St. John's wort has very similar drawbacks to SSRI drugs so I would advise anyone considering using it to discuss their choice thoroughly with a pharmacist. Doctor, Naturapath.

People are under the flase impression that if it comes from a plant - it's not medicine, forgetting that most of the synthetic medicines we use all the time were derived from natural agents. Good example being Aspirin. Willow Bark tea os just salicylic acid in another form.

It is true that using a medicine dervied from it's natural source is sometimes preferrable. A good example of this is plant estrogens which do not carry some of the risks that synthetic estrogens do. Why? Beats me. Being a believer in God, I'd say he/she planned it that way.

I do encourage you to see a doctor and not simply so he/she can diagnose you on the fly. A few years ago, my husband had symptoms of depression and it turned out to be the lingering effects of a tick bite - Lymes disease.

A good physical can rule things out and give you some peace of mind. Then you can go out, excerise, fall in love, post a thread in the music section looking for a Song circle in your area, etc. etc.

Best wishes!