Despite Freud and Jung psychiatry remains an infant science. Whilst organic medicine has made great strides in the last 100 years, psychiatry has been relatively under funded and ignored. That seems to be changing recently as more and more people present with anxietry and depression, the greater numbers largely the result of the new attitude in the work place where employees are expected to do the work of two people in the ever escalating quest for higher profits.
People with anxiety are found to have low levels of two hormones in the brain: GABA and Serotonin. Maybe some of us are born with low levels but in others it may be the result of too much stress and worry. My understanding is that benzodiazepams (such as Valium and Xanax) return levels of GABA to normal whilst tricyclic and other anti depressants boost serotonin levels. They both have side effects but these are usually outweighed by the benefits. But nobody wants to stay on mind bending drugs all their life so we turn to self help techniques to establish a frame of mind that allows us to limit or banish anxiety.
For many thousands of years our ancestors used plants and herbs as medications, Valium for example is synthesised from the Rawawulfa root that grows wild in India. I know of two herbs that return GABA and Serotonin to their normal levels that are worth mentioning.
The first is Lemon Balm or Verbana, a prolific annual herb that is at home in Europe and North America. You can buy it in tablet form or you can obtain it from any garden centre and plant it in your garden, yard or window box. It produces its young leaves in late spring and summer and I presume these are the most potent. They have a bitter lemon taste when chewed, you can also make a tea out of the leaves. Presumably leaves can be harvested and dried for use outside the growing season.
The second is Green Tea readily available as tea bags or in tablet form, the active ingrediant is L-Thianine. My understanding is that not only does it favourably influence GABA and Serotonin levels but counteracts the anxiety-causing hormone Cortisol that floods our bodies in the early morning and maybe responsible for that morning anxiety syndrome on waking. After flirtingwith Green Tea over the years I have started regularly taking a fup of green tea on waking backed up by a green tea concentrate tablet that contains 10mg of L-Thianine. I have to say I find them very helpful. I also have some 200mg. L-Thianine tablets but hesitate to use them because of the much greater potency but will get round to them eventually.
I record all this for what it is worth: I certainly think that there is a place for anti-anxiety herbal remedies in our armoury of remedies.
Guys! What are some natural ways to reduce anxiety?
Meds or natural approach? 
Earl grey tea benefits for anxiety & depression!!!
Will I be ok and cope naturally without medication?
