#ihaveanxietytoo Challenge & Skullcap for Herbal Anxiety Support (Share a Natural Remedy)
You can see why it is called Skullcap.
These are the flowering heads of our native Skullcap variety. I took these photos over a month ago when the plant was in full bloom. This is also the stage at which I tinctured it. I also left a lot of the flowers present to go to seed so I can spread the seed in other places around the property as well. Sustainably harvest!
A few months ago I shared an intention to walk through some of my favorite herbal anxiety supports. I listed some of my favorites and I 'm going to dig into one today with you: Skullcap. I had such positive feedback, so many of you saying #ihaveanxietytoo and I can't wait to learn more about these herbal allies.
Our native variety of Skullcap
This week @naturalmedicine is hosting the second half of its Share A Natural Remedy Challenge and I wanted to dig right in and share a remedy (click the link to read more of the amazing remedies from the first week.)
I am also a part of the @sndbox incubator this season and this week we're asked What makes a good hashtag? and invited to make our own (that hasn't been used before). It's the perfect opportunity to further de-stigmatize anxiety.
Challenge
In the spirit of talking more about taboo subjects like having anxiety, I am creating the hashtag and asking you, dear reader, to share what works for you to lessen or work with your anxiety.
#ihaveanxiety too is created for all of us:
- So that we don't feel alone and also
- So we can help one another by sharing what works for us
- And in hopes that we can normalize the experience of anxiety and lessen its taboo status
I will reward the top 3 posts with Steem (and make it worth your while with 3 Steem a piece!)
You have a fortnight (until September 12th) to use the hashtag (please use it first). I'm hoping to hear some great tips and resources from each of you!
Share a Natural Remedy
This week I want to share a bit about Skullcap or the Scutellaria genus (in the mint family). My experience with this plant is through a patch that I found on our land.
As soon as I identified the helmet-shaped flowers and took a bite of a bitter leaf, I made a tincture out of it (the herb and aerial parts submerged in an alcohol solution for 6 week or more and then strained). That batch went quickly- I definitely have an affinity for this plant.
Affinity
This is something I want to talk about briefly. Each plant wont work the same way for everyone. While skullcap greatly alleviates my experience of anxiety, it doesn't affect everyone in the same way. Keep this in mind if seeking to use herbs as anxiety supports.
Use
Anxiety
For me, I feel the effects of skullcap nearly immediately. It has a gentle (which I prefer) connection with the nervous system, that at-times flighty bird that can beat your heart out of your chest. I find skullcap alleviates my physical symptoms of anxiety by calming me and reminding me to breathe (much like I experienced a CBD oil I tried recently) and at this point, I can be more aware of the experience of anxiety and not so caught up in it. Herbal supports are just that- supports- and not the answer. You are the answer and these are our allies in supporting us to touch base with ourselves.
When I am in an agitated state or just want to calm down, a couple dropperfulls of skullcap tincture works like a charm.
In fact, this "anxiolytic activity" (fancy for anti-anxiety) is demonstrated through this study: Phytochemical and biological analysis of skullcap (Scutellaria lateriflora L.): a medicinal plant with anxiolytic properties
These compounds may play a role in anxiolytic activity since baicalin and baicalein are known to bind to the benzodiazepine site of the GABAA receptor and since GABA is the main inhibitory neurotransmitter.
Skullcap literally makes your brain less anxious!
A lot of this is thought to come from Baicalin, a flavanoid found in Skullcap, which you can read more about here. This flavonoid actually inhibits the activity of neurons that cause anxiety! It seems people are isolating it and while this works, I am a huge proponent of whole-plant medicine instead of isolating the constituents that science has deemed the active ones. Plants work together as whole parts and I believe they're more effective when used as a whole and not isolated!
Skullcap is a known sedative...
...And as such can also work for you if you have trouble sleeping. Unlike valerian, it is safer to use for longish periods of time. But again, it's best used as a support and not for total dependence. There have been times when I have had trouble sleeping, take a bit of the skullcap tincture and literally conk out after that. It is potent stuff and before the Age of pharmaceutical anxiety meds, Skullcap was the go-to.
This said, I have found that lesser doses don't necessary make me feel sleepy/drowsy, but have a general calming effect on my entire system.
Sometimes my anxiety manifests in the form of generalized nervousness. It's a nervous system response and sometimes doesn't even have a reason underpinning the experience (though often it does.) I experience it as a racing mind, quickened heart rate, worry, scattered thoughts. Along with making sure I am hydrated, fed, and resting if I need to take a moment, I find that herbal allies are great in these moments of nervous tension. Meditation and deep breathing work well too.
Do you experience anxiety? If so, please tell us about it and what works for you and post with the #ihaveanxietytoo hashtag. Look forward to hearing what works for you!
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A great hashtag idea and cross pollination between #sndbox, @naturalmedicine. I know skullcap but I havent used it. I love how you do your own tinctures and need to get on that!!!
This is one Ill write on for sure.... but so much to say!!!
so much to say!! yay! look forward to reading your post :) definitely happy to bring these two groups together through this post <3
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it looks like you are quite new to steemit. these types of comments are heavily frowned upon here. try engaging with the original article. this type of advertising wont get you very far!
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where is it known to grow?
there are many varieties of it and they grow all over the world. each region tends to have its own local variety. where do you live?
I live the northeast US.
cool. i would definitely look into 7songs writings on skullcap- he teaches in the Northeast of US : http://7song.com/the-skullcaps-a-scutellaria-monograph/
I actually sowed some skullcap seeds this past spring and the seedlings germinated... but once i planted into the ground, they never took. I was so disappointed as i planted them for use in treatment of my anxiety.
Definitely going to try and sow again next year.
yes! i tried to cultivate some this year too and they did germinate, but i had a similar problem as you. also it was very very hot... will try again next year as well! the photos you see are from a native patch. they're still in flower around here- perhaps you could find a native patch?
This is such a great idea! I will be following the hashtag for sure so I can learn from everyone's experience! I have heard of skullcap tincture helping with anxiety, but have not tried it yet. I can't seem to grow skullcap. They do much better in nature. I have germinated seeds but when I tried transplanting the seedlings outside, they did not survive. This happened to me two years in a row, so I am not sure what I did wrong. I have always loved the name skullcap! Thanks for sharing your knowledge. Totally love this whole idea!
thank you @laundrylady for your enthusiastic comment! also it's good (haha) to hear that you had trouble cultivating it too. the SAME thing happened to me this year (and it seems @goldendawne in her comment above as well) -- i thought it was just me or the heat or something. i wonder if we germinated them directly in the soil and took out the transplanting if they'd thrive or even survive? i am so thankful for this native skullcap that i found on the land last year... as it's been a huge blessed ally to me. It's amazing when the plants that I need "show up here" - or were here before i got here-- it shows me how much the land "has my back" -- Thank you! i am happy to start this conversation. there is some shame or fear around sharing topics such as this, but i'm happy that more than that, i've just felt gratitude to be able to get the topic out there and provide some space for discussion around this topic #ihaveanxietytoo. we are SO not alone! Much Love!!
interesting post, for me, only organization and meditation eliminates anxiety.
Organization, to keep my responsibilities check.
Meditation, to acquire inner peace and feel great.
Always a pleasure to read you! always interesting topics.
thank you @nowonline for your kind reply and thanks for sharing what works for you. i agree that at times the root of our anxiety can come from needing to organize more and that meditation is a wonderful ally to relieve the roots of our anxiety and bring us more peace of mind. blessings.
Great hashtag and great challenge @moutainjewel. I find when I am anxious I am trying to take on too much and trying to do it alone. When I am behaving in a healthy manner, I reach out to my social network for help. This is hard for me because often they are the very people I think I am protecting by taking on too much myself.
great point steven! it's worth noting the root factors that contribute to our experiences of anxiety. there's a lot of wisdom in what you've shared here, thanks. i find having a strong network or community also goes a long way in remedying my experience of anxiety. and knowing that people are there for you... that's party why i wanted to create this tag :)
My post on this is getting ridiculously long....
<3 can't wait to read it... <3
Good to know @mountainjewel, never messed around with skullcap, sounds like it might be fairly potent, Im also making a series on the same subject anxiety vs natural remedy: https://steemit.com/anxiety-cures/@friendly-fenix/anxiety-remedies-that-work-part-1-lavendel
Maybe I can make an article about Skullcap and you could make a like a statement in the article?
Cheers! ( #ihaveanxietytoo )
/FF
hey! cool to see others writing about natural anxiety remedies. i'm not sure what you mean by this.
cheers! hope to see you using the hashtag :)
(Sorry about the spelling), Since Im doing a series on natural anxiolytics, I just thought I could include a post on skullcap too, but since I have never tried it, I thought maybe I could quote your experience and backlink to your blog/article? =)
And i can use that hashtag ... =)
Peace
/FF
yes! that would be fine :) ! also, you may be interested in joining the @naturalmedicine discord (listed above beneath the banner at the end of my post) and/or taking part in the natural medicine remedy challenge (linked at the top of this post) where you share a natural remedy! you're already doing it ;)
Cool, I will do that, people need to know about these herbs and supplements. (I don't use discord). But I am here.
/FF
@friendly-fenix we would love to see you on Discord. Use the #naturalmedicine tag and we will find you and suppprt you... spunds amazing
Not on discord, (for certain reasons I don't want to talk about). But I will use the #naturalmedicine tag, thanks for the heads up @riverflows, yeah I also did a new article on Skullcap... =)
Peace
/FF