Writing you from my hospital room. [Teatime Tuesday]

By the time you see this, I’ll be okay, but I’m currently writing it from a hospital room where I’m going to get ketamine treatment. Aqua-green curtain, that funky old-building-elderly-ill-person smell, that questionable yellow wear and tear stain where the peeling plastic wall edging meets the speckled tile floor–

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You know hospitals. Ketamine’s something that’s supposed to help severe chronic pain and even PTSD by resetting certain areas of the central nervous system. I’m lucky the VA was able to get it for me.

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But I’m a mess today. I was standing in the center of the hallway, staring into space and holding a pee cup, because I still freeze when I’m in hospitals. It’s that old PTSD.

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It’s funny: a doctor who’s triggered by hospitals is a bit like a veterinarian being allergic to dogs.

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So basically–I’m deeply familiar with anxiety.

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So for today’s Tuesday Tea series–did you know that’s a thing we’re doing?–I want to highlight a tea that’s comforting for anxiety, so that even if you don’t get it from me, your life can get a little better.

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I’m not going to snake oil you. Lavender is a healthy herbal food, not a clinically-proven medical treatment you’re going to pop or inhale and suddenly make all your problems go away. Unlike those oily-muscled supplement salesmen or those celebrity doctors with their blinding plastic toothy smiles, I’ve suffered too much on the hunt for help to be okay with false expectations.

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But I’m also too excited about the power in what we eat to keep it to myself. I’m always on the look-out for things I can incorporate into my diet and lifestyle to make life a little easier on my body–my brain is part of my body–and the evidence I found for lavender has been pretty astounding.

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One randomized control trial in 2015 found that lavender significantly improved sleep quality for college students compared to sleep hygiene alone (1).

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Better, a large meta-analysis in 2019 found that while there isn’t good evidence for aromatherapy, oral administration of lavender did decrease anxiety across multiple studies (2)!

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I did a longer breakdown of other studies for lavender here (in ASMR style). And my lavender hits a little different. My supplier’s blend adds the power of lavender to the relaxing, invigorating theanine from the tea plant. It’s more ethically sourced and it’s won more awards than your run-of-the-mill supermarket tea, and it’s cheaper per cup than your expensive Starbucks.

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Now, I usually recommend for people’s first time they don’t drink the tea plant–even young white leaves like these–later than 4-6 hours before bedtime. Even white tea does contain some caffeine, so this is more of a drink for an afternoon calming ritual so you can transition into your evening with less racing thoughts.

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Something to help you face that coming darkness with a bit of soft strength.

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You think you’d like to try some? I’d love to make your afternoons a moment of luxury, and I think we need high-quality elixirs sometimes to get the benefits we want. I think you’re worth it.

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Jen Finelli, MD, SAMFE, FAWM

Tingles Tea

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(1) Lillehei AS, Halcón LL, Savik K, Reis R. Effect of Inhaled Lavender and Sleep Hygiene on Self-Reported Sleep Issues: A Randomized Controlled Trial. J Altern Complement Med. 2015 Jul;21(7):430-8. doi: 10.1089/acm.2014.0327. Epub 2015 Jun 2. PMID: 26133206; PMCID: PMC4505755.

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(2) Donelli D, Antonelli M, Bellinazzi C, Gensini GF, Firenzuoli F. Effects of lavender on anxiety: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Phytomedicine. 2019 Dec;65:153099. doi: 10.1016/j.phymed.2019.153099. Epub 2019 Sep 26. PMID: 31655395.