Natural Medicines to Help Treat and Ease Stress and Depression.
Here are some of these remedies that can help one through the Dark Night of Depression.
- Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) in combination with Magnolia bark and theanine (there are products that have all three in health shops) is useful to reduce cortisol-crucial in high stress states and can be especially useful when weaning off benzodiazepines. For panic states.
- Umhlonyane (Zulu); Artemisia afra. A good African plant to relax angry states accompanying stress states.
- Turmeric is a good food plant to add to meals fresh or powdered with black pepper as a natural anti depressant in small quantities.
- Hawthorn tincture one of my favorite remedies to calm the heart mind. Helps to settle heart palpitations accompanying drug withdrawal
- Bay leaf organic essential oil-smelling the oil helps with high tension and regulates left right brain hemisphere.
- St Johns wort extract standardized lowers ACTH hormone and cortisol. Good as as alternative to antidepressant SSRIs.
- Omega oil and eggs-are very important in maintaining mitochondrial energy to prevent depression states.
- Fresh enzyme rich foods like papaya, sushi and pineapple.
- Vit C, Zinc and B6 and magnesium citrate (my preferred form) are all important as co factors in making serotonin.
- Psilocybin 2.5grams (psychedelic dose) can reset serotonergic system through DM Network disruption which causes neural plasticity events and can reboot the system. (ayahuasca or mushrooms are good in the early stages of depression but if the depression is severe and one is debilitated one needs to stabilize the mind as priority).
- Sceletium extract works well as a mild SSRI. Good for preventing onset of depression-early stages. (The extract form you can buy in the pharmacies).
- “Cognitive Change medicine”; changing ones lifestyle, moving house, new purpose etc can shift the patterns quickly. If things get bad-change something!
- 5 htp helped me with panic states during my depression; 100mg twice a day.
- Last but really 1st helper is counseling to help process grief loss anger behind the depression. or just to express your pain with someone who is not going to try fix it or change it but allow it its place. Its ok to feel fear pain and sadness.
Umhlonyane, a cooling bitter that can help to calm.
For more on my work with plants
