These drugs are effective at combating anxiety or alleviating panic attacks. Consuming plenty of magnesium-rich foods, such as leafy green vegetables, nuts, and seeds, can help ensure adequate levels and support overall mental health. These anti-anxiety medications have potent sedatives, muscle-relaxing, and anticonvulsant effects that can help alleviate agitation, tension, and panic attacks. LGBTQ+ affirming therapists provide safe spaces for mental health support. Learn more about the benefits and challenges of providers with this form of training. A healthcare provider can guide you on gradually reducing your dosage of Xanax, helping to minimize side effects and ensure a smooth transition to an alternative.
Get Help For A Xanax Addiction
Yes, benzodiazepines are addictive and should be used cautiously and under medical supervision to avoid dependence and potential withdrawal complications. Magnolia bark extract has potent anti-anxiety properties and has been found to have similar effects in the brain to benzodiazepines. In addition, vitamin natural alternatives to xanax B12 and folate are needed for the expression of GABA receptors within the central nervous system. Deficiencies in these B vitamins can impair GABA-mediated neurotransmission, which can contribute to anxiety and other mood disorders. Vitamin B6 plays a crucial role in the production of GABA, which may explain why individuals with B vitamin deficiencies are at increased risk of anxiety, panic attacks, and insomnia.
Ketosis Approved Foods
All of these neurotransmitters play a crucial role in mood regulation and anxiety control (49). The nervous system relies heavily on B vitamins, especially B1 (thiamine), B3 (niacin), and B12, for its proper function. Omega-3 fatty acids are considered “essential fatty acids”, meaning your body cannot create them. Omega-3s also play a protective role against the onset of anxiety and depression, particularly when consumed in adequate amounts from an early age (47). Clinical trials have also shown promise in using omega-3 supplements to alleviate anxiety (43). If you’re interested in supplementing with theanine, this anti-anxiety supplement contains it.
Valerian
If your treatment plan includes medication, your psychiatrist will prescribe and manage it. If needed, your psychiatrist can also refer you to a Talkiatry therapist. In your brain, there are communication centers called neurons that send messages to each other using chemicals called neurotransmitters. One of these neurotransmitters is called gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA). It helps calm down the activity of neurons, which can prevent feelings of anxiety.
It has been used for thousands of years as a calming and relaxing herb in traditional Chinese medicine. Valerian contains numerous phytochemicals, notably the eponymous sesquiterpenoid valerenic acid and its natural derivatives (e.g. acetoxy valerenic acid and hydroxy valerenic acid). Valerian root ostensibly mitigates anxiety and improves sleep by enhancing GABA interaction with GABA-A receptors. However, by virtue of its synthetic origin, alprazolam is much more potent than any GABA agonists that occur in nature (e.g. L-theanine and constituents of valerian root). Comparing Xanax to natural GABA agonists is like comparing apples to oranges. A more straightforward summary is that Xanax, along with other benzodiazepines like Valium, enhances the effects of the GABA your body naturally produces.
Reasons To Find Xanax Alternatives
Several forms of therapy are used to successfully manage anxiety — often without the use of medication. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and mindfulness-based therapy are 2 types of therapy for anxiety known for their efficacy in reducing symptoms. It increases the levels of calming neurotransmitters in the brain – such as GABA, serotonin, and dopamine – to regulate mood and reduce stress. SNRIs are also a good alternative to Xanax because they provide long-term anxiety relief. They work by keeping serotonin — a mood-regulating neurotransmitter — active in the brain longer to stabilize mood and gradually alleviate anxiety symptoms. Xanax binds to GABA receptors to amplify the calming effects of the neurotransmitter.
Recent guidelines from mental health experts emphasize the importance of a gradual reduction in prescription medications under medical supervision. Abruptly stopping a medication like Xanax can cause serious side effects, including rebound anxiety, insomnia, and even seizures in some cases. A healthcare professional can help you taper off the medication slowly while integrating natural alternatives, such as herbal supplements, amino acids, or mind-body practices, into your daily routine. This approach not only minimizes the risk of adverse effects but also maximizes the effectiveness of the natural remedies.
- It primarily interacts with the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis in the brain, which regulates the body’s stress response.
- The problem with this is thatmagnesium deficiencies are shown to produce muscle cramps, dehydration, mental disorders, chronic stress, and more.
- Yes, cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and psychotherapy are effective alternatives to medication for treating anxiety.
- Remember, this is a gradual process, and being patient with yourself is key.
- Many of Xanax’s side effects are also experienced as withdrawal symptoms after stopping Xanax too quickly.
In contrast, what we specialize in is matching a patient’s profile with the most effective non-pharmaceutical means to resolve symptoms. If you try some of these ingestible natural Xanax alternatives and don’t get the relief you’re looking for, don’t get discouraged. There are many forms of magnesium supplements to pick from, but most barely enter the brain, where the magnesium is needed to impact anxiety.
The Ugly Truth About Anti-Anxiety Drugs
- Unlike prescription drugs, a natural remedy is meant to treat both the symptoms as well as the root cause of your anxiety by working with your body instead of against it.
- Therefore, lemon balm extract is a natural Xanax alternative that putatively synergizes with other natural alternatives like valerian root and L-theanine.
- This, in turn, leads to physical dependence and addiction, where the body becomes reliant on the drug to function normally.
- This extract has been used in natural medicine for a very long time and is thought to have a wide variety of benefits.
- Valerian root is used for a variety of reasons, one of which is to promote good rest.
- I’ve started treating my life long depression/anxiety with some new supplements, and hoped Inositol would be a good, safe addition instead of phenibut.
By modulating the activity of NMDA receptors in the brain, magnesium can help regulate neural excitability, preventing overstimulation and promoting calmness (32). Along with its anxiety-reducing properties, chamomile also exhibits antidepressant activity (30). Many people today are turning to Ashwagandha as a natural alternative to pharmaceuticals like Xanax.
Ashwagandha, Rhodiola rosea, L-theanine, magnesium, and CBD oil can all be taken instead of Xanax. The other issue with Xanax, perhaps the biggest one of all, is that it is extremely addictive. Addiction can happen very quickly, as the tolerance to this drug in the human body develops rapidly, which means that you keep having to take more and more to achieve the same effect. That is a huge list of serious side effects, which most people would probably like to avoid.