I had hellish, unrelenting generalized anxiety disorder for several years, and, having tried hundreds of supplements (as well as SSRI drugs and TCA drugs) in my frantic efforts to treat it, I found 3 supplements that seem to pretty much eliminate my anxiety!
• The first and most potent anti-anxiety supplement is N-acetyl-glucosamine (NAG), taken at a dose of 700 mg twice daily on an empty stomach; the dose can be reduced once daily after a few weeks. NAG should not be confused with glucosamine sulfate, which will not work for this anti-anxiety purpose. Note that NAG is shellfish derived. NAG should not be taken if you are on the blood thinner warfarin.
• The second most potent is flaxseed oil (aka linseed oil), one level tablespoon (15 ml) daily. 15 ml of flaxseed oil is equivalent to 13 grams of the oil. Flaxseed oil is best absorbed when taken with food.
• The third is the herb turmeric, at a dose of 1000 mg twice daily, best taken on an empty stomach (but if it causes irritation, take with food). This herb can be bought cheaply as turmeric powder for cooking. 1000 mg equates to just under one level teaspoon of powder. Turmeric is not to be confused with curcumin (turmeric contains 3% curcumin, but also many other active ingredients including demethoxycurcumin, bisdemethoxycurcumin, ar-turmerone, atlantone, and zingiberone).
My anxiety was so severe that on bad days it would often border on mild psychosis. So it is quite amazing that just by taking these 3 supplements together, I have pretty much eliminated my anxiety disorder symptoms. It shows they are potent.
Anti-Anxiety Effects — Mechanism of Action
Why these 3 supplements work so well for treating anxiety is not clear, but since they are all anti-inflammatories, they may work by reducing inflammation in the brain. Recent research has shown that brain inflammation may cause mental symptoms, including anxiety symptoms, depression, ADHD, and many others. Brain inflammation releases lots of glutamate in the brain, which can affect brain functioning. So the anti-inflammatory properties of these supplements may be the mechanism by which they eliminate anxiety. If this is indeed the case, then by reducing the inflammation in your brain, you may be treating the very neurological source of the anxiety.
Note that I literally tested hundreds of supplements for their anti-anxiety effects, but only found a couple of dozen that worked for me, with these three supplements being among the best.
This present thread is just a copy of my original 2012 anti-anxiety thread, that I posted on another forum here.
I also have an older 2010 predecessor thread located here, which details my anti-inflammatory methods for treating generalized anxiety disorder when I was first developing and experimenting with these techniques back in 2010. But the 2012 thread is better and more up to date.
From the feedback I received on the 2012 thread, it seems that these 3 supplements are often a very effective treatment for people suffering generalized anxiety disorder (GAD).
For treating generalized anxiety disorder, these 3 supplements seem to work very well for around 50% of people, but for the other 50% who try them, they don't seem to work at all. It's kind of all or nothing. But when these supplements do work, they can be an effective and non-addictive alternative to benzodiazepines or SSRI drugs.
Anyway, I thought I'd post this info in case it helps anyone with anxiety symptoms. I had 5 years of shear living hell with severe GAD, and so I know just how bad GAD can be.
Edited by Hip, 30 May 2016 - 10:27 PM.
