Homeopathy for Anxiety Disorders

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Although very few studies have examined the effectiveness of specific homeopathic therapies, professional homeopaths may consider the following remedies for the treatment of anxiety based on their knowledge and experience. Before prescribing a remedy, homeopaths take into account a person's constitutional type. A constitutional type is defined as a person's physical, emotional, and psychological makeup. An experienced homeopath assesses all of these factors when determining the most appropriate treatment for each individual.

• Aconitum -- for anxiety accompanied by irregular or forceful heartbeat, shortness of breath, or fear of death.
• Arsenicum album -- for excessive anxiety that has no clear cause and is accompanied by restlessness, especially after midnight; also for perfectionists, including children, who worry about everything.
• Phosphorus -- for an impending sense of doom and anxiety when alone; also for impressionable adults and children who are easily influenced by the anxiety of others.
• Lycopodium -- for performance and other types of anxiety in those who are insecure, yet hide their low self-esteem with arrogance and bravado; also for children with anxiety accompanied by bedwetting.
• Gelsemium -- for performance anxiety resulting in diarrhea, headache, dizziness, weakness, shakiness and trembling, or trouble speaking.
• Argentum nitricum -- for performance anxiety (such as before tests in school-age children) with rapid heart rate, feeling of faintness, diarrhea, or flatulence.

Acupuncture for Anxiety and Stress Relief

Many people report feeling less stressed after receiving acupuncture therapy. This finding has led researchers to speculate that acupuncture may have some beneficial effect when used to treat anxiety directly. In a study of 55 healthy volunteers, acupuncture applied to a "relaxation" point in the ear led to a greater reduction in anxiety than sham acupuncture (needling inactive points). Acupuncturists treat people with anxiety based on an individualized assessment of the excesses and deficiencies of qi located in various meridians. In the case of anxiety, a qi deficiency is usually detected in the kidney or spleen meridians. In addition to performing needling techniques, acupuncturists may also employ lifestyle and breathing techniques as well as herbal and dietary therapy.

Massage for Treating Anxiety and Stress Relief

Therapeutic massage can be helpful in reducing anxiety and alleviating stress.

References

American Psychiatric Association. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. 4th ed. Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Association; 1994.

Andreoli TE, Bennett JC, Carpenter CCJ. Cecil Essentials of Medicine. 3rd ed. Philadelphia, Pa: WB Saunders; 1993.

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Blumenthal M, ed. The Complete German Commission E Monographs: Therapeutic Guide to Herbal Medicines. Boston, Mass: Integrative Medicine Communications; 1998:422, 463-464.

Cummings S, Ullman D. Everybody's Guide to Homeopathic Medicines. 3^rd ed. New York, NY: Penguin Putnam; 1997: 334-338.

Goldberg RJ. Anxiety reduction by self-regulation: theory, practice, and evaluation. Ann Intern Med. 1982;96:483.

Jonas WB, Jacobs J. Healing with Homeopathy: The Doctors' Guide. New York, NY: Warner Books; 1996: 250.

Jussofie A, Schmiz A, Hiernke C. Kavapyrone enriched extract from Piper methysticum as modulator of the GABA binding site in different regions of the rat brain. Psychopharmacology. 1994;116:469-474.

Kinzler E, Kromer J, Lehmann E. Effect of a special kava extract in patients with anxiety-, tension-, and excitation states of non-psychotic genesis. Double blind study with placebos over four weeks [in German]. Arzneimforsch. 1991;41:584-588.

Lehmann E, et al. Efficacy of special kava extract (Piper methysticum) in patients with states of anxiety, tension and excitedness of non-mental origin: a double blind placebo controlled study of four weeks treatment. Phytomedicine. 1996;3:113-119.

Lindenberg Von D, Pitule-Schodel H. D, L-Kavain in comparison with oxazepam in anxiety states. Double-blind clinical trial. Forschr Med. 1990;108:50-54.

Morrison R. Desktop Guide to Keynotes and Confirmatory Symptoms. Albany, Calif: Hahnemann Clinic Publishing; 1993:4, 40, 293.

Stein JH, ed. Internal Medicine. 4th ed. St. Louis, Mo: Mosby-Year Book; 1994.

Ullman D. Homeopathic Medicine for Children and Infants. New York, NY: Penguin Putnam; 1992: 44-45.

Ullman D. The Consumer's Guide to Homeopathy. New York, NY: Penguin Putnam; 1995: 309.

Volz HP, Kieser M. Kava kava extract WS 1490 versus placebo in anxiety disorders—a randomized placebo controlled 25 week outpatient trial. Pharmacopsychiatry. 1997;30:1-5.

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Reviewed: 02/2006