Supplements

[monkeymind74]

Hello,

Any thoughts on the effectiveness of any of the following supplements to assist with anxiety/depression recovery:

Folic acid, Omega-3s, Saffron, St. John’s wort, Tryptophan, 5-HTP

Ive been at it for 5 months (yoga, meditation, mindfulness, etc) and I am still struggling.. considering a supplement to help me a bit.

Thanks

[Kukurijek]

I am skeptical of supplements but have had exercise recommended to me for anxiety.

[Peter]

Hi monkeymind,

I think that these supplements can't really hurt (if used in moderation), however one cannot predict how they will work for an individual. St John's wort, and 5-htp might be worth a shot. Don't use them together, though!!! (ie serotonin syndrome). But you'd have to try yourself to see what they do for you.

I do believe that when one's neurotransmitters are out of balance enough, the 'effects' of mindfulness on that are very limited. Well, probably it's the other way around. Such an imbalance makes mindfulness almost impossible.

Good luck..
Peter

[JonW]

'I do believe that when one's neurotransmitters are out of balance enough, the 'effects' of mindfulness on that are very limited. Well, probably it's the other way around. Such an imbalance makes mindfulness almost impossible.'

This is an excellent point. And it's worth remembering that embarking on a mindfulness course is not advisable if one is suffering from severe depression or anxiety. If that's the case, the local GP ought to be the first port of call.
Jon

[Peter]

I totally agree with Jon!

I think practicing Mindfulness can even be harmful in some cases, because one can focus too much on the problem. And if one doesn't have the experience to know when one is doing so, the problem becomes bigger.

Note: In actuality one is practicing mindfulness wrongly at that point. Mindfulness is mainly about going with the flow of life and letting things come and go, but when there is a big neurotransmitter imbalance, that can become pretty much impossible.

Peter

[monkeymind74]

How would a GP determine if there is a 'big neurotransmitter imbalance'?

(I took one does of 100mg of 5-HTP before bed, and had horrible nightmares and GI probs.. so that is out).

[arguseyed]

A functional medicine doctor can do extensive tests to figure that out. They are expensive though and insurance in the US doesn't cover those tests. This companion book has quizzes that can help determine the imbalances: http://drhyman.com/downloads/UltraMindC ... nGuide.pdf