Natural Holistic Remedies for Anxiety, Stress and Depression
NATURAL ALTERNATIVES to PROZAC, VALIUM & RITALIN
This series of articles, "Natural Holistic Remedies" will address only the 'known to work' remedies and natural therapies, either through personal experience or gathered from trusted sources. I've been studying these types of holistic cures and aids for over over 15 years and have discovered many new concepts as well as debunking some older (and some newer ones too). See the first article in the series Natural Holistic Remedies for Shingles here.
More and more these days, plants are finding a medicinal purpose in our lives, people like natural cures rather than subjecting themselves to harsh man-made chemicals and pills, also keep in mind that around 30% of the ingredients that are added in conventional medicine are extracted from natural resources like plants and herbs. Holistic remedies are becoming more commonplace in the medical field and even many scientists after years of testing are concluding that alternative medicine is making headway as a tool in the "every-man's preventative medicine chest".
Anxiety, stress and depression are almost at record levels in our country, who knows if it's because of the economy, the stressful atmospheres and workplaces we subject ourselves to, or even home-life? Most people don't think about it, but our diets, especially an excess of sugar, sugar substitutes, coffee, alcohol and/or junk foods can add to imbalances in our mental and physical states of being. No matter the cause, there is hope...and without resorting to dangerous synthetic drugs. Anxiety, stress and depression can have real life consequences and devastating effects on our spirits, minds and bodies that affect not only the entire scope of our lives, but those around us as well.
Natural Holistic Remedies for Anxiety, Stress & Depression:
Natural Holistic Remedy for Anxiety, Stress & Depression - Essential Oils:
Aromatherapy is becoming an ever-increasing part of more and more people's lives, and it's no wonder, the miracles of essential oils are truly part of "God's gifts for us" here on Earth. Those little drops of miracles pack more punch in one drop than any other form of natural medicine. If you've never used essential oils before, read a primer I wrote on essential oils, what they are and the difference between therapeutic grade and most "on the market" essential oils called Many Helpful Suggestions on Uses of Essential Oils before delving into this article, it will save you lots of questions. To see how essential oils can help with depression and anxiety see: Can Essential Oils Help with Depression & Anxiety? Using Aromatherapy as a Mood Regulator.
Natural Holistic Remedy for Anxiety, Stress & Depression -Omega-3 fatty acids-
Many doctors - whether Holistic, Alternative, Eastern or Western types- recommend adding Omega-3 fatty acids to our diets...whether through supplements or part of a healthy diet consisting of fatty fish 2-to-3 times per week. Omega-3 Fatty acids are helpful for aiding depression, and many times are used as treatment for ADD-ADHD Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, diabetes, High Blood Pressure, Arthritis, and many other maladies as well.
Natural Holistic Remedy for Anxiety, Stress & Depression -Exercise!
There's nothing like the euphoric feeling of natural endorphins coursing through your system after physical exertion and exercise, they don't call it "runner's high" for nothing. And you don't even have to run to get that "runner's high" either...any form of physical exertion that gets your heart pumping will work wonders for your over-all morale, and a regular exercise program can even permanently change your state of mind, body and spirit. See my article "Feel Great, Lose Weight and Boost Metabolism" for more info.
Natural Holistic Remedy for Anxiety, Stress & Depression - Herbal Supplements-
There are an abundance of resources on herbal remedies and supplements for anxiety and depression, and most I've seen are pretty good. Some herbs I know of off-hand that work well for stress, depression and anxiety include; St. John's Wort, Ginseng, and Lemon balm to name a few. An A/C contributor, Patti Stafford wrote a great article on Herbs for Depression I definitely recommend.
Natural Holistic Remedy for Anxiety, Stress & Depression - Diet & Nutrition-
As stated above, most of us don't think about our diet's much, just when we're hungry, and what we eat can have a large impact on not only our physical bodies and minds, but our mental states and spiritual states as well. Sugar, sugar substitutes, coffee, alcohol and/or junk foods are the first things we should cut out or at least try to cut back on to bring our "spirit's up". These tend to give us a false sense of well-being for very short time periods and we end up crashing...you know the drill... "gotta' have that coffee in the morning to get me going"...isn't going to really work after a couple hours. Wouldn't you rather have sustained energy and a good feeling about what you're putting into your bodies? Try eating lots of nuts, beans and vegetables high in magnesium, especially leafy green vegetables and avoid spicy foods. A wonderful website I found on treating anxiety and depression with nutrition and diet is at; Diet Treatment for Anxiety and Depressionhttp://www.ctds.info/anxiety_depression.html, also a great book is; Nutrition Against Disease by Dr. Roger J. Williams.
Our bodies house our spirit's and we should all treat our bodies with more respect, we would feel better inside and out. This is dealing with our problems 'holistically" -including the "whole body" - mind, body and spirit- together, by using natural remedies and holistic aids, we are honoring our "whole-selves". And never give up hope, you are definitely NOT alone, many, many people deal with this everyday, and a wide variety of websites, info. and help is out there.
HELP is out there:
Find the Light.net; http://www.findthelight.net/
Crisis Hotlines; http://www.findingdulcinea.com/guides/Health/Anxiety-and-Depression.pg_04.html
Healing from Depression; http://www.healingfromdepression.com/links.htm
See my related A/C articles here:
Natural Holistic Remedies for Shingles
Can Essential Oils Help with Depression & Anxiety? Using Aromatherapy as a Mood Regulator
Many Helpful Suggestions on Uses of Essential Oils
Feel Great, Lose Weight and Boost Metabolism
RESOURCES AND RECOMMENDATIONS:
Consumer Health.org:http://www.consumerhealth.org/articles/display.cfm?ID=20011005221948
Patti Stafford's A/C article on Herbs for Depression
Diet Treatment for Anxiety and Depression
Natural Healing for Depression by James Strohecker
Nutrition Against Disease by Dr. Roger J. Williams.
MORE READING:
NIA information
YOGA information
Pilates Information
Calorie Burning Calculator
Types of exercise info
Exercise FAQ
Can Essential Oils Help with Depression & Anxiety? Using Aromatherapy as a Mood Regulator
Many Helpful Suggestions on Uses of Essential Oils
Published by Candice
I'm a theophile, a freelance writer and a regular contributor to many sites and blogs. I'm also a creative spirit and artist, aromatherapy enthusiast, alternative healing therapist, lover of angels, and musi... View profile
- The Best Natural Cures for Anxiety AttacksIn many cases, anxiety sufferers can respond well to natural treatments such as herbs, homeopathy, relaxation training, aromatherapy, and environmental stress reduction.
- Natural Ways of Treating Panic Disorder and Stress Anxiety and depression can affect many people in today's stressful world. This article examines the possibility of treating these disorders naturally instead of using anti-depressants that can be addictive.
- Greater Improvement in Anxiety Symptoms Affiliated with Variable TreatmentsPrimary care settings that allow patients choices that have anxiety symptoms tend to show remarkable improvement over the standard issue treatments.
- Are You Always Getting Emotional? Nature's Answer for OversensitivityIs getting emotional a problem for you? Do you find yourself bursting into tears or fuming in anger seemingly at the drop of a hat? If you do, you are hardly alone.
- Generally Feeling Down? Here's a Natural Cure for the BluesGenerally feeling down is something many people experience. For most of us, the feeling corrects itself over time. In some cases, it persists, eventually developing into full blown depression.
- Natural Holistic Remedies for Shingles
- Herbal Remedies for Stress
- The Top 3 Anxiety Treatments
- Natural and Holistic Remedies for Stomach Ache
- What is Anxiety?
- Natural Remedies for Menopause that Control Symptoms Without Side Effects
- Natural Remedies for the Symptoms of Menopause
- Consumer Health.org:http://www.consumerhealth.org/articles/display.cfm?ID=20011005221948
- Natural Healing for Depression by James Strohecker www.amazon.com/gp/product/0399525378?ie=UTF8&tag=yellowessent-20&linkCode=as2&camp=17
- Nutrition Against Disease by Dr. Roger J. Williams. www.amazon.com/gp/product/0553123629?ie=UTF8&tag=yellowessent-20&linkCode=as2&camp=17