Natural occuring Anti-Depressants in Nature

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Edited April 6, 2010 by lsdreamz

[XipeTotec]

kanna acts as an ssri... woot!!

[blangschpeer]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't sceletium have anti-depressants in it?

Other than that, all I can think of at the moment is passion flower, it's not the longest lasting but it goes pretty good and it's also great to help you stop smoking.

[XipeTotec]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't sceletium have anti-depressants in it?

kanna=sceletium

[Auxin]

St. John's Wort is definitely the most abundant ethnobotanical anti-depressant, it modulates some metabolic enzymes tho so check on that if your taking any other drugs.

Borage leaves have been used since ancient times and if your a drinker the flowers added to wine help guide folks to the happy-drunk realm, cant say how well that works since I dont drink. Avoid borage if you have liver problems and don use huge doses.

[blangschpeer]

kanna=sceletium

i stand corrected

Xipe Kai Yay!

[chilli]

Yeah I was also going to suggest St. John' Wort, which is definitely the most well-known and widely used herbal antidepressant. It is thought to be efficacious for mild to moderate depression, but not very useful for major depression.

But geez mate, you're happy and normal 75% of the time? I'd be pretty fricking happy with those numbers!

[Coschi]

I have a buddy that swears by his acacia-huasca 'potion'

you've got to be careful, sometimes dosing a little too high can get a bit difficult (unless that was your intention) but a lower doses it gives a real sense of oneness with yourself and the universe, your intentions and purpose, etc..

there's an incredible sense of familiarity with it too, like it's somehow is the essence of yourself

the best thing about it is it's not like md where serotonin is released and you feel good, with dmt you feel amazing because you're now aware of integral aspects of your life and existance

my friend is also a full believer in using this potion to cure addictions

i strongly suggest you give this a go

i think he basically cooks up the plant material in a mixture of vinegar and lemon juice and reduces it

[dqd]

I'd have to add my support to Sceletium, (tortuosum that is ) & St. John's Wort (SJW'd be easier, a?). Have been off pharm antidepressants for a year now, and happy with the results... no miracles but keeping stable, and that's a good thing!

[mu!]

Would these anti-depressants be for long-term use or just to pick you up when you start to feel down?

Edited September 9, 2007 by mu.

[rahli]

Vervain (Verbena officinalis)

Vervain is known to be an antidepressant, antihypertensive, antispasmotic and mildly sedating. It has been used historically for depression, headache, hypertension, insomnia, melancholy, menopausal symptoms, and nervous exhaustion.

Licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra)

Licorice Root helps to reduce the amount of hydrocortisone broken down by the liver, thereby reducing the workload of the adrenal glands.

It is an anti-stress herb known to increase energy, endurance and vitality. It can naturally fortify cortisone levels - the most important hormone in stress and adrenal fatigue.

Please, If you plan to add these suppliments to your diet, research them first as they might not be for you.

Edited September 9, 2007 by rahli

[Stonehenge]

Too bad it's no longer legal in Oz but salvia divinorum is the best for depression. Just smoke some leaf, barely enough for a buzz and that should do it. It will lift the darkest mood in about an hour if you took the right dose. No need to trip on it, that's just wasting the stuff. If you didn't take enough you will know in an hour or two. If no results, use a little more until you find your dose. Works like a charm.

[Fenris]

Small ammounts of insufflated mescaline salt can lift the social anxiety and boost the ego.

[mec]

I came across a herb on the net called "Radiola"

Spellings wrong, its called "Rhodiola Rosea". Popular in Russia.

Edited September 10, 2007 by mec

[Conan Troutman]

the antid effects of St Johns Wort are pretty well investiagted probably easiest option. Kanna is another one with good potential but havent the SSRi effects been disputed?

curious is anyone one knows of or had used this product in oz?

Albizzia julibrissin is known as the "tree of collective happiness" by the Chinese because of its ability to "promote joy, assuage sorrow, brighten the eye, enliven the heart, as described in the most revered herbal texts written nearly 500 years ago.

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Edited April 6, 2010 by lsdreamz

[Conan Troutman]

if your after supplement (not what Id call natural) Id have a look at SAMe, (not aswhile reaserched as SJW but seem to hold promising properties...and a quick quote on Amino Acid Therapys...

Amino acids are the individual building-block units of protein. Some of them function as neurotransmitters or precursors to neurotransmitters. Many physicians and patients have found that amino acids such as L-Phenylalanine and L-Tyrosine can be effective remedies for treating depressed people with low energy. (These substances are also popularly referred to as phenylalanine and tyrosine.)

also i can imagine that saffron would have some use in a long term depresiion treament..

[chilli]

I have been reading reports on St Johns Wort and Efexor XR 150mg (which is what i used to take.. it sfunny the first couple of days would work great then nothing would happen.

Hi lsdreamz... just wondering what kind of an effect you meant when you said it worked great for the first couple of days?

[cisumevil]

Threshold doses of DMT have worked wonders for my partner!

[mu!]

Threshold doses of DMT have worked wonders for my partner!

Care to divulge some more? I've seen how its effective for mood elevation myself, but would like to know how other people are applying it (maybe less drug-savvy people at that) too.

These substances can be great for curing depression, but how would go about introducing it to less drug-minded (no pun?) persons?

"Feeling down? Smoke this right-off, potent-as hallucinogenic drug!"

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Edited April 6, 2010 by lsdreamz

[Infinitee]

Hey there lsdreamz,

Cool to see things are getting better for you and that you're looking for a less pharmacuticised medicine. I feel that eating a decent amount of herbs and a decent variety provides both your body and mind with a comforting satisfaction, though I am not sure if the complex chemical interactions would be of positive or negative use to you.

What I can reccomend however, like many others have, is SJW (yea, I dig the acronym!). I've found that two leaves of this on an empty stomach is a pretty quick reliever for what I call serotonin depletion. If I have the two fresh leaves daily (seems like so incredibly little) for a few days, it tends to moderate my emotions on the positive side. Just a more lasting feeling of peace and less flux between emotional extremes.

That said, I'm a little wholistic in my attitude to battling on in self development. I think that, not necessarily excercise, but stretching all your muscles is extremely important in feeling well, satisfied and energised. Ya don't need to do yoga or go running, just see how far it is to your toes every now and then hehe. On that note also, I find that a simple head massage from my partner is enough to bring joy, euphoria and all other sorts of well-being to my mind. Often when massaged, my brain emits an all-over buzzing sensations, which feels quite similar to the 'electrified-brain' sensation of mushrooms. Strange, but nice.

Re: your social anxiety. That's a really terrible feeling man, I know. I'll bet many people make last-minute excuses to avoid engagements, but when you feel like doing it for every single thing .. feels terrible. But don't feel like a bad person for avoiding your friends or family, it is only a Western superstition that someone who desires solitude is considered unwell. I guess you should make the effort to be sociable only when you feel up to it, if you have to rely on a plant or chemical to assist you, don't worry. Everyones got their drugs (sugar, coffee, beer, buds, meat etc.) and no reason why you shouldn't use what suits you.

Lastly, I doubt I will make it to EGA, but if there was a place to be this year for someone who loves themselves, it's probably Then and There! Perhaps lsdreamz, alot of your social anxiety is related to the difference between you and the people you associate with. Maybe conversing would be easier if you knew the other person would be more-than-happy just to hear you talk about your garden (or even more precious, your psychonautic experiences!) for an hour straight. Perhaps EGA would be an easier situation for you to handle .. plenty of like-minded people (to whatever degree) and if you don't feel like talking, go listen to an interesting talk or show.

Anyhow, sorry if I've rambled, but hope its of some use to you. Good luck and best of spirits to you mate!

[Monk]

One thing that really troubles me about modern psychiatry is that they rush to prescribe something with little chemical or shamanistic (yeah right) evidence that this is the correct direction to go for the patient. "You are depressed, have an anti-depressant." We all know it's not that simple; why don't they? For instance, a very close friend struggles with depression and anxiety and for years different psychiatrists tried various serotonergic drugs to no avail. I, of course, took more of a naturalistic/shamanistic approach. When we experienced various altered states together, I closely observed her reactions and got feedback about sensations, intensity etc. Through these various experiences and her reactions to the substances, I felt that she was not serotonin deficient, but dopamine deficient! I recommended DLPA (dl-phenylalanine) instead of tryptophan (had her taking that with minimal effects other than better sleeping patterns.) The results were fantastic! She reported more energy, less anxiety, more positivity etc.. I'm not a doctor, but I play one on TV Anyway, my point is that...well, I don't know what my point is other than 'know thyself' and doctors don't know everything-they're just people. It sounds like you're working on the first part pretty well and are aware of your reactions to substances. You might take his advice and wait the trial period, but if that doesn't work, maybe attempt to gently manipulate other neurotransmitters with various amino acids like GABA, tryptophan, DLPA, and tyrosine (separately) for periods of time while being very self-aware to observe the results. Asking people close to you about your behaviour and moods during these periods (without telling them why, of course) can really help as well. Good luck, I feel you.

FM

[chilli]

I tried explaining it to the GP but he wouldnt have any of it. He kept saying it would take a month at least before i felt ANYTHING because it needs to build up levels in the blood. Im not saying thats not true, but the first 3 days whenever i give effexor another go.. life is wonderfull.. then it subsides and im left with the sideeffect of efexor (jaw clenching, nausea, insomnia.. if i wake up NO way im going back to bed).

Hey lsdreamz, yeah efexor is known for having quite a few undesireable side effects. It is true what your doc said about SSRI's needing time to work though, but it sounds like maybe he didn't explain it very well. What I mean is, you will definitely feel side effects such as euphoria or anxiety shortly after starting to take any SSRI, but this feeling (of being 'high') is not actually the desired effect, which will be more of an equilibrium. SSRI's do not work by trying them for a couple of weeks and then stopping, you have to take them regularly for a specified period of time (usually a month or two) or it will not work properly. Most people find that when it starts to work it makes them feel detached from strong emotions either way, but it will definitely take a while for it to start working properly, and if you were only on it for a month you probably didn't get to the stage where it had settled down.

Again though, efexor does have strong side effects such as making people feel wound up and the other effects you have mentioned, and for this reason is usually not used as a first-line treatment for moderate depression. Maybe talk to your doc about trying another SSRI if you are still keen, or ask him what his reasons are for prescribing you such a strong SSRI with such undesireable side effects for what is presumably a mild to moderate depression.

Good luck.