Anxiety is the persistent feeling of incessant worry, fear, or stress that can cause all sorts of psychological and physical problems. Everyone has felt some form anxiety at one time or another. Remedies for anxiety are prolific, and come in numerous forms. Like all things, different treatments affect individuals differently. So while essential oils, music, and lighting may be one person’s cure for anxiety, another may need to go the medicinal route.

Herbal Remedies

Herbal remedies have been used for thousands of years in treating all forms of psychological and physical symptoms related to anxiety. Some common herbs include: kava kava, chamomile, lavender, skullcap, lemon balm, avena sativa, motherwort, astragalus, wood betony, and passionflower.

Kava relieves pain, and relaxes the muscles associated with anxiety, making it an effective, soothing herb. Scullcap is a nervine that helps to replenish the nervous system. Avena sativa is derived from oats and helps reduce blood pressure, clearing mental tension. Lemon balm can elevate mood and relieves stomach pain. Passionflower is a nervine and particularly effective in treating insomnia associated with anxiety. Astragalus is an adaptogenic herb that strengthens the immune system, replenishes the adrenal glands, and is helpful in relieving mental and physical stress. Valerian is also a helpful herb for stress because it’s a strong sedative that can help insomniacs sleep. Most herbal-based formulas combine these herbs to enable users to relieve the physical and psychological symptoms of anxiety.

Prescriptive Treatments

The prescriptive route should always be treated with caution when dealing with anxiety. Most prescriptions are habit-forming and come with a slew of side-effects, many of which are worse than anxiety itself. But in cases of desperation, people have found relief using prescriptive remedies like Xanax and others similar to it. We would advise people only use prescriptions after trying the holistic methods first.

Seeking Help

Sometimes treating the symptoms of anxiety is overlooking the cause for anxiety. Anxiety occurs for all sorts of reasons; sometimes it’s a genetic condition that needs to be treated for symptoms. Other times it’s a result of trauma, high-stress, and particular events or triggers. If trauma is the cause of anxiety, then seeking help through counseling can be a great option to root out the problem, possibly eliminating it altogether.

Whatever option you choose—knowing that you have options is the most important thing. There is help out of a life filled with anxiety, and although you may not eliminate it altogether, learning to cope with anxiety and how to channel it can prevent all sorts of problems down the road.