Herbal Remedies for Anxiety

Question

Are there any over the counter medications that will work for anxiety? My wife is obviously dealing with a more than normal amount of anxiety in her daily life. I think she should go and talk to a psychiatrist about this but she refuses. She is Laotian and there is a lot of stigma to any kind of mental health stuff in her mind. It’s like she is trying to just tough it out and that whenever I try to get her to talk about it I am calling her a lunatic. Since she refuses to go and see a doctor I was wondering if there was any kind of over the counter medication I could give her that would help her to calm down. I am hoping that if she tries something mild and finds that it helps her feel better she will be more receptive to going to see a doctor to get a legitimate prescription for something that would really work.

Dr. Shirley Schaye · Accepted Answer

Kava is fine in small doses. You probably want Valerian root, though. Tincture of valerian root, which will be sold at pretty much any health food store, has a mild tranquilizing effect. Some people who have taken Kava, report that it has a mixed reputation. People have been taking it in the South Pacific for many, many years, but some of the ways it's packaged for sale in the West have not been good. Kava, unlike GABA or Valerian, gives you a feeling kind of like getting tipsy. Kava may indeed do some good, but if you need more than a small dose you'll find it's a pretty potent sedative, not-unlike-alcohol effects.

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