Treatment Time
If you have had symptoms of low mood for two to three winters running it’s likely you are a sufferer of SAD. There is lots you can do yourself to minimise the effects of SAD and the winter blues but if you are really struggling you should consider treatment as soon as you can to lower the risk of your mood dropping further.
Your GP may suggest light therapy, a talking therapy or anti depressants. More and more people, however, are turning to natural remedies such as St John’s wort as an alternative to anti-depressants to stave off the winter blues. As GP Dr Rosemary Leonard comments:
‘Increasingly, as people are taking charge of their own health and making their own choices regarding treatment options, both conventional and ‘alternative’, I’ve seen more patients using the natural remedy St John’s Wort, to manage symptoms of low mood and anxiety. It can be an effective way of treating low mood, though it is very important to always choose a proper registered brand that bears a THR logo or number – proof that it has been registered under the Traditional Herbal Registration Scheme and meets specific standards of safety and quality based on traditional usage.'
It is not known exactly how St John’s wort works but it is thought that the active ingredient hypericin helps prolong the action of the neurotransmitter serotonin - a deficiency of which has been linked with depression. St John’s wort can be found in KarmaMood - a traditional herbal medicinal product used to relieve the symptoms of slightly low mood and mild anxiety based on traditional use only.
