St Johns Wort and Depression

The bright yellow flower of the St Johns Wort (hypericum perforatum) with it's ray-like petals, represents the power of the sun that forces away the darkness. This already points to the anti-depressant effects of the St Johns Wort which are highly respected, even in conventional medicine.

St. John's Wort, a perennial plant, has been used for hundreds of years to treat depression, unrest and anxiety disorders as well as nerve pain. For a long time, doctors and herbalists alike have known about its use as a sedative, but also as treatment for wounds, burns, insect bites, stomach ulcers and more. It is still used widely today and it's effectiveness has been proven to a point where some insurance companies are now covering the treatment.

It is not a powerful drug -- when used to treat depression -- in the sense of bringing a quick recovery, but shows excellent long term results in many patients. The herb assists body and soul in the healing process and helps to build a solid foundation for a complete recovery.

St John's Wort was tested in a double-blind study of 105 male and female patients in the 20 to 64 year age group, suffering from mild to moderate depression. They were divided into two groups and monitored over a period of four weeks. One group were given 300mg of St Johns Wort extract three times daily, and the other received a placebo. All of the patients had psychiatric evaluations before the start of the study and after four weeks of treatment. The results revealed that, 67% of the St Johns Wort group had responded positively to the treatment without any adverse side effects whereas only 28% of the placebo group showed any signs of improvement.

St Johns Wort is available as tea (flowers and leaves), liquid extracts and pills or capsules. It is normally taken thrice daily and it will take one week or more to notice any improvement in the condition. Treatment can be continued for long periods of time as the herb does not normally produce any side effects. But St Johns Wort can interact strongly with other medication e.g. cancer and HIV drugs, contraceptive pills and others. So it is vitally important to consult a medical specialist first before starting a course of treatment.

One effect of St Johns Wort is, that it makes the skin more sensitive to light. It is therefore important to keep out of the sun as much as possible while using the herb.

There is growing evidence to suggest that St. Johns Wort is a safe and effective, natural remedy for the treatment of mild to medium depression.

Disclaimer: The information contained in this article is presented for information purposes only. The material is in no way intended to replace professional medical care or attention by a qualified practitioner. It cannot and should not be used as a basis for diagnosis or choice of treatment.

Mireille Gautschi is a qualified Flower Essence Therapist and Herbalist who has many years experience with the developement of natural herbal remedies. Her products can be found on the Hillside Herbal Products website that also offers a very informative newsletter.

---

5 Surefire Tips to Beat Depression Now

Being lonely is a normal part of our everyday lives... We get sad when we fail in our exams, when we're rejected by the person we love,... Read More

Change Your Life Forever with New Medical Breakthrough Treatment for Depression

With the next few weeks, the FDA is expected to issue its final approval of vagus nerve stimulation as a treatment for chronic or recurrent depression. The... Read More

New Treatment for Depression to be FDA Approved by Late June

With the next few weeks, the FDA is expected to issue its final approval of vagus nerve stimulation as a treatment for chronic or recurrent depression. The... Read More

Depression Explained

Depression is a mental state marked by melancholy, pessimism or dejection. Depression can also be defined as a psychotic condition characterized by stuporous withdrawal from reality and... Read More

What?s The Latest on Suicide Risk and Antidepressants For Children?

FDA confirms some antidepressants increase suicide risk in some children. In February of 2004, two advisory committees of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration recommended that the... Read More

FDA Approves Vagus Nerve Stimulation as a Treatment for Depression

On July 15th, 2005, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration(FDA) approved vagus nerve stimulation "for the adjunctive long-term treatment of chronic or recurrent depression for patients 18... Read More

Major Depression and Manic Depression ? Any Difference?

Countless number of patients and their family members have asked me about manic?depression and major depression. "Is there any difference?" "Are they one and the same?" "Is... Read More

Senate Finance Committee Delays FDA Approval of Vagus Nerve Stimulation Therapy for Depression

On June 15th, 2004, FDA's Medical Devices Panel recommended that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approve vagus nerve stimulation as a therapy for chronic or recurrent... Read More

25% of Americans Suffer From a Mental Illness and do Not Get Adequate Relief From Antidepressants

According to the June 7th issue of the Wall Street Journal, more Americans are seeking treatment for mental illnesses than ever before, but most of them fail... Read More

Andropause and Depression

Andropause correlates directly with depression ? a major player in the notorious mid-life crisis period men face in their late 40´s to late 50´s. There are a... Read More

Turn Depression into Joy

Depression is the most prevalent disease of our time. Under the guise of informing the public, both the medical profession and the media are constantly "warning" us... Read More

St Johns Wort and Depression

The bright yellow flower of the St Johns Wort (hypericum perforatum) with it's ray-like petals, represents the power of the sun that forces away the darkness. This... Read More

FDA Nears Completion of Review of Vagus Nerve Stimulation For Chronic Depression

On June 2 at 8:00 pm ET, Reuters news service issued a press release announcing that the FDA have nearly completed final review of the conditions outlined... Read More

Antidepressants: Control or Cure?

What's curious is that most of them will be on these drugs for life. Equally curious is that over seventy percent of people who stop taking them,... Read More

Depression: One Womans Story

Sharon was talking to a friend on the phone one night. When her friend asked, "How are you?" Sharon suddenly exploded with emotion. Without warning, she began... Read More

Use Alternative Medicine to Ease Depression

Depression is a problem that faces many of us, young or old; baby boomers or generation X. We have a fast lifestyle, we're working between sixty and... Read More

A Simple Cure For Anxiety And Depression

Our innate desire is to be happy, and when we move away from it, we experience fear.This fear is actually millions of years old, for it arises... Read More

Are You Someones Puppet? Four Ways People Manipulate Others

With the current interest in mental health topics, a mental health language has emerged with words such as manipulation, boundaries, limits, rescuing, dependence, and codependence. Many people... Read More

Adult Men and Women Who Suffer From Chronic Depression

Market surveys on women, men and depression suggest an estimated 4.4 million Americans are believed to suffer from chronic treatment-resistant depression. Depression is a chronic, disabling disorder... Read More

Vagus Nerve Stimulation: What are the Benefits and How Does It Relieve Depression?

Vagus nerve stimulation is more effective than antidepressants and is not related to brain surgery or shock treatments. It is a 60-90 minute out-patient procedure, with robust... Read More

To Long Term Care Professionals: How to Dramatically Improve your Residents Psychiatric Care

Long term care facilities and residents' doctors should consider combining medication treatment with psychological and behavioral approaches, such as strength-embedded psychotherapy, for a range of psychological disorders.Currently,... Read More

Depression-My Story

What is depression?Depression is a serious medical illness; it's not something that you have made up in your head. It's more than just feeling "down in the... Read More

Depression Keeps 19 Million Adults From Being Productive

Approximately 19 million American adult workers allow depression to limit their productivity. According to the American Medical Women's Association, this includes 5 million women, many of whom... Read More

Depression: 14 Universal Laws for Recovery

The Law of BlueJust sort of feeling blue, kinda out of it, gets confused with being depressed. We all get the blues from time to time, and... Read More

The Cost of Giving Up

I'm sure at times of deep crisis many of you have considered thoughts of "giving up". What is the cost to you of entertaining such thoughts? Well... Read More

Depression Mantra

Depression is the most prevalent of all the emotional disorders. This may vary from feelings of slight sadness to utter misery and dejection. It brings together a... Read More