My New Friend St. John's Wort

Wild St. John's Wort

OK. Here goes.

I avoid talking about St. John's Wort.

In my clinical practice I tend to dose pretty conservatively. I research obsessively. I am overly concerned and overly cautious. On the one hand this might sound like a good thing, and in some ways it is, but it can also create scenarios where you neglect to choose an herb that really was the right one due to an abundance of caution.

For me, that herb is St. John's Wort.

At the forefront of my mind when I hear the name of this plant, instinctively "CAUTION" pops up first. Not all the benfits. Not the beautiful bright flowers or velvety red oils. Caution.

What I Was Taught

So let's get this out of the way. St. John's Wort does have the ability to decrease the effectiveness of certain medications. It can speed up the metabolic process of the liver, which in some circumstances is a good thing, but also means that some medications may no longer be as effective. Depending on the medication you're taking, whether that is for cardiovascular disease or birth control, that can make a huge difference. There is also a concern about phytosensitivity with SJW, but that is mostly in high doses or standardized extracts. Some sources say the fresh plant makes that more of an issue, but I think the data on photosensitivity (or cases of this) are not enough to be as much of a concern as the metabolic issue.

And then, there's research. Oh, data. I do love science, and I do love studies. But geez...can we get people to learn how to read these things? SJW is one of the most researched herbs, and one story in particular from my time at MUIH stands out in my memory.

I was taught (and I'm summarizing here) that there was a study to test the effectivenes of SJW on depression back in the day. Now, it should be noted that SJW is not considered as effective for clinical depression, or Major Depressive Disorder. At the time SJW was thought to be effective for minor depression. Again, I'm really simplifying things here.

To get to the point, the study (funded by guess who- our friends at Big Pharma) used it with folks with clinical depression, determined it didn't help with depression, and USED THIS TO SAY THAT ALL HERBAL THERAPIES WERE BS. Knowing it never claimed to be effective for MDD, the trials allowed participants who - duh - it wasn't suited for in the first place.

Of course, no one reads anything but the abstract, and even less look into who funds the studies, the dose, extraction method, etc of the herb used. This one study was used as the reason why (many) practitioners in the modern Western medical establishment throw out the baby with the bathwater when it comes to herbs.

My Own Journey

I was diagnosed with depression in high school. For a few years I had been prescribed various SSRIs, which did seem to help. Then, I became pregnant with my first baby, and throughout most of my adulthood I no longer felt I needed medication because the depression took a backseat to my busy life as a mom, teacher, etc. However, as the kids have gotten older I've felt the depression creeping back in. Slowly at first. Here and there. In times of heightened stress, winter, and nights of having too many drinks. It would come and go pretty quickly, until it didn't. That's when I noticed a new friend popping up in the Medicine Meadow that I had not seen before in the two-three years I had lived here. St. John's Wort. LOVE when this happens.

But, you know, I didn't think I really needed it yet. And so I did all the things I tell clients to do: therapy, self care (including cutting way back on alcohol), supporting the gut, etc. And it helped, but a few years later things were still not really that much better. So I decided it was time. By now I had St. Johns Wort growing all over the place: The front of the barn. Taking over the other medicine garden. Even in the woods. It was everywhere.

OK fine. It's time to work with this plant- I mean a therapeutic, consistent dose. So I decided to buckle down and try it for myself. I know that it can work really well for some people, but not everyone. It was worth a shot. And I told myself if the depression didn't improve after a few months, I'd go on medication to get it under control.

Yeah, um. It worked.

I know herbs work. I mean, that's literally my job. But there's something about seeing it work for other people and then feeling it work for yourself. And I really did put it to the test here. I started using it in the fall (along with a blend of adaptogens), without knowing what a shitstorm of a couple of months I had ahead of me. Thank GOD I prepared, even though I could never have predicted what would be coming down the line. When events that normally would have completely rocked my world and spun me out of control (mentally) occurred alongside the darkest and most stressful time of the year, I not only kept my cool but have had zero symptoms of depression. WILD. To be fair, herbs alone did not do this. I was taking care of myself as much as I could. But wow. I now have a new apprecation for St. John's Wort.

And I should mention, again, that this isn't going to be the case for everyone. At this time in my life, this was the right herb for me. It might not be later, and it won't be for everyone. But I couldn't keep this excitement and good news under wraps so I wanted to share my personal experience.

This goes to show, once again, that nature is here to support us. For me, plants tend to show up when I need them- even though most of the time I don't recognize that I need it until after the fact. These gifts, freely given, should be valued and revered rather than disregarded or seen as something we earned the right to take. Or perhaps worse, something to be adulterated and monetized.

I love this land I steward, and she shows me she loves me back. Let the plants take care of you, too.