SOLARAY St. Johns Wort Aerial Extract One Daily 900mg, Standardized w/ 0.3% Hypericin for Mood Stability & Brain Health Support, Non-GMO |60 Servings | 60 Tablets

TL;DR Always been a skeptic but I feel a definite difference. I've got a very long history of dealing with almost debilitating depression and severe anxiety. I've had attacks, I get intrusive thoughts, I get paranoid, and it has been so bad for me in the past that I could not be around people or dread situations where I would have to be. I've taken Prozac (and it was a HORRIFIC experience for me, never again). I've been struggling with these issues for over a decade- and the issues exist for a reason, I've experienced a lot of traumatic events in my life. I have fought to do everything I can to take control of it, and I want do it naturally and am avoiding pharmaceuticals. I've took St. John's Wort in the past, but it was always that low dosage where you have to take like two capsules three times a day. My time is limited, so I was happy to find a "once a day" brand. I've been taking this particular one for a few months now and I feel the difference. Perhaps it is just the placebo effect, but as long as I can function moderately, I don't care. I know there is a difference because it's easier for me to relax and I don't get as many effed up and morbid thoughts. I also feel like I can think more clearly. There is a difference, as far as I'm concerned, because I know that my mind was in a dark place a few months prior. This isn't to say it will CURE everything and that it's supposed to make one happy and cheerful 24/7. We all have ups and downs no matter what. The difference to me is that I feel more level headed. By taking the time to write this testimony, I hope that others who are in the same boat as me can see this as a viable option, and feel better after trying it. If you do and it doesn't work, I believe you may be able to contact the company and get your money back because there is a guarantee for it. Not exactly sure how that works though. Good luck!

Good quality, it works!

My husband developed crippling depression over the summer, though we didn't identify it as that at first. It started with a disturbance in his sleep - where he would wake up every morning at 6am, no matter what time he went to bed, with a heavy weight in his chest and a sense of dread. Those feelings would stick with him all day. He lost interest in all of his favorite activities, coming home only to lay on the couch or bed and stare at the ceiling. His appetite decreased. Since I work with individuals with mental health disorders, I gave him a mental health battery to see if that's what was going on, and he was off the charts on the depression scale. Unfortunately, this was also a time when we didn't have health insurance. I knew about St. John's Wort, but was leery about over the counter supplements, as they aren't FDA regulated and often don't contain what they say they do. I did a lot of research to determine which brand to use, and Solaray came up near the top of the list, and was also reasonably priced. So I ordered it and he gave it a try. After about 2.5 weeks, he noticed the sense of dread/weight in his chest was lessening about half-way through the day. His energy and appetite started to pick up. Between 3 and 4 weeks after starting, he started to sleep a little longer, and he was back to doing some of his activities. He still had dread/weight every few days or so, but to a lesser extent. Today, he is on his last pill in the bottle, so it's been 2 months, and he's back to his old self. No signs of depression left. There hasn't been any side effects either. We have health insurance again, so he told his doctor about the ordeal and the St. John's Wort. His doctor approved of what we did and was thrilled that it worked for us. She is recommending that he continue to take St. John's Wort, as opposed to switching to traditional anti-depressents. (We wouldn't have switched anyway, but wanted her opinion as a medical professional). So, I highly recommend this product. You do need to give it time to work - and we stuck with it realizing this. It was a slow recovery, but totally worth it. We are so thankful he is feeling better.

I just sent this text to my family’s group text. I thought I’d copy and use it for a review. This is the BEST anti-depressant I’ve ever used and it's all natural. I have used several brands over the years and this brand far outshines them all for quality and it's even cheaper than the cheap stuff at Wallie cuz it's 1 pill for this brand vs several pills to get the same dosage from the cheap brands. It used to be (might still be) the most prescribed anti-depressant in the world... except for America where we have a drug for everything (just ignore the side effects). I have J on it too and he can tell a difference. I’m sensitive to it so I felt it working within a few days. It took J a month or so to see a difference but, maybe he didn’t know what to look for. It makes both of us rebound quickly from being mad and honestly, he’s not walking around pissed off about a drive thru forgetting to take pickles off of a burger or God forbid they should put onions on it 😡. It says it promotes a positive mood and I would say that's a good description of its effects. I try to take it with food because it doesn’t really make me feel sick on an empty belly but I can tell it’s in there alone and needs a friend. Lol.

Overall, this is maybe the most positive review I ever posted! Even though it may sound pathetic enough. How it was: (overview of starting condition and attempts of other methods) I was so out of order with my life and feelings, I couldn't stop crying and thinking all the same heavy thoughts over and over all the time, when I finally crushed into idea of treating it like a condition with antidepressant or whatever we should call it... to go the 'medical way', which was in itself so ridiculous to me, that I had a hard time crying about the idea itself. ("I can't handle it anymore, this is what I became - now looking for a pill to get myself going. A-aaa-aaa-aa.. " Which is after about a year of struggling with the personal problem, which only gets worse, and I was completely exhausted to handle it, I just couldn't.) I never used any mood related treatment in my life ever before and I was 100% sure I don't want to deal with doctors (not advising anyone here, but this is how I am functioning). A few months earlier I have tried (also the first time in my life) the 'self help' book approach - I've read several books with the general idea of how to calm down or become a happier person or to accept whatever there is to accept, fight fears etc. I've tried many techniques - It put me back on my feet for some time, but not for long and not deeply. It felt like I am lying to myself constantly and pretend that I believe in something that I don't actually, but I am just afraid to mess with it so I keep pretending for as much as I can. And as soon as something touches the ground of my problem, I may burst into tears and be set off for weeks of misery again, helplessly. Balancing on the rope, that is how it felt. I was always trying to stay strong, no drinking, self-destructive behaviors, smoking, chocolate-abusing. Instead I tried yoga, green tea and good nutrition. I exercise on the regular basis, never let myself skip 'because I feel like crap' - in theory workouts should help with the mood, but somehow it doesn't seem to help me all that much. When it all failed again I went on Amazon to see if there is any over the counter drug that seem to help others. I have developed a conjunctivitis on one eye by then because of heavy crying and I just couldn't stop nevertheless. I needed to do something about it. And I decided on this supplement because of the customer reviews and overall rating. I have nothing to compare it to, I never tried anything else, I only ordered this supplement. Some reviewers mentioned you need to give it about a month to work - this put me in despair as I read through, I felt I didn't have a month, I would not survive another month like that. What happened using this product: I can tell I definitely had a placebo effect. Even before it came by mail, I felt I am getting some help on the way, others say it is good stuff and at least I did something... I seem to stop crying that same day when I placed an order and I treated my eye. Than about 4 days later when I started taking it, I was struggling to determine whether the supplement helped or did I just overcome some crisis period, was it a coincidence? Was it temporary? Was it just a placebo? Regardless, I continued taking 1 pill every morning. And... Well, the life didn't shine like a rainbow, but it never seemed that hopeless since I have started. Slowly my attention drifted to something more constructive than going around my trauma and expecting the worst of my fears to sure happen, blaming and repeating this cycle. My attention was now on the hard work and normal regular struggles we all face sometimes with work projects. I liked it being important, tough, risky and approaching a deadline - anything that kept me away from my mind was good, now I was able to concentrate on it, at least. I will skip the transformation, it was gradual and hard to describe, but a month later I was actually feeling good. All my objectives are same bad, the more I try to improve them, the worse they get. Nothing can be done at this point, I just need to live through this and see where the fortune brings me. However, now I was ok with that! I don't know how to explain, it is still beyond my mind, how in the same situation I can feel so differently! I am very materialistic and factual, relying on logic predominantly, but the fact is - I was fine! A much better 'fine' than on "be happy" books of any kind. Almost as alright as a year ago, before curtain things have happened. I was so much alright that I forgot I needed this treatment! I forgot to take the John's Wort Supplement for the sheer 4 days (was it really working, anyways?) - Oh, yeah!.. It was working. All the time it was covering my back! I got all my negative thoughts, tears and fears throwing me back into sleepless nights and rough swollen face mornings, the life of helpless despair. I did stupid things too, things that I regret now. I put the supplement back on schedule, now as I am writing this 1 week later, I feel strong, I have the life, and everything is going to be alright. And if it won't - than I'll figure out what to do anyways. Wasn't I always been able to find a way?! I will continue taking the John's Wort until my objective that I stress about gets better.

works great

Before I begin this review, I would like to say that depression is a horrible, sinking and debilitating ILLNESS that ruins lives, relationships and potential. It is very difficult to explain to a non-depressed individual, and it does not resonate with them nearly as much as it should. I also direct my review towards people with moderate-severe depression, NOT mild depression. I mention these facts to convey my sense of empathy but also to give legitimacy to what I am about to say: The industry around mental illness medication has a very disgusting secret - medications and natural supplements such as these are pushed onto people with mental illness in a effort to keep them hopelessly, desperately and financially tied to something. I believe this is a horrible, manipulative and purely greedy way of increasing one's wealth at the direct cost of somebody's health and potentially, life. Medication is currently only effective in only 23% of depressed individuals. That rate is far too low. I think that the healthcare industry will never truly develop effective depression medication, because at that point, people will cease to need to their medication and will no longer buy it. This is an unpopular opinion because depressed people have it so bad to begin with, that they do not need to hear that an important glimmer of hope is much dimmer than they anticipated. I've combated depression for THREE years in a NON-MEDICATED state in an attempt to find a truly NATURAL alternative, that doesn't involve me being permanently tied to anything not naturally in my body. And by alternative, I mean a cure, not feeling okay some days and s***ty others, I mean a full blown cure which I can confidently say that I am NOT depressed. Even this supplement does not meet that qualification. I speak with all caps because I am passionate about this issue, and have been given some very good advice, and very bad advice up to this point. The following is my best advice. I took St. John's Wort for six months and did not see much improvement. I did notice, however, when I stopped taking them that my mood plummeted. I've realized that it's unreliable to find assurance of your mental state through something that you purchase; it has to be more permanent and natural. I share the following advice because I feel very obligated to do so. I am not paid by any company to share this advice and have no motives other than enabling people to live happy, balanced and natural lives. I have seen friends try medication, and I have researched medication endlessly, and its rate of success is not promising. Ultimately, I found the following routine much more effective at combating depression: 1. Omega 3 EPA - 1.5 grams per day - research Omega 3 / 6 imbalance if you have doubts 2. Sunlight therapy - 30 minutes per day, bright sunny day, sun contact with eyes EXPOSED (no sunglasses, hats, etc...). Get a light box if you don't have visible sun often. - research serotonin connection on light exposures if you have doubts 3. Exercise - 30 min/every other day, aerobic range (exercising hard enough that you cannot easily hold a conversation). Must be sweating, if you bulls*** it and don't try, it won't work and you will have wasted time and happiness. - research effect of cardiovascular exercise if you have doubts 4. Sleep quality - 8 hours minimum daily - no caffeine after 10AM. The half-life of caffeine is too long to be drinking caffeine after that point. - research effects of sleep on mood & caffeine if you have doubts 5. Cease rumination - rumination: defined as the contemplation of negative thoughts excessively, to the point where they negatively affect your mood. Once you notice it happening, you must physically alter your thought process by engaging in conversation or social activity. - this has poor research currently, but I think it is an intuitive solution 6. Social support - interaction four times with people you TRULY enjoy being around and trust. Sitting on the train doesn't count. - research effect that social support has on individuals if you have doubts (especially in tribal cultures) 7. Multivitamin, Vitamin D supplementation - not too much multivitamin or vitamin D. - research it 8. Hydration - at least 100 fl ounces daily - more physiological than psychological, but you should still research it 9. Diet - no sugar / processed foods / junk - it spikes your insulin levels and makes your body feel terrible. Eating a clean diet will be a massive improvement for your depression - this is HUGE, and the research speaks volumes 10. No drugs (even weed) or alcohol - this is a personal choice, but I have noticed that weed and alcohol cause a decrease in mood proportional 11. Meditate - you don't have to buy into the spiritual side, but there is a definite physiological effect 12. MAJOR Stressors - eliminate them as best as you can - these can include toxic relationships, poor work relations, bad habits, money concerns, etc... This is the **MOST IMPORTANT POINT** I will offer: People reading this review are people who have a genetic tendency towards depression, or are closely involved with someone who does. This means your health is a PRIORITY and that you cannot live the same disregard "normal" people do. You have to be more careful with your health, and more vigilant with your proactivity. You have to be aware, on point and striving towards better health, AT ALL TIMES. If you are not doing the above list every day, to the best of your ability, expect to be depressed.

I originally purchased this product as a replacement for a traditional SSRI because I didn't want to take the pharmaceutical any longer. I did a lot of research on SJW and eventually settled on this product due mostly in part that it would require only a once a day dosing instead of the usual 3- a day. In addition to the dosing, I chose this product because of the convenient 60 day amount and reasonable pricing. I have now been taking SJW for a little over a month and I have to say I am very pleased with the results. While I only suffer from mild depression it is unfortunately combined with short temper and irritability. Within several days I noticed that my fuse was not as short as it normally is and my irritability was definitely lessened. I was so pleased with the results I went ahead and ordered another 60 day supply before I have finished the first bottle. I have experienced only two side effects with SJW. One is a decrease in appetite and the other is a change in my menstrual cycle( one week late and pending). This was not a side effect that I found mentioned on WebMD and the like, however, it has been my experience. This change in my hormonal pattern would be the only reason that I would discontinue this product. This of course has nothing to do with the product itself but with the SJW herb. Overall, I would recommend this product because of the ease of taking it, the good results and the limited side effects.