Alternatives to Antidepressants

 

I’ve read many reports that prescribed medications’ side-effects are horrible and overall it actually does more harm than good.
In this chapter, I will give you a short, informative list of herbs as alternatives to prescribed medications.

 

Relaxant herbs are normally used for mild anxiety or depression.
Anti-Anxiety Herbs are used to relieve moderate to severe Panic Attacks.
Antidepressant herbs can be used as substitutes to Antidepressants.

The unfortunate thing is I couldn’t tell you the exact dose that you should take, because every person’s sensitivity to drugs is different. Therefore, you would need to adjust your dosage level to a level that your body is comfortable with

I would recommend starting at a low dosage level. Slowly adjust it till your body can feel the effects and with no side-effects.

 

Never overdose! Some herbs at high dosage levels can have really bad side-effects. For instance, overdosing on certain herbs like Kava Kava herb could result in DEATH.

And please avoid herbs that you might have allergy on.

Relaxant Herbs:
Lime Blossom (Alias: Linden Blossom, Lime Flowers) – its relaxing properties helps to reduce nervous tension, depression and anxiety. It also aids sleeping.

Passion Flower – a very effective herb for many conditions as it sedates, soothes, and relaxes.

Chamomile – helps to relax your muscles and tones the nervous system. Its sedative effects are milder than Passion Flower.

Anti-Anxiety Herbs:
Ashwagandha – stabilizes mood and behavioral disturbances. Its anxiety-anxiety effect is comparable to that produced by Lorazepam.

Kava Kava or Kava Extract– Its relaxing effect helps to reduce Anxiety. It is effective as prescription anti-anxiety drugs containing benzodiazepines such as Valium or Lorazepam. The best part of all is it isn’t addictive! The recommended dosage is 120-240mg in 2-3 divided doses in a day. Still, you can slowly adjust the dosage level to your needs.

Valerian Root – known for its direct sedative effect on the Central Nervous System (CNS), it is a useful for reducing anxiety (when taken in moderate doses) or difficulty sleeping (when taken in higher doses).

Bacopa – helps ease anxiety-related problems. The effects are identical to Lorazepam.

 

Anti-Depressant Herbs:
St John’s Wort – Its benefits and effects works like SSRI medication (i.e. Prozac). However, do not take it with real antidepressant drugs.
Ginkgo Biloba – This herb helps to elevate mood and is often taken as a natural antidepressant. The side-effects are minimal compared to other herbs. But there have been reports that Ginkgo Biloba are linked with bleeding disorders. So please do some research on this particular herb if you’re planning to take this.

Rhodiola Rosea – it helps support the healthy function of the neurotransmitters in your brain. It helps anxiety and many other problems!

 


Tip: It is said that Kava Kava or Kava Extract is a great anti-anxiety herb to relieve Anxiety and Panic-Attacks. Kava Kava can be taken with St John’s Wort for a bigger and more effective result.

And remember: do not take antidepressant herbs (like St John's Wort) with real antidepressant (prozac) drugs! If you do you might experience Serotonin Syndrome - a very serious medical case which your brain have too much Serotonin.

If you do not know where to get these herbs, refer to Useful Links.

 

Aromatherapy:
Yes! Aromatherapy actually can help you! Even when it’s a full-blown panic attack or anxiety attack, aromatherapy can help to calm you down.

But how does it work? Well, when something affects any of our 5-senses, our mind tends to recall or bring out an emotion. Remember the NLP chapter I explained on how a certain song being played on radio can remind you of a person or place?

In aromatherapy, when we breathe in the relaxing aromas of an essential oil, our body immediately relaxes and it also helps to terminate the panic attack cycle. Our mind has received “instructions” to evoke relaxation or calmness.

You can directly apply the essential oils on a handkerchief, a tissue, or on the back of your palm. Then just breathe it in slowly. Or you can put a few drops of oil into your palms; rub both palms together until the oil is absorbed, and cupping your hands over your nose.

 

Here’s a list of essential oils - use what smells best to you:

  • Lavender
  • Helichrysum
  • Frankincense
  • Majoram
  • Neroli
  • Ylang Ylang
  • Rose

You can get cheap herbs and aromatherapy at Amazon here: http://astore.amazon.com/thepanicattacksolution-20


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