Nature Remedies For Anxiety, Panic Attacks, Overthinking And Insomnia

[Starfire]

I use GABA. Not gabapentine but the amino acid GABA for sleep. I carry Bach Rescue with me. Recommend Rescue for PETs. It has no alcohol. Have to be careful cuz just because it's natural doesn't mean it's without risk especially interactions with meds. Take care of yourself!

 

[Pale Mpress Kitty]

I switched my drugs for a "natural" drug called Lavandula Calm. It is made up of:

• Lavandula angustifolia (Lavender) flower
• Withania somnifera (Withania) root extract - For adrenal/anxiety
• Piper methysticum (Kava) root extract - natural sedative

Note: Lavandula Calm cannot be used when also taking another drug. It's a replacement.

It may be worth discussing this with your health professional/therapist. In combination with above:

• I drink a chamomile & valerian tea before bed.
• Have an essential oil diffuser.
• Use art therapy to calm myself (even if its just scribbles of colour).
• And do lots of stretches.

My spine prevents me from doing a lot of exercises, but I'm looking into swimming for a more relaxing kind of experience (think, aqua jogging).

 

[shatter eyes]

I switched my drugs for a "natural" drug called Lavandula Calm. It is made up of:

• Lavandula angustifolia (Lavender) flower
• Withania somnifera (Withania) root extract - For adrenal/anxiety
• Piper methysticum (Kava) root extract - natural sedative

Note: Lavandula Calm cannot be used when also taking another drug. It's a replacement.

It may be worth discussing this with your health professional/therapist. In combination with above:

• I drink a chamomile & valerian tea before bed.
• Have an essential oil diffuser.
• Use art therapy to calm myself (even if its just scribbles of colour).
• And do lots of stretches.

My spine prevents me from doing a lot of exercises, but I'm looking into swimming for a more relaxing kind of experience (think, aqua jogging).

Welcome and thank you. I am looking to find ways to manage sleep and reduce pills. Your post is helpful.

 

[ms spock]

Heya welcome back!

David Burn's book "Feeling Good" - breaking down distorted cognitions
DBT Self Help - lots of exercises to work on there
Distraction techniques
Exercise
Audio book of The Mindful Way Through Depression
Audio book of The Mindful Way Through Anxiety
Good nutrition
The Assertiveness Workbook: How to Express Your Ideas and Stand Up for Yourself at Work and in Relationships by Randy J. Paterson (Author)

 

[Eagle3]

Organic Turmeric powder with fresh-ground black pepper and and oil/fat added is one of the most beneficial natural remedies I know of. Mild/moderate MAOI, blood pressure reducer, blood sugar leveler, hormone regulator, etc. Turmeric has been clinically proven to replace 14 different pharmaceuticals, though I can't remember which ones off-hand. Only caveat is it does cause reduced blood coagulation, so shouldn't be used if on thinners or you have bleeding issues. GREAT in place of Warfarin, though!

Another one I swear by is Ashwaghanda. I was able to reduce my thyroid dose in half due to this supplement.

I also take a full-spectrum Magnesium/potassium/calcium supplement, although if I may switch back to the one without calcium if research says I should. Also taking CoQ-10 for chest pains, and it helps. I love essential oils, meditation, yoga, and martial arts for taking my mind off my shit.

My friend just recommended N-Acetylcysteine for various issues like OCD, Parkinson's, and depression. After reading about it, I'm gonna give it a try.

I've had to stay away from Melatonin like the plague since it makes my nightmares worse.

The only medications I'm on right now are Buspirone (barely takes the edge off, but enough to function), and doc is trying Klonopin right now. I just had a really bad reaction to it, so hoping a dosage adjustment takes care of that since the good this medication is doing is worth trying longer. Sleep is something I struggle badly with since its not just a PTSD trigger, I'm also Autistic, so I need heavy-duty meds to get me a good night's sleep.

The most important thing when using supplements and natural means is to remember your diet! If you eat boxed things and prepared foods all the time, the ingredients are often toxic hormone disruptors that will keep your natural stuff from working properly. If you're going to switch to natural methods of medicating, FOOD is just as important! Organic fruits, veggies, nuts, and organic Grass-fed meats are basically the way your body heals itself. NO preservatives, chemicals, additives, colorings, "seasonings" etc should enter your mouth if you want a pure detoxing effect. It is possible to live this lifestyle on a tight budget, so look for sales, but remember that "medicine should your food, and your food should be medicine".

 

[Fadeaway]

Please becareful with kolonapin. It cause major issues for me. Busbar too but it didn't have the near deadly effects or withdraw seziuers I didn't even know I had.

Diet is soooo important! I went from all all organic, everything cooked from scratch to only having access to food from gas stations over the last year. It started when I became homeless last winter, and now it is because I live in a food dessert and don't even have public transportation nearby. I think it is worse to go from a healthy diet to a bad one than being accustom to a bad diet.

 

[Spacefish]

I've used Withania/Ashwagandha with no effect in the past, but recently used it when I really needed some support and it totally sent me off to a bad and scary place. I have used natural remedies all my life, have a good knowledge and for the most part self-prescribe ... I did not understand why this reaction happened and settled on the notion that "for every action there is a reaction" - that is, when you change one thing there is a myriad of other changes that MAY also happen. If you don't have the internal system support for all those changes (eg you are very vulnerable/little resilience) then as a whole person, you may not be able to deal with those changes - the equilibrium gets too unsettled. Interestingly only a few weeks ago a came across an article written by someone who essentially expressed the same thought - and had seen unpleasant side effects created from use of so called benign and beneficial herbals when used in some vulnerable people. Withania/Ashwagandha is a fantastic adaptogen that has been used since time began to help people and for the most part it does - but not always!!

I use 5-HTP which can have an effect on serotonin and melatonin levels with positive effect - especially for women. However, it is best not to use it all the time (like every day). I find it really effective taken at night with magnesium, I take it for 2-3 nights maximum (per week if needed) and it helps sleep and seems to knock me out of a "panic cycle" enough so I can get a grip! I take 100mgs - but I'm sensitive so you may need more. ******** HOWEVER: please note that you can NOT take 5-HTP if you are using a SSRI or some other types of anti-depressives as you risk serotonin syndrome which is serious!!!! *******

When sleep/stress is really bad, I knock back Valarian tincture at night which tastes a bit nasty but had a really beneficial effect on sleep and my stress state during the day. I'm going to get some hops and passionflower tinctures to use during the day to help settle my nervous system a bit further.

My Dr just prescribed me melatonin which I took for the first time last night, it knocked me out but I feel so dozy today. Blah. I may try again but a half dose.

I'm 53 and recently found I was diagnosed with PTSD back in 2004 but no one told me or helped me deal with it specifically. I'm also dissociative at the upper end of the scale but not DID (I don't think). Now that I have learned a little about both disorders, I can trace them back to my early years. I have generally stayed out of the medical arena of health care but recently tried a super low dose SSRI as my PTSD was so bad ... but stopped due to some unfortunate side effects.

I recommend the use of complimentary therapies to help in our journey, when the right substance is found it can really help with healing. I would recommend researching and finding an experienced and reputable naturopath or similar, it will save you money in the end and really we do not need to be messed with any more than what we already have been.

Hope that helps. :)

Oh and ... in terms of diet, I have been on a ketogenic diet and it has an amazing effect on my moods and reactions to the world around me. It has a number of excellent health benefits, and can only think it beneficial to mental/neuro health due to the increase of good health fats. I do limit my dairy intake, am reducing my other land animal intake but trying to increase fish, salmon, shellfish etc

 

[EveHarrington]

This is one of those times where a natural remedy is the only option.

Actually have you heard of the prescription? Deplin? It’s super expensive and not covered by most insurance. I’m not sure why/how it was approved as a Rx though given that it contains methylfolate.

Sorry for the tangent.

 

[TruthSeeker]

How about magnesium glycinate and chamomile tea?

This time I'm really sick of antidepressants and any other medication. Don't want to be in this trial and error of medication they give.

I take magnesium and zinc- 1 hr before bedtime as part of my sleep regimen. I notice when I do t take it- harder to sleep. I also listen to calm app on cell. Seems to work most nights- and w good sleep.

 

[Fadeaway]

@EveHarrington yes, I get samples from my psychiatrist. It is exactly the same thing you can get at a healthfood store, just like prescription melatonin. The Deplin sample boxes say food supplement on them which is why it isn't cover by insurance.

 

[EveHarrington]

@EveHarrington yes, I get samples from my psychiatrist. It is exactly the same thing you can get at a healthfood store, just like prescription melatonin. The Deplin sample boxes say food supplement on them which is why it isn't cover by insurance.

What’s the dose?

 

[Fadeaway]

There isn't a single place on the sample box or in the insert that I can find that has a dose listed. Just says 1 caplet 1 time daily. And forgive me, on the box it says medical food not nutritional supplement.