The Problem With Using Herbs To Treat Anxiety

Many people who have been diagnosed with anxiety are wary of taking drugs fearing that they will become addicted to them. As a result, many who could benefit from prescribed medications, forego taking them.

What some have chosen to do instead is to take a more naturalistic approach to treating their depression - primarily using herbs and other natural substances. Before embarking on such a course, however, any patient should first notify their primary physician and get their feedback on the specific herbal therapies that they are thinking of trying.

More natural ways of treating illnesses are in vogue now. But, the big question is can herbs and other plant substances actually help to relieve anxiety. And, if so, are they as effective as synthetic medicines?

This may seem like an absurd question since the major components of many high profile anti-anxiety medications are directly or indirectly derived from plant sources. However, in actuality, there have been relatively few controlled studies of the effect that these herbs and plant products have on patients suffering from anxiety.

There is one large problem for those who use herb, however. And that is the fact that the potency levels of the active ingredients in these herbs can vary wildly from one plant to the following. And, not only that, but the potency level also varies from one brand of herbal supplement to the next brand. This alone makes it extremely difficult to know exactly how much of a herb you should take for your anxiety in order for it to be effective.

In fact, the main benefit of synthetic medicines is that the proportions of the drug that you receive is constant from one pill to the next. That is, if you take a 200 mg pill of a popular anxiety drug, you can be sure that the next pill you take from the bottle has the same amount of active drug in it. That is something that you cannot often say about herbs sold in the stores.

The herbal industry is largely unregulated. This leaves the consumer confused when trying to properly evaluate a herbal product based on the claims of the manufacturer.

Some doctors will agree to let their patient go off medications for a short period of time while the doctor monitors the effects. Others, however, will strongly advise the patient to not alter from their prescribed treatment. And, a few doctors, will themselves be strong advocates of using herbs, and the like, for treating their patients. As a patient concerned about the effects that traditional synthetic medications may have on their body, you should seek to work with a doctor who you feel comfortable with and has the same feelings about these medications that you do.

By: Karen Larsen

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

Millions of people suffer from anxiety every day. For additional articles on the subject such as anxiety disorder tests and anxiety panic disorders, please visit our site.