I never heard of that and looked it up. I suppose it could help. I've taken valerian pills before for anxiety but I don't even remember if they helped any.
From what I've read about it, it might help you to sleep (not really what you're looking for), as it contains melatonin.
If you want to drink something calming, why not try a herbal tea, like camomile.
_________________ "We act as though comfort and luxury were the chief requirements of life, when all we need to make us really happy is something to be enthusiatic about." Charles Kingsley
I don't know about Red Bull specifically, but I have found that coffee, pepsi and lucozade calm me down significantly. I am better able to concentrate and I can focus for longer. I think with me it might be because I have ADHD which is usually treated with stimulants so I am sort of self-medicating!
_________________ I have HFA, ADHD, OCD & Tourette syndrome. I love animals, especially my bunnies and hamster. I skate in a roller derby team (but I'll try not to bite )
Joined: 12 May 2011 Age: 35 Gender: Male Posts: 603 Location: Germany
23 Jan 2012, 9:52 am
Melatonin is said to reduce anxiety for some. It does work for me sometimes but it is a 'sleep hormone' so I doubt about the thinking part. But when you mess with chemicals someting might just get disturbed. I think it's sold as a supplement so you can try it; what it is definitely recommended for is sleep itself, take 30min beforehand and it should calm you down for sleep. Read about it more I think it has some success among ASD people; I am sure it would be better than this drink.
Other alternative herby stuff might be too subtle to feel; anyhow - give it a go and decide for yourself. I think it's somewhat subjective. You have to find out via trial-error what is best for you, how it actually makes you feel instead of what others claim.
I think what helps most is trying to understand your anxiety. Look into CBT for anxiety. I think it helps me a great deal although it's a constant hard work. It's something long-term. For instance: http://helpguide.org/mental/anxiety_therapy.htm#cbt .
Other than that if anxiety is really bad it might be worth it to get some heavy-weight drugs prescribed.
Also some golden wisdom as exercise, healthy diet (nutrition, low calorie), strict sleeping routine, reduced stress - as long as you can keep up with this it does wonders. Having said that - anxiety is still a constant battle for me and I'm starting to think there is really no eaasy fix...