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ST JOHN’S WORT IN EVERYDAY LIFE

admin — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 12:30:54 +0000

Experience with St John’s Wort based on people entering research protocols and seeking help from psychiatrists tells us only about the way the herbal remedy is being used and is working for relatively severe clinical problems. But the large majority of people who have turned to the herb would probably not fit into research protocols nor see fit to consult a psychiatrist. How is St John’s Wort being used by the general public, and how is it working for the problems of everyday life? Those are questions that I wanted to answer and realized that in order to do so, I needed to survey the public directly. I did so by means of a questionnaire, distributed in health food shops and pharmacies both in the United States and in Germany, and posted on certain Internet newsgroups. The stories detailed in this chapter are derived largely from responses to this questionnaire, some of which I followed up with telephone interviews.

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ÑHILDREN’S SLEEP PROBLEMS/BUILDING THE BASICS: SLEEP NEEDS AND PATTERNS

admin — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 12:30:45 +0000

The purpose of looking at norms is not to say that all children have the same needs and can be neatly categorized. Because you are reading this book, it is safe to assume that your child does not fit the pattern outlined. It is also safe to say that you are not pleased and you sense something is going wrong. The purpose of this section is not to make you feel worse about yourself or your child.

Norms are very useful to pinpoint problem areas—to help you establish where you are now. Using the norms, you can begin to look at your situation realistically. You will have something to compare your experience to besides, “When you were a child…” and “None of my children….”

Norms are also useful in setting realistic goals. When the problem is solved you will have clear comparisons for determining how far you have come. Read this section with these thoughts in mind.

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SWITCHING FROM A CONVENTIONAL ANTI-DEPRESSANT TO ST JOHN’S WORT

admin — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 12:28:18 +0000

Considering the buzz surrounding the new herbal anti-depressant, it is likely that many people will choose to try and switch from the conventional anti-depressant they are already taking to the herbal remedy. Let me repeat a few suggested guidelines if you should choose to do so. I would recommend first that you involve your doctor in the process (someone must be prescribing the antidepressant, after all); second, that you switch gradually, overlapping the two medications in the transition phase; third, that you monitor your progress carefully to ensure that you do not suffer a relapse; and finally, that you be open-minded about returning to your previous treatment sooner rather than later if the exchange does not appear to be working out. The following story of one of my former patients illustrates a successful transition from a conventional to an herbal anti-depressant.

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ÑHILDREN’S SLEEP PROBLEMS/BUILDING THE BASICS: N PRACTICAL TERMS

admin — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 12:28:13 +0000

As we’ve seen, sleeping through the night is not as simple or common as we might assume.

? Arousals during the night are normal and need not cause problems.

? Sleep problems can arise when a child cannot put himself back to sleep after the arousals.

? It may be harder for children to sleep undisturbed because a child goes more rapidly through the sleep cycles than an adult; there are more periods of arousals and therefore more chances to awaken.

? Deep sleep occurs early in the night and again for a short while near morning. Sleep terrors are likely to happen at this time.

? Light sleep and dreaming occur in the remainder of the night. Nightmares (vs. sleep terrors) happen during that time.

? You can determine your child’s sleep state by her sleep behavior and by what time she went to sleep.

? This information will help you assess the nature of the sleep disturbance and what your response will be.

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POWER OVER PANIC/IN SEARCH OF SELF: JANE’S STORY

admin — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 12:27:45 +0000

It was one of those beautiful autumn evenings. The light from the setting sun filtered through the trees and their leaves blazed with colour. Jane wondered how many other people were looking at this natural masterpiece as they hurried home after the day’s work. Jane knew that she had never taken much notice before. Now was different. Once or twice a day she would be struck by the beauty of her surroundings. A moment here, a moment there. But those moments were precious in their spontaneity. They added to the peace she felt within herself. She was amazed at the last few years of her life. It had not always been like this. The years of panic disorder/agoraphobia had appeared to take everything from her. They were desolate years. The fight back was long and hard but she knew now it had been worth it. Everything that had been taken away from her had been given back a thousand-fold. She was at peace with herself and she was free.

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POWER OVER PANIC/IN SEARCH OF SELF: PETER’S STORY

admin — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 12:27:41 +0000

Peter was exhilarated. It was early morning and he had reached halfway in a 10 km bike ride along the coast road. He wished he had brought his camera. Peter had loved photography ever since he was a child. He had always wanted to be a photographer, and now he was one. He thought of his parents. They had both worked long and hard to pay for his university fees, and they were proud of him when he received his PhD and entered the world of academia. Panic disorder/ agoraphobia had changed all that. As Peter progressed towards recovery he realised that academic life was not for him. He struggled silently with the realisation for three years because he didn’t want to let his parents down. He even studied for another degree, hoping to combat his disquiet. It didn’t work, and he made the break to follow his dream of being a photographer. He knew he was taking a risk, but he also knew it was worth it. He was free.

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ANXIETY DISORDERS/WORKING THROUGH THE RECOVERY: RELEARNING

admin — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 12:27:35 +0000

The working-through process also involves reiearning what it is like to be ‘normal’. We lose sight of what it is like to be ‘normal’, and it is not unusual for people to interpret ‘normalcy’ as a setback! It isn’t, we just have to relearn.

This means reiearning to have a ‘normal’ bad day without reacting with fear that ‘it is all coming back’. Returning to ‘normal’ means we will have bad days, just like everyone else.

We will probably have days when we feel unwell. It doesn’t mean a return of the disorder—it means we are feeling unwell. We need to make sure we are eating properly and getting enough sleep. If not, we will feel tired and irritable just like everyone does when they neglect themselves.

Recovery is worth every step. At times the working-through process is difficult. Don’t lose sight of the overall picture which can be changed from one of fear and anxiety to one of clarity and freedom.

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ANXIETY DISORDERS/WORKING THROUGH THE RECOVERY: TAKING CARE OF OURSELVES

admin — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 12:27:30 +0000

A proper diet and enough sleep are also very important in helping raise our threshold to stress. If we have eating problems it is important we seek advice to help re-establish normal eating patterns.

Returning to healthier sleep patterns can be difficult, and this is where the meditation technique can play an important role.

Although we have developed our daily meditation routine, our meditation technique can also be used at night to help us go to sleep. In this case, instead of going into meditation we can let the meditation technique take us gently and easily into sleep.

Exercise also plays an important part in the recovery process, and it would be helpful to seek advice in establishing a regular exercise program.

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ANXIETY DISORDERS/WORKING THROUGH THE RECOVERY: ACCEPTANCE

admin — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 12:27:25 +0000

Our levels of acceptance fluctuates during the working-through process. When we have a setback we get caught up in our old ways of thinking and feeling. Some people may again start to doubt they have the disorder, and begin to worry that the diagnosis may be incorrect.

Non-acceptance means we are only making the situation worse for ourselves. We all have periods of doubt about the diagnosis. If this does happen it is important to go back and talk with our doctor.

Compounding this doubt are the anxiety symptoms and how they change. Once we get on top of one symptom, another one takes its place. Any new symptom needs to be checked by our doctor, and sometimes we may feel like a hypochondriac. However, it is more important for us to know what the new symptoms are, instead of continually worrying. If we are told the new symptom is another anxiety symptom, we need to accept the diagnosis and not get caught in the vicious circle again.

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WHAT CAN I DO IF ST JOHN’S WORT DOESN’T WORK FOR ME?

admin — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 12:27:20 +0000

Whenever there is an exciting new treatment, it is natural for people to be hopeful that it will be the answer to their problems, and disappointed if it is not. Remember that even if St John’s Wort is not effective for you by itself, it may still have some value in combination with other anti-depressants. Bear in mind, though, that no anti-depressant treatment works for everybody and this must surely be true of St John’s Wort as well. Take comfort in the knowledge that there are many other available anti-depressants, some old, tried and tested, some newly arrived and claiming all kinds of advantages, and others yet to appear on the market. It is very unusual not to be able to find some medication or combination of treatments that will help extricate a person from the murky depths of depression. My approach with my own patients is to keep trying different approaches and sooner or later, such attempts are almost always successful.

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