Self Medicating with Tea

Timothy Eletto, Reporter

There are far too many people self-medicating for anxiety with alcohol and drugs.  However, after a quick google search, I found that the answer to increase motivation and decrease anxiety seems too easy to be true – tea.

I’ve always been a little bit skeptical of whether or not tea would really impact my state of mind that much, but I decided to give it a try.  So, I went to the bin of neglected tea bags in my kitchen cabinet, and I brewed a cup of green tea, instead of my usual daily cup of coffee.

For the rest of the day, I felt fantastic.  I just wanted to get stuff done, and I felt zen.  Nothing could bring me down.

I must say, however, that the effects of the tea are only really apparent in an already relaxing environment.  I had a cup of tea while sitting on my front stoop, and I felt great. However, a cup of tea was not powerful enough to stop an anxiety attack from occurring during school the next day.

All things considered, for someone who struggles with severe, sometimes nearly crippling anxiety in school, I find it beneficial to have a cup of tea, and perhaps even meditate a little bit when I get home.  It’s a great way to forget about the stress of a school day, and reconnect with my surroundings and the world around me.