Natural Tools for Anxiety
Anxiety affects over 40 million Americans over the age of 18, or 18 percent of the total population. It also affects impacts children, approximately 9 percent of children between the ages of 3 and 17 received an anxiety diagnosis in 2016-2019. While treatments exist, only about one-third of individuals who suffer seek treatment.
The term anxiety actually covers a range of conditions, including:
• Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD), in which women are twice as likely to be affected as men.
• Panic Disorder, which is also twice as likely to affect women.
• Social Anxiety Disorder, equally common among men and women, typically beginning around age 13. According to a 2007 ADAA survey, 36 percent of people with social anxiety disorder report experiencing symptoms for 10 or more years before seeking help.
• Specific Phobias, in which women are twice as likely to be affected as men and that typically begins in childhood. The median age of onset is 7.
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are closely related to anxiety disorders:
• Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is equally common among men and women. The median age of onset is 19, with 25 percent of cases occurring by age 14. One-third of affected adults first experienced symptoms in childhood.
• Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) affects 7.7 million, and women are more likely to be affected than men. Rape is the most likely trigger of PTSD; 65% of men and 45.9% of women who are raped will develop the disorder. Childhood sexual abuse is a strong predictor of lifetime likelihood for developing PTSD.
Who is at risk of developing anxiety?
Causes vary, but known risk factors include:
• gender (female)
• low socioeconomic status
• divorced or widowed
• stressful life events (both in childhood and adulthood)
• family history
• chronic stress
• elevated afternoon cortisol
• drug or alcohol abuse
Anxiety can also be a symptom of an underlying health issue or a side effect of pharmaceutical medication. Heart disease, diabetes, thyroid problems, drug abuse, and chronic pain are all associated with anxiety.
What can I do about anxiety?
Anxiety is a frequent subject for clinical research, especially natural product research. Our team at Franklin health has evaluated essential oils for acute anxiety in multiple studies. Here’s an overview of some noteworthy research.
BERGAMOT ESSENTIAL OIL
Many studies exist to document the positive effects of bergamot inhalation on anxiety. Most find beneficial results after 10-15 minutes of direct inhalation. A 2013 study evaluated the effects of bergamot inhalation on pre-surgical anxiety among 109 patients. Those who inhaled bergamot for 30 minutes during preparation experienced a reduction in total anxiety scores, heart rate, and total blood pressure, reflecting what is believed to be an overall reduction in the response to stress.
LAVENDER ESSENTIAL OIL (INTERNAL USE)
A standardized lavender essential oil marketed under the name Silexan™ has been the subject of many clinical studies and is currently an over-the-counter supplement in the US under the name CalmAid. After several studies demonstrated the effectiveness of this lavender oil against a placebo for anxiety, a 2010 study compared it to pharmaceutical benzodiazepines in a randomized, double blind study. In this study, 77 total patients were randomized with 40 entering the Silexan™ test group. They were evaluated for a total of 6 weeks. At the conclusion of the study, patients were assessed for improvement from the baselines collected prior to the start. The lorazepam (benzodiazepine) group showed a 40% reduction in the anxiety scale, whereas the lavender oil group showed a 52.5% reduction in the anxiety scale. Silexan™ is most effective for mild to moderate anxiety.
GINGER SUPPLEMENTS
Ginger is well known for its ability to boost gut health, and recent research has evaluated its ability to alleviate anxiety as a result. When taken regularly, it appears to help prevent and treat moderate anxiety.
LEMON BALM TEA
A 2015 study evaluated the use of a water-based lemon balm treatment to reduce heart palpitations, with anxiety as one of the secondary outcomes measured. This study found that regular use of lemon balm reduced frequency both of palpitations and of anxious episodes in the treatment group when compared to the control group.
CORIANDER ESSENTIAL OIL
While human studies are lacking, an abundance of experiential evidence exists to indicate that the aroma of cilantro EO helps to reduce anxiety and promote sleep when anxiety is producing insomnia. These actions are supported by scientific research and a 2016 study on chicks that found that the actions of coriander’s linalool were similar to those of Valium (diazepam). These benefits would be achieved by diffusing the oil for an environmental health effect, or direct personal
inhalation during times of immediate anxiety.
SUPPORTIVE THERAPIES
Lifestyle, therapeutic, and supportive measures are beneficial and often necessary for treatment of anxiety. Millions of Americans never seek treatment for their anxiety, don’t be afraid to seek help if you need it.
Additional supportive therapies include:
• Professional Help (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) or similar interventions)
• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
• Meditation/Deep Breathing/Relaxation
• Exercise
REFERENCES
Adaa.org. 2022. Facts & Statistics Anxiety and Depression Association of America, ADAA. [online] Available at <https://adaa.org/understanding-anxiety/facts-statistics#Facts%20and%20Statistics> [Accessed 19 July 2022].
Alijaniha F, Naseri M, Afsharypuor S, Fallahi F, Noorbala A, Mosaddegh M, Faghihzadeh S, Sadrai S. Heart palpitation relief with Melissa officinalis leaf extract: double blind, randomized, placebo controlled trial of efficacy and safety. J Ethnopharmacol. 2015 Apr 22;164:378-84. doi: 10.1016/j.jep.2015.02.007. Epub 2015 Feb 11. PMID: 25680840.
CBT – Lee, S. H., & Cho, S. J. (2021). Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Depressive Disorders. Advances in experimental medicine and biology, 1305, 295–310.
Ni, C. H., Hou, W. H., Kao, C. C., Chang, M. L., Yu, L. F., Wu, C. C., & Chen, C. (2013). The anxiolytic effect of aromatherapy on patients awaiting ambulatory surgery: a randomized controlled trial. Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM, 2013, 927419.
Noormohammadi, M. R., Hasanpour Dehkordi, A., & Boroujeni, L. A. (2021). Comparison of the effect of prayer and ginger on the severity of pain and anxiety in inpatients with burn: Palliative care. Przeglad epidemiologiczny, 75(3), 430–436.
Scelles, C., & Bulnes, L. C. (2021). EMDR as Treatment Option for Conditions Other Than PTSD: A Systematic Review. Frontiers in psychology, 12, 644369.
Woelk H, Schläfke S. A multi-center, double-blind, randomised study of the Lavender oil preparation Silexan in comparison to Lorazepam for generalized anxiety disorder. Phytomedicine. 2010 Feb;17(2):94-9. doi: 10.1016/j.phymed.2009.10.006. Epub 2009 Dec 3. PMID: 19962288.
Zhang, F., Zhou, Y., Chen, H., Jiang, H., Zhou, F., Lv, B., & Xu, M. (2022). Curcumin Alleviates DSS-Induced Anxiety-Like Behaviors via the Microbial-Brain-Gut Axis. Oxidative medicine and cellular longevity, 2022, 6244757.
Zieff, G. H., Stoner, L., Frank, B., Gaylord, S., Battle, S., & Hackney, A. C. (2022). Aerobic exercise, mindfulness meditation, and stress-reduction in high-stress, college-based young adults: A pilot study. Journal of American college health: J of ACH, 1–5. Advance online publication.