Healing Anxiety with Herbs (Hardcover)

by Harold Bloomfield (Author) "All human beings experience fear, a necessary signal of real danger..." (more)
Key Phrases: synthetic tranquilizers, synthetic antidepressants, healing anxiety, United States, Transcendental Meditation, Germany's Commission (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
The bestselling author of Hypericum & Depression has compiled here the latest dosage information on kava kava, valerian root, ginkgo, ginseng, licorice root, milk thistle, and many other natural remedies for anxiety, nervousness, and insomnia. It's more than a listing of suggested herbs, though, and includes a natural self-healing program of mental and physical exercises meant to reduce stress and ease anxiety, tension, and anger and their requisite physical manifestations: rapid heartbeat, sweating, hyperventilation, dizziness, panic attacks, cigarette cravings, and more. Bloomfield encourages readers to try breathing exercises, visualization, mediation, music therapy, and anger therapy, and includes an extensive list of Internet resources, mental health associations, and self-help groups. --Erica Jorgensen

Product Description
More than 65 million Americans suffer annually from anxiety and insomnia, and one out of every two people will experience some form of mild to moderate anxiety for at least a two-week period during their lifetime. More people suffer from anxiety than any other mental health problem, yet fewer than than 25 percent of them receive adequate help. Until recently, the only choice for many was to suffer in silence or take synthetic, often addictive, tranquilizers and sleeping pills.

Finally, there is an alternative. In Healing Anxiety with Herbs, leading psychiatrist and bestselling author Harold H. Bloomfield, M.D., presents a revolutionary approach that is safe, natural and medically proven. Dr. Bloomfield begins by explaining what anxiety is an exaggerated stress response stemming from the brain's alarm system and the many forms it can take, from muscle aches and nausea to chronic worry, persistent insomnia and even depression. He provides dozens of quick, easy-to-follow exercises along with his own proven Natural Self-Healing program to help individuals evaluate their own level of anxiety and discover the best way to treat it.

As Dr. Bloomfield shows, in many cases the best and safest remedies are natural herbs. Medical studies have shown that kava can relieve mild to moderate anxiety as effectively as Valium-like tranquilizers but without sedation, memory impairment or threat of addiction. Hypericum (Saint-John's-wort), which can be just as effective as synthetic antidepressants for mild to moderate depression, can also be used to alleviate anxiety. Valerian extract can provide a good night's sleep without the morning hangover or rebound insomnia of prescription sleeping pills. Gingko biloba is a "brain booster" that is useful as a daily supplement for anyone over the age of 40 who is dealing with the angst of aging. The ginsengs and ashwaganda can help to strengthen the nervous sytem and protect against stress. Hospitals in Britain are using lavender oil aromatherapy to calm patients before surgery. Evening primrose oil and Traditional Chinese Medicinal herbs can help to treat Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD).

Recommended dosages of herbal extracts for anxiety relief are presented. Why go on suffering when you can put an end to your troubles the right way now? Clear, informative and based on the most up-to-date scientific findings, Healing Anxiety with Herbs offers an eye-opening program that will help you overcome anxiety, insomnia and stress so you can start to live naturally and feel healthy today.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 368 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins; 1st edition (April 21, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060191279
• ISBN-13: 978-0060191276
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.3 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #816,258 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Healing Anxiety With Herbs, November 5, 2001

By	Cassandra Barnes "Cassandra" (California) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

People who want to do something other take prescription tranquilizers for stress and anxiety will find the information they need in Healing Anxiety With Herbs, the latest alternative health book from Harold H. Bloomfield, M.D.
A recognized expert, Dr. Bloomfield has written numerous other books about natural healing, many of them best-sellers. He says "each year sixty-five million Americans experience some symptoms of anxiety." Anxiety not only causes symptoms such as headaches and fatigue, it also worsens other medical problems.
Dr. Bloomfield first defines anxiety as an exaggerated stress response and explains how the body and mind become stressed. He then discusses herbs in general, pointing out that "80 percent of the people on earth rely on herbs for their health care needs." The United States is one of the few countries where herbs are not routinely prescribed by mainstream health care practitioners.
The main prescription drugs for anxiety, depression, and insomnia are described, along with their side effects. Dr. Bloomfield states that most of these drugs are over prescribed "because, until now, most doctors and patients were unaware of herbal alternatives." He says that some anxiety problems may not need any treatment, other than an opportunity for the patient to practice self-healing, than adds "when a medicinal agent is needed, however, herbal remedies deserve to be considered before synthetic drugs because of their relative safety and fewer side effects, as well as their effectiveness."
Each of the anti-anxiety, sedative, and anti-depressant herbs are discussed in detail, including recommended dosages. He provides the medicinal history of each herb, along with an explanation of how it works. He also warns against combining or overusing certain herbs.
The final section of the book is devoted to natural self-healing. Dr. Bloomfield says that anxiety "signals a need to change to a more healthful lifestyle." He has developed a natural self-healing program based on his more than thirty years "in the practice of integrative psychiatry, alternative medicine, and psychotherapy." He describes several strategies designed to enable you to "immediately feel more inner peace and personal power."
Freeing yourself from guilt, achieving emotional freedom, and recovering from a broken heart are among the natural self-healing techniques.
Dr. Bloomfield says "long-term, expensive treatments are seldom necessary. Treatment for anxiety with herbs is relatively inexpensive." Healing Anxiety With Herbs provides information on safe and effective natural herbal remedies for treating anxiety, insomnia, and depression; and the nurturing techniques needed to prevent recurrence of those conditions.

20 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Book!, July 22, 1998

By	Kathy Blanch (Spokane, Wa USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I purchased this book after I heard Bloomfield speak at a conference I attended in San Diego. I am a counselor and I have found the book to be an excellent source for myself as well as my patients to read. It is well written, excellent information and easy to understand. It is a good reinforcement for my work. Bloomfield's approach reaches out to the whole person--it is well balanced. The book would be excellent for anyone to read -- be informed about the wonderful benefits of the herbal treatment of anxiety and depression. The use Prozac etc is out of control!

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A variety of choices, August 25, 2000

By	Jane Yee (Bakersfield, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Healing Anxiety Naturally (Paperback)

Harold Bloomfield is very knowledgeable in his field of nutritional
supplements and the ways they can help us. This book is very
thorough. If you look at the table of contents, you can see that he
gives expanations of a handful of good products that can help people
with anxiety. I think we all suffer from anxiety sometimes and it is
a good book to have to refer to. Several of Bloomfield's books are
referred to at the site where my family and I buy our supplements,
...Read his book. Test a few of the products to see which helps you
with anxiety spells.