Today, an ordinary day for most people includes stress and constant worries about their work, family, health, future, and so on. Consequently, we feel anxious and can’t live a normal lifestyle. People with severe anxiety worry about too many things without even having a rational reason. That hampers their everyday activities and skills.
The most common mental illness not only in America but throughout the world too is an anxiety disorder. There are approximately 6.8 million adult Americans who suffer from this mental disorder.
Anxiety is more common in women than men, and it usually starts in adolescence. Its symptoms intensify over time. In some cases, anxiety or depression can appear as a result of a neurochemical imbalance in the body, such as a lack of dopamine or serotonin.
Here’s a list of the most common anxiety symptoms in women:
- Body pains, muscle tension, and aches
- Unrealistic view of problems
- Tension
- Fatigue
- Worrying about simple, everyday tasks
- Nausea and stomach pains
- Difficulty concentrating
- Increased need to visit the bathroom
- Difficulty swallowing
- Mood swings and irritability
- Inability to relax
- Depression symptoms
- Sweating
- Restlessness and being easily startled, or “on edge”
- Frequent headaches
- Short of breath or lightheadedness
- Difficulty staying asleep or falling asleep
- Twitching or trembling.
The usual treatment of anxiety involves Valium, Xanax, Ativan, and other benzodiazepines. But, they all cause addiction, so if patients quit their use, they will develop additional physical and psychological distress. Sometimes, chronic anxiety or panic attacks are treated with Paxil, Prozac, Lexapro, Zoloft, Effexor, and other antidepressants- all of which cause severe side effects but rarely positive results.
As opposed to these conventional treatments, a lot of researchers recommend lavender as a natural, effective treatment of anxiety. A study published in the Phytomedicine journal proved that lavender oil is as effective as lorazepam (Ativan), without causing any sedative effects or dependence.
The benefits of lavender oil in the treatment of anxiety have been confirmed by many studies. Some of its benefits include:
- Relieving nervousness, restlessness, and insomnia
- Treating symptoms of depression
- Helping in case of agitation related to dementia
- Helping in case of inflammatory and painful conditions, as well as joint pain and migraines.
How to Use it to Calm Nervousness and Other Symptoms of Anxiety
- Lavender tea. In a cup of boiling water, add one or two tablespoons of whole, dried lavender flowers and steep for around 15 minutes, Strain, or use a tea infuser before drinking the tea.
- Soothing Bath. Add ¼ or ½ cup of dried flowers, or six drops of lavender oil extract to your bath.
- Supplements. Adults can take lavender oil orally, but finding lavender oil capsules in health food stores is quite difficult. The exclusive essential lavender oil Lavela WS 1265 can be found online.
Before deciding to take lavender oil capsules, consult your doctor to determine the proper dosage. They aren’t recommended for children.
Precautions
Oral use of lavender or lavender aromatherapy took in combination with benzodiazepines (Valium, Xanax, Ativan), antidepressants, or narcotics like codeine, can cause drowsiness. Nevertheless, we recommend consulting your doctor before using lavender if you take any prescription medication.
Via Healthy Food House | University Health News | WebMD