Finding herbal alternatives for common mental health concerns is one of my passions. There is surprising amount of scientific research to support the use of herbs such as passionflower, chamomile, lemon balm, valerian, hops, and kava for anxiety. Often, this research looks at these herbs alongside benzodiazepines and finds them to be just as, if not more effective. These herbs are safer as well, and come without fear of addiction or other negative side effects. While in graduate school, I wrote a short research summary on passionflower and chamomile that was published in my University’s newsletter (starting on page 3!).