An Integrative Approach to Anxiety: Herbs

An Herbalist's Approach

Anxiety presents itself in many ways and can be caused by many circumstances.  It can dominate someone's body acutely, causing heart palpitations, nausea, and insomnia, or it can be a constant background noise that causes frustration and impatience.  Anxiety can be caused by internal or external circumstances, and reflects the complex interaction between the mind and the body.  Like many complex interactions, the experience of anxiety can turn into a self-perpetuating cycle with no seeming endpoint.  If the experience is not corrected, it becomes habitual.  Herbalists and nutritionists are trained to support the body's needs while techniques are being used to modify the mind-body connection. The very act of supporting the body can often nip anxiety in the bud, but usually the person will need to follow through with conscious effort to modify the mind patterns of anxiety. 

Here are the specifics: 

When someone is experiencing anxiety, many of the physical symptoms result from holding tension in the body.  Depending on which muscles are involved, the person may experience tense, wiry neck and shoulder muscles, jitters or tremors in the extremities, nausea, IBS, or heart palpitations.  Herbal medicine is wonderful for helping the body to relax some of that tension!  There are herbs known as antispasmodics that send relaxation signals to the muscles.  In turn, the muscles communicate to the brain that the body has become relaxed, and then the brain is able to change the patterning that caused the anxious sensations.  Certain herbs have affinities for different areas of the body, and an herbalist is trained in knowing those specialties.  

A good herbalist doesn't just compensate for tense muscles, but looks to support the health of whole body and address all of the manifestations and causes of anxiety.  The main class of calming herbs is known as nervines.  These herbs calm and soothe the nervous system which controls the immediate communication between the brain and the body.  This is an important function of herbs, and every client of mine is given some sort of nervine to help deal with the stresses of everyday life.  Again, nervines have special areas of the body where they like to work.  We have all heard of chamomile tea for soothing the stomach.  St. John's wort seems to work best with nourishing the structure of the nerves themselves, passionflower works well for those who can't seem to get out of the circular thinking of their brain, and skullcap tends to be best for those who hold tension in their neck and shoulder muscles.   Herbs have personalities just like people, and herbalists serve as a sort of dating service to match the right herbs with the right people.  

An important class of herbs known as adaptogens is the key to surviving in our modern society.  Adaptogens help restore normal functioning of the endocrine system and the whole body, and help the body adapt to stressors.  They specifically work with the pituitary and adrenal glands, the "stress" glands of our bodies.  They help to calm excessive secretions and increase deficient secretions of stress hormones, helping communication to work more smoothly.  These herbs can have profound impacts on blood sugar balance, sleep, libido, and brain function.   Two notably calming adaptogens are holy basil, which impacts blood sugar, brain function, and mood, and Ashwagandha root, which impacts sleep, libido, nervous irritation, and brain function.

We can't leave this discussion without talking about the brain-gut connection.  Many people are unaware that you have a second brain in the nerves of your digestive tract.  This brain operates independently of our head brain, but communicates with it constantly through our nervous system.  If you experience anxiety for no external reason, most likely the anxious signals are coming from your gut!  The nerves of the gut can signal irritation to the brain and cause anxiety.  These nerves can be damaged by infections, overuse of antibiotics, alcohol, and sugar, food allergies, and stress.  Many of our anti-anxiety herbs exert their actions on the nerves of the gut because they come in direct contact through the intestinal tract.  Herbs that contain mucilage, like licorice root and marshmallow root can help anxiety just by soothing the frayed nerves in the mucous membrane of the intestinal tract.   

The experience of anxiety can be caused by and can cause nutrient deficiencies.  An herbalist or nutritionist knows to make sure the client is getting enough B-vitamins and magnesium to ensure the healthy function of the nervous system.  Magnesium in particular is a common deficiency in this modern society, and it can be incredibly calming and help with sleep issues, muscle spasms, and heart over-excitability.  Good sources of magnesium are leafy green vegetables like kale, nuts, fish, and beans.  Magnesium is needed for over 300 functions in the body, including the production of calming neurotransmitters like serotonin, and a deficiency of this mineral can cause anxiety.  A nutritionist will also make sure the person is not depleting these nutrients too quickly by consuming too much caffeine, sugar, or alcohol.  Hydration can also be a factor in anxiety, as cells become dehydrated they may send distress signals throughout the nervous system.  Many people are sensitive to inadequate levels of hydration.  

Susan Hirsch can help you with your herbal needs. Contact her for more information.