Background (skip if impatient) My experience with anxiety has been a long one. I attribute its origins to my parents who have manipulated and abused me my entire life, all the while claiming to be virtuous. I was diagnosed with PTSD 6 years ago, but have refrained from common US pharmaceuticals. I was able to be diagnosed non-PTSD while taking 1.5 gram each of Phenibut and GABA once daily. I was concerned with taking such a high dose of Phenibut daily, and have had an off and on relationship with Phenibut ever since.
Recently I have added 95% + Magnolia extract to my regimen and had some great success. For me it is a great cortisol reducer for anxiety, and is the most potent herb based anxiolytic I know of. Others include Jujube and Passionflower, which require several grams of extract to have an effect. Yes, Kava had an effect for me, but I didn't like the sick feeling I got from it. I first purchased my pure Magnolia extract from swansonsvitamins.com. I found a similar purity product from liftmode.com that is a better value, which is what I'm currently taking. To be clear I have tried valerian, hops, ashwagandha, skullcap..pretty much every herb and vitamin for anxiety. I have noticed benefits, but nothing dramatic.
After all this time here is what I've realized: Phenibut and Gaba are the best for anxiety. I know GABA doesn't cross the BBB, but it stacks well with Phenibut. The addition of Magnolia extract really improved the effects of these two, as well as some L-Theanine and B3 (any form). Without the Phenibut, they aren't as effective to be clear. I highly recommend 20 - 40 min of cardio as a natural stress reliever, but here's the stack that works for me for anxiety:
Magnolia 95% honokiol: 200- 500 mg
Phenibut: 500 mg - 1000 mg
Gaba 500 mg - 1000 mg
L-Theanine 200 - 300 mg
Niacin or Niacinamide 200 - 500 mg
Magnesium Glycinate 100 - 300 mg elemental Mg
DHEA 10 mg
Pregnenolone 5 - 10 mg
I also take about half the US daily value of the other b vitamins, as well as 200 mg Aniracetam, 5 mg Noopept, 1 mg Selegiline, Multi-Mineral, DIM, and Vitamin D. One thing I have realized about anxiety is that getting abusive people out of your life is very helpful. I have felt benefits from Meditation and Qi Gong as well, but haven't been able to stick with it long enough to see the full benefits. The calming sensational I feel afterward just seems to wear off within an hour. I know a lot of people are suffering from anxiety and I thought it was time to share some of my experience with taking otc supplements for help. I'd also like to try CBD Cannabidiol, which has been approved for PTSD in my home state of Ohio.
