St. John’s Wort -Uplifting and Natural!

Some days I just don’t feel quite ‘on’. I can’t tell if it’s the blues or what, but I am just not my cheery, energetic self. I feel a little slow, somewhat negative and even a little anxious and irritated at times. I know we all have those times, but mine seem to come in waves and last for a bit unless I do something drastic like a cleanse or a raw food diet for a couple of days. While cleansing and eating raw food are great, recently a friend shared that she takes St. John’s Wort for her mood. We talked about our moods, which sounded similar, and she raved about how great it is for her.

St. John’s Wort is an herb that can be found in tablet, capsule and tincture form. It can also be found as a tea. It is widely known across the world as a treatment for depression. While the US doesn’t condone herbs and natural treatments in the form of legitimate medicine, other countries such as Germany, prescribe the over-the-counter herb for clinical depression. In Ireland it is treated with much respect and requires and prescription from your doctor.

I decided to go buy St. John’s Wort tincture. It took a few days, but all of the sudden I did feel better, much better. I did wonder if it was the tincture or if it was only the passing of my low mood, but I kept taking it. My experience was that I felt great for a long time while taking it and then allowed myself to run out of the tincture without buying more. By the way, you can get it at most health food stores, such as Whole Foods or your local co-op grocery. I guess I felt so great that I figured I didn’t need it anymore. After just a couple of days I began to feel agitated again and my mood was definitely down. I immediately went to get more and my mood perked right back up.

I now take it every day. I go through a small bottle of tincture every week and a half or so. I take a dropper (or sometimes two) in water 2 or 3 times a day. Whether you buy tincture, tablets or capsules, there will be instructions for it’s use.

If you’re feeling depressed, low and just not quite right, I would recommend giving it a try. It has definitely worked for my best friend and I. It’s natural, not expensive and the results are quite noticeable.

If you do decide to try St. John’s Wort, or any herb really, remember to tell your doctor. Some herbs do not combine well with prescription medicines and your doctor should know everything that you are taking so that your allopathic medicine is in alignment with your alternative healing methods.