the (misunderstood) truth about both st john’s wort and depression

the serotonin hypothesis of depression for which we love st johns so much, is wrong, 

and, an anti-depressant is one of st john’s wort’s smallest medicinal roles 

let’s start with the serotonin hypothesis; we might, by the end of this, realise that our obsession with “behaviour = a mental issue” comes from a very old, outdated fear of the devil, the unseen, and a person not being able to control themselves, 

when in fact, behaviour is intimately tied to the physical body in ways we’re yet to physically see 

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the ‘serotonin hypothesis’ of depression was never proven to begin with, and is part of a branch of ideas about mental illnesses being a ‘chemical imbalance’ that are wrong too. 

in fact, there’s not really a biological marker for mental illness. 

SSRI’s continue to be used as medication for depression purely because clinical trials show that they *sometimes* relieve symptoms of depression… symptoms… not the root. 

They increase serotonin, of course you might feel a bit more elated. 

but what if ’low serotonin’ (which was never a proven correlate to depression, and way too simple anyway) was a SYMPTOM of a depressed body? 

The best explanation we have for mental illness is not biochemical but spiritual - 

traditionally, a mental affliction was a deficiency of spirit, or sometimes a possession, but normally not seperated from the body of the person, 

because that’s the other thing we do, we put mental over there and physical over here, when really there utterly inseparable, no wonder we can’t find an appropriate therapy. Mental illness is a symptom, not a root. 

so, how does st john’s wort seem to help depression? 

well, probably the same way that SSRI’s help *some* cases of depression in symptom relief of low serotonin (remember low serotonin IS related to mood, and CAN be a symptom of depression, but not the cause and not in everybody) 

and the true way that it supports depression could be related to the next misunderstanding .. 

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so, the other misunderstanding about st johns wort? 

it’s so much better for repairing nerves. 

traditional use (before it was hijacked by science for its minute effect on serotonin) was in repairing nerves and the nervous system. 

it’s ability to heal damaged nerves (say from a wound, a virus, a burn -even, as some very novel studies are now showing- from severe emotional / mental trauma) is related to its proven ability to improve survival rate of neuronal cells, inhibit MAO (which breaks down nerves), and stimulate nerve re-growth.

and yes, it has for a long time also been associated with ‘lifting people spirits out of a dark place’ - its name ‘hypericum’ loosely translates to ‘rising above demons’

it blooms on st johns day (hence the common name), which is mid-summer, and dies before the end of summer. It’s said to store the sun itself in its bright yellow flowers. Coincidentally, this bright yellow bloom is a result of it being especially effective at photosynthesising, and this literal storage of more sunlight, has been studied for its benefit on cancerous tumours.

Anyway, St John's wort is for nerve health, not depression, but in its support of the nerves, it might help depression. 

The health of our nervous system is directly related to our behaviour; its health depends on the right electrolytes, minerals and vitamins, of which most of us are depleted. Emotional trauma can also damage the nervous system, but it can heal itself, and st john’s wort protects nerve damage and encourages re-growth.