It is normal for anyone to feel down or blue during the trying and difficult events in life. However, occasional feelings of sadness are very different from serious cases of depression. Clinical depression triggers millions of people worldwide, and as statistics for this type of mood disorder continuously increases each year, awareness programs and movements are also expanding to aid those who are suffering from such illness.



Defining depression and occasional sadness

Sadness is a part of life. One cannot go through life without experiencing the ups and downs of moods. It is a normal reaction of humans to frustrations, disappointments, and struggles in life. Sadness, however, should only be transitory. This means that low moods or painful feelings are not permanent, for everyone eventually moves on.

On the other hand, clinical depression is characterized as a persistent or continuous feeling of sadness or down moment that significantly interferes with a person's everyday life and productivity. This condition is frequently confused with sadness for its symptoms and causes are basically the same with the latter.

Antidepressants as treatment for depression

Treatments or therapies are recommended to patients once they consult a specialist regarding their depression condition. Among the treatments for depression, antidepressant medication is the most highly advised treatment by most doctors to patients suffering from depression. These are recommended by doctors according to the patients? condition, age, medical history, as well as personal choices.

Although antidepressant drugs are known for its efficiency, these medications also have its share of complications. Antidepressants are strictly prescription drugs, for these have certain beneficial and disadvantageous effects to users. With this, some people seek alternative medications to antidepressant drugs to avoid instances like drug abuse and intake complications.

Herbal antidepressant as alternative treatment for depression

Aside from the conventional treatments and therapies recommended by doctors to patients diagnosed with depression, there are also complementary or alternative treatments to choose from. As for alternative medication, herbal antidepressant is probably among the most popular.

Natural or herbal medications are the same with conventional antidepressant drugs in the sense that they may be effective in most patients and may not work for some. Herbal antidepressant is also endorsed based on the patient's condition.

One of the most highly recommended herbal antidepressants is the St John's Wort. Also known as Hypericum, St John's Wort is actually a weedy plant extract that has long been used to treat various health conditions. This herbal medication is widely available as it is commonly sold as an over-the-counter drug and is supplied by complementary practitioners.

Recent medical studies on the efficiency of St John's Wort claimed that this type of herbal medication is as effective as the conventional drugs when taken at high dosages. However, St John's Wort won't be such a helpful medication for patients with extreme cases of depression.

Furthermore, some people prefer to take herbal antidepressant like St John's Wort for it manifests less side effects compared to conventional medications. Of course, just like other antidepressant drugs, St John's Wort has some associated risks. With this, those who are considering to use this kind of herbal antidepressant are advised to consult their doctors first for precautions.