natural mood stabilizers/stress reducers?

[sagemomma]

i am looking for some type of suppliment to help me out , i find myself getting overwhelmed with stress and anxiety alot lately. i get to the poit hwere even trying my hardest i know i am not being the best most patient momma i used to be. thanks ladies

[mk12]

I've been taking Kava Kava for many years and it's terrific for reducing anxiety and tension. This is my favorite Kava:

http://www.iherb.com/ProductDetails....&pid=2872&at=0

I also like this one: http://www.luckyvitamin.com/item/itemKey/48501

Rhodiola is a great adaptogen that helps one deal with stress in general. It is extra helpful for people who are Type O blood types because it helps clear excess adrenaline. I especially like it for that reason when I am trying to fall asleep but feel too over-energized.

http://www.anti-aging-drugs.com/rhodiola.htm
http://www.weightdepot.com/rhodiola-...ctic-root.html

I like the Now brand Rhodiola:

http://www.iherb.com/ProductDetails....1&pid=335&at=0

If you've never oredered from Iherb.com before and would like to, I have a code you can use for $5 off your first order. PM me if you'd like and I'll give it too you.

HTH!

[morganeldi]

a few more ideas:

I really suffer with stress and anxiety and when I'm having a panic attack or just feeling really anxious I take one or a combo of:

passion flower - nice for relaxation

Valerian Root - same as above but seems to be a little stronger

Motherwort extract - helps my anxiety and I take if I'm feeling panic-y

GABA (my fav!) it's an amino acid that helps with seratonin -- I also take this when I'm feeling panic-y

Oat straw tea or oat straw and chamomile, lemon balm.. -- nice for mild relaxation

and last but not least, take a good strong B complex daily and a calcium/magnesium supplement.. and cod liver oil

[larablue]

I really liked Kava Kava as well, but in Germany it was banned because of the risk of liver/kidney damage.

Have you tried walking/running oder yoga?

[dogmom327]

Just in case it's helpful...

Not a supplement, but I recently discovered that I have major sensitivities to sugar. I've been a sugar addict for years but went off sugar completely for 3 weeks. I then discovered that when I eat sugar it makes me really anxious, depressed, exhausted, etc. Just giving up sugar was life changing. Never in a million years would I have guessed that was the problem.

[LeahBoo]

I use valerian root exclusively. I only need one usually. Though I do remember taking 2 in a particularly hard day.

I take it no more than 5 times a month, usually only once or twice a month.

[Buddhamom]

Is Valerian root something that takes effect immediately or do you need to build it up in your system first? I am thinking about this for my 17 yr. old who has trouble around her period.

[Canadian_Eco_Ma]

Hello
I feel alot of the same things that your expressing when I eat meat or alot of cooked foods. Try going raw of 50% raw for a few weeks. Its amazing to my how quickly those anxiety feelings disappear.

[LeahBoo]

Valerian root works pretty close to immediately, within an hour, I'd say

[texaspeach]

you should look at the mental health sub forum of health and healing. lots of info there.

[sagemomma]

thanks for all the replies ladies.
i have a tea with valerian i drink it at night , will the kava kava make me tired like the valerian? i'm really looking for something i can take daytime to help keep me calm when the craziness tht is motherhood hits.
i do yoga in the morning and at night. but i don't get time to walk or run. i'm never alone, i always have my kids with me.... always.
my 5 year old has autism so i can't leave them with just anyone to go off for a walk, and my husband works odd hours and gets home late after the kids are in bed. plus we live in the ghetto so walking/ running isn't the safest idea here.
i'll give the kava a whirl and see what happens.

[PhotoJournMama]

I take a b-complex vitamin every morning, and find that it does wonders to help me keep balanced during the day. I do notice my stress level go up when I don't take it (and so do those around me lol). It is a simple, easy, inexpensive solution and you can find it at any pharmacy etc.

[mk12]

Originally Posted by sagemomma

thanks for all the replies ladies.
i have a tea with valerian i drink it at night , will the kava kava make me tired like the valerian? i'm really looking for something i can take daytime to help keep me calm when the craziness tht is motherhood hits.
i do yoga in the morning and at night. but i don't get time to walk or run. i'm never alone, i always have my kids with me.... always.
my 5 year old has autism so i can't leave them with just anyone to go off for a walk, and my husband works odd hours and gets home late after the kids are in bed. plus we live in the ghetto so walking/ running isn't the safest idea here.
i'll give the kava a whirl and see what happens.

Kava Kava is interesting in that, taken during the day, it reduces tension and increases your mental acuity, but taken at bedtime, it helps you relax and therefore can help you fall asleep. It shouldn't make you drowsy during the day at all. In fact, it makes me feel less tired during the day just because I feel less tense and stressed out when taking it.

I have known that it was pulled from the market for a short while because of liver concerns, but I have always been extremely suspicious of that. I read that it was a company outside of the US that was using kava leaf instead of just the root. I have also read that the subjects effected were long term alcoholics. I personally felt like kava was too safe and effective and it wasn't a coincidence that it was getting popular around the time Big Pharma started pushing their anti-anxiety drugs. Then all of a sudden it was pulled from many markets.

Kava Kava has been used by Polynesian cultures for thousands of years and was considered safe and beneficial.

Here are two links with some additional information:

http://www.konakavafarm.com/articles/bhma-report.htm

http://www.konakavafarm.com/articles/kava-report.html:
Kava kava has been used for centuries by the inhabitants of the South Pacific with no ill effects and over the last ten years Kava kava has become one of the top selling herbal supplements worldwide. Recently a few concerns have been reported that Kava kava may have caused some liver problems.

To put this in perspective, hundreds of thousands of men and women use Kava kava regularly but there have been just 4 reported cases of liver problems where kava may have been the cause, but it is equally likely, that another product, alcohol, or medicine could have caused the problem.

As far as Kava kava is concerned, to quote the Medicines Control Agency (M.C.A.) which was responsible for reviewing kava: "No case has been identified with a causality classification of certain." (20th December 2002)...

I highly recommend the Eclectic Institute whole herb kava kava I linked in my previous post. I think whole herbs are much better than standardized extracts of whatever is considered the "active" ingredients, just like whole foods are most healthful.

[CarsonBookworm]

What about Bach's Rescue Remedy?

[sunmamma]

My plug for Holy Basil.....aka Tulsi

I LOVE LOVE LOVE this plant!!!! I kindly refer to it as mommy's helper. Check it out...I highly reccommend New Chapter super-critical extract. Look on their website for more info.

I've tried sooo many herbs through the years and this is the best ime. It does not make you sleepy at all, just takes the edge off. In India it is highly respected, and said to balance your chakras.

I have been using it for years, and give it to dh in the difficult times....I can totally tell when he's NOT taking it, IYKWIM!!!!

[sprouthead]

Originally Posted by CarsonBookworm

What about Bach's Rescue Remedy?

echo that! This helped me a lot, and I have just seriously cut down on sugar and it has helped with my mood, acne, and migraines.

[chkpea]

sugar question

is this just will power or did you take a supplement to offset your cravings? I think this could be a huge culprit of my mood/negativity/stress/edginess. Would love to stop but not sure if I have the will power to stop. How soon did you notice a difference?

[MamabearTo4]

Originally Posted by sunmamma

My plug for Holy Basil.....aka Tulsi

So, I bought the tea at my HFS and the evening went much more smoothly that usual. I'll try it for another couple of days before I chalk it up to coincidence. (I secretly want the same results every. single. cup!)

Sunmamma, how does your herb come? Tea form?

[milmama]

I have a friend who swears by Sam-E (you can google it) which I think is all natural.

[sunnysandiegan]

Fascinating! I was in an Ayurveda and the Feminine Condition workshop last weekend and the #1 recommendation for ALL WOMEN was to drink tulsi tea. The practitioner giving the Ayurveda portion of the workshop gave some specifics on tulsi tea, but my notes are upstairs and I am downstairs. One thing I do recall is to drink it for 3-4 months regularly and then stop for a month or two to see how your body responds and reevaluate the need to do another 3-4 month round. She also mentioned the differences between "flavored waters" (aka teas) and healing infusions (much stronger). She was recommending healing infusions in the above manner.