This pandemic and the resulting effects have lots of different effects, some expected and some not.
From the middle of February to the middle of March a report from Express Scripts say, [1]
- 34.1% increased sales in anti-anxiety medications
- 18.6% increased sales in anti-depressant medications
- 14.8% increased sales in sleep disorder medications
Three quarters of the prescriptions filled the week ending March 15th were for new prescriptions!
Note that this was the middle of March. Data like this takes some time to come in. And my prediction is that these have all kept trending upwards since then.
You can bet the pharmaceutical companies are enjoying this.
The stock price for Roche, who makes Valium, is actually up since the start of the year. Pfizer, who makes Xanax, is down just a little bit.
Am I surprised by this?
Not in the least.
These are crazy times. Many people’s lives are upended in more ways than one. Scared of catching the virus itself. Unemployed. Locked in their home…and having to spend far more time with family, which unfortunately isn’t a great thing for some.
Another study surveyed over a thousand people to find that 76.8% have had their sleep patterns disrupted. [2]
It seems logical that many people would use this time to sleep more, but too many are up late watching more Netflix it seems.
Of course, lack of sleep will then have systemic effects on your body from your hormones to immunity and more.
Should you go fill a prescription for this?
As you well know, this is not medical device. You must talk to your doctor for that.
Instead I encourage you to do the things you can, fully within your own control, that can help with anxiety, depression and sleeping better, including:
- Meditate
- Spend time in nature (if they haven’t made it illegal to do so we’re you’re at!)
- Modify your diet (less sugar tends to help)
- Workout
- Engage in an enjoyable hobby
- Laying off the news or social media
And use herbs to support your mental health too.
In the Chinese Three Treasure system, Shen is commonly thought of as spirit and reside in the heart. (Here’s an article All About Shen.)
“Shen and the Heart create receptivity, serenity, and stability while allowing the radiance and light to burst forth in love and affection.”
– Charles A. Moss, Power of the Five Elements
Receptivity. Serenity. Stability. Radiance. Love. Would you like more of these qualities in your life?
Of course, a great many herbs can help with this.
Reishi is a well-known shen herb, that also helps to train your immune system to be more intelligent.
Albizia is lesser known but definitely a top favorite. Our extract combines both the bark and the flowers which helps you to ground and be uplifted at the same time.
Ashwagandha is a premier adaptogen helping you to better handle stress, including mental stress. And unlike most adaptogens that can be stimulating, Ashwagandha is more calming in nature, even helping many people to sleep better.
These are not anti-anything medications. Instead, it is much better to think of them as helping to restore, support and even increase natural health.
You can aim to restore the serenity that is the natural birthright of human beings…however unstable the times may be.
References:
- https://www.express-scripts.com/corporate/americas-state-of-mind-report?mod=article_inline
- https://www.studyfinds.org/pandemic-exhaustion-coronavirus-affecting-sleep-habits-for-77-of-americans/
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Lost Empire Herbs
Have you all looked into the herb Kanna? It seems like a good one for you all to carry for a boost to mental health.
I’ve heard some good things but we have not looked deeply into it yet. Thanks for the reminder.