In modern societies, stress and anxiety have pretty well
become commonplace. There are sources of anxiety, it seems,
all around us. Most adults have multiple responsibilities
that they attend to, some of which require consistent
effort and attention. In addition, we all to one degree or
another must navigate life, a task that is frequently
challenging. It's not terribly difficult then to feel
overwhelmed and anxious at some points, and perhaps even
often. Because anxiety is an unpleasant state and can even
seriously interfere with functioning, when anxiety comes
people typically want it to quickly disappear.
A growing number of people have become committed to using
what are thought of as natural treatments for various
disorders. Natural in this case is often seen as something
that doesn't originate from a pharmaceutical company, or
something that organically appears in nature. The thinking
behind using so-called natural treatments seems to be that
these treatments are more in tune with the human body than
something that is artificially manufactured; in addition,
some people consider natural treatments to have less
potential toxic effects than manufactured treatments may.
The desire to go natural has also found its way into
anxiety treatment. A plant known as Kava Kava is
increasingly being sold and used for the treatment of an
anxious condition. Kava Kava is native to parts of the
South Pacific, and the usage of the Kava Kava plant by
native peoples dates back centuries. Kava Kava has
specifically been used over time as part of religious
ceremonies, and as a cure for insomnia and muscle tension.
The ingredient used for treatment is found in the root of
the Kava Kava plant, and studies have suggested a
correlation between this active ingredient and enhanced
mood. Specifically, it's thought that Kava Kava may affect
certain chemical reactions within the brain, and cause an
enhanced state of relaxation.
Though on its face Kava Kava may sound like an appealing
treatment for anxiety, there are reports of Kava Kava usage
being linked to severe liver damage. In fairness, there is
not yet comprehensive evidence that minimal dosages of Kava
Kava itself damage the liver. Some advocates argue that the
liver damage seen with Kava Kava use is related to other
effects such as excess alcohol consumption. Whatever the
actual cause, reports of liver damage and Kava Kava usage
reinforces the notion that not everything natural is always
beneficial. It's also worth noting that there are anxiety
treatments beyond Kava Kava that have long track records
for not only being effective against anxiety, but also
being safe to use.
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Zinn Jeremiah is a freelance writer. Find help for anxiety
by visiting http://www.hubonline.biz/feel-better-today.htm
or http://www.hubonline.biz/healthy-mood.htm .