Many people experience emotional discomfort or a feeling of being powerless in face of certain circumstances. Some people can cope better than others as they consider difficulties to be a component part of life. For others the daily struggle may have a debilitating effect. They develop irrational fears and anxiety.
Each of us can get affected, but sometimes we manage to find a solution or receive help from others and everything returns to a more or less perfect order. We are either mobilized to action or completely "paralyzed" by the situation and our emotional response to it.
Some of us are naturally better at solving problems than others. Some people are simply unable to cope alone and need help. They seem to have a perfect memory of the difficulties experienced before and begin to worry that the same situation will occur again. They begin to worry that they will not be prepared or able to deal with it. They expect the signs of the coming demise to show up in every new situation and develop anxiety. With time they become anxious that they will not be able to cope with almost anything and spent a lot of their mental and emotional resources trying to "prevent" situations that may never occur. And although some fears may be justified, others are "irrational". The feeling of inadequacy is debilitating and makes a simple day to day existence very challenging. The fear of failure and anxiety not only make our existence painful, but they also prevent us from personal growth.
Some of us are naturally better at solving problems than others. Some people are simply unable to cope alone and need help. They seem to have a perfect memory of the difficulties experienced before and begin to worry that the same situation will occur again. They begin to worry that they will not be prepared or able to deal with it. They expect the signs of the coming demise to show up in every new situation and develop anxiety. With time they become anxious that they will not be able to cope with almost anything and spent a lot of their mental and emotional resources trying to "prevent" situations that may never occur. And although some fears may be justified, others are "irrational". The feeling of inadequacy is debilitating and makes a simple day to day existence very challenging. The fear of failure and anxiety not only make our existence painful, but they also prevent us from personal growth.
There are many ways to deal with chronic anxiety. Meditation, prayer, yoga, psychotherapy, autogenic training, and medication are the strategies that work to different degrees in different people. Anti-anxiety medication is a very popular quick fix to the problem, but many people are reluctant to take drugs. They are looking for natural solution instead. Once again Nature provides us with time-tested remedies.
Herbs such as
- kava kava
- valerian root
- passion flower
- St. John's Worth
- tulsi (holy basil)
- red ginseng
- rhodiola
- catnip
- ashwagandha
- lemon balm
- lemongrass
- German chamomile
- lavender
are very effective and work for most people.
They provide calm, but do not cause lethargy. Some of them can be used in aromatherapy while others can be taken in form of capsules, tinctures, or drank as tea. Unlike capsules, a warm herbal infusions can add a feeling of comfort on a bad day.
Since most herbs are rather bitter, you may have to add some honey, stevia, or maple syrup to your infusion. Do not, however, get tempted to save calories and sweeten your infusion with artificial sweeteners. Artificial sweeteners are well known for their adverse activity in the brain. They disrupt the flow and synthesis of neurotransmitters in the brain thus further contributing to emotional imbalance.
Anxiety has a debilitating effect on relationships as well and should be addressed as early as possible. No one likes to be around gloomy or anxious people and the anxious person may end up alone and lonely with his or her vision of doom.
Herbs are wonderful and very effective, but it may time to improve one's delicate chemistry. Very often behavioral therapy is needed. A certified therapist with a holistic approach may be exactly what a person suffering from chronic anxiety requires.
By Dominique Allmon
Dominique Allmon©2022
*This information is for educational purposes only and is not meant to diagnose or cure a disease. Please consult a certified physician before ingesting any herbs as they may interfere with your medication.
