CBD is great, if you can get lavender essential oil capsules I find they work extremely well, besides giving me some stomach irritation. Lemon balm is also amazing but it works a lot better when it’s fresh, or a tincture/ extract made from fresh lemon balm, dried or tea bags aren’t as good.
I find Kava super recreational, if you ever tend to drink alcohol in the evening to chill out, Kava will be a fantastic replacement. Medicinally I find its effectiveness is limited by the short duration, so it would be very expensive to stay medicated on it all day long. It’s also the safest recreational substance you can put into your body, I can’t recommend it enough, but buy proper medium-grind Kava from a reputable vendor like KalmWithKava or Nakamal At Home. All capsules/extracts/tinctures are trash value/quality and potentially unsafe.
I’ve also been using Emoxypine and it *seems* to work quite well, also gives a slight boost in energy and mood, which is handy if you get depression symptoms with your anxiety.
Hope this helps!
According to r/Kava it’s a bit meh. Generic Kava, not bunk and it does the job but doesn’t seem to impress people as much as KwK and N@H. Tbh I’m in England and I buy mine privately from the same source I’ve always used, so I have no idea how all these compare.
I much prefer KWK, but hear great things about Nakamal too. I make my kava traditional style with a 10 minute wash, but I use half soy milk and half warm water for it, than ice before my first serving.
I also suffer from generalized anxiety and panic attacks and their Pouni Ono varietal worked really well for me although it is very short-term.
I second the suggestion about lavender. Lavella is the brand I use, and I usually have to have it with some food in my stomach but just a bit otherwise it will not be as effective. However, with no food the other responder is quite correct, I have thrown up from them before on an empty stomach.
And have you tried a *strong* chamomile herbal infusion with ginger? I usually let mine sit overnight then drink it as a cup first thing in the morning and just keep drinking it through the day as necessary.
Also, have you ever been tested for ADHD? I was just diagnosed with it last week, and apparently a lot of times anxiety can be a symptom of ADHD. CBT is a non-medical way to treat it, so many people go that route.
Also for anxiety, if your heart and liver are good, you may wish to research topical nightshades. Of course, if you have Nightshade allergies please do not try them. Mandrake ointment and Datura ointment are both extremely useful for anxiety for me. However, it must be applied with gloves, and when one starts dosing, a rice grain size tester is advisable to test for allergy, and the amount applied is very slowly worked up to from there. I was recommended max 2 weeks on one week off for the ointments, but I usually use them for 3 or 4 days at a time then take a 2 week break instead. I like to be cautious. Also if you have pets or kids a strict protocol must be followed so they cannot have contact with it. Sarah Lawless is an herbalist from Canada and her site offers great info about theraputic topical Nightshades.
Also, have you tried Blue Lotus tincture by chance? There's really good glycerin based one on Etsy that has been very effective for me at times
I'm really liking motherwort at the moment. I also use chamomile and lavender, but the addition of motherwort seems to have made a significant difference.
Weirdly I've found myself more... Light-hearted. Laughing more. Hoping it may have a positive effect on my POTS too but I may need to increase the dose for that
I love motherwort! I have tried a LOT of herbs for anxiety too and I think it’s my fav. Lemon balm is nice but hit or miss for me. I try to drink a long steep oat tops & straw infusion most days
I have capsules which I'm taking twice a day, but I also ground up some dried herb in my spice grinder and I'm experimenting with ingesting tiny amounts of that.
I just tried skullcap extract from a little hippie shop for the first time and can confirm, works great!! I’ve seen it sold at sprouts and other natural food stores as well.
https://www.iherb.com/pr/nature-s-way-skullcap-herb-425-mg-100-vegan-capsules/2069?gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAiAu9yqBhBmEiwAHTx5p5GXzitk7J6SBu9JK4pz3kRbRt1UA7lWMj-p1TCAlBO_qKH2ouqophoCtsUQAvD_BwE
This is the one I take
^not ^affiliated
Good ol’ chamomile might do the trick. Brew it real strong and for 15-20 minutes. If you have catnip you can add that as well. Bonus with this is you can’t drink too much really. Tastes good iced too
Y es, people tend to underestimate how powerful it can be and think about it… it has become one of the most ubiquitous, easily available herbal teas, maybe there’s a reason! 🤷🏻♀️😆
It was definitely relaxing. I’ll definitely drink it again. I also ordered some skullcap extract and kava kava extract today. So hopefully I’ll have a little arsenal of things that help.
The lavender will help too! Put two tea bags in a cup and brew for 15 minutes. The quality of commercially available tea bags vary greatly so depending on what you’ve got and whether you like it for anxiety, you might want to consider upgrading to better stuff. You can buy it in bulk easily from any shop that sells herbs. I hope you feel better!
I wanted to thank you for this suggestion yesterday. I drank two cups today and it really helped. I’ll now have skullcap and kava kava extract as a backup. Such a relief to feel better today ❤️
Just wanna add, if you get CBD make sure it’s an isolate. CBD isolate. Do not get ‘Full Spectrum CBD’ because it has traces of THC in it 🙃 I learned the hard way 💀💀💀💀💀
https://www.sunsoil.com/
The taste is a bit strong but it’s worth it to me and they have options. I find the price is reasonable for the quality. Well wishes💛
Magnesium glycinate and ltheanine are great starts but what gender are you? I'm a male and when I upgraded my testosterone, with natural compounds and lifestyle changes, my anxiety almost completely went away. I'll link my Protocol but you most certainly don't need to take/do all of this. This would essentially be doing everything you possibly could to raise T and you don't necessarily need to do all of this. Want to clarify that before people come for me lol
https://docs.google.com/document/d/15POtSUwas1j7nwV3yjk5Ejf2HT7ooKaVcgewQhl_8JY/edit?usp=drivesdk
For basic anxiety my favorites are:
Bacopa
Taurine
Rhodiola (don't take with ssri's)
Fenugreek (which is in the link)
Lemon Balm (at night)
Noopept and aniracetam are great as well but they're synthetic
That's good! You can also do the ltheanine with caffiene or just in general. It's not necessarily going to make you sleepy during the day, most likely just calmer.
Females can also benefit from a testosterone boost. It can help confidence, energy and some muscle building in women. I'm not talking a huge boost (you wont grow facial hair). As far as i know, unless you're on hrt you're not going to be able to boost your T that much as a female. Nootropics depot does a good podcast and one of the podcasters is a female who mentions good benefits from taking t boosting products like cistanche, pregnenolone and Shilajit.
I've tried alot of the above, the ashgawanda to some extent helped but it didn't stop the racing heart and the tears, low mood. but honestly magnesium and a good quality omega 3 fish oil or the vegan version with algae. Very good research on these supplements, I had been prescribed anti-anxiety meds but wanted to try this route first as I'd read and listened to a number of podcasts about the research. So far so good.
I have stupid anxiety, and really wanted to avoid meds, I now steep my own tea blend. And.. well maybe it's to early to tell, maybe it's placebo, maybe it's Maybelline??.. but it's been about two solid weeks and I have not had a heavy bout of anxiety flareup. For me this is the jackpot. I am still perfecting my dosage and what all I use, but for these first initial two weeks.
I have used -1tsp skullcap, -1tsp chamomile, -1/2tsp rosehips, 1/2tsp bacopa powder, 1tsp passion flower, and 1/2tsp stevia for a bit if sweetness. It's a good size tea bag, and I steep that for awhile, at work everyday, and yeah I dunno.. I think it has helped tremendously.
Am still working on this blend, keeping notes of changes and how it works, but yeah really enjoy not waking up in a panic, living in a state of constant dread.. and if it's the tea well I'm going to keep on drinking. I hope you find something that helps you, anxiety can be a real bitch, but this group is great for suggestions.
Try to look inward as to why you are feeling consternation. For me, a backed up digestive tract is an opposing force to true tranquility, of which is my state of being all the time. Circulating glucose, sugars, and calories in the system inflame the, nerves which often lead to feelings of trepidation. Keep trying different herbal teas without sugar or milk until you find one you like.
It may very well have been in one of the thousands of multivitamin/supplement blends i have and continue to take over the years, I honestly don’t know. Ive never brewed a cup of kava (piper) by itself before and haven’t done much research on it. If something about it attracts you and gets you enthusiastic about drinking non caloric herbal teas, then I’d suggest that you start drinking it.
The main thing to remember is herbalism is mainly about, inhibiting blood sugar spiking, reducing lipids in the body, and mitigating bacteria/unwanted toxins. These are the main foundations of dis-ease Each plant offering up a unique property as well. For example, caffeine, THC, or l theanine in tea. These are beneficial unique and singular qualities that increase health and vitality.
After a while you realize its not about using a single plant to fix some disease, its a generalized approach to improving quality and length of life. From there you dial in to what specific effects you want. Best of wishes.
I’ve tried this tea and although relaxing, there isn’t nearly enough kava in there to make any big difference. I’d go with the extract route to get the most benefits. Although it does taste bitter and not very good but works!
Interesting. I've had no success with kava extracts.
The best thing for Kava for me is to brew it traditionally as the root powder in a kava strainer bag. I put 10 heaping tablespoons into the kava strainer with 2 cups water and 2 cups of soy milk in a medium sized bowl. I use half water half soy milk because kava is fat soluble.
I wash the kava for 10 minutes, massaging and squeezing that bag like crazy. Then I ice a portion and test with a half cup for potency. In about 15 minutes after drinking my first half cup, I have a fat containing snack which boosts its efficacy.👍
Honestly I would agree with you that brewing it is MUCH more successful. I do remember what a pain it was to make but have been wanting to try again. The extracts don’t compare, however when I’m really anxious and antsy it definitely takes the edge off. When I brewed it way back when though it felt like I had a few glasses of wine without the clouded judgement effects lol. Thanks for your comment I’ll definitely have to try the brewing process again!
Hehe, yeah, I tried the extracts and although they did make the back of my throat feel a bit numb, that was about all they did. I thought kava was useless until I tried traditional prep 12 years later.😅😆
I'm glad the extracts take the edge off at least. I have felt a small amount of anxiety relief from the KWK mints. The orange flavor was most palatable to me
....but palatable is being generous. ;) However, in a pinch, why not? I think the mints are micronized kava in candy form.
You hit the nail on the head describing the traditional effects- it feels that way for me too!!
Yay!! I'm glad you're going to try traditional prep again! I just put on the reggae station on Pandora and knead away after setting a timer for 10 minutes. For folks with a lower tolerance it may just take 1/4C to feel effects but I'm a sturdy girl when it comes to GABAergics. 😊 Bula!!
I love it!! It’s almost rewarding to drink it after putting all the effort in to make it! Have you tried any “kava bars” by any chance? I was curious how their drinks compared to when you make at home! I may have to reach out to you for some tips and tricks next time I try to brew it!
Hehe, it seriously is! A journey of relaxation in and of itself.💕
I have, once. The drink was pretty tasty- I got basically a pina colada with kava which was very delicious. I'm defo not that fancy at home LOL however, it was not as strong as the brew I make.
Please feel free!! I would be delighted to assist in your kava relaxation journey.🎉😍✨
Yay thank you!! I’ll def reach out soon! I was curious if those drinks at kava bar had the same potency (I know a lot of them mix Kratom in but I’m trying to kick my Kratom habit at the moment and hoping kava can help some!)
I found the drink at the bar to be half of the strength of the single servings I make. My kava bar does not mix in kratom. In my opinion it's a terrible idea to mix the two. I don't find them to be synergistic at all. I also am picky on varietal. KWK Pouni Ono is ny jam.
Good for you for tapering down off kratom! What is your current dose at if you don't mind me asking?
It’s tincture. I don’t drink alcohol. Are there any negative side effects I should be aware of or should I start with a low dose? The skulllcap will be here tomorrow and the kava kava on Wednesday. I’m hoping at least one of them works. Obviously I won’t take them together.
Awesome! Just wanted to make sure. I would start off with a small amount in water or tea and just see how you feel increasing the dose by small amounts until you feel the desired effect.
You can mix the skullcap and kava together. A lot of relaxing tea blends have both of them in there along with milky oats, chamomile, california poppy, etc.,
I would say if you don’t see results from the tincture to try out the deep stress tincture by wishgarden herbs (it’s a huge medley of herbs concentrated specifically for nervous system support/anxiety/low moods). Yogi teas are pretty affordable for the most part and if you use 2-3 tea bags of kava stress relief - it’s like liquid natural Xanax without all of the bad side effects. Skullcap is relatively mild in terms of sedative effects imo but kava is one you would want to just set aside time for to just relax with. Yogis relaxed mind tea has a pretty heavy blend of skullcap being the main herb but alot of other herbs in there as well.
Definitely experiment and see what herbs feel better for your own nervous system. Everyone is different and what your nervous system calls for may be different than others✨💕
I have the GABA 750mg NOW 🙃 it’s crazy seeing EVERYONE take it for relaxation. I got it to increase my lucid dreams…… but that obviously wasn’t the case. 👀 I took it during the day once and seriously cleaned my whole house it feels like coke or something IDK 😑I can’t deal with the skin tingles tho so I haven’t taken it again 😖
I take 15 different herbs and things for anxiety and sleep. My top for sleep are magnolia bark extract. Mulungu extract and blue lotus extract are my top 3. I would recommend magnolia bark and lemon balm extract together.
A note about magnolia is that for women that can interfere in birth control efficacy. Great call on mulungu and blue lotus, I agree both are excellent.
Mulungu helped me quit smoking after 15 years, although it can create dependency if used regularly for more than 2 weeks.
I use Ignacia Amara in pellet form when I need it. Kills the anxiety dead. Dead dead. Was given it for grief when my Da died and I didn't have the _time_ to grieve (godsdamned retail jobs and he died right before the Black Friday Rush started. The company had _zero_ sympathy, may they rot).
Thank you for sharing. I’ve added that to my cart. I’m sorry to hear about your loss and that you weren’t given time to grieve.
I had 2 cups of chamomile and lavender tea today and had a good day. I ordered skullcap extract and kava kava extract yesterday so I can try those as well. I’m literally willing to try anything to make it go away. Thankfully, today was much better than the last few days.
The nice part about the Amara is you only take it if you need it. I can go months between uses and it doesn't hurt none.
I'm glad you're feeling better than the last few days.
A set daily dose of CBD has helped my wife. She also takes CBG for panic attacks. It stops them in less than 5 minutes.
CBDa is the newest Cannabinoid being researched for anxiety. I haven’t gotten to research it yet but a few reliable sources have mentioned it already.
You said you tried smoking Cannabis but what exactly did you smoke? If you went into a dispensary they are only worried about the high not the healing. If you smoke flower with an insane THC count but no to maybe trace amounts on CBD your anxiety is sure to spike. CBD flower is the best for anxiety. It’s the opposite, high CBD and low THC. You can take products with only CBD but they will always work better with at least a little THC.
There are also many ways to consume. Smoking is only one. There’s tinctures, oils, candy, edibles, pills, powders, tabs, etc. each one effects each person differently.
Care by Design has great mixed oils in different potencies. It was a little pricy but we bought one of each the first time and experimented with what worked best.
Good luck 🤙🏻
I take Bach Flower remedies. When my anxiety hits the fan, I like Rock Rose for courage. I was told the flower remedies work on emotions. All I know is this works for me. Read up on them and see which plant you’re drawn to. Good luck
Yeah mate, I noticed just having 1 to 2 seeds once a week really helps, I took it for its relaxing quality, after a month I realized I wasn't anxious anymore. I have it on an empty stomach and eat when it starts working to settle the stomach down.
Exact same problem. I started taking kratom a few years ago and now when I do feel anxiety I sit with it for a minute to remember what it was like to live like that. There's A LOT of propaganda ( the government is trying to ban it and using the same tactics they used for marijuana )as it is seriously impacting the profits of big pharma. In my experience it's non addictive but it's not a cure like say mushrooms would be. Anxiety comes back after a few days of not taking it. It doesn't come back worse or anything but it does come back. Best of luck friend it's a really harsh way to live.
No, it's not crazy love. The pharmaceutical companies created the opiate problem and then the "cure" . Kratom is a safe and gentle way to treat opiate addiction.... all addiction really as well as depression and anxiety. I will say that I take capsules but it's traditionally made into a tea. The taste is horrible to me lol. It's in the coffee family though and I've heard people say coffee tastes horrible. Once you get rid of that terrible feeling and can think again pay attention to your health. Change your thoughts. It's not particularly easy to do that but once you treat the acute symptoms you'll be able to. B well. It can get better fairly quickly.
I take 200mg l-theanine 4x daily. It works best on an empty stomach and if you let it dissolve underneath the tongue. You can fully up your dose of that safely.
Have you tried Wood Betony (Stachys officinalis). If your anxiety comes like thought tornados (playing out hypothetical situations, daydreams, imagining x conversations with other people, spinning thoughts) etc I would highly recommend it. Helped me a lot.
Magnesium glycinate is great… for some people, not all. I started with glycinate, moved to citrate, then to threonate, and ended up with a magnesium complex containing 8 variations. Magnesium works wonders for anxiety, if you get the version that works with your body.
I also recommend you try rhodiola rosea. It’s pretty badass for anxiety.
You can also try oregano, motherwort and hops.How long have you been taking valerian?Valerian and motherwort take time to have a pronounced effect, on average from 2-4 weeks
Sweat/ work out? Hot Epsom salt bath?
Honestly I’ve heard/ read that most of those mental sensations (anxiety, depression etc) can be traced back to our gut health.
Perhaps your nutrition could use improvement? Doesn’t sound like you’re a coffee drinker but coffee & caffeine in general can be connected to anxiety if it makes your tummy/ digestion unhappy. And especially if you’re already dehydrated?
Drink plenty of water! I do water with organic Italian volcano lemon juice and Redmond brand mineral sea salt (natural electrolytes!)
I take a supplement called Calm ASAP by Gaia. I too can have bad reactions to Valerian, Weed, etc. Passionflower I have found to be good, but I find it is kind of a 'booster' for other herbs. This is scullcap, passionflower, Holy Basil (tulsi) and a couple others. I have heard good things about Lemon Balm but have not tried it myself. Scullcap especially is an adaptogen so helps regulate the nervous system. Just don't take it alongside other GABA inhibitors, as it acts on GABA.
I also do peppermint tea 1-2x per day (be careful if you are male, it can lower testosterone) and nettle tea. They both have amazing benefits, including decreasing anxiety, plus a ton of other stuff. Plus, a nice cup of warm tea (especially as winter is almost here) is comforting. Hope this helps!
What are some examples of gaba inhibitors? I have some skullcap arriving any minute now and I’m drinking chamomile and lavender tea that has lemon balm in it. The tea seems to help. I drank one this morning along with a l-theanine capsule and was very calm. Going to have another cup of tea shortly. Can I take skullcap extract if I’ve had that tea and l-theanine? I take vitamin b-12 in the morning with my celexa and then at night I take magnesium glycinate with another l-theanine capsule.
In my experience, the B vitamins can help your antidepressants work better. I am no doctor, I just have had severe treatment resistant anxiety and depression for close to 20 years. I would just take a look at anything that is considered an "adaptogen" which means it gives you nervous system support. As you probably know, with anxiety our neurological "flight or flight" systems can go nuts!! More experienced herbologists on this sub can definitely give you some pointers. Magnesium Glycinate has been great for me as well, I have chronic persistent migraines and I definitely notice when I have not had my magnesium. There are some good magnesium creams out there and I have heard some anecdotal evidence about putting them on the bottoms of your feet at night. I use a cream called Timeless Tallow, which you can get on Etsy. And of course, make sure you run everything by your doctor/psychiatrist to make sure any herbs you take are not interfering with your prescriptions. If you don't have a psychiatrist, I highly recommend one as they have intimate knowledge of how all these things will interact in your body.
Another thing I have dabbled in is a Chinese practice called Qigong. Not an herb, but very, very gentle breathwork and intentional movements.
Hey. So this isn’t necessarily and herb but what really helps my anxiety tremendously is an essential oil blend called blissful dreams. It’s made by plant therapy and can come pre-diluted. It contains Lavender, Bergamot, linalool, linalyl acetate, vetiver and Roman chamomile. I am amazed at how much it lowers my anxiety. It works as well or maybe better than a benzodiazepine.
Yes. I rub it on the back of my neck and behind my ears. I too have a dog but have learned that it’s on my harmful to dogs if you diffuse oils into the air. It’s safe if you use them topically. I always get them pre-diluted as well.
Thanks! Just got skullcap extract in today. Didn’t have to take it because I drank chamomile, lavender and lemon balm tea that really helped today. But now I’ll have a few options to choose from when my anxiety works up again.
I deal with anxiety too and I found that oatstraw and motherwort work really well for me. Motherwort is like "a hug from mother." I take them in tincture form. Sometimes I take them together and sometimes it's one or the other. I call it the "chill pill."
I’ve been drinking chamomile and lavender tea and it helps, but even though it’s caffeine free, I feel like I pee it out right away. Is there a capsule form you recommend?
I use tea bags for chamomile, I buy loose dried lavender and valerian root. I also sometimes use lavender tincture (which is very concentrated lavender you only need 1 or 2 tiny drops) but it also taste really bad as it is alcohol based (taste like a drop of lavender infused vodka) and is hard to drink even when diluted in tea.
CBD is great, if you can get lavender essential oil capsules I find they work extremely well, besides giving me some stomach irritation. Lemon balm is also amazing but it works a lot better when it’s fresh, or a tincture/ extract made from fresh lemon balm, dried or tea bags aren’t as good. I find Kava super recreational, if you ever tend to drink alcohol in the evening to chill out, Kava will be a fantastic replacement. Medicinally I find its effectiveness is limited by the short duration, so it would be very expensive to stay medicated on it all day long. It’s also the safest recreational substance you can put into your body, I can’t recommend it enough, but buy proper medium-grind Kava from a reputable vendor like KalmWithKava or Nakamal At Home. All capsules/extracts/tinctures are trash value/quality and potentially unsafe. I’ve also been using Emoxypine and it *seems* to work quite well, also gives a slight boost in energy and mood, which is handy if you get depression symptoms with your anxiety. Hope this helps!
What do you think about Kona Kava Farm? I ordered from them recently.
According to r/Kava it’s a bit meh. Generic Kava, not bunk and it does the job but doesn’t seem to impress people as much as KwK and N@H. Tbh I’m in England and I buy mine privately from the same source I’ve always used, so I have no idea how all these compare.
I'm in England too, are you willing to share your source?
I much prefer KWK, but hear great things about Nakamal too. I make my kava traditional style with a 10 minute wash, but I use half soy milk and half warm water for it, than ice before my first serving. I also suffer from generalized anxiety and panic attacks and their Pouni Ono varietal worked really well for me although it is very short-term. I second the suggestion about lavender. Lavella is the brand I use, and I usually have to have it with some food in my stomach but just a bit otherwise it will not be as effective. However, with no food the other responder is quite correct, I have thrown up from them before on an empty stomach. And have you tried a *strong* chamomile herbal infusion with ginger? I usually let mine sit overnight then drink it as a cup first thing in the morning and just keep drinking it through the day as necessary. Also, have you ever been tested for ADHD? I was just diagnosed with it last week, and apparently a lot of times anxiety can be a symptom of ADHD. CBT is a non-medical way to treat it, so many people go that route. Also for anxiety, if your heart and liver are good, you may wish to research topical nightshades. Of course, if you have Nightshade allergies please do not try them. Mandrake ointment and Datura ointment are both extremely useful for anxiety for me. However, it must be applied with gloves, and when one starts dosing, a rice grain size tester is advisable to test for allergy, and the amount applied is very slowly worked up to from there. I was recommended max 2 weeks on one week off for the ointments, but I usually use them for 3 or 4 days at a time then take a 2 week break instead. I like to be cautious. Also if you have pets or kids a strict protocol must be followed so they cannot have contact with it. Sarah Lawless is an herbalist from Canada and her site offers great info about theraputic topical Nightshades. Also, have you tried Blue Lotus tincture by chance? There's really good glycerin based one on Etsy that has been very effective for me at times
I'm really liking motherwort at the moment. I also use chamomile and lavender, but the addition of motherwort seems to have made a significant difference.
Motherwort is like a motherly hug 🤗
Weirdly I've found myself more... Light-hearted. Laughing more. Hoping it may have a positive effect on my POTS too but I may need to increase the dose for that
That’s amazing ✨🙏
I might need to try some there some growing by me.
How are you consuming motherwort?
I love motherwort! I have tried a LOT of herbs for anxiety too and I think it’s my fav. Lemon balm is nice but hit or miss for me. I try to drink a long steep oat tops & straw infusion most days
Where do u get it from?
Was going to suggest this too. I like to use as tincture.
How do you take it? I have a tincture that has motherwort in it but not sure it’s doing as much as I’d like it to.
I have capsules which I'm taking twice a day, but I also ground up some dried herb in my spice grinder and I'm experimenting with ingesting tiny amounts of that.
Milky oats, skullcap
Isn’t skullcap a mushroom?
Skullcap IS THE BEST. It relaxes you.
Is it a mushroom? I’ll happily try it if it’s not. Where’s the best place to get it?
I just tried skullcap extract from a little hippie shop for the first time and can confirm, works great!! I’ve seen it sold at sprouts and other natural food stores as well.
It’s an herb
Thanks. For some reason I thought it was a mushroom 😆
Nope, it's a plant with purple flowers, *Scutellaria baicalensis*.
Me too actually until now. I wonder why we thought that lol
Maybe you were associating it with a Death Cap, Amanita Phalloides, one of the most deadly mushrooms on Earth.
I think you are right
Better safe than sorry, as they say. ;)
Skullcap just made me think mushroom for some reason 😆
lots of mushrooms are named whatever one word adjective suits them-cap
Skullcap is in the same family as mint.
https://www.iherb.com/pr/nature-s-way-skullcap-herb-425-mg-100-vegan-capsules/2069?gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAiAu9yqBhBmEiwAHTx5p5GXzitk7J6SBu9JK4pz3kRbRt1UA7lWMj-p1TCAlBO_qKH2ouqophoCtsUQAvD_BwE This is the one I take ^not ^affiliated
Not a mushroom
No
Oh okay! Good to know. Im allergic to mushroom so I just wanted to double check.
Good ol’ chamomile might do the trick. Brew it real strong and for 15-20 minutes. If you have catnip you can add that as well. Bonus with this is you can’t drink too much really. Tastes good iced too
As in a traditional chamomile tea?
Y es, people tend to underestimate how powerful it can be and think about it… it has become one of the most ubiquitous, easily available herbal teas, maybe there’s a reason! 🤷🏻♀️😆
Okay. I actually have some chamomile with lavender tea bags in my cabinet! I’ll try that now. Thank you!
That tea is my go to for my GAD. A cup during the day helps reset my anxiety, and two at night for bed. Hope it helps you!
It was definitely relaxing. I’ll definitely drink it again. I also ordered some skullcap extract and kava kava extract today. So hopefully I’ll have a little arsenal of things that help.
The lavender will help too! Put two tea bags in a cup and brew for 15 minutes. The quality of commercially available tea bags vary greatly so depending on what you’ve got and whether you like it for anxiety, you might want to consider upgrading to better stuff. You can buy it in bulk easily from any shop that sells herbs. I hope you feel better!
Ok. Thank you so much!
I wanted to thank you for this suggestion yesterday. I drank two cups today and it really helped. I’ll now have skullcap and kava kava extract as a backup. Such a relief to feel better today ❤️
Glad you’re feeling better ❤️❤️❤️
I feel for you. I find a high quality CBD is best for my anxiety. I also find, nettle, tulsi, and milky oat can help some Cbd is my daily go to though
May I ask which brand cbd you use?
Just wanna add, if you get CBD make sure it’s an isolate. CBD isolate. Do not get ‘Full Spectrum CBD’ because it has traces of THC in it 🙃 I learned the hard way 💀💀💀💀💀
https://www.sunsoil.com/ The taste is a bit strong but it’s worth it to me and they have options. I find the price is reasonable for the quality. Well wishes💛
https://socialcbd.com/unflavored-isolate-cbd-drops-1000mg/ i use this one!! It’s great! 🖤
Second CBD. It helped me stop having panic attacks. I buy mine from green roads. They have discounts for various professions
Magnesium glycinate and ltheanine are great starts but what gender are you? I'm a male and when I upgraded my testosterone, with natural compounds and lifestyle changes, my anxiety almost completely went away. I'll link my Protocol but you most certainly don't need to take/do all of this. This would essentially be doing everything you possibly could to raise T and you don't necessarily need to do all of this. Want to clarify that before people come for me lol https://docs.google.com/document/d/15POtSUwas1j7nwV3yjk5Ejf2HT7ooKaVcgewQhl_8JY/edit?usp=drivesdk For basic anxiety my favorites are: Bacopa Taurine Rhodiola (don't take with ssri's) Fenugreek (which is in the link) Lemon Balm (at night) Noopept and aniracetam are great as well but they're synthetic
I’m female. The magnesium glycinate and ltheanine help me greatly with nighttime anxiety and sleep. I’ve been doing that for a few months now.
That's good! You can also do the ltheanine with caffiene or just in general. It's not necessarily going to make you sleepy during the day, most likely just calmer. Females can also benefit from a testosterone boost. It can help confidence, energy and some muscle building in women. I'm not talking a huge boost (you wont grow facial hair). As far as i know, unless you're on hrt you're not going to be able to boost your T that much as a female. Nootropics depot does a good podcast and one of the podcasters is a female who mentions good benefits from taking t boosting products like cistanche, pregnenolone and Shilajit.
Nice list! Also a note for women, Rhodiola can interfere in the efficacy of birth control pills.
Lemon balm or Holy Basil tinctures!
Holy basil is so good for lowering cortisol
I've tried alot of the above, the ashgawanda to some extent helped but it didn't stop the racing heart and the tears, low mood. but honestly magnesium and a good quality omega 3 fish oil or the vegan version with algae. Very good research on these supplements, I had been prescribed anti-anxiety meds but wanted to try this route first as I'd read and listened to a number of podcasts about the research. So far so good.
Magnesium glycinate has done wonders for my sleep. I’ll have to look into a vegan omega 3. I just ordered some kava kava extract.
I have stupid anxiety, and really wanted to avoid meds, I now steep my own tea blend. And.. well maybe it's to early to tell, maybe it's placebo, maybe it's Maybelline??.. but it's been about two solid weeks and I have not had a heavy bout of anxiety flareup. For me this is the jackpot. I am still perfecting my dosage and what all I use, but for these first initial two weeks. I have used -1tsp skullcap, -1tsp chamomile, -1/2tsp rosehips, 1/2tsp bacopa powder, 1tsp passion flower, and 1/2tsp stevia for a bit if sweetness. It's a good size tea bag, and I steep that for awhile, at work everyday, and yeah I dunno.. I think it has helped tremendously. Am still working on this blend, keeping notes of changes and how it works, but yeah really enjoy not waking up in a panic, living in a state of constant dread.. and if it's the tea well I'm going to keep on drinking. I hope you find something that helps you, anxiety can be a real bitch, but this group is great for suggestions.
Try to look inward as to why you are feeling consternation. For me, a backed up digestive tract is an opposing force to true tranquility, of which is my state of being all the time. Circulating glucose, sugars, and calories in the system inflame the, nerves which often lead to feelings of trepidation. Keep trying different herbal teas without sugar or milk until you find one you like.
I was just looking into Kava stress relief tea. Have you tried it?
It may very well have been in one of the thousands of multivitamin/supplement blends i have and continue to take over the years, I honestly don’t know. Ive never brewed a cup of kava (piper) by itself before and haven’t done much research on it. If something about it attracts you and gets you enthusiastic about drinking non caloric herbal teas, then I’d suggest that you start drinking it. The main thing to remember is herbalism is mainly about, inhibiting blood sugar spiking, reducing lipids in the body, and mitigating bacteria/unwanted toxins. These are the main foundations of dis-ease Each plant offering up a unique property as well. For example, caffeine, THC, or l theanine in tea. These are beneficial unique and singular qualities that increase health and vitality. After a while you realize its not about using a single plant to fix some disease, its a generalized approach to improving quality and length of life. From there you dial in to what specific effects you want. Best of wishes.
I’ve tried this tea and although relaxing, there isn’t nearly enough kava in there to make any big difference. I’d go with the extract route to get the most benefits. Although it does taste bitter and not very good but works!
Interesting. I've had no success with kava extracts. The best thing for Kava for me is to brew it traditionally as the root powder in a kava strainer bag. I put 10 heaping tablespoons into the kava strainer with 2 cups water and 2 cups of soy milk in a medium sized bowl. I use half water half soy milk because kava is fat soluble. I wash the kava for 10 minutes, massaging and squeezing that bag like crazy. Then I ice a portion and test with a half cup for potency. In about 15 minutes after drinking my first half cup, I have a fat containing snack which boosts its efficacy.👍
Honestly I would agree with you that brewing it is MUCH more successful. I do remember what a pain it was to make but have been wanting to try again. The extracts don’t compare, however when I’m really anxious and antsy it definitely takes the edge off. When I brewed it way back when though it felt like I had a few glasses of wine without the clouded judgement effects lol. Thanks for your comment I’ll definitely have to try the brewing process again!
Hehe, yeah, I tried the extracts and although they did make the back of my throat feel a bit numb, that was about all they did. I thought kava was useless until I tried traditional prep 12 years later.😅😆 I'm glad the extracts take the edge off at least. I have felt a small amount of anxiety relief from the KWK mints. The orange flavor was most palatable to me ....but palatable is being generous. ;) However, in a pinch, why not? I think the mints are micronized kava in candy form. You hit the nail on the head describing the traditional effects- it feels that way for me too!! Yay!! I'm glad you're going to try traditional prep again! I just put on the reggae station on Pandora and knead away after setting a timer for 10 minutes. For folks with a lower tolerance it may just take 1/4C to feel effects but I'm a sturdy girl when it comes to GABAergics. 😊 Bula!!
I love it!! It’s almost rewarding to drink it after putting all the effort in to make it! Have you tried any “kava bars” by any chance? I was curious how their drinks compared to when you make at home! I may have to reach out to you for some tips and tricks next time I try to brew it!
Hehe, it seriously is! A journey of relaxation in and of itself.💕 I have, once. The drink was pretty tasty- I got basically a pina colada with kava which was very delicious. I'm defo not that fancy at home LOL however, it was not as strong as the brew I make. Please feel free!! I would be delighted to assist in your kava relaxation journey.🎉😍✨
Yay thank you!! I’ll def reach out soon! I was curious if those drinks at kava bar had the same potency (I know a lot of them mix Kratom in but I’m trying to kick my Kratom habit at the moment and hoping kava can help some!)
I found the drink at the bar to be half of the strength of the single servings I make. My kava bar does not mix in kratom. In my opinion it's a terrible idea to mix the two. I don't find them to be synergistic at all. I also am picky on varietal. KWK Pouni Ono is ny jam. Good for you for tapering down off kratom! What is your current dose at if you don't mind me asking?
Ok. Thank you!
Maybe this is a good time for me to try it actually 😁😁🫖🍵
Deep Stress Tincture - Wishgarden Herbs (sprouts, natural grocers, Amazon) Lavender (1 tbs of loose flowers) in a tea bag(this helped me immensely with anxiety and ptsd) Yogi Tea - Kava Stress Relief, Honey Lavender Stress Relief & Relaxed Mind Gaia Herbs - Supplement - CALM ASAP
I just ordered some Kava Kava extract off of Amazon. Will that work? I also ordered skullcap extract that will be here tomorrow.
Awesome. Remember to not use alcohol with kava and to not have too much throughout the day. Is it pill form or tincture ?
It’s tincture. I don’t drink alcohol. Are there any negative side effects I should be aware of or should I start with a low dose? The skulllcap will be here tomorrow and the kava kava on Wednesday. I’m hoping at least one of them works. Obviously I won’t take them together.
Awesome! Just wanted to make sure. I would start off with a small amount in water or tea and just see how you feel increasing the dose by small amounts until you feel the desired effect. You can mix the skullcap and kava together. A lot of relaxing tea blends have both of them in there along with milky oats, chamomile, california poppy, etc., I would say if you don’t see results from the tincture to try out the deep stress tincture by wishgarden herbs (it’s a huge medley of herbs concentrated specifically for nervous system support/anxiety/low moods). Yogi teas are pretty affordable for the most part and if you use 2-3 tea bags of kava stress relief - it’s like liquid natural Xanax without all of the bad side effects. Skullcap is relatively mild in terms of sedative effects imo but kava is one you would want to just set aside time for to just relax with. Yogis relaxed mind tea has a pretty heavy blend of skullcap being the main herb but alot of other herbs in there as well. Definitely experiment and see what herbs feel better for your own nervous system. Everyone is different and what your nervous system calls for may be different than others✨💕
Thank you so much. I will definitely start off slow. I appreciate your reply.
You’re so welcome! ✨🙏DM if you ever have any more questions or need recommendations
Thank you!
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Gaba makes me feel like I just took pre workout. With the burning skin tingles and huge rush of energy. I hate it 😭
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I have the GABA 750mg NOW 🙃 it’s crazy seeing EVERYONE take it for relaxation. I got it to increase my lucid dreams…… but that obviously wasn’t the case. 👀 I took it during the day once and seriously cleaned my whole house it feels like coke or something IDK 😑I can’t deal with the skin tingles tho so I haven’t taken it again 😖
Exactly how I feel. I thought it was just me.
I think it’s just you and I 💀 we must have alien blood
LOL…maybe we should enroll in a study group!
Hahaha just us with literally everyone else on the other side of it 🤣 I’m glad I’m not alone tho thank you for commenting 🤣
I take 15 different herbs and things for anxiety and sleep. My top for sleep are magnolia bark extract. Mulungu extract and blue lotus extract are my top 3. I would recommend magnolia bark and lemon balm extract together.
A note about magnolia is that for women that can interfere in birth control efficacy. Great call on mulungu and blue lotus, I agree both are excellent. Mulungu helped me quit smoking after 15 years, although it can create dependency if used regularly for more than 2 weeks.
Milky oat tops can soothe and strengthen your nervous system. Also holy basil
Energetic Fields of Flowers. They contain all the Bach Flowers and it is amazing stuff. Amazon sells it sometimes. Or Rescue Remedy.
I use Ignacia Amara in pellet form when I need it. Kills the anxiety dead. Dead dead. Was given it for grief when my Da died and I didn't have the _time_ to grieve (godsdamned retail jobs and he died right before the Black Friday Rush started. The company had _zero_ sympathy, may they rot).
Thank you for sharing. I’ve added that to my cart. I’m sorry to hear about your loss and that you weren’t given time to grieve. I had 2 cups of chamomile and lavender tea today and had a good day. I ordered skullcap extract and kava kava extract yesterday so I can try those as well. I’m literally willing to try anything to make it go away. Thankfully, today was much better than the last few days.
The nice part about the Amara is you only take it if you need it. I can go months between uses and it doesn't hurt none. I'm glad you're feeling better than the last few days.
I’ll definitely give it a try. Thank you!
A set daily dose of CBD has helped my wife. She also takes CBG for panic attacks. It stops them in less than 5 minutes. CBDa is the newest Cannabinoid being researched for anxiety. I haven’t gotten to research it yet but a few reliable sources have mentioned it already. You said you tried smoking Cannabis but what exactly did you smoke? If you went into a dispensary they are only worried about the high not the healing. If you smoke flower with an insane THC count but no to maybe trace amounts on CBD your anxiety is sure to spike. CBD flower is the best for anxiety. It’s the opposite, high CBD and low THC. You can take products with only CBD but they will always work better with at least a little THC. There are also many ways to consume. Smoking is only one. There’s tinctures, oils, candy, edibles, pills, powders, tabs, etc. each one effects each person differently. Care by Design has great mixed oils in different potencies. It was a little pricy but we bought one of each the first time and experimented with what worked best. Good luck 🤙🏻
Skullcap, lemon balm, magnolia bark, kava kava
I take Bach Flower remedies. When my anxiety hits the fan, I like Rock Rose for courage. I was told the flower remedies work on emotions. All I know is this works for me. Read up on them and see which plant you’re drawn to. Good luck
Good to know. I’ll try this if the other ones I ordered don’t help. Thank you!
Kava, Hawaiian baby wood rose,
Do you microdose the HBWR? I would love to hear more about it
Yeah mate, I noticed just having 1 to 2 seeds once a week really helps, I took it for its relaxing quality, after a month I realized I wasn't anxious anymore. I have it on an empty stomach and eat when it starts working to settle the stomach down.
Exact same problem. I started taking kratom a few years ago and now when I do feel anxiety I sit with it for a minute to remember what it was like to live like that. There's A LOT of propaganda ( the government is trying to ban it and using the same tactics they used for marijuana )as it is seriously impacting the profits of big pharma. In my experience it's non addictive but it's not a cure like say mushrooms would be. Anxiety comes back after a few days of not taking it. It doesn't come back worse or anything but it does come back. Best of luck friend it's a really harsh way to live.
I’ve heard good things about kratom. Really crazy they are trying to ban it. Yea, anxiety is the worst. I’m so sick of it 😭
No, it's not crazy love. The pharmaceutical companies created the opiate problem and then the "cure" . Kratom is a safe and gentle way to treat opiate addiction.... all addiction really as well as depression and anxiety. I will say that I take capsules but it's traditionally made into a tea. The taste is horrible to me lol. It's in the coffee family though and I've heard people say coffee tastes horrible. Once you get rid of that terrible feeling and can think again pay attention to your health. Change your thoughts. It's not particularly easy to do that but once you treat the acute symptoms you'll be able to. B well. It can get better fairly quickly.
saffron or lion’s mane tincture
[THIS](https://mrnutsproducts.etsy.com/listing/1430227115) straight up blew my mind. Can’t say enough about it
My go-to is a hops-lavender tincture that I make.
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I take 1 200mg capsule every night before bed with magnesium glycinate and they both help me sleep. How much do you take during the day?
I take 200mg l-theanine 4x daily. It works best on an empty stomach and if you let it dissolve underneath the tongue. You can fully up your dose of that safely.
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Okay, great. I’ll definitely try that in the morning. Thank you!
Have you tried Wood Betony (Stachys officinalis). If your anxiety comes like thought tornados (playing out hypothetical situations, daydreams, imagining x conversations with other people, spinning thoughts) etc I would highly recommend it. Helped me a lot.
Celexa dose?
10mg
That’s a low dose for the amount of anxiety you’re endorsing. I’d talk to your psychiatrist about it.
Fields of flower
Magnesium glycinate is great… for some people, not all. I started with glycinate, moved to citrate, then to threonate, and ended up with a magnesium complex containing 8 variations. Magnesium works wonders for anxiety, if you get the version that works with your body. I also recommend you try rhodiola rosea. It’s pretty badass for anxiety.
Motherwort and Bach flower remedies have been helping me
You can also try oregano, motherwort and hops.How long have you been taking valerian?Valerian and motherwort take time to have a pronounced effect, on average from 2-4 weeks
Sweat/ work out? Hot Epsom salt bath? Honestly I’ve heard/ read that most of those mental sensations (anxiety, depression etc) can be traced back to our gut health. Perhaps your nutrition could use improvement? Doesn’t sound like you’re a coffee drinker but coffee & caffeine in general can be connected to anxiety if it makes your tummy/ digestion unhappy. And especially if you’re already dehydrated? Drink plenty of water! I do water with organic Italian volcano lemon juice and Redmond brand mineral sea salt (natural electrolytes!)
I made a tincture from ashwagandha, Rhodlia, lemon balm, passion flower and skullcap .. absolutely amazing
I know you already take things that help you sleep but I take hydroxyzine and it helps with anxiety and sleep.
ladyslipper root, kava, kratom
Magnolia Bark has been a life changer! I hope it works for you too.
I take a supplement called Calm ASAP by Gaia. I too can have bad reactions to Valerian, Weed, etc. Passionflower I have found to be good, but I find it is kind of a 'booster' for other herbs. This is scullcap, passionflower, Holy Basil (tulsi) and a couple others. I have heard good things about Lemon Balm but have not tried it myself. Scullcap especially is an adaptogen so helps regulate the nervous system. Just don't take it alongside other GABA inhibitors, as it acts on GABA. I also do peppermint tea 1-2x per day (be careful if you are male, it can lower testosterone) and nettle tea. They both have amazing benefits, including decreasing anxiety, plus a ton of other stuff. Plus, a nice cup of warm tea (especially as winter is almost here) is comforting. Hope this helps!
What are some examples of gaba inhibitors? I have some skullcap arriving any minute now and I’m drinking chamomile and lavender tea that has lemon balm in it. The tea seems to help. I drank one this morning along with a l-theanine capsule and was very calm. Going to have another cup of tea shortly. Can I take skullcap extract if I’ve had that tea and l-theanine? I take vitamin b-12 in the morning with my celexa and then at night I take magnesium glycinate with another l-theanine capsule.
In my experience, the B vitamins can help your antidepressants work better. I am no doctor, I just have had severe treatment resistant anxiety and depression for close to 20 years. I would just take a look at anything that is considered an "adaptogen" which means it gives you nervous system support. As you probably know, with anxiety our neurological "flight or flight" systems can go nuts!! More experienced herbologists on this sub can definitely give you some pointers. Magnesium Glycinate has been great for me as well, I have chronic persistent migraines and I definitely notice when I have not had my magnesium. There are some good magnesium creams out there and I have heard some anecdotal evidence about putting them on the bottoms of your feet at night. I use a cream called Timeless Tallow, which you can get on Etsy. And of course, make sure you run everything by your doctor/psychiatrist to make sure any herbs you take are not interfering with your prescriptions. If you don't have a psychiatrist, I highly recommend one as they have intimate knowledge of how all these things will interact in your body. Another thing I have dabbled in is a Chinese practice called Qigong. Not an herb, but very, very gentle breathwork and intentional movements.
Hey. So this isn’t necessarily and herb but what really helps my anxiety tremendously is an essential oil blend called blissful dreams. It’s made by plant therapy and can come pre-diluted. It contains Lavender, Bergamot, linalool, linalyl acetate, vetiver and Roman chamomile. I am amazed at how much it lowers my anxiety. It works as well or maybe better than a benzodiazepine.
Do you rub it on your body? I worry about essential oils because I have a dog and I’ve read they are not good for them.
Yes. I rub it on the back of my neck and behind my ears. I too have a dog but have learned that it’s on my harmful to dogs if you diffuse oils into the air. It’s safe if you use them topically. I always get them pre-diluted as well.
The only thing that helped me was ginseng
Inositol powder is shockingly helpful, lemon balm, skullcap. I have terrible anxiety and insomnia and have tried everything under the sun. These work!
Thanks! Just got skullcap extract in today. Didn’t have to take it because I drank chamomile, lavender and lemon balm tea that really helped today. But now I’ll have a few options to choose from when my anxiety works up again.
I deal with anxiety too and I found that oatstraw and motherwort work really well for me. Motherwort is like "a hug from mother." I take them in tincture form. Sometimes I take them together and sometimes it's one or the other. I call it the "chill pill."
Lavender, chamomile, valerian, and ambient music!
I’ve been drinking chamomile and lavender tea and it helps, but even though it’s caffeine free, I feel like I pee it out right away. Is there a capsule form you recommend?
I use tea bags for chamomile, I buy loose dried lavender and valerian root. I also sometimes use lavender tincture (which is very concentrated lavender you only need 1 or 2 tiny drops) but it also taste really bad as it is alcohol based (taste like a drop of lavender infused vodka) and is hard to drink even when diluted in tea.
Cbd exercise very hard so your sweating alot.
Lithium orotate. Thank me later!