Neurodivergent Plant Allies

How to work with herbs alongside other interventions and practices that support neurodivergent thriving.

A woman said to me recently “My son is neurodivergent and he is so amped up all the time. Is there some herb you could give him to just get him to calm down?” And I had to tell her–no, that’s not our starting point. If we started there, that would be similar to if you had a woman in a horrible marriage and someone said “Is there something we could give her to just get her to stop complaining so much?” 

Herbs can be hugely supportive, but there are a few key areas to address at the foundational level first that are essential. If you ignore these areas and try to just take herbs instead, you will not get the results you want. 

KEY AREAS TO SUPPORT: 

• Identify & address sensory needs - Whether you are hypersensitive and every little thing is annoying (bright lights, background noises, clothing tags rubbing against your skin, etc.), or hyposensitive (you do not get cues from your body until in an extreme state, so you may miss meals, seem fine one minute and have an outburst the next, etc.), or a combination of both, you need to have an understanding of your unique sensory profile and attend to your sensory needs to avoid burnout and have a sustainable lifestyle.
• ​​Understand and honor your interest-based nervous system- The rest of the world operates on the assumption that you are motivated by rewards, deadlines and level of urgency. But neurodivergent folks are motivated more by what really interests and engages them, and really understanding that is essential to figuring out how to best structure your life.

IF YOU DO NOTHING ELSE….

Eat real food and move your body–every day! That’s it. Those two things will probably have more of an impact than anything else you could do….
Diet, movement practices, sleep habits and stress management are at the core of a healthy lifestyle for any human being, but especially neurodivergent ones. If you barely eat all day and then have some crap at dinner, and spend all your waking hours doom scrolling in front of the screen and never getting out and moving around in some sunshine and fresh air, you will not be able to ‘make up for that’ with some tea or tinctures. 

Keep in mind that whatever you put in your body is all your body has to work with. It can’t go to the local hardware store and get more supplies. So it should come as no shock that what we eat can have an ENORMOUS impact on how well we feel and function.

If you have any symptoms that are really getting in the way of your quality of life, for sure cut back on the sugar and processed foods, but also consider going on a complete elimination diet of gluten and sugar for 1-3 months. Even if you aren’t ‘allergic,’ you may find a decrease in your neurodivergent symptoms because of the way they both upregulate zonulin, contributing to ‘leaky gut’ or ‘leaky brain’ (where your neurological filters are too loose and too much gets through from the outside world to knock you off balance).

The movement piece is especially important for anyone who gets stuck in the their head. Moving our bodies helps get out of our heads and into our bodies, which is grounding and calming and a great outlet for stress. It seems to be even more important for those with ADHD.

Be sure to get in at least 30 minutes a day of movement (outside in the morning is the best time for your circadian rhythm if insomnia is an issue!). Just doing 3 ten minute walks a day after meals will make a huge impact on all aspects of your health. 

And just doing more hands on activities will help too–crocheting, juggling, cooking, gardening, making art or playing music….these are all engaging your body so your energy doesn’t all get stuck in your head!

Neurodivergent Plant Allies
OK, so once we’ve addressed the foundational areas, then we’re ready to start thinking about how to work herbs into our life. If you’re just getting started with herbs, you may want to try working with just one herb at a time to really get to know the actions of a plant and how they work in your body. Over time, you can create your own custom blends tailored to your unique needs or get a consultation when you could use some extra support.

Here are some of my favorite herbs to support neurodivergent folks in some key areas:

Wood Betony-for getting out of your head and into your body, grounding. If there is a lot of unresolved trauma, you may not want/be ready to come into your body though, so tread gently in that case.

Yarrow - enhancing senses for those who who don’t feel much and helping those who feel too much discern what is really a threat and what can be filtered out. Protection as a filter of what is coming through.

Solomon’s Seal - for physical and emotional rigidity, going with the flow. Pairs well with blue vervain for those who want to control everything and are in situations where they can’t. Limit to 1 dropper up to 3x/day unless blended with other things.

Kava - Deep muscle relaxer (small doses only blended with other things and avoid if there is liver damage). A good alternative to alcohol or pot.

Chamomile - Anxiety that brings on digestive upset low in the belly. A relaxant for the whole body. For stronger effects, steep a heaping TBS per cup, covered,  for at least 30 minutes. 

Catnip- Fear and/or anxiety that rises upward (and/or heartburn)

Hawthorn and rose - protection (think of their thorns–the flowers are delicate but we don’t try to toughen them up, they grow thorns instead), grief 

Skullcap - (usually paired with passionflower) For racing, spinning thoughts that go round and round. Also relaxes the head, neck and shoulders especially.

Lemon balm - For the type of ADHD that can come with hot, agitated states, outbursts of frustration, etc. Calm focus. 

Rhodiola- May work as an alternative to ritalin for some folks, but it is quite drying and often not sustainably harvested. Balance it out with moistening herbs like linden and buy from reputable sources like Mountain Rose Herbs.

Tulsi- Helps with stress both in the moment and over time as an adaptogen. Helpful with all kinds of cravings–sugar, substances, etc. Lifts the mood, can be motivating and energizing for some folks.

Sage- For overwhelm that ‘makes you feel crazy.’ Warming if you drink it warm, but can help with too much heat if you drink it cold. A motivating herb, sage moves heat and fluids through the body, diffusing the vital energy and promoting flow. Also indicated for depression and rumination, but as it is quite drying, you may want to pair it with linden to balance it out.

Astragalus root - For anyone recovering from burnout or prolonged physical illness or chronic disease. It is a restorative adaptogen that also supports the adrenals. This is ideally made as a decoction (simmering it on the stovetop for at least 30 minutes up to several hours. It can be added to stews, broths, etc., and will keep up to 3 days in the fridge.) Second best option is a tincture that has been dual extracted (email me for links). Can be paired with codonopsis for added benefit, but that one is pricey. 
​
Brain fog–a blend of a handful of the following depending on the individual presentation: rosemary, ginkgo, tulsi, reishi, damiana, valerian, gotu kola, sage, ginger,  (possibly a bit of eleuthero or rhodiola). Almost all of these are warming. Ginkgo and ginger are contraindicated for anyone on blood thinners, and eleuthero and rhodiola should be used in small doses, blended with other herbs to balance them out/mitigate side effects (they are stimulants). The idea is to increase oxygen to the head, stimulate circulation, clear stagnancy and bring in herbs that have nootropic qualities to enhance cognitive function. 

DOSING HERBS
So how much of these herbs should you be taking? Well, there is quite a bit of variance when it comes to dosing herbs, but here are some general starting points:

• A quart of tea a day is generally considered the amount you need to get a full medicinal dose. For medicinal preparations, you will want anywhere from two heaping teaspoons to one heaping tablespoon per cup. Infusions (for leaves and flowers) should be covered and steeped for at least 15 minutes (up to 4+ hours if extracting minerals), while decoctions (for roots and bark) should simmer, covered, for at least 25 minutes up to several hours. 
• Tincture dosing - for adults, start with one full dropper (about 25 drops) unless otherwise indicated. Higher doses typically go up to about 3 droppers at a time. Tinctures are often taken 3-5x/day.
• PULSE DOSING- For tinctures taken to help you unwind at the end of the day to sleep, try the following method incorporated into your sleep hygiene routine (i.e. dimming lights, getting off screens, quiet activities only, etc.): Take one dropper an hour before bedtime, another dropper 30 minutes before bedtime, and a final dropper right at bedtime. Winding down is a process, not an on/off switch. The sun goes down gradually….

​This information is provided for educational purposes only, and is not meant to diagnose, treat, or prevent any disease.