Anxiety attacks can be caused by depression-related disorders and can lead to debilitating physical, emotional and mental symptoms. Antidepressant medications can ease feelings of depression, anxiety, nervousness, sadness and irritability. However, these powerful medications can cause a variety of side effects and may not be suitable for all individuals. The University of Maryland Medical Center, or UMMC, notes that there are several natural herbal supplements for anxiety and other depressive disorders. These nonprescription medications work in similar manners to some pharmaceutical drugs, but in less potent ways and with fewer or no side effects. They work to promote feelings of relaxation and calm and decrease nervousness, depression and anxiety. However, herbal medications can interact with other drugs and should be used to treat depression only under the supervision of a doctor.
St. John's Wort
St. John's Wort is a common herbal medicine that is used to treat anxiety and other mood disorders. The UMMC recommends this herbal remedy to treat mild to moderate anxiety and depression. St. John's Wort works to elevate levels of neurotransmitters, or chemical messengers, in the brain such as serotonin, norepinehrine and dopamine that are linked to mood and emotions. Some prescription antidepressants work in similar ways by increasing the concentration of these neurotransmitters in the brain.
Kava Kava
Research published in the journal "Pharmacopsychiatry" indicated that a herbal extract from the plant kava kava can be successfully used to treat anxiety, stress and depressive disorders as well as insomnia. Kava kava is a herbal alternative to prescription antidepressants and sleep aids such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, or SSRI medications; tricyclic antidepressants; and benzodiazepines. It has long been used as a traditional antidepressant remedy in Fiji, Hawaii, Australia, the Caribbean and other areas. However, the University of Maryland Medical Center notes that the extensive use of kava kava may lead to liver problems and other side effects; further research is necessary on this alternate therapy.
Valerian
According to the UMMC, the herbal plant valerian is a nonprescription remedy for the treatment of mild to moderate depression, nervousness and anxiety and related disorders such as insomnia. Extracts from the leaves of the valerian herb are thought to help disorders such as anxiety by increasing the concentration of the neurotransmitter gamma aminobutyric acid, or GABA, in the brain. A class of pharmaceutical antidepressants called benzodiazepines work by a similar mechanism to treat anxiety. The neurotransmitter GABA helps to stimulate relaxation and calmness by regulating the nerve signals in the brain.
References
- University of Maryland Medical Center: St. Johns Wort
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Valerian
- "Pharmacopsychiatry": Kava-kava Extract WS 1490 versus Placebo in Anxiety Disorders; Volz, Kieser; 1997
- FamilyDoctor: Mental health treatment
- "The American Journal of Psychiatry": The Use of Complementary and Alternative Therapies to Treat Anxiety and Depression in the United States; Kessler et al; 2001
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Kava Kava
