Botanical Anxiolytics, Antidepressants, and Hypnotics

Abstract

The treatment of mood and anxiety disorders with botanical medicine goes back to antiquity, with various cultures applying energetic models such as humoral medicine or traditional Chinese medicine models to prescribe a range of plant-based medicines.1,2 Until recently, understanding of depression and anxiety was rudimentary, with such conditions classied broadly as “melancholia” or “hysteria.”3 In present times, use of herbal medicine and complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is prevalent among sufferers of mood and anxiety disorders. Data from a nationally representative sample of 2055 people interviewed during 1997-1998 revealed that 57% of those with anxiety attacks and 54% of thos..