The 24 Best Herbs for anger

I experienced a significant amount of trauma throughout my childhood AND young adulthood. Now I struggle with anger problems, anxiety, and have been diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).  

If you also have PTSD, you probably already know that it’s common to experience irritability and anger.  

When I became a parent, managing my mental health became more difficult. I was getting less sleep and just trying to cope with my “new” life as a single mom. Of course, I knew being a parent would be difficult. But I didn’t realize the actions of my children would be triggers for me…….And I REALLY didn’t foresee that it would trigger anger issues.

Their screaming was a trigger. Their constant climbing on me was a trigger. Even when they would cry it would make me feel “on edge”. 

I felt bad that my kids were just being kids and that triggered me. The amount of guilt this caused was overwhelming at times.  

I know I’m not the only parent out there struggling with anger management issues. That’s why I think it’s important to explore all solutions to anger management.

Herbs for Anger?

There are many options available to help you cope with anger -prescription medications, mindfulness practice, acupuncture, etc. For the purpose of this article, I chose to focus on herbal treatments and herbal medicine. 

The good news is through my research I found that there are a plethora of adaptogenic herbs available to ease anger. An adaptogenic herb is an herbal pharmaceutical that works to decrease stress in the body.  They are surprisingly easy to prepare yourself or to purchase for a reasonable price.

24 best herbs to use for anger issues:

• Rose Petals

• Hops

• Milk Thistle

• Dandelion Root

• Skullcap

• Ashwagandha

• Cannabidiol CBD

• Passion Flower

• Chamomile

• Ginkgo Biloba

• Turmeric

• Ginseng

• Kava

• Lavender

• Saffron

• Lemon Balm

• Ginger 

• Rosemary

• Lemon Verbena

• Peppermint 

• Hawthorn

• Licorice

• St. John’s Wort

• Valerian Root

As you can see, there are several herbs that have a history of being used to lessen anger. It’s best to know what anger is and why it occurs to understand how herbal remedies can have a positive impact on your mood.  

What is Anger?

Anger is similar to the “fight or flight” response of the nervous system. When you feel threatened or in danger, the “fight or flight” response is activated. As your stress levels increase, cortisol levels (the stress hormone) increase, and adrenaline is released into your bloodstream.

It’s an entirely normal reaction that occurs in all of us. When this happens the following symptoms may be present:

• Prolonged anger weakens the immune system

• Muscles become tense

• Heart rate increases

• Blood flow increases

• Headaches 

• Tightening of chest

• Fatigue

• Clenching jaw or teeth

• Dizziness

• Stomach ache

• Having a warm/hot face

• Blurred Vision

What causes anger?

Anger is influenced by biological and environmental factors. Let’s check out what this means!

Biological factors that influence anger:

• Hormones such as testosterone

• Being in pain

• Illness

• Temperament

Environmental factors that influence anger:

• Experiencing trauma or instability during childhood 

• Exposure to physical, emotional, and sexual abuse

• Substance abuse

• Early neglect

You experience anger for many reasons. The person tailing you in his car. Your child refusing to follow directions. The lady blocking the entire aisle with her grocery cart. I could go on and on.  

But, why do these things make you angry?  

Anger is a manifestation of the 3 underlying feelings -Fear, shame, and betrayal.

Fear

When you are feeling threatened or cornered that fear manifests into anger to protect yourself.

I see this a lot during election time. Political campaigns often play on our fears to gain votes. This fear makes us angry with people who do not support our chosen candidate because we are scared about what may happen if the opposing candidate wins.

Shame

A punch to the ego can be painful. That’s why when people feel disrespected, humiliated, or embarrassed they may react with anger. It’s a defense mechanism to protect your ego or to discourage others from shaming you.

One of my greatest anger triggers as a parent is when my kids don’t listen to me. Every time I have to repeat instructions and get ignored, I can feel my anger escalate.

Of course, they don’t want to listen to me. Whatever I’m asking them to do probably isn’t more fun than what they are already doing. I take it too personally and that negatively impacts my emotional state.

I see it as disrespect. If it happens in public, it also feels humiliating.  

Betrayal

For me, it’s difficult to open up and trust others. I feel like being vulnerable with people makes it possible for them to hurt me on a deeper level. When someone we “let in” to our lives betrays us, it cuts deeper. The feeling of betrayal turns into anger because the person who betrayed us becomes a threat to our livelihood.

Now that we have a good grasp of all things anger, let’s dive more into the herbs you can use to treat it and their traditional uses.

Rose Petals (Rosa)

Hops (Humulus lupulus)

Eases anxiety

Promotes better sleep

Eases restlessness and tension

Decreases nervousness and irritability

Milk Thistle (Silybum marianum)

In traditional Chinese medicine, the liver is the organ that commands emotions such as anger and rage. Milk thistle is used as a liver tonic. 

Eases anger, frustration, and rage

Dandelion Root (Taraxacum officinale)

Cleanses the liver where negative emotions are thought to be stored

Promotes an uplifting mood

Encourages a feeling of comfort

Skullcap (Scutellaria)

Soothes long-term stress

Calms the nerves

Eases anxiety and worry

Improves sleep

Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera)

Increases the body’s resistance to stress

Reduces cortisol levels in the body

Balances stress

Cannabidiol CBD (Cannabis)

Improves the regulation of hormonal and neurotransmitter production and metabolism

Eases anger

Decreases aggression

Promotes calmness

Passion Flower (Passiflora)

Promotes better sleep and less anxiety by boosting gamma-aminobutyric (GABA) in your brain

Calming

Chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla)

Decreases anxiety

Improves sleep quality

Ginkgo Biloba

Reduces symptoms of anxiety

Increases the body’s ability to cope with stress

Eases mood swings

Improves brain function

Turmeric (Curcuma)

Promotes relaxation

Improves mood

Reduces anxiety

Ginseng (Panax ginseng)

Regulates hormonal changes due to stress

Increases calmness

Improves mental clarity

Kava (Piper methysticum)

Relaxes the nervous system

Promotes sleep

Reduces symptoms of chronic stress

Lavender (Lavandula)

Reduces anxiety

Promotes Calmness

Decreases irritability

Saffron (Crocus sativus)

Reduces symptoms of depression

Increases dopamine “the feel-good hormone”

Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis)

Increases positive mood

Promotes sleep

Decreases anxiety

Ginger (Zingiber officinale)

Calming

Reduces symptoms of depression

Rosemary (Salvia rosmarinus)

Decreases cortisol “the stress hormone” in your blood

Decreases anxiety

Improves sleep

Lemon Verbena (Aloysia citrodora)

Stimulates dopamine and serotonin to boost mood

Calming

Induces sedation

Lessens anxiety symptoms

Peppermint (Mentha x piperita)

Reduces stress

Enhances sleep

Decreases frustration

Hawthorn (Crataegus)

Reduces anxiety levels

Calming

Lessens symptoms of stress

Licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra)

Regulates cortisol “stress hormone”

St. John’s Wort (Hypercum perforatum)

Reduces symptoms of depression

Elevates mood

Improves energy levels

Valerian Root (Valeriana offinalis)

Reduces anxiety

Stabilizes moods

Decreases symptoms of anxiety

Herb Preparation

I gave you this fantastic list of herbs that you can use to help treat your anger in a natural way. But you may be wondering how to prepare these herbs for treatment. There are 4 main ways to prepare herbs.

If you do not want to venture into being a novice herbalist, you can also purchase supplements or essential oils at your local health food store or online.

Capsulation

You have two ways to encapsulate powdered herbs. The first way is to do it by hand. Buy gelatin or vegetarian capsules. Put the powder into each side of the capsule until it’s full. Then you just push them together.

The second way is a little faster. You can purchase a small encapsulation kit that allows you to do up to 100 capsules at a time. Beware, there is a small learning curve for this option.

Herbal Tinctures

Tinctures are concentrated herbal extracts. Alcohol is always used as a solvent to extract herbal properties. Any spirit can be used, but vodka is the most popular choice of herbalists.

You can use a dropper to administer the tincture or put it into a liquid to drink.

2 Best Ways to Prepare Tincture Herbs:

The Percolation Method

• Grind the dried herbs.
• Moisten it with solvent (alcohol) and let it sit for 12-24 hours.
• Pack the herbs into a cone. Make sure it is packed at a medium firmness.
• Slowly pour more solvent over the herbs into the cone.
• Let it slowly drip out to create the tincture.

The Maceration Method (Folk Method)

• Grind or chop up the herbs.
• Put it into a jar.
• Cover with your solvent (alcohol) of choice.
• Let it sit for a month.
• Strain it.

Decoctions

A decoction is an extraction method that boils herbs in liquid. Here is the best way to make a decoction. You can store this in the refrigerator for up to 48 hours. You can also freeze the herbs to make another decoction later.

• Add fresh herbs to a saucepan.  
• Poor cool or cold water over the herbs.
• Bring the water to a boil.
• Cover and simmer for 40 minutes.
• Remove from the heat.
• Strain after it’s cooled down a little bit.

Herbal Infusions

Last, but not least, is preparing an herbal infusion. I’m a little biased though because I love drinking tea and herbal tea is similar to an infusion. It is made by steeping leaves, berries, and herbs. Here is the most simple way to make an infusion:

• Place some herbs into a tea strainer placed in a teapot or cup.
• Pour boiled water over the strainer.
• Let it steep for up to an hour.

Wrapping it Up

All of the emotions we experience serve a special purpose. They help us with perception, attention, inference, learning, memory, goal choice, motivational priorities, physiological reactions, motor behaviors, and behavioral decision-making (Cosmides & Tooby, 2000; Tooby & Cosmides, 2008).

Anger is a normal emotion that all of us are acquainted with. Sometimes, it can start to interfere with daily life and activities. When this happens, it is a good idea to look at different solutions.

Coping with a mental health problem can be overwhelming. The first thing many of us want to do is try a natural approach to relieving mental stress and other medical conditions. One of the main reasons for this is to avoid potential side effects that could be harmful.

One option that may be suitable for you is herbal supplements. There are many ways to prepare and consume herbs to manage your own health care.

If you try any of these out, please leave a comment and let me know what you thought! Was it helpful? Would you recommend any of these?