Healing Anxiety With Herbs deals with the alternatives to those little pink pills and their brethren. And, according to Bloomfield, there are lots of alternatives. In fact, the contemplation of the alternatives make the book a peaceful read. Chapters, for instance, on aromatherapy and emotional freedom seem almost like step one to stress removal in themselves. The set up to the herbal sections is a little frightening, because it confirms the things we already suspected.
Antianxiety drugs are a multibillion-dollar business.
The pharmaceutical industry helps underwrite medical journals, professional meetings, and drug representatives who bring free samples to doctors' offices. While there is a huge profit incentive for developing and testing a new synthetic tranquilizer or antidepressant drug, there is no economic incentive for U.S. companies to research an herbal medicine alternative, because a plant remedy cannot be patented. The book is broken into three bite-sized pieces. Part 1, What is Anxiety , takes several looks at anxiety and what it's made of, including some of the causes and reasons for that anxiety and how it affects us as individuals. Part 2, Herbs for Anxiety, Insomnia, and Stress looks at natural alternatives to synthetic drugs including the aforementioned aromatherapy and the healing power of certain types of flowers.