Natural Remedies for Depression and Anxiety

There really is not much time left in the world today for each of us to take out and relax, and because of this many of us are prone to anxiety and tension and even cases of depression. Some people even experience more than the occasional anxiety and actually develop a long-term depression that can last for weeks and months. But there are other things we can use - safer, natural, and possibly even more effective - to help calm our nerves and eleviate the symptoms that come along with a stressed nervous system.

While it is so important to take all matters in your life into consideration, such as what your diet looks like (it may be that you need to make some drastic changes in your diet) and perhaps how much alcohol you consume or what drugs you take, these following herbal remedies may prove to be just what you need.

There is a plant, Lemon Balm, that can be used in various ways for your general anxiety problems. Lemon Balm is a perennial plant with little white flowers and little toothed leaves that attracts bees from distances around. In the 1600's John Evelyn said of Lemon Balm: "Balm is sovereign for the brain, strengthening the memory and powerfully chasing away melancholy." Yes, the tonic effects of Lemon Balm are well known, and anybody can see that when taking a sniff at it's flowers and leaves which provide such a calming effect.

Lemon Balm is indeed traditionally used all over the world to lift the human spirit and relieve such symptoms as heart palpitations and aching body due to stress and anxiety. It can actually reduce nervousness and relax away mild depression. An infusion, or strong tea, can be used several times a day for the headaches due to anxiety, and a bath can be taken by adding the leaves and infusion to the warm water and soaking yourself, deeply inhaling.

St. John's Wort is another useful herb when it comes to depression. Tablets are readily available in stores, but it may take several weeks before you really start to notice a difference - but it is well worth the effort. A tea can also be made and drank several times a day. It is a beautiful flowering plant, with small yellow blossoms, and it is mostly those same flowers that are used in your remedy.

Another herb you can try is Skullcap, getting it's name from the seed capsules on the plant that, when dry, look like little skullcaps. You can make an infusion of the herb, a tea, and drink several times a day for short-term relief of stress and anxiety. Capsules are also available that aid in nervous exhaustion and tension, but often they contain other herbs as well.

Valerian is a wonderful herb especially if you are experiencing chronic anxiety and sleeplessness. Since Roman times it has been used as a sedative and despite it's unpleasant smell it is still used today. You can readily find it in tablet or capsule form in natural and vitamin shops, and you will find that it is the best therapy you have had in years! It is generally the root of valerian that is used.

A popular and well known herb, Ginseng is highly valued for it's ability to improve stamina, reduce stress, and help you cope with depression. Capsules and tablets are readily available, and in China a soup made with Ginseng is very common.

Another herb is called Withania, and there are options as to how you can take it - you can chew the root (if available), drink it as tea, or take capsules or tablets. You may not be familiar with the plant, but it is a shrub found primarily in places like the Mediterranean and Middle East. In India, it is greatly researched, and trials in the 80's have found it also to improve sexual performance and recover patients form chronic sickness.

Yes, there are other options when it comes to treating symptoms of depression and anxiety. Try some of the aforementioned, and see what remarkable things herbs can do for you!