50 – Herbal Support for Panic Attacks

Posted on 1st November 2023

In this episode, Nicole (she/her) talks about herbal support for panic attacks. We explore what is a panic attack and why they happen, how to reduce activation in the sympathetic nervous system and how plant medicines can support this. We look at herbs that can be taken acutely during a panic attack, as well as those that can help prevent panic attacks by nourishing the nervous system ongoingly.

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Transcript
Nicole:

Welcome to the Frontline Herbalism podcast with your host Nicole Rose from the Solidarity Apothecary.

Nicole:

This is your place for all things plants and liberation.

Nicole:

Let's get started.

Nicole:

Hello, welcome back to the Frontline Herbalism podcast.

Nicole:

I hope you enjoyed yesterday's episode all about nervenes and the five different categories.

Nicole:

So I would really encourage you to listen to that before listening to this episode about herbal support for panic attacks because I think understanding the kind of herbal actions in more depth and complexity is really useful.

Nicole:

However, if you haven't listened to it, it's absolutely okay.

Nicole:

I hope you will get a lot from this show.

Nicole:

I talk about, you know, what kind of causes panic attacks, what roles plant medicines can play in like preventing panic attacks, and also talk about a bunch of different herbs that are useful kind of like acutely in the moment and responding to a panic attack.

Nicole:

So yeah, I hope you enjoy listening to this and just a shameless plug that the herbalism PTSD and traumatic stress course is open for enrolment until the 2nd of November.

Nicole:

I'm unlikely to launch it next year because of my pregnancy.

Nicole:

So If you want to join the course, then I'd strongly encourage you to enroll now.

Nicole:

At the end of the Nervines episode, I talk a little bit more about how it's designed and the kind of no one turned away for lack of funds, like approach.

Nicole:

So please check that out if you're interested.

Nicole:

And the course page has absolutely all the info you could ever need about the course and the sliding scale and everything else.

Nicole:

So.

Nicole:

I'll put a link in the show notes.

Nicole:

Please don't miss the chance to sign up if you're interested.

Nicole:

And yeah, I hope that this episode today is useful.

Nicole:

Okay, take care.

Nicole:

Okay, so panic attacks.

Nicole:

So I just want to say I'm going to be kind of talking about them in different ways, but that they're very real, and they're can be extremely difficult and extremely debilitating and if you are experiencing them regularly, then I'm really sending a lot of kind of love and solidarity because I know how challenging it can be.

Nicole:

So yeah, if you haven't had a panic attack or you kind of don't understand what they are, then I guess in really simple terms, panic attacks are kind of surges of like intense anxiety and fear.

Nicole:

So our body may sort of be experiencing distress and kind of expressing distress through, for example, like an increased heart rate, rapid and shallow breathing.

Nicole:

You know, we may get to a point where we're actually really struggling to breathe and we're starting to kind of hyperventilate.

Nicole:

People can often experience like shaking or trembling, can often get chest pain.

Nicole:

Many people can get very sweaty.

Nicole:

They, there can be a feeling of like dizziness or kind of lightheadedness, especially when we're And then, yeah, often some people experience nausea or vomiting.

Nicole:

Especially afterwards in this kind of calm down phase, and we may experience kind of tingling or numbness as well, but generally there's this feeling that we're kind of losing control or kind of going crazy.

Nicole:

You know, we may feel like we're detached from our own body, you know, and you can really feel like you're going to die.

Nicole:

Like it really can.

Nicole:

be that bad if that makes sense.

Nicole:

And kind of after a panic attack we can kind of have this feeling of being hung over due to the kind of surge in stress hormones and all these like physiological changes that have been kind of activated and this kind of like hangover feeling can kind of linger for the rest of the day or several days and kind of, yeah, I feel like kind of haunt us, if that makes sense.

Nicole:

So yeah, panic attacks are definitely, definitely not a fun experience.

Nicole:

So yeah, what roles can plant medicines play in preventing and treating panic attacks?

Nicole:

And yeah, you're probably like wanting just, Oh, give me the list of plants and I'll make a mix and that will help.

Nicole:

And, you know, definitely there are mixes that are really fantastic and kind of like acute situations.

Nicole:

But what this episode is going to be kind of focusing on is like preventing them right and supporting our nervous system so that we don't get to this place of such a massive surge of like fear and panic.

Nicole:

So yeah, panic attacks are this kind of acute activation of our sympathetic nervous system.

Nicole:

And I talked a little bit about the sympathetic nervous system in the last episode about nervines.

Nicole:

But basically, it's a network of nerves that help the body activate it's like fight or flight response, right?

Nicole:

So lots of people have heard of this.

Nicole:

It's this sort of state of mobilization, increasing the body's ability to act.

Nicole:

You know, we, it is mobilized when we feel in danger.

Nicole:

And it's not, I also talked about this last time, but it's not like good or bad, that being in this state is a really bad thing.

Nicole:

Like this state is extremely life saving.

Nicole:

It also can enable us to do lots of things with our lives, but really this is like a kind of state of survival.

Nicole:

So this kind of system, this sympathetic nervous system does trigger this kind of whole raft of physiological effects.

Nicole:

For example, increased heart rate, blood pressure, you know, increased blood pressure, breathing rate, and many more things.

Nicole:

And yeah, with panic attacks, like they generally don't kind of just come out of nowhere.

Nicole:

Although I want to preface that, that like it can really feel like they come out of nowhere.

Nicole:

And also sometimes we might be feeling okay and then, you know, encounter some sort of quite acute trigger like for our kind of PTSD or, you know, something traumatic we've been through.

Nicole:

And then it can feel like you're going from zero to a hundred in terms of than having a panic attack.

Nicole:

But generally, they're sort of a result of this like cumulative activation in our nervous system.

Nicole:

So this is kind of like our build up of anxiety and pressure and tension.

Nicole:

And I kind of, yeah, in my perspective, I guess I can, I think that panic attacks often happen and they kind of feel as if it is like, you know, the straw that broke the camel's back.

Nicole:

Like it's this absolute last resort, like peak of overwhelm.

Nicole:

Like when you've really kind of like hit your absolute limit and then it's like bang panic attack, you know So for example, I might have a really difficult day with lots of sort of stressful things happening lots of calls messages.

Nicole:

You know, generally one of my main triggers is the prison system, right?

Nicole:

So It will be like someone texting me about, Oh, this guy's getting tortured.

Nicole:

Can you share this action alert or, you know, this has happened or I'll get a phone call from a friend in prison.

Nicole:

And, you know, it's kind of like one after the next, after the next, after next.

Nicole:

And then often there's like some kind of final trigger and then that's it really.

Nicole:

Like, then it's like.

Nicole:

my nervous system is so overwhelmed that I just haven't had time to like process and integrate what's happening and I've often had like a kind of deficiency in this sort of parasympathetic like rest and digest state so therefore my nervous system is already kind of like at peak capacity and then it's like bang panic attack it's like I cannot cope anymore this world feels too threatening like this is it I'm gonna die do you know what I mean like it's really that kind of yeah acute feeling and I think to really prevent panic attacks, like, we have to reduce this kind of activation of our sympathetic nervous system.

Nicole:

So, you know, this is something I explore in depth in the herbalism, PTSD and traumatic stress course.

Nicole:

So there's, you know, there's a million and one ways we can do this.

Nicole:

For example...

Nicole:

Like being with friends that we trust and feel safe with, being with animals, you know, watching kind of lighthearted TV shows or trash, like engaging in an activity that we find restful, like gardening, for example, or walking somewhere, you know, beautiful and relaxing, like these activities can like really help us move into this parasympathetic state.

Nicole:

So this is like a really essential state for the body.

Nicole:

You know, this is When our sort of muscles relax, our blood pressure reduces, our tissues get a chance to repair themselves and our sort of digestion has, our digestive system has kind of adequate blood flow, adequate kind of enzyme flow.

Nicole:

So it's able to function, right?

Nicole:

Like it's not in this state of kind of tension and constriction.

Nicole:

And generally, this state is where we feel kind of like safe and social.

Nicole:

That's like a kind of phrase used in polyvagal theory, which is a theory all about kind of the nervous system that I talk about in the herbalism, PTSD and traumatic stress scores.

Nicole:

So You know, it's not always easy to access this state, right, where we feel safe and sociable, like, especially if being kind of in fight or flight or being very activated has been like a dominant pattern of our kind of life experience.

Nicole:

So yeah, in my opinion, I think like plant medicines can be really amazing kind of teachers and gentle guides in this respect for kind of tending to our nervous systems and helping us inhabit different ways of being that aren't survival, survival, survival, danger, danger, danger, but are kind of more like, yeah, safe and social.

Nicole:

Okay.

Nicole:

So yeah, just to kind of summarize again, before I go more into the plant medicine side, what we're trying to do with panic attacks is prevent them by having more parasympathetic rest and digest state.

Nicole:

We're trying to kind of tone down that background anxiety, reduce that kind of overwhelm we're experiencing with the hope that we won't get to that kind of climax state where we're having a panic attack.

Nicole:

Okay.

Nicole:

So that brings us onto Nervines.

Nicole:

So these are plant medicines that have an affinity with the nervous system.

Nicole:

And yeah, I dove into detail about five different kinds of nervines on the last episode, but I'm aware that like people listen to podcast episodes in all sorts of like random orders.

Nicole:

So people might not have heard that episode.

Nicole:

So I'm going to kind of recap some of these categories of plants.

Nicole:

So relaxant nervines, like these are Herbs that can kind of help reduce anxiety, they can aid our sleep, they may lower our blood pressure, they might have a kind of calming action on the gut, they can help relieve tension, including things like headaches and musculoskeletal tension and pain, and they can have like a direct action on our neurotransmitters, including kind of inhibitory ones that like literally reduce activation in the central nervous system.

Nicole:

So I'm going to be, yeah, talking about some herbs that are kind of beautiful relaxants in a second, but just to kind of recap these categories.

Nicole:

So hypnotic nervines, these are herbs that have a kind of stronger, like more sedating and tranquilizing effect on the nervous system.

Nicole:

They're generally really useful in helping kind of induce sleep.

Nicole:

They're often very strong antispasmodics for pain and tension.

Nicole:

And, you know, they can help trigger this state of full body relaxation.

Nicole:

And I talk about this a lot in the last episode about nervines, but it's really important to note that for some people feeling sedated or knocked out can trigger feelings of distress and danger, especially if they've been through a kind of traumatic experience in the state, for example, being anesthetized after a car accident or something.

Nicole:

And finally, like nerve tonics are herbs which act to tonify, strengthen and restore like the proper functioning of the nervous system.

Nicole:

So these tonics can help address nutritional deficiencies, they can support with the repair of the myelin sheath, which is like a layer of fat that surrounds the nerve cells.

Nicole:

And they can also aid with the production of various neurotransmitters.

Nicole:

And many, many, many more actions.

Nicole:

You know, I talk about them more in the last episode.

Nicole:

And I dive into tons of detail about all these amazing herbs in the herbalism PTSD and traumatic stress scores too.

Nicole:

So yeah, in this context, like, these are the nervines we're kind of thinking about working with.

Nicole:

Okay, so yeah, now we've got that kind of baseline understanding of what a panic attack is and some of the categories of herbs that we can help and we know, like, our goal is to reduce the activation in our system.

Nicole:

I'm now going to kind of talk about herbal support, like, during a panic attack, like, what can you, you know, take kind of in that moment to help calm you down, for example.

Nicole:

So I'm going to start with motherwort.

Nicole:

So motherwort is, like, very strongly indicated for panic attacks.

Nicole:

It has an affinity with the chest particularly.

Nicole:

So whether that's easing a sensation of kind of rising anxiety in the chest or literally helping reduce like heart palpitations, motherwort can really bring this kind of instant relief through it's like strong, relaxing action.

Nicole:

On the nervous system, I really think it's a herb that kind of reminds you to breathe.

Nicole:

And it's kind of cardiotonic properties make it really useful in treating like high blood pressure, for example.

Nicole:

And it's got so many other amazing medicinal actions.

Nicole:

I talk about them a lot in the herbalism PTSD and traumatic stress course, but it's definitely my number one kind of herb for panic attack blends.

Nicole:

So I think generally it's recommended as a tincture, which is obviously an alcohol based medicine, and tinctures aren't necessarily like appropriate for everyone.

Nicole:

Not everyone can consume alcohol.

Nicole:

I haven't actually tried making a glycerite of motherwort, but I'm sure it can be done.

Nicole:

But yeah, in my experience, I found it very effective in kind of like drop doses.

Nicole:

So during a panic attack, like literally having like 15 drops, like directly on my tongue, for example, or having it in some water during a panic attack.

Nicole:

So yeah, just the kind of safety note like we avoid by the war and pregnancy.

Nicole:

Yeah, a quote here from the kind of famous herbalist, Nicholas Culpepper, who said, There is no better herb to drive melancholy vapors from the heart to strengthen it and make a merry cheerful blind soul than this herb.

Nicole:

Therefore, the Latins called it Cardiaca.

Nicole:

Okay, so that's Motherwort.

Nicole:

I then wanted to talk about Lemon Balm.

Nicole:

The Latin name is Melissa Officinalis.

Nicole:

I'm such a, like, Lemon Balm drug dealer.

Nicole:

Like, I just think it's the most beautiful, safe, wonderful herb that Just seems to benefit everyone who takes it in my experience.

Nicole:

Okay, so if you haven't heard of lemon balm, it's a really wonderful kind of nervine relaxant that can help us move into like a more parasympathetic state.

Nicole:

It's volatile oils act directly on the limbic system, which is like the part of the brain involved in our sort of behavioral and emotional responses.

Nicole:

It can reduce tension through lowering blood pressure and can relieve kind of heart palpitations.

Nicole:

And lemon balm is like very fantastic for kind of People who express a lot of distress kind of in their digestive system.

Nicole:

Like if you're that person who gets kind of IBS symptoms when you're experiencing a lot of emotional stress, then lemon balm is like a really fantastic ally because it has a lot of affinity with that kind of gut brain axis stuff.

Nicole:

So in my experience, I think lemon balm is absolutely amazing as a glycerite.

Nicole:

So this is when a medicinal substance is combined with glycerinee.

Nicole:

I think it captures the volatile oils really well it's much stronger and sweeter than a tincture so yeah, I am biased and if you're interested in learning about glycerine, shameless plug, I've got a workshop called making herbal medicine with glycerine, which is like Comprehensive training and how to work with glycerine to make medicines because yeah, not everyone can consume alcohol based medicines and we need to be able to make medicines that can support people who are Muslim, who are pregnant, who maybe avoid alcohol for health reasons, children, the elderly, for example, so yeah.

Nicole:

But anyway, I think lemon balm makes the most amazing glycerite.

Nicole:

It's also a wonderful tincture.

Nicole:

And you can also have a tea, like the tea in the summer from fresh leaves is absolutely beautiful.

Nicole:

So yeah generally avoided in avoiding pregnancy, like in the first trimester, but otherwise I think it's pretty safe.

Nicole:

Avoid in like hypothyroidism, so low thyroid and caution with kind of low blood pressure and antidepressant and sedative medications.

Nicole:

I've never found anyone that actually has developed low blood pressure from, like, low blood pressure in the sense that they've already got low blood pressure and they take lemon balm and they feel worse.

Nicole:

I would love it if any herbalists have experience with that because I always read it in like herbal safety manuals and we reproduce a lot of this stuff but it's like nothing I've ever kind of encountered, if that makes sense.

Nicole:

But yeah, during like a panic attack itself, like I think having a swig of lemon balm goes like a really long way in kind of helping me, like, definitely feel soothed and calmer.

Nicole:

I think it, yeah, has this wonderful fast, fast acting, relaxing action, which is what we need during a panic attack.

Nicole:

Okay, Passionflower.

Nicole:

So the Latin name is Passiflora incarnata.

Nicole:

So yeah, passionflower, I guess, is kind of famous for being a kind of sleep remedy.

Nicole:

So yeah, while being a fantastic ally for sleep disturbances and insomnia, passionflower can also be taken during the daytime to support with reducing sympathetic activation.

Nicole:

So yeah, like I think, you know, how herbs get kind of pigeonholed a bit, of you take this for this, and fever abuse for migraines, and like blah blah blah.

Nicole:

I think passionflower is generally kind of been lumped in this just like nighttime support category.

Nicole:

And I think it's very underestimated as like a nervine that is fantastic in kind of daytime blends.

Nicole:

So unless someone was like severely kind of hyper aroused triggered, I probably wouldn't give it on its own in the daytime.

Nicole:

But I think for people who are kind of experiencing this strong baseline anxiety.

Nicole:

Like a little bit goes a long way, especially in kind of mix with other nervines.

Nicole:

So yeah, passionflower can help ease kind of anxiety and racing thoughts.

Nicole:

Like passionflower is very indicated for racing thoughts and yeah, and I think racing thoughts are very.

Nicole:

interesting because they can often be this kind of panic attack trajectory where it's like tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick.

Nicole:

Like you might be in a particular kind of thought loop of feeling in danger, for example, and then that can kind of build towards panic attack.

Nicole:

And I think Passionflower is really fantastic at kind of addressing that.

Nicole:

Yeah, passionflower is also a kind of antispasmodic, so it's indicated for muscle pain and digestive distress or period pains and other things, and yeah, can reduce blood pressure and has this like a relaxant effect on the entire body, right?

Nicole:

So in terms of medicine forms, like it's recommended as a tincture as a glycerite, so I've never had enough.

Nicole:

fresh passionflower to make a big batch of glycerite because I kind of make it in like sort of five liters at once in a slow cooker.

Nicole:

But I have made like fantastic passionflower glycerite using dried passionflower and this kind of slow cooker kind of warm method, which I talk about in the making herbal medicine with glycerine workshop.

Nicole:

It's also fantastic as a tea but for panic attacks, I do find the tincture really effective like just adding 15 drops to some water or taking it kind of directly on the tongue.

Nicole:

And in terms of glycerite, like I will literally just have a swig from the bottle like a whole, or just like, you know, go hard or go home, but I find that really effective for me.

Nicole:

So yeah, safety notes.

Nicole:

They recommend avoiding passionflower in pregnancy and caution with.

Nicole:

kind of other antidepressants, barbiturates and sedative medications because of its kind of sedating nature.

Nicole:

Skullcap, so the latter name is Scutellaria lateriflora there's many different types of skullcap around the world but it's, yeah.

Nicole:

It's kind of a herb that I focus on in my herbalism PTSD and traumatic stress course, where we kind of have placed it in the kind of hypnotic nervine category, because it does have this like sedating effect it can sort of In my experience, like almost instantly put you in a kind of parasympathetic like rest and digest state.

Nicole:

However, it's also fantastic nerve tonics.

Nicole:

So it's full of B vitamins and kind of nutritive constituents that are really fantastic for our kind of nervous system.

Nicole:

So yeah, it's, yeah, it's definitely something I support people with like medium term.

Nicole:

So if someone has a lot of bad anxiety, and it's kind of parasympathetic state is unfamiliar to them.

Nicole:

I might kind of recommend them to take an infusion of skullcap before bed, almost kind of, yeah, for six weeks or even eight weeks at time.

Nicole:

I've, you know, I've taken it myself for like four months at a time once.

Nicole:

during a really bad period and it was, you know, really fantastic at kind of shifting me into a sleep pattern that I'm still in now, which is amazing.

Nicole:

But in terms of panic attacks, I do think it's really effective in kind of responding to that like acute distress.

Nicole:

And I think I should have mentioned at the beginning, but I think I think kind of all plants that you have a relationship with can support you in a panic attack like if you have a relationship with that plant where taking that plant makes you feel safe, it makes you feel calmer, it makes you feel supported, it makes you feel strengthened, then I think, yeah, those are the kind of herbs that you want to be kind of reaching towards during a panic attack.

Nicole:

So similar to the other plants, like 15 drops of the tincture kind of directly on the tongue is really effective.

Nicole:

I have made skullcap glycerite.

Nicole:

I personally don't think it's the strongest.

Nicole:

I think the tincture is more fast acting.

Nicole:

However, I think skullcap tea I know when you have a panic attack, you're not gonna be like, oh, I'll just make a cup of tea But I think for that kind of hangover time skullcap tea is really effective and I also just wanted to bust one of the myths about skullcap because there's all this stuff about You need to make it with like cold water and stuff and it's just kind of nonsense like you make it with kind of hot water.

Nicole:

And then just let it cool down, you know, let it infuse for a good hour and then drink it like, you know, or drink it slightly warm if you like.

Nicole:

It's a bit like marshmallow.

Nicole:

Like if anyone's actually tried to make marshmallow group, you do need some warmth in there and some kinetic energy.

Nicole:

But yeah, I think skullcap kind of tea cooled down is perfect.

Nicole:

So, yeah, safety notes.

Nicole:

They say to avoid in pregnancy and caution when nursing or breastfeeding and also caution with antidepressant medications and avoid when driving due to its sedative action.

Nicole:

Okay, the last herb I'm going to talk about is valerian.

Nicole:

Actually, I'm going to talk about more herbs in terms of preventing panic attacks, but in terms of like acutely treating a panic attack, I'm going to just, yeah, kind of end on valerian.

Nicole:

So the latter name is Valeriana officinalis.

Nicole:

It's got many, many different kind of herbal actions.

Nicole:

And unlike, other kind of nervines in this context.

Nicole:

It's actually quite warming.

Nicole:

And before I dive in, I kind of just want to say that like, it's not for everyone.

Nicole:

Like some people find valerian very stimulating.

Nicole:

I unfortunately I'm one of those people.

Nicole:

So if I take valerian at night, I will actually be awake a lot.

Nicole:

And if I fall asleep, I will have very active nightmares.

Nicole:

So.

Nicole:

When I talk about it in the herbalism PTSD and traumatic stress course, I do say that, you know, you have to check in with your client or your person you're supporting or yourself like before they take it or just, hey, this does happen to some people.

Nicole:

Maybe it's only 5%, but some people can try all these sleep medications and wonder why they're not working.

Nicole:

And often I think valerian is like a secret culprit.

Nicole:

Okay, so yeah, so valerian has.

Nicole:

For people who it's effective for, valerian has a very great sort of sedative action.

Nicole:

Like I said in the episode last time about different kinds of nervines, like everyone's a bit different.

Nicole:

It might be, for example, some people can just take valerian, like in the daytime for just general anxiety.

Nicole:

It doesn't knock them out.

Nicole:

Other people will take valerian and they'll just need to sleep for 12 hours like everyone is kind of different and you need to find your own pace with herbs of how they affect you.

Nicole:

But I do think it's very effective in kind of panic attack blends.

Nicole:

It's really useful for kind of heart palpitations.

Nicole:

You know, they used valerian to treat soldiers, for example, who were experiencing shell shock in the first world war.

Nicole:

It's a herb we use a lot with Ukraine, Herbal Solidarity, really strong Valerian in Ukraine.

Nicole:

And yeah, it's like a fantastic herb for people who are experiencing, like, really extreme nervous exhaustion, you know, like, really to the point where, you know, something like shell shock, where someone's, like, literally life is threatened by being in so much kind of acute shock.

Nicole:

So yeah, it's really fantastic and panic attack blends.

Nicole:

And it's also this fantastic nerve tonic for sort of recovery.

Nicole:

In my experience, it's got this kind of affinity with the head.

Nicole:

So it's actually been used traditionally with things like epilepsy and vertigo and headaches and migraines and convulsions.

Nicole:

And I think that could be the culprit of why it can trigger things like nightmares for some people just because of that kind of blood flow to the brain.

Nicole:

Okay.

Nicole:

So yeah, you know, there's lots of other amazing medicinal actions of valerian, but yeah, in terms of the actual medicine, like I do think it's really amazing as a tincture.

Nicole:

I've also made fantastic.

Nicole:

glycerite from the dried root.

Nicole:

You can also take it in tea.

Nicole:

And I think valerian is really effective actually in powder and capsules.

Nicole:

So, you know, you might not be able to carry a little bottle around with you, like of medicine.

Nicole:

I mean, I just, you know, take little bottles everywhere I go in my handbag or whatever.

Nicole:

Handbag.

Nicole:

I mean, let's be kidding.

Nicole:

Come on.

Nicole:

I've got, obviously I've got like six Anarchist Black Cross tote bags that I circulate.

Nicole:

But for example, if you're going on a plane and you can't take fluids and things like, kind of capsules with valerian that are labelled and everything can be really effective.

Nicole:

And yeah, just, I guess, safety considerations.

Nicole:

Like I said, some people have an adverse reaction, can actually experience more sort of nervousness and anxiety and palpitations.

Nicole:

Some people can actually get like real withdrawal symptoms if they're taking valerian kind of longer term.

Nicole:

can cause drowsiness for some people.

Nicole:

And yet it's generally avoided in pregnancy and in nursing.

Nicole:

And again, it's just caution if you're taking other sort of sedating or antidepressant medications, especially like barbiturates or benzodiazepine.

Nicole:

But yeah, I talk about valerian much more in the herbalism PTSD and traumatic stress course.

Nicole:

But yeah, I think it is a beautiful herb for people who have.

Nicole:

the tendency with it for it to feel sedating.

Nicole:

I think it's a wonderful herb in panic attack blends.

Nicole:

And just while we're on talking about like acute panic attacks, I just wanted to kind of drop in a couple of other strategies.

Nicole:

So I know, I know if you experience PTSD, like everyone's like, Oh, meditate.

Nicole:

But you know, there's been a lot of research that people with acute PTSD like meditation is not actually recommended.

Nicole:

But anyway, like I think there are like legit breathing techniques, which can really kind of instantaneously trigger this like parasympathetic nervous system and kind of calm the highly activated fight flight response, like Like box breathing, for example, and I think that's why it's really important if you're having a panic attack if ideally you have someone around you who can help bring you down, you know, help you breathe, you can copy their breath.

Nicole:

Like I think that stuff's really important.

Nicole:

And also just seeking support.

Nicole:

Like I tend to like call people and my very close friends or, you know, partners like they'll know if I'm in that distressed state, they can hear that I'm not getting my words out that I'm just breathing really fast.

Nicole:

And they will like gently calm me down.

Nicole:

So finding someone that you know has a kind of skill in soothing you, I think it's really important.

Nicole:

And then just, yeah, just resting afterwards.

Nicole:

Like it's a lot on the body.

Nicole:

It's a lot of stress hormones.

Nicole:

You know, it's a big effect on our sort of oxygen levels, like just making sure to prevent another panic attack, because I think that can happen as well, that there can be a kind of sequence of them that, yeah, enabling some time to sort of rest afterwards is really important.

Nicole:

Okay.

Nicole:

So, herbal support to prevent panic attacks, just to kind of revisit this.

Nicole:

What I've talked about several times is reducing the activation in our nervous systems, right?

Nicole:

And for this, you know, there's kind of short term strategies and longer term strategies.

Nicole:

And the longer term strategies are going to be our kind of nerve tonics.

Nicole:

So, these are plants that are helping us to support our nervous systems to kind of function.

Nicole:

better and become more resilient.

Nicole:

And, you know, literally like repair, you know, if something is a mess, for example, we have an issue with a certain level of a neurotransmitter we need, or we have, you know, a kind of deficiency of fats in our nervous system.

Nicole:

You know, there's so many ways that herbs can kind of try and get to the root causes.

Nicole:

But yeah, I kind of think I just wanted to list a couple of plants now.

Nicole:

So one of them is Hawthorn.

Nicole:

So Hawthorn is a really beautiful cardiac nervine.

Nicole:

So it has a really strong affinity with the heart and the cardiovascular system.

Nicole:

And it has a million other amazing medicinal actions.

Nicole:

But I think if your panic attacks are related to, for example, grief or loss or heartache, like kind of, you know, like a breakup, then I think Hawthorn is very strongly indicated for that kind of emotional energy and grief and loss.

Nicole:

And yeah, it can really help our kind of cardiovascular system.

Nicole:

So if, you know, you're kind of having panic attacks because your nerves are quite frayed and maybe your blood vessels are kind of inflamed from kind of constant activation, I think Hawthorn is a really wonderful, cooling, gentle relaxant.

Nicole:

And, you know, I also take Hawthorn like in an acute panic attack as well.

Nicole:

It's not that I don't, but it's just really fantastic taking kind of medium term, medium, long term.

Nicole:

Yeah, and it's one of the herbs that I dive into depth in the Herbalism, PTSD and Traumatic Stress course.

Nicole:

Okay, Rose, I mean, I am obviously a sucker for roses, right?

Nicole:

Like, one of the testimonials for the Herbalism, PTSD and Traumatic Stress course is that I've made, I can't remember what it said, something like...

Nicole:

an ode to suffering and decorated it with roses or something like that with rose petals because people can see like all over my instagram or whatever it's always roses in the background like they really are my herb you know i changed my surname to nicole rose because i just yeah they're just like the most amazing like fierce femme caring wonderful loving energy and rose is like 100 percent a go to for me, like in general, but especially with nervous system stuff.

Nicole:

I think it's really wonderful in this like panic attack, like calm down stage for just kind of like soothing you, like it's very cooling and anti inflammatory, like I make rose petal glycerite.

Nicole:

Which is just absolutely divine.

Nicole:

But you can also have rose tincture and rose tea as well.

Nicole:

And even like you know, like products with rose oil in like moisturizer, things like that.

Nicole:

Like, I think we can't underestimate how say putting on like a face cream with rose in, like how that is gonna just be gently, like, slightly toning down our anxiety.

Nicole:

So yeah, I think Rose is really wonderful in, similar to Hawthorn, like in addressing that kind of longer term grief.

Nicole:

Like, I think people who've experienced a lot of trauma, there's often a lot of kind of loss, there's often a lot of despair and hopelessness.

Nicole:

And I think Rose, you know, and not just despair and hopelessness, but also like a rejection of kind of love somehow, like feeling We're unlovable, like potentially losing people we love, like experiencing a lot of pain, you know, like really loving and caring for someone while they're dying.

Nicole:

Like all of these relationships to love and pain, I feel like Rhodes has really kind of got our backs.

Nicole:

Okay.

Nicole:

And then milky oats.

Nicole:

So this is one of our kind of primary nerve tonics that I talk about a lot in the course.

Nicole:

It's really fantastic for the nervous system as our kind of oats in general.

Nicole:

I go on a nice oats kind of swan song bender in the herbalism PTSD course because I just think they're so wonderful for the nervous system.

Nicole:

But yeah, milky oats, generally it's fantastic as a tincture.

Nicole:

I've also made milky oat glycerite with fresh milky oats, which was Also really divine.

Nicole:

Yeah, again, really like a long term tonic for people who have very kind of depressed nerve function or have, who are very depleted after long periods of chronic stress.

Nicole:

I think milky oats is amazing.

Nicole:

Betony.

Nicole:

So betony is one of my favorite herbs.

Nicole:

It's also a really powerful nerve tonic.

Nicole:

It's a really long history of betony being used in kind of England, Wales, Scotland, and Ireland.

Nicole:

And again, like, I don't think Betony is gonna, at least for me, I'm sure other herbalists have different experiences with Betony, but for me, I'm not going to take Betony and feel this like instantaneous, relaxing relief like I would with something like lemon balm.

Nicole:

But Betony's kind of got your back for like the long term, like a bit like milky oats.

Nicole:

It's this kind of like long term recovery process.

Nicole:

And you know, especially if you're someone who's fault lines are kind of getting like stress headaches, for example.

Nicole:

I think Betony is really fantastic.

Nicole:

And similar to Vervain.

Nicole:

So, Vervain is another wonderful kind of nervous system tonic.

Nicole:

I talk about it a lot in the course.

Nicole:

Like, again, I personally, if all I had was Vervain and I was having a panic attack, I would 100 percent swig it.

Nicole:

Do you know what I mean?

Nicole:

Like, I will just go to any herb at any time.

Nicole:

Like, if that's all I've got next to me, then that's all I've got next to me.

Nicole:

But I do think vervein kind of comes into its own in this kind of long term nervous system support stuff.

Nicole:

Like I think it's strongly indicated for people who menstruate, who experienced a lot of premenstrual tension or kind of distress and despair around their periods, for example.

Nicole:

And yeah, I kind of see it in this long term, preventative kind of tonic category.

Nicole:

And then lastly, I just wanted to talk about chamomile.

Nicole:

And when I did a podcast episode about chamomile, I called it the incredible kind of underestimated chamomile because we take chamomile for granted so much because it's so available everywhere, you know, you can bloody go to Costa Coffee and get chamomile tea if you want.

Nicole:

I mean, I think so, I don't actually have a Costa anywhere near me, because I live in the countryside.

Nicole:

But yeah, like chamomile is one of those herbs that is quite easy to find.

Nicole:

And I think because of its familiarity, we somehow, like, underestimate its, like, potency.

Nicole:

Like, I've definitely been out and about, for example when my best friend Sam in prison had cancer, I mean, she's still kind of, well, actually she got it all clear recently, but it's an ongoing struggle of, you know, six monthly checkups.

Nicole:

But when it was kind of like acutely there and she was having surgeries and stuff like this, like I remember, Being in this train station in Peterborough where she was in prison and like just knowing like I'd had such a horrible day of like Constant stress on the trains like nearly missing the visit like you know It was like cat called by a bunch of people like it was just really shit like my whole nervous system Activated, activated, activated, and got to prison, and then they were really shitty about my pain relief and my ribs, and I was in loads of pain, and then the visit was like really emotionally intense, and then like, had to run for the train, and da da da, missed it, and then, I just, like, that was the moment where I was like, I'm going to have a panic attack, like if anything else happens today, I'm just going to fucking lose.

Nicole:

I'm just going to lose it.

Nicole:

And then I saw this kind of like coffee stand and they had chamomile tea and I bought the tea and it was just like, holy moly, like the relief, you know, like chamomile does have this like instant kind of relaxation.

Nicole:

effect on our nervous systems.

Nicole:

And also it has this affinity with the guts, right?

Nicole:

Which I've said is, you know, a really big part of how we kind of process distress in the body.

Nicole:

So I think chamomile is like really fantastic because it's so accessible.

Nicole:

I think the chamomile tincture is great, like in a panic attack blend.

Nicole:

I think the tea is fantastic.

Nicole:

The glycerite is.

Nicole:

Absolutely divine.

Nicole:

Again, it's such a fantastic nervine herb for this kind of daytime anxiety support, tone your nervous system down and cope with capitalism kind of blend.

Nicole:

Anyway, so those are the herbs that I wanted to talk about.

Nicole:

And I guess the main thing I wanted to say is if you are prone to panic attacks, then I do think it is about preparation.

Nicole:

So I would strongly advise you to have a blend, like specifically in your bag, that is like specifically for like an acute panic attack, you know, with valerian, if it's right for you and motherwort and lemon balm, for example, like something that if you are going in that direction, you can put some droppers of it on your tongue, you know, it only needs to be like a tiny little 10 ml bottle that you can fit in your pocket.

Nicole:

And just kind of knowing it's there, I think can somehow also prevent panic attacks.

Nicole:

And you know, maybe you just need to like drop dose it through the day.

Nicole:

Maybe you just have that very strong mix for that acute thing in the moment.

Nicole:

But yeah, having it in your kind of toolkit and if you do like herbal medic stuff, like I think having that in your In your kit is also really important.

Nicole:

Like if you're supporting someone with a panic attack, and you kind of get consent from them, like they would like to take some herbs, then, you know, being able to support them and being prepared is really fantastic.

Nicole:

The other thing is like just doing that work on reducing this activation over time.

Nicole:

So having some kind of daytime anxiety blend that can just, like I said, like take the edge off.

Nicole:

So for example, like lemon balm and hawthorn and rose or chamomile, for example, like just kind of gentle nervines that aren't going to like, knock you out and sedate you so you can't function, but they're just going to be kind of supporting you in the background.

Nicole:

And finally, like.

Nicole:

Working with nerve tonics, right, like having some kind of protocol in your life where you are just like tending to your nervous system consistently, like whether that's skullcap tea or eating oats for breakfast or having like milky oat tincture when you know you're run down, like this kind of burnout y blend.

Nicole:

Yeah, and these are all things that I talk about in the herbalism, PTSD and traumatic stress course talk about kind of how to choose herbs to work with.

Nicole:

You know, we explore all the safety stuff in depth.

Nicole:

We look at your constitution.

Nicole:

We look at herbs from your different bioregions.

Nicole:

Like there's all sorts of factors in our kind of decision making of what makes a plant like appropriate for us and like a good ally, like a herb that we can have good affinity with.

Nicole:

And they'll be effective with us as medicine.

Nicole:

So yeah.

Nicole:

Again, shameless plug, the course is closing for enrolment on the second, which is the day after tomorrow, Thursday.

Nicole:

So I just, yeah, I would love you to jump in and get on board and join the course if you can.

Nicole:

I explained in the last episode about no one being turned away for lack of funds, and I also explained about appreciating when people can pay.

Nicole:

But yeah, I do think it is a really helpful offering that is helpful for a lot of people because our nervous systems are under so much pressure all the time in this world right now.

Nicole:

So taking care of them is definitely a radical act.

Nicole:

Okay, I hope this has been useful.

Nicole:

Take care.

Nicole:

Thanks so much for listening to the Frontline Herbalism podcast.

Nicole:

You can find the transcripts, the links, all the resources from the show at solidarityapothecary.org/podcast.