It is normal to not be happy all the time. We would not be humans if we were happy all the time. What separates depression from regular sadness is the amount of time it last. People who suffer from depression experience long term periods of sadness, those lasting anywhere from two weeks or longer. It prevents them from being able to complete daily activities due to a lack of desire or motivation (Depression, University of Maryland). Depression is a common disorder that affects 21% of women and 12% of men (Depression, Depressiontoolkit.org). Depression can be treated depending on the severity of the illness, an alternative medicine used to treat depression is St. Johns Wart. St. Johns Wart efficacy seemed to be based on the area where the studies where done. When they were conducted in Germany where the herb had a long history of medical use the study yielded more positive results. A systematic review was done on 29 clinical studies. The studies used St. Johns Wart, a placebo, and antidepressant …show more content…
Johns Wart appears to just as effective as the antidepressant medicines (Linde, St. Johns Wart for major depression). Scientist believe that it works similar to the way the antidepressant medicines do by preventing chemicals like neurotransmitters and serotonin from acting on nerve cells but they are still not entirely sure how (St. Johns Wart for depression). It should be ok to take the herb to treat depression as long as you discuss it with your doctor beforehand. Cognitive behavioral therapy has also been shown to improve mild to moderate depression. Cognitive behavioral therapy consists of talking about the patients negative though patterns and replacing them with more positive thoughts. This personalizes the patient’s treatment and focuses specifically on what could be causing the patients depression. This method also teaches the patient coping skills and ways to address their depression should it occur again