I have suffered from occasional anxiety for years, managing the symptoms
with propranolol. Last spring, it became worse and chronic so that for about
8-9 months I was having to medicate 2 - 3 times a day.
My GP advised me to start anti-depressants, but I went to my naturopath
first, hoping for a more holistic approach.
He started me on a preparation called "Kavacin" (main ingredient is kava-kava), along with some homeopathic
drops for symptomatic relief (called "L.72"). This treatment, like those using tri-cyclics, takes up to a month
to show noticeable progress.
After that month, he added an adrenal cortex compound which didn't agree
with me. We switched to a Ginseng preparation and it is doing well.
I have found that as the anxiety has diminished, my whole outlook on life
has brightened, and I see the connection between depression and anxiety.
It seems now like I have been borderline depressed all my life, but didn't
realize it, (having nothing to compare against).
I believe this is why some anti-depressant drugs work against anxiety.
So, for anyone suffering from chronic anxiety, I would strongly recommend
seeing a good naturopath before starting any allopathic treatment.
