is the Ventral Vagus Nerve (VVN). I know it may sound intimidating but there is much research recently about the VVN (the Polyvagal Theory) and it's effect on our emotional state. Breathwork is one of the many tools used for stimulating VVN activity as is humming, singing, gargling, and a number if other activities you can do without needing anything other than yourself.

    The article https://ct.counseling.org/2016/06/polyvagal-theory-practice/ is good, if a little heady. A quote from the article says "he ventral vagal nerve allows activation in a nuanced way, thus offering a different quality than sympathetic activationVentral vagal release into activity takes milliseconds, whereas sympathetic activation takes seconds and involves various chemical reactions that are akin to losing the horse's reins"

    Hope this adds another tool to your toolbox for dealing with anxiety. Blessings to you as you move forward.

  • seeker.nancy - Central Texas
    seeker.nancy - Central Texas Posts: 795 ✭✭✭✭

    @sarah121 yes valerian is a great herb as well. I used it for years as a sleep aid, for which it was very effective. I've not used it in years recently however bringing this to mind is a good thing as skullcap is indeed a bit more pricey. I have some skullcap growing but only one plant and I need more than that to put in my herbal stash lol. I will have to see if valerian grows in clay, I should add that as well to my planted herbs. Great article on the valerian. So much of history is sadly forgotten therefore much is lost and must be relearned through experiences.

  • SherryA
    SherryA Posts: 314 ✭✭✭

    I've planted skullcap the last 2 years and it hasn't come back in the spring. It's part of the mint family and my local herbalist said it would definitely come back, and in fact might take over. Any ideas why my skullcap is not making it through the winter?

  • shllnzl
    shllnzl Posts: 1,820 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @figsagee Any tricks to getting skullcap seeds to sprout? I had my seeds refrigerated to chill them, but still waiting for them to sprout.

    My hyssop seeds are also uncooperative.

  • SuperC
    SuperC Posts: 952 ✭✭✭✭

    @RhondaBusby First, I try to figure out what the anxiety is its Inner Critic. An Inner Critic covers up core emotions, they are parts that try to protect us by shaping us. Inner Critics nag, criticize, and diminish our confidence and courage therefore, we have to reconnect with our core emotions in which the Inner Critics are distracting us from. There are seven basic Inner Critics.

    1. The Perfectionist. Our centered-self is confident enough to be vulnerable and self-compassionate enough to accept and appreciate yourself exactly as you are.
    2. The Inner Controller. He centered self has no need to control others and no need to stick to extremely strict rules of order and predictability.
    3. The Guilt-Tripper. It’s okay to mess up. The centered self has the confidence and courage to make mistakes and the self-compassion ti let these mistakes go as a learning process.
    4. The Taskmaster. The centered self is confident that we are worthy of love and respect just by existing; we don’t have to prove our worth. The centered self is calm and clear enough to know when to stop working, and practice self care.
    5. The Underminer. The centered self is connected enough to meet new people, courageous and creative enough to try new things, and confident enough to ask for what they want.
    6. The Conformist. The centered self is clear enough to see everyone as they are, not as they're supposed to be, and thus is courageous enough to stand out when necessary.
    7. The Destroyer. The centered self is courageous and confident. Find creative ways through and out of emotional pain and despair, self-compassionate and pursues self-care and relief.

    Secondly, after I’ve identified the Inner Critics (one or more), then I address one or each of them by journaling thoughts to decrease the anxiety (An inhibitory emotion) to become less stressed and worried. Fear is a response to danger yet anxiety is not a response to immediate danger.

    Lastly, I take a breath. I feel my body; the back of my head, let all of the little muscles around my eyes relax, feel my upper back, my chest. I allow my shoulders to drop, I feel my lower back, my arms, my elbows, my wrists and hands. I feel my hips, my pelvis, thighs, knees, calves, ankles and feet. I find my feet (being sturdy on the ground or legs stretched out on a bed). BFF.

  • csinclair461
    csinclair461 Posts: 159 ✭✭✭

    A couple other good herbs for anxiety (in our family) is Jasmine tea and california poppy. Jasmine also lifts the spirits, can help when sad, and/or when anxious.

  • SherryA
    SherryA Posts: 314 ✭✭✭

    I'm afraid I haven't had much luck with starting herbs from seed. Nature does better, as some hyssop plants do pop up in my garden each summer. I assume those come from seeds that drop rather than actually surviving the winter. So far I've bought skullcap plants each spring.

  • shllnzl
    shllnzl Posts: 1,820 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @figsagee I was afraid if I planted them outside from seed that the seedlings would be eaten by my wildlife. I will be tossing the dirt and all outside soon though, as I will have nothing to lose by doing so.

  • burekcrew86
    burekcrew86 Posts: 248 ✭✭✭

    Reading my Bible and praying help me tremendously. Getting out in nature also helps to ground me. Soaking in a hot bath with Epsom salts and lavender essential oils is a great relaxer and good source of magnesium. I also drink heart healthy herbal tea with linden, and hawthorn berries and leaves, etc.

  • Torey
    Torey Posts: 5,679 admin

    I can't speak to starting skullcap but my hyssop regularly has babies come up in the spring. So yes to tossing the seeds in the dirt. But they might need a cool period as my seeds would get a deep freeze every winter.

    Of course, just the act of getting some dirt under ones' fingernails while doing this planting seems to help with anxiety and/or depression.

  • seeker.nancy - Central Texas
    seeker.nancy - Central Texas Posts: 795 ✭✭✭✭

    I have always found that if I go too long without getting my hands in the dirt my mental health suffers; anxiety and downright waspishness become the norm lol. My family accepts that and knows that just the way it is.

  • SherryA
    SherryA Posts: 314 ✭✭✭

    I think my skullcap is coming back after all! It's not 100% confirmed yet to be skullcap but it looks like it. 🤞

  • LaurieLovesLearning
    LaurieLovesLearning Posts: 7,576 admin

    Well, obviously the medical community is still blind to the herbs that work for anxiety. I am glad that we don't have to rely on them for a good answer.


  • AngelaOston
    AngelaOston Posts: 249 ✭✭✭

    Mines not herbal: 3-5 grams of powdered inositol daily. Its a b vitamin and really calms down the nervous system. Lots of research about inositol and anxiety. ❤️🙏

  • Karon
    Karon Posts: 17 ✭✭✭

    Some people mistake the weird feelings of high blood pressure (BP) for anxiety so make sure you aren't overlooking what can be a serious physical medical condition. There are many non pharma options to help control BP as well as anxiety, some will overlap and treat both.

    I second/third the idea of using breathing exercises to help control anxiety and it also helps with BP. There are apps to help you try different breathing times like 7 seconds inhale, 5 second hold, 7 second exhale, 5 second hold, repeat for 3 or more minutes.

    Lastly, sit quietly and think about what is causing your anxiety at the moment. Many times we stress over things that if we sat and thought it through to a logical conclusion we find that the worst case scenario isn't near as bad as initially thought and/or that worst case is extremely unlikely. It also allows you to think of ways to mitigate the situation.

  • jowitt.europe
    jowitt.europe Posts: 1,465 admin

    @RhondaBusby you asked a good question! So many good suggestions.

    I could also add one. Sage incense. Take a leaf of sage, press it together and burn it. The smell should clean the anxiety, heavy thoughts, bad energy, clean the area. There are also many other herbs which one could add as lavender, rose petals, juniper. An easy way is to put herbs on a still hot charcoal and walk round, so that your home is cleaned of heavy energy.

    as @torey said, there are so many reasons for anxiety. It is important to know the reason and try to remove it.

  • stephanie447
    stephanie447 Posts: 404 ✭✭✭

    Gotu kola and ashwaganda really help me, along with mindful exercise (walking, yoga, qigong, swimming). If you aren't moving enough that can definitely contribute. In Ayurveda, anxiety is typically caused by Vata imbalance so a Vata-reducing diet can help.