Taking St. John's Wort?

[TheExplorer]

Hi,

 

So today I was at my doc and she prescribed me some St. John's Wort extract capsules.

I suffer some anxiety/depression .. which is caused by my current living situation and certainly trauma that I still work on in various ways.

The dark winter here in Germany does not help

 

So I wonder if taking this stuff could be a good thing overall? I always wanted to stay away from SSRI, even if this is a natural one. Seems like a complex plant.

 

Appreciate any thoughts on this.

Thanks!

Edited January 8, 2020 by TheExplorer

[TheExplorer]

Think i will give a little more context:

 

I attended a 14 day dieta in Peru, drinking Ayahuasca several times and working with a master plant. Im really glad i went and I think it made a huge impact. Ever since I'm back, my social anxiety is greatly decreased and I can deal with social settings much better. I'm still integrating all this and learning a lot.

However, I'm still a bit stuck in my old patterns and alone too much. This causes anxiety and depression.

I'm looking to find a psychologist right now to help me with this.

Yesterday I took 900mg of SJW-extract and it definitely helps with anxiety, less reactive around strangers. I think it could be this little push to help me expand my comfort zone more and Change these patterns of isolation.

 

My biggest fear is that it could be a crutch and I'm not actually learning the lessons behind my anxiety, the anxiety just being suppressed.

Edited January 11, 2020 by TheExplorer

[Austin Actualizing]

Always a good idea to try natural methods/herbs before moving on to pharmaceuticals unless the condition is very severe. You can also look into Ashwagandha or CBD for anxiety. 

Edited January 11, 2020 by Austin Actualizing

[Ry4n]

I've heard it has some bizarre side effect on your eyes so I'm pretty sus about that stuff now. https://www.peoplespharmacy.com/articles/st-johns-wort-can-lift-mood-but-may-damage-eyes

Ashwagandha, L-theanine, CBD, 5-htp... search round for those ones first I say

[Michael569]

St. John's Wort is nearly as effective as most of the most potent SSRIs. However, NEVER take them together or you may end up delusional even suicidal. SJW is a beautiful alternative to people who don't want to be medicated. SJW is only effective in mild to moderate depression. For severe depression, you should look up a medical help.

Thought I'd also add that neither SSRI nor SJW fix the root cause of the issue. Both only slow the reuptake of serotonin so it stays attached to its receptors longer , making you feel happy for longer. 

It is always advisable to identify a root cause of the depression which may as well be emotional or spiritual. 

 

Edited January 13, 2020 by Michael569