10 Herbs for Anxiety

1. Ginger

Ginger is a root that you can start using in a number of ways to help with your anxiety. You can brew up ginger tea, which basically consists of putting pieces of ginger root in a hot cup of water. You can add ginger to your cooking as well, as it calms the stomach and is said to increase the amount of energy your digestive system uses. Ginger also has a cleansing effect on the body, so you can help rid yourself of certain wastes which will help you feel better overall. Ginger can have side effects, which is why you’ll want to check with your doctor before taking larger amounts of it.


2. Jojoba

You’ll often see jojoba added to bath and body products because of its soothing effect. What we’re most interested here is the way that jojoba makes the skin feel, as this can play a big part in how you feel all over, and can help you relax during times of excessive stress and feelings of anxiety. There aren’t many side effects when it comes to using jojoba, but you’ll still want to run it past your doctor to get the all clear before you start using it in earnest. Most of the time you won’t be using it directly, it will be mixed in with other herbs and oils as part of a product.

3. Ginkgo Biloba

This is one of the more popular all-natural anti-anxiety remedies, so perhaps you’ve heard about it. Ginkgo Biloba has many different uses, and is said to help with everything from improving mental focus and acuity to glaucoma. When you consider that anxiety is mental condition, it becomes clear that taking a supplement to help the functioning of the brain is a good idea. A healthy brain should not be anxious, and should have mechanisms in place to deal with excessive anxiety in a healthy way. Taking gingko biloba as part of a comprehensive approach to treating your anxiety may be a good idea, but be sure to ask your doctor first.


4. Valerian Root

This herb works best at helping you get to sleep when your mind is racing and you feel a sense of panic when you’re just trying to get rest. Getting proper sleep is paramount when you’re dealing with feeling of anxiety. Sleep is your brain’s chance to rest and restore itself without your conscious mind getting in the way. The irony is that your conscious mind tries to come up with a bunch of what if situations right when you’re trying to go to sleep. Help calm your mind and trigger natural sleep responses from the brain with valerian root.


5. Bergamot

Bergamot comes from the bergamot orange and comes out as an oil which can be used for aromatherapy to help reduce stress. This is a remedy that is used during radiation treatment, and it has been noted that it also works for those not undergoing that treatment, but also in need of an anti-anxiety solution. This is a very natural remedy and it is often added to foods without any known side effects, but you’ll want to be careful when using it in stronger concentrations or with greater frequency. It’s always a good idea to ask your doctor if they think it’s okay for you to start supplementing with any knew herb or oil.

6. Chamomile

Chamomile has long been used to help calm the mind and relax the body, and it is often used as a tea. Rather than just being a folk remedy, scientific studies have actually backed up its effectiveness, and there are not clinical trials that have shown it really does work. This is good news for those that want a non-prescription way to help treat anxiety. Keep in mind that using chamomile alone might not be enough to treat severe cases of anxiety, such as panic attacks or associated conditions like clinical depression, but they can play their part in a more comprehensive approach.

7. St. John’s Wort

You may have heard the buzz about St. John’s Wort several years back as it became mainstream popular as a natural way to help treat depression. The benefits it provides may also help to treat anxiety, but studies being conducted into this area have not been able to provide conclusive evidence that it works. However, many users report greater feelings of ease and well being after taking it, and this has been the case for several hundred years now. It’s something you should consult with your doctor on, as they’ll be able to recommend a dosage that’s right for you if they think it’s something you should try.


8. Lavender

Help your body unwind and relax with the soothing properties of lavender. You can make a tea out of it, or use the essential oil for aromatherapy either by warming it up or adding it to your bath. A relaxed body often results in a relaxed mind, and this can be a big help when trying to calm yourself down. You can use this as a daily ritual, or save it for times when you are especially stressed out and feeling strong levels of anxiety. Some also use this to help with insomnia, so taking a bath with lavender in it before bed can really help you get a good night’s sleep, which can work wonders on anxiety.

9. Eucalyptus

You can use all natural eucalyptus to help with your feelings of stress and anxiety. Many users have reported intense feelings of relaxation after using it. The oil is extracted from the eucalyptus plant, and can be used in several different forms including a spray or made into a tea. The trick to using all-natural products like these is to make sure that you are getting to the problem early. It’s much easier to diffuse anxiety before it creeps up than to try to treat a full blown anxiety attack using herbs and other natural remedies, as they take time to have their effect on the body and senses.

10. Meadow Sweet

If you’ve been experiencing headaches due to the amount of stress and anxiety you’ve been experiencing, meadow sweet might be just the tool for you to use for relief. This is another herb that makes a great relaxing tea that you can sip on whenever you feel the first tingle of a headache, or even before then, when you recognize a trigger that sends you into an anxious state. There are a few contraindications with meadow sweet, so be sure to get your doctor’s approval before you begin taking it. Namely, if you have an aspirin sensitivity you may want to avoid using this.

Your Inner Child #ChildAbuse #Therapy

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• Discovering Your Inner Child

Everyone has a inner child but for some they are more apparent than others, this is because when someone has gone through trauma at a young age, the child can't cope with what is happening so he/she goes somewhere deep inside and hides away for their own protection whilst another part of you takes over from that child. As you get older and go through more and more bad experiences the body breaks into more parts, these parts of you are called the inner child.

The part that doesn't want to grow up and likes to play still and has immature emotions and ways, this is your inner child. As an adult you become more aware of your inner child because part of you has grown up with age but that little you who had to hide deep inside all those years ago will one day want to come out when they feel safe to do so,

This can sound quite an experience to go through but it can be an enjoyable part of the healing journey and also fun, you can discover your inner child in many ways as detailed under Working with your inner child.

Take some time to get to know your inner child and learn to comfort them and help them to grow up with you; it's the right path for inner healing.

Getting To Know Your Inner Child 

This part can be fun and rewarding but also very sad and difficult as you get to know your inner child you will understand gradually things that happened to you as a child, the good and unfortunately the bad too.

Just keep reminding the little you that you are safe now and your adult you will look after little you.

As you get to know your little one you can learn to love yourself and you will soon realise that the abuse that happened to you was in fact not your fault.

As you start to remember or re-visit the past make sure you are with someone who can support you and that you feel safe, try and not be alone as this can lead to damaging effects on you, you have all ready been hurt enough and you don't need any more pain to have to experience.

Take your time and enjoy getting to know the little you and eventually when you have got to know her/him you can begin to heal the damaged past years.

Healing Your Inner Child

Healing your inner child takes a lot of time and needs to be done with great care, it can also be fun, you have to remember that this inner child has been very hurt and traumatized but he/she is a part of you.... a big part of you that holds the key to those parts of your life that you thought were missing.

It is possible to heal the inner child with the right support and you have to want to heal him/her and get to know them, it won’t be easy and needs to be taken at your own pace.

To heal the inner child you will have to visit parts of your past that you might not want to but all the time reassuring the little you that they are safe now and that you as an adult will protect them.

There are lots of resources and books etc for self help on healing the inner child or there is therapy. Working with a therapist you can write to your inner child and learn to let him/her have a voice so that you can understand your little you so that healing is possible.

Take time getting to know your inner child and accept that you have one so that you can work together. Remember your little one has been locked away for years after going through a lot of pain.

He/she needs to be loved and to feel safe and cared for and accepted so they can grow up with you 

Working With Your Inner Child

Once you have discovered your Inner child you can learn to relate to him/her and then start to work with them,

It is best to work with a therapist who understands the inner child and there are some books you can work through too.

Things you can do yourself?

You can write letters to your inner child and get him/her to reply, this way you can get to know one another.
You can let your inner child play... play dough is fun you can also get rid of a lot of stress fondling with play dough, try and remember what your favourite games were as a child and play some . This can be fun and healing.
If you ever feel your inner child is insecure and lonely you could try wrapping yourself up in a comfy blanket and rocking yourself telling your little one inside its ok.

Grounding Techniques #ChildAbuse #Therapy

What do therapists mean when they talk about grounding?

Grounding is about learning to stay present (or for some get present in the first place) in your body in the here and now. Basically it consists of a set of skills/tools to help you manage dissociation and the overwhelming trauma-related emotions that lead to it. Processing done from a very dissociated state is not useful in trauma work. Neither is the goal to be so overwhelmed by feelings that you feel re-traumatised. Once you are present, you also need to learn other means of managing the feelings and thoughts associated with traumatic memories.

Every one is different. Different grounding techniques will work for different people. The following are some general categories and ideas. Exploring the pros and cons of various approaches with your therapist can be useful.

Grounding often takes the form of focusing on the present by tuning into it via all your senses. For example, one technique could involve focusing on a sound you hear right now, a physical sensation (what is the texture of the chair you are sitting on, for example?) and/or something you see. Describe each in as much detail as possible.

Diaphragmatic or deep breathing: Trauma survivors often hold their breath or breathe very shallowly. This in turn deprives you of oxygen which can make anxiety more intense. Stopping and focusing on deepening and slowing your breathing can bring you back to the moment.

Relaxation, guided imagery or hypnotherapy techniques- folks with dissociative disorders are engaging in a form of self-hypnosis much of the time. The trouble is, it is out of your control! Some trauma therapists are also trained in hypnosis and can help teach you how to use dissociation in a way that works for you. For example: you can develop a safe container for traumatic material between sessions, create a safe or comfortable place (“safe” may not be a concept some survivors can relate to or may be triggering to some) or learn ways to turn down the “volume” of painful feelings and memories.

Grounding and emotion management skills can help you proceed with the work of trauma therapy in a manner that feels empowering instead of re-traumatising.

Finding a Safe Place or Activity

A safe place is a form of anchor to reduce the stress of working with traumatic 

memories. "Anchors" can be used as ‘braking’ tools when the going gets rough. 

A suitable anchor is one that gives relief (in body and emotion) and a sense of well-being. 

It is preferable that an anchor is chosen from real life experience, so that positive memories 

in both body and mind can be accessed. It is useful to work with your counsellor

to establish in advance an anchor that can be used when needed in trauma work. 

A safe place or activity is a current or remembered experience of protection. 

It should have associations of calmness and safety (as opposed to ‘relaxing’ - 

which can feel unsafe for people who have experienced trauma, or ‘pleasurable’ - which can 

be over- stimulating). It is preferable for the safe place/activity to be something real that is 

known from life. This is because there will be somatic resonance in the memory - sights, sounds, smells, etc. which will be recorded as sensory memory traces and be highly accessible. 

It is helpful to imagine the safe place/activity during times of stress and anxiety, or it can 

be used as an anchor, to reduce hyper-arousal during a therapy session. 

Writing as Therapy #writing Guest Post for @McGuireHimself

This is a piece I wrote recently as a guest blog for Patrick McGuire. McGuire offers a webpage that covers a wide variety of interests: jokes, serious commentary, recipes, poems comic and serious. As one reader put it, "McGuireHimself.com is about the life, loves and literature of Patrick McGuire." His blog can be found HERE and hiw Twitter is @McGuireHimself

 

 

 

 

Why do I write so much and so often? For decades I was unable to express my innermost thoughts and feelings verbally. Initially because I was silenced by those that abused me. The fear of reprisals for speaking out far outweighing the need to "tell". I felt disconnected from the world around me, an island in the vast ocean of life. I started writing about my feelings in my early teens. I wrote to stop my head exploding... There was so much I wanted to say but was unable to give voice to my thoughts. Some of these early attempts at writing are difficult for me to read even now, the raw pain I felt then leaping out of the words to slap me in the face.

Writing as therapy focuses on expressive writing and its value in processing life experience, particularly trauma and change. Use writing to express your  “deepest thoughts and feelings” regarding a particular subject (e.g. illness, recent loss, life upheavals, past trauma etc.).  Writing, more so than speaking out thoughts or feelings aloud, presents us with a slower, solitary mode for reflection. Unlike conversations, we’re less concerned with another person’s reaction. We listen perhaps more intently to our own voices and catch glimpses of subtler stirrings. We own our words in a more definitive and personal way.

Many people use writing as therapy, perhaps without even realising it. Keeping a diary or journal is a common and popular pass time in which secrets are often written down, dreams expressed and desires given life. Blogging is a more recent phenomenon and is yet another form of expressive writing. It's a more public form of "therapy", sharing with the world our hopes, expectations, thoughts and ideas. Using the internet also allows one to be as private or public as one wishes. Identities can be assumed and a sense of safety obtained by "hiding" behind a screen of some sort.

For me, being finally able to give my words wings and letting them fly around the world was hugely empowering. I have much that I have not yet shared, things too painful for my consiousness to process still. Some of these exist in private writings and others exist in my mental journal. One day I hope to give all these memories, fears, hopes and aspirations a life, to cast the pain out along with the words.

I find writing to be as relaxing as meditation. It calms my inner seas and brings my sometimes erratic and painful thoughts to the safety of a secure harbour. There are many forms of writing; there are many styles. We have different ways of expressing ourselves; we also have varied reasons for doing so. But when pen and paper or finger and keyboard make contact, thoughts are released and the mind gets more focused as we are instinctively drawn towards the quiet center of the self.

Anyone can use writing as a means to clear their thoughts, to give order to chaos. Writing is a disciplinary act that can give new insights into yourself and your relationships. It is also completely honest, for what do you gain by lying to yourself? It is a therapy designed for everybody, not just for the disturbed, distressed or dying. Writing is a spiritual journey, it is the soul searching for truth. Writing should flow through you, cleansing and clearing as it progresses.

Use writing to manage your stress. Identify the external reason or reasons for your stress, then link your own contribution to this stress. Pinpoint what is bothering you, what happened or is happening to add to the stress levels. Write about your responses, your feelings and thoughts related to the events. Tell yourself in your own written words why you are distressed, decide what you can do to control the situation. Decide on a way forward. Be honest!

You don't have to devote much time to use writing as therapy, perhaps 10-15 minutes a day is all you will need. If you have the urge to write more then be sure to take breaks, read and read again what you have written before you go on. You can write about how writing makes you feel! Don't let writing become a chore. Relax, walk the dog, dig the garden, tell your partner you love them and don't forget to tell yourself the same. Writing as therapy should be relaxing, not a stress in it's own right.

Writing helped keep me sane (well as sane as was possible given the circumstances), it gave an outlet to the turmoil I felt inside and allowed me to feel some benefit from sharing my experiences, if only with myself.. I can't imagine a life where I would be unable to write, to express myself on screen or paper. I write, therefore I am!

Building Blocks

Most people have a happy childhood right? My childhood had happy moments, but overall was a very miserable experience.

It is said that a child's character is formed by the time they are six years old. We are born with a predetermined number of building blocks and how we are raised, how we are treated and the experiences we have decide how we use these building blocks.

Our reactions to danger, trust, pain, love, anger, fear depend on where we place these building blocks.

So much in life is a "two way street". Give and take, action and reaction.

If our formative years had a high percentage of negative experiences then we react by building walls in an attempt to lessen the impact of these events. As we are young builders then we may build these walls too high, thereby isolating ourselves and making it very difficult to let anyone close in the future.

As well as blocking out the bad experiences, we also block out good ones. Our reactions to events in later life may become inappropriate because the walls we built in childhood are too high or too low.

Hiding behind too many walls leaves us miserable and isolated. In an attempt to protect ourselves in childhood we inadvertently deny ourselves the ability to fully enjoy and appreciate life.

Every good building should be built on solid and safe foundations. Foundations can crack if not built with the correct materials and in turn the building on which the foundation stands becomes unstable.

The age at which traumatic abuse occurs can determine how we cope with it. In my case the abuse started when I was still a toddler. My foundations cracked and in turn the building of my life became very unstable, to the point that it actually broke into separate sections. Some walls fell down and some of the debris used to strengthen what remained standing. It made me an "incomplete" adult.

Walls exist where there should be doors; open spaces where a wall should protect me; turrets instead of boundary walls.

My reactions to danger, trauma and intimacy became exaggerated. Trust became distorted. The survival instinct kept me alive but not fully functioning. With my incomplete structure I allowed enemies in and kept friends out. Cracks exist, some wide enough and deep enough to trap and imprison me. One wall deals with danger, another love. A tower handles trust and a drawbridge intimacy. Fear resides in a moat and anger in the metal spikes that top the walls.

All different, segmented, pieces of whom I should have been. Some pieces working independently whilst others have wooden bridge linking them tentatively. Together they form me, my castle.

I'm calling in the builders. I don't want repairmen anymore that just patch and make do. It's time to rebuild, this time in safety and with love and care too. No longer an eyesore but something to be proud of, something appropriate. Join me?