Is there an over the counter anti-anxiety/mood enhancing drug that is affective?

Question

I have always suffered from mild cases of anxiety in social situations. I also have suffered from mild cases of depression. Is there a safe, effective, over the counter drug that anyone can recommend? I don't think my issues are serious enough to merit professional help, but I do think addressing this will make life considerably more enjoyable.
Thanks so much!

Answer 1

St. John's Wort (Hypericum) is the only OTC remedy available. It has been shown to be effective in mild to moderate cases of depression and most likely anxiety as well as it functions as a mild SSRI. If you are taking a Rx SSRI it should be avoided as it can lead to serotonin syndrome. Taken alone, it needs to be taken at about 300 or 350mg TID (3X per day) as I recall, so check the strength before you buy it as some manufacturer's don't make it in a high enough strength to be effective.

Answer 2

Over The Counter Mood Enhancers

Answer 3

This Site Might Help You.

RE:
Is there an over the counter anti-anxiety/mood enhancing drug that is affective?
I have always suffered from mild cases of anxiety in social situations. I also have suffered from mild cases of depression. Is there a safe, effective, over the counter drug that anyone can recommend? I don't think my issues are serious enough to merit professional help, but I do think...

Answer 4

Mood Enhancing Drugs

Answer 5

St. John's Wort is pretty good. The most common side effect is indigestion. I used to take Paxil, Buspar, Seroquel and Desipramine (at different times) for depression and anxiety. I tried St. John's Wort for a week, and I think it helped for depression/anxiety, but I had to stop taking it because I had an upset stomach for the entire week. At least one bottled tea has St. John's Wort in it is Sobe "Wisdom." I haven't seen that stuff for a while so I'm not sure if they still make it. I can also report my anxiety getting worse if I took Paxil and St. John's Wort at the same time, so I'd be a little leery of taking it if you take any medications.

There's another herb called Kava that might be good, I tried it a few times but I don't know as much about it or if it helped me or not. Some people say Valerian Root, but I never tried that.

Answer 6

I have been a sufferer of anxiety and panic attacks. I used to become extremely paranoid during a panic attack. I researched this topic in order to deal with my anxiety problem. Therapy and prescription drugs are customary solutions for this problem.

Since therapy is expensive, I took a prescription drug. Although in the beginning, it made me feel joyful and relaxed. I felt that I was becoming dependent on the medicine so I started looking for some alternative treatment.

Hypnosis is one recommendation for anxiety relief but I used a natural remedy to deal with my anxiety problem. I was a little skeptical but I got amazing results. .

The best of all, it is not going to cost you much.

You can find more information on alternative or natural remedies from the following source. .....Good Luck

Answer 7

Kava Kava should work for anxiety, St. John's Wort for depression.

Social anxiety can cause these feelings.
http://www.socialanxietyinstitute.org/ds...

Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/cognitive_b... worked best for me. I suffered from social anxiety for over 15 years. I've tried meds, individual therapy, and group therapy and studied psychology for 10 years, as a profession, but also with the hope to cure myself.

Depending on your comfort level, you could go to a psychologist that practices CBT and specializes in anxiety disorders, seek a group therapy, or create one. Usually those that do attend the group therapy are a bit more high functioning because as you know, it can be difficult to speak in a group.

Another idea is to see if there are any local research studies being conducted that you could participate in.

The program that finally worked the best for me is this one: http://www.socialanxiety.us/findinghelp.... and I was lucky enough to have a structured behavioral group to go along with it. Sometimes the people that actually attend this program come back home and form groups.

Any questions, let me know ... I can't tell you how much this has improved my life!

Answer 8

I have read some litterature about panic attacks. But they allways seem to have a more scientific approach and that is nothing I need in my struggle to survive those horrible panic attacks. This is a "hand on" and very practical book. I felt it was written to me. I am sure that you are going to feel the same.

Joe Barry writes exactly how I think. The examples are perfectly described. And the method is genius. I recommend this book and thanks Joe Barry for writing it. It changes your life

Answer 9

Vitamin B complex, lots of exercise, a healthy diet and less attention to your negative thoughts are good for mild anxiety and mild depression. St. John's Wort is a potentially dangerous placebo and not worth investing in and it does have side effects, on being that it makes contraceptive pills ineffective.

Answer 10

I agree with the vitamin B, it strenghthens your nervous system. Lanes has some vitamin like pills called Quiet Life. They are herbal.