Natural/herbal or other drugs for anxiety?

[Mr TIMO]

What's a good natural/herbal (i.e.) legal or usually legal product that calms you down heaps?
(For either recreational relaxation, or dealing with medical/psychological problems)


In social situations, i can get quite phobic at times and so as a result im quite a heavy drinker (but only when i go out, not like during the day etc)
Im also petrified of public speaking and really need some drugs to help me out. (for presentations, and job interviews etc)
Im reading a self help book so im already partly dealing with the physcological side of it. I know the chemical side of my body plays a large role in my problem, because say for example i haven't eaten anything all day, i will be a LOT more anxious and uncomfortable etc. (hypoglycemic i suppose)
But a full stomache still doesn't get me right so i want something more.


Ive been doing a bit of browsing around websites which sell this sort of stuff and ive found a few things:
-Kava (i used to think it was illegal to import in oz, but i found an australian websites selling it it's just restricted or something)
- Herbal pills, like those ones from amsterdam, lounge-e
- Valerian

I don't smoke, but wouldn't mind smoking some herbs for a bit of relaxing fun...like maybe
- Passion Flower
- Lions Tail
- but i don't think you can get Kratom in australia


So what are your opinions on the ones i mentioned, or do you have any better suggestions?

thanx heaps

 

[Ds]

Try Kava Kava Tea.. It's a good mellow high feeling. It's not to strong and not to weak, and it makes a good tea.

 

[Mr TIMO]

ok well im gonna try some 'instant kava'.
you just add 2 grams of it to a drink apparantly

 

[swilow]

What's a good natural/herbal (i.e.) legal or usually legal product that calms you down heaps?
(For either recreational relaxation, or dealing with medical/psychological problems)


In social situations, i can get quite phobic at times and so as a result im quite a heavy drinker (but only when i go out, not like during the day etc)
Im also petrified of public speaking and really need some drugs to help me out. (for presentations, and job interviews etc)
Im reading a self help book so im already partly dealing with the physcological side of it. I know the chemical side of my body plays a large role in my problem, because say for example i haven't eaten anything all day, i will be a LOT more anxious and uncomfortable etc. (hypoglycemic i suppose)
But a full stomache still doesn't get me right so i want something more.


Ive been doing a bit of browsing around websites which sell this sort of stuff and ive found a few things:
-Kava (i thought it was illegal to import in australia, but i found an auatralian websites selling it )
- Herbal pills, like those ones from amsterdam, lounge
- Valerian

I don't smoke, but wouldn't mind smoking some herbs for a bit of relaxing fun...like maybe
- Passion Flower
- Lions Tail
- but i don't think you can get Kratom in australia


So what are your opinions on the ones i mentioned, or do you have any better suggestions?

thanx heaps

I haven't found many herbs that are 'recereational' bu some that are very therapeutic (sp?).

Kava of course- it is a genuine anti anxiety herb, tastes quite bitter and can obviously bring about dependence- fortunately it is not very toxic. It IS legal in Aus now. Try to buy FRESH tongan kava, or an extract from the pacific islands, they will be much much much stronger then instant Kava.

Skullcap, passionflower, Californian poppy and damiana (when combined a a tea) have helped me through fullon benzo withdrawal, and definitely have some value- reduction in trembling, sweating, more ability to sleep etc. And vivid dreams. Mugwort is quite good for this too.

Lions tail is okay, not really an 'anti anxiety' compound, but more a shamanictrancey smoke, good for dancing or mixing with pot. Tastes like shit to smoke, so I wouldn't go near it as a tea.

Valerian is very effective in creating GABA fluid (the inhibitory substance that valium/benzo's force the brain to screte) with out oversuing it.

Also try raw herbs in various forms (smoked, drunk/steeped, eaten) as opposed to just popping a pill. Many homeopathic formulas are extracts of the 'active' part of the plant- but most herbs contain synergistic or potentiaiong properties in them, that the extraction process intentionlly destroys.

There are warning related to a lot of these herbs (for example , passionflower contains harmaline/harmine, the constituent of Peganu harmala, the great Syrian Rue) which is a MAOI, but only in trace amounts. Kava can cause liver damage (much the same as with alchohol- excessive use) and ofte nausea, damiana can intefere withiron absorption (once again, if overused) and very strong teas can induce a bit of nasuea in anyone.

A actual drug that would be worth trying to counteract anxiety would be GHB or GBL, but upon evaluation, I would say the risks outweigh the benefits.

Believe it or not, ayahuasca is alledged to be involved in rection of anxiety levels (don't know where I read that )

 

[qwedsa]

you could try low amounts (.5-2 tbsp) of opium poppies. its quasi legal (for 'arts and crafts'). it has morpine and other opioids, which are cardiovascular depressant, muscle relaxant, mood lifting, comfort/warmth inducing. should help anxiety symptoms

p.s. how was kava?

 

[Mr TIMO]

Thanx for the reply willow11, good stuff there

Kava of course- it is a genuine anti anxiety herb, tastes quite bitter and can obviously bring about dependence- fortunately it is not very toxic. It IS legal in Aus now. Try to buy FRESH tongan kava, or an extract from the pacific islands, they will be much much much stronger then instant Kava.

kava's looking promising. i'll test it out when it comes tomorrow to see if it will be suitable for a presentation i'll be doing in a few weeks time. i get awkward, stiff neck and jaw, and blushing, really uncomfortable and embarrissing...
so you think the 5 times extract i can get will be better than the instant kava? The normal stuff seems like a lot more effort to strain etc..

Skullcap, passionflower, Californian poppy and damiana (when combined a a tea) have helped me through fullon benzo withdrawal, and definitely have some value- reduction in trembling, sweating, more ability to sleep etc. And vivid dreams. Mugwort is quite good for this too.

hmmm so many different herbs there. seems like a bit of effort buying all those and then making tea out of it. the lounge tablets which i ordered a few days ago have "Wild Lettuce Opium, Griffonia extract, Passion Flower, Schizandra, Damiana, Valerian" in them. i wonder how that will go. but at $3 a tablet it's not something i could take regularly....

Lions tail is okay, not really an 'anti anxiety' compound, but more a shamanictrancey smoke, good for dancing or mixing with pot. Tastes like shit to smoke, so I wouldn't go near it as a tea.

ahhh yeah. any other ones that are interesting for a smoke? (alone, not with pot)

Valerian is very effective in creating GABA fluid (the inhibitory substance that valium/benzo's force the brain to screte) with out oversuing it.

i did some more reading on valerian, and it seems more like just a sedative, i suppose that's how you treat anxiety, but im always quite fatiged so im not so sure about this one...
I noticed another website actually selling GABA in 15gram jars, but it doesn't have a description for it so i have no idea what it's for. do you know what happens when you take it?

A actual drug that would be worth trying to counteract anxiety would be GHB or GBL, but upon evaluation, I would say the risks outweigh the benefits.

Believe it or not, ayahuasca is alledged to be involved in rection of anxiety levels (don't know where I read that )

I read up on GHB and the effects seem very appealing to me. But i don't know anybody with access to it, and i don't think you can purchase GBL without a license in australia...
Also, wouldn't GBL end up increasing anxiety? Like for example, alcohol increases my anxiety. On saturday i drank quite a lot, and then had a BZP energy pill (had a very good time), but sunday and today were particularly bad. also a strange pain in my chest that i have never felt before.... could of just been hunger though LOL
plus if you're saying just to take it in the social situations, i.e. going out at night, then it means i couldn't drink alcohol, and my friends would pick up on that straight away ( i never not drink when i go out lol)


My other option is to get my dad to prescribe me a proper medication.
Either something for performance anxiety, maybe Beta blockers (reduces the amount of adrenelin i think)
Or maybe something to take regularly....

 

[Mr TIMO]

you could try low amounts (.5-2 tbsp) of opium poppies. its quasi legal (for 'arts and crafts'). it has morpine and other opioids, which are cardiovascular depressant, muscle relaxant, mood lifting, comfort/warmth inducing. should help anxiety symptoms

p.s. how was kava?

can't seem to find any sourcing for opium poppies in oz. what country are you saying it's quasi legal in?
where i got the kava from it said "Kava is the most relaxing botanical herb with exception of the opium poppy"
so looks like im definetly on the right track with kava
should arrive tomorrow so i'll give some feedback.

 

[Mr TIMO]

haha, i had a dream last night, and i go to my dad "hey you haven't prescribed me the beta blockers yet" and then he goes out the back, gets this big container of what looks like plain old motor oil, and he goes, "here's some GBL"
Thanx doc lol

ps. i tried the kava the yesterday, had 4 teaspoons of the instant kava with a few glasses of cordial. relaxed me a bit, would have liked to of drunk more though... but i didn't want to waste it

oh. and i don't think i really want to be drinking any poppy seed tea... seems like it's quite addictive and would probably create more problems for me...

 

[Mr TIMO]

i seem to be talking to myslef now.

dad got me some inderal today (a beta blocker. it limits the production of adrenelin so it doesn't do anything to your brain/thoughts, just a physical thing)
i took one 10mg pill just to test it. Not sure if it was placebo, but about an hour later i was talking in my tute without any fear. wasn't really a feared situation of mine, but i think it helped... but then a further 2 hours later, i was getting some anxiety again. I'll try taking two tomorrow at work.

Also, some passion flower arrived today. i smoked some in a pipe. was a bit of a novelty. was a bit relaxing, that's about it. bit rough though

anybody out there? haha

 

[atom_boy]

can't seem to find any sourcing for opium poppies in oz. what country are you saying it's quasi legal in?
where i got the kava from it said "Kava is the most relaxing botanical herb with exception of the opium poppy"
so looks like im definetly on the right track with kava
should arrive tomorrow so i'll give some feedback.

it is 100% illegal to grow Papaver somniferum (opium poppies) in australia. the seeds are allowed for use in food. because it is illegal you wont find anywhere selling plants or pods but the seeds are dead easy to find. just look a little bit harder

 

[atom_boy]

I noticed another website actually selling GABA in 15gram jars, but it doesn't have a description for it so i have no idea what it's for. do you know what happens when you take it?

if your interested in GABA have a read here

 

[Mr TIMO]

thanks for the link. didn't think of searching their forums (is where i found the gabba and also you know)
hmmmm interesting. im pretty certain im hypoglycemic myself so gabba could be usefull for me...

Although i should see a gp and stop diagnosing myself LOL.
I asked my dad (a surgeon) if i should maybe try some benzo's, and he's like "NOW WAY" they're addictive etc etc....
hmmm yeah gonna keep reasearching this GABA. but i'll see what higher doses of inderal do for me first in the meantime....


edit: haha, i was reading up on gaba from other websites and one said this:
"GABA Summary
I have not come across any research regarding the use of GABA supplements for anxiety in humans. I don't have a strong opinion regarding the effectiveness of GABA supplements at this time. Other options for anxiety include kava, 5-HTP, and passionflower."

LOL. But I havn't actually mentioned 5HTP in this thread, but i do have some from NZ from a few days ago...havn't really tried it yet, more saving them for recovering from a big nights
just thought i'd add that. sorry

 

[BigBenn]

Your dad is a doctor and you are coming to bluelight to self-medicate???

Why dont you go to a GP like you should, I'm sure your dad can suggest a good one that won't be afraid to dispense neccessary meds.

 

[Mr TIMO]

Your dad is a doctor and you are coming to bluelight to self-medicate???

Why dont you go to a GP like you should, I'm sure your dad can suggest a good one that won't be afraid to dispense neccessary meds.

haha, yeah true. my dad's annoying with this though. I read a self help book on anxiety which says you should get tests done to see if you have any mediacl condtions contributing to the problem, so i asked him if i could go and get some tests done at the doctors. He thinks he knows everything, so he just goes "you've got nothing wrong with you. You only go to the doctors when you have something wrong with you. you just have to face your fears" etc... bla bla
i don't think he likes the idea of me going to the doctors for something he doesn't seem to be a problem.
maybe i should make my own way to a medical center, but i went to one of those place for a sick note once ("hey doc, im sunburnt and couldn't attend my uni quiz today" "so you want a sick note?" " yes thanx" haha) and the doctors are pretty shabby, read: he couldn't understand english

When i was talking to him about beta blockers, he asks me "do you think this will work for you?" haha, wtf.
then he goes "you know there's a chance you can die if you take these. Are you willing to take the risk that you might die?" haha. yes dad

 

[Mr TIMO]

you could try low amounts (.5-2 tbsp) of opium poppies. its quasi legal (for 'arts and crafts'). it has morpine and other opioids, which are cardiovascular depressant, muscle relaxant, mood lifting, comfort/warmth inducing. should help anxiety symptoms

does cardiovascular depressant mean it would help blushing?
with alcohol and stimulants, the next day you are more anxious, is it the same with opiates?

 

[boywonder]

^Yes but the poppies could also escalate into an addiction, which would definitely not help with the OP's anxiety. Maybe some people could only take a small amount and not ever really develop a sense of what poppies really can make you feel like, but I think most people would probably up the dose at least a couple of times and find themselves in a very pleasurable altered state, which of course could lead to an addiction.

One of the best things I've found that helps with my anxiety is to exercise regularly and to meditate. You can mediate just a little bit each day, and slowly but surely you will experience a greater control, and connection with your breathing patterns, heart beat etc..The racing heart beat and breathing problems are the physical side of anxiety which I swear can be helped by good calming mediation practice. Also, the clarity and the sense of peace it can leave you with can help with the mental side of anxiety.

As far as herbal supplements, MO is that some herbs,esp. Kava can really help when you need something to calm you down when you feel a panic attack coming on. The simple fact of having something available that you can rely on to help you with emergency anxiety is enough to pretty much prevent it altogether for me.

 

[BigBenn]

When i was talking to him about beta blockers, he asks me "do you think this will work for you?" haha, wtf.
then he goes "you know there's a chance you can die if you take these. Are you willing to take the risk that you might die?" haha. yes dad

Out of curiousity how old are you bro?

I think your dad is just trying to look out for you. If medication can be avoided it most certainly should be at your age. I'm 20 and I went through a time in my life (16-18ish) where I had severe anxiety/depression/issues that I tried to self medicate. It is something that you will get through, you might need to seek help from friends/councelors/your dad/a doctor. Just try to remember most people grow out of their anxiety or learn to cope with it. I still "have" anxiety issues (moreso than the typical person) but I have learned to deal with my busy mind. I will admit I still self-medicate, but I have learned that problems in your life must be dealt with before you start medicating (if you must).

 

[Mr TIMO]

im 22. ive been an anxious and really shy person since i was a tot so there is definetly something chemically/biologically different to me.
it could be just that i have hypoglicemia
only really developed my particular phobia in the last 6 or so years, when i became more self aware/ self concious.
i downloaded and listened to a hypnosis mp3 last night, i'll see how that went, thought it was probably a waste like all those gimmics LOL
and i think i have helped myself pretty well with my thoughts etc, i think im on my way to dealing with it
im not the shy kid i used to be, but this is definetely holding me back and preventing me from being me
a bad thing about my erythrophobia (fear of blushing) is that i fear of blushing in a situation that would make me feel guilty about somthing, eg. walking out of a store shop. once i got stuck inside a sports store, and luckily met a friend in there who got me out.

 

[BigBenn]

Sorry, I guess I assumed you were significantly younger. I think you should go to a general practitioner to describe your problem. He can refer you to a psychiatrist/psychologist/specialist that suits your needs. You are old enough, and have been experiencing difficulties for long enough (and you describe them to be worsening). In all respect to your father, if he is a surgeon mental health isn't his thing. A specialist can help you deal with your anxiety disorder.

 

[Mr TIMO]

yeah i think i'll just have to stop relying on parents (even if dads a doc) and just go to a GP on my own accord. let him decide, not my dad.


about the herbal shit, the passion flower actually isn't that bad for a smoke. couple of pipe bowls calms you down pretty well. havn't tried making a tea out of it yet