Herbal Supplements - Do They Work for Depression & Anxiety?

In the past decade or so, the herbal/supplement industry has experienced exponential growth. The supplement industry would have you believe that there is a remedy for just about anything that ails you. Unlike the proverbial "snake oils" sold in the past, there is actually a lot of scientific evidence that supports the benefits of many herbal supplements. For instance, a number of herbal supplements have been found to be beneficial for depression and anxiety. Such supplements include St. John's Wort, SAMe, and fish oil with omega-3.

The down side to the supplement industry is that it is not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration or any other governing body. Not that I'm saying that this should necessarily happen , it's just that supplements don't undergo the levels of testing for safety and efficacy that pharmaceutical drugs must undergo. The result is that the quality and potency of supplements vary greatly.

I'm not endorsing herbal supplements as a panacea. They can prove to be helpful, but great care must be taken in their use. Just because they are natural, doesn't mean that they cannot be harmful. I know this sounds simple, but I have met numerous people who would not touch a pharmaceutical drug unless they absolutely had to but would not hesitate in taking 10 different supplements. Hemlock and toadstool are natural and they are deadly poisons. Your brain doesn't know the difference between an herbal supplement and a pharmaceutical drug. In that sense, herbal supplements can be considered drugs. After all, marijuana and peyote are naturally occurring, and they are drugs.

People who are considering the use of herbal supplements to improve or regulate their mood should consult with their physician or a well-informed, qualified professional. A person who is taking an herbal supplement should INFORM HIS/HER DOCTOR what they are taking, how much they are taking, and how frequently. Certain herbal supplements react negatively with prescription medication or have other properties (e.g., blood thinning) that can have catastrophic effects during surgery.

In summary, herbal supplements can help to improve mood...and they can be a waste of money and even dangerous in some cases. With a careful, informed approach, one can maximize the potential benefits and reduce the risks. And ALWAYS check with your physician about your use of herbal supplements and inform him/her of any that you are taking.

Dealing with Loss & A Tribute to Steve Irwin

I, along with many others out there, have been feeling down over the past week due to the tragic death of the Crocodile Hunter, Steve Irwin. I have always liked animals, even reptiles, and admired Steve's passion for life, animals, conservation, and the environment. Although his death is not surprising in one sense, the fact that he was killed by a relatively docile stingray did come as a shock. His loving wife, Terri, his two children, and legions of fans will be mourning his loss for a long time to come.

Steve's enthusiasm was infectious...he was a real life force. From what I read about him, his passion was real and not an act for television. One of the most touching things that I ever saw was an interview in which he described meeting Terri, whom he later married, at one of his exhibitions at his zoo. In his thick, Australian accent, he described how he was completely smitten with Terri the moment he laid eyes upon her...an instance of the fabled "love at first sight. " The image of Steve describing his first meeting with Terri sticks with me more than any of his encounters with dangerous animals.

A saying that I have always liked seems approprite to Steve's untimely death: The light that burns twice as bright burns half as long. He shined so very, very brightly. His zest for life was a rarity, and it is very sad to see his flame go out.

Dealing with loss is one of the toughest things that we have to face in life. An unfortunate fact about life is that, unless we pass before our loved ones, we will experience the death of people close to us. There is no one "right way" to mourn...grief takes many forms and does often neatly flow into 5 different stages. I think it is important to grieve and acknowledge our feelings in a time of loss. However, it's also critical to not get stuck in a state of grief. Bereavement groups, like the free ones offered by the Hospice organization, can be helpful. Staying connected with people is often beneficial in times of mourning, but you might find that some friends and relatives are more helpful than others at being present in times of grief. Healing after loss takes time...there will always be that hole in our heart but, over time, we will not fall into that hole quite so much.

Sometimes, when we are grieving a loss, we feel like we should do something. I think that asking ourselves, "What would our loved one want us to do?" can lead to powerful ways to honor their memory and help with the healing process. For Steve Irwin, the Crocodile Hunter, it is clear that he cared deeply for animals and the environment. If you are touched by his passing, trying to continue the goals he had in life is one of the most powerful ways that we can honor his memory. In a sense, Steve Irwin will always live on if we keep him in our memory and carry a little of his passion with us. Doing a little something to benefit the environment, conservation, or animals would be something that would have pleased Steve. Trying to weave Steve's concerns into our daily lives, even a small amount, would be a wonderful part of his legacy. Also, on Steve's website, there is a donation page on how to contribute to a wildlife fund to honor Steve and continue his work: http://www.wildlifewarriors.org.au/make_a_donation/

Thoughts and prayers go out to the Irwin family and to everyone who has been touched by loss.

Control vs. Influence

We all have the psychology needs for power and control. The perception that we have power and control helps us to feel happy. It is critical our sense of well-being to believe this. When we don't think that we have control, it can lead to feelings of depression and anxiety...feelings of being trapped or stuck. In psychology, we refer to this as our "locus of control." People with an "internal locus of control" believe that they can take actions that can affect outcomes. People with an "external locus of control" believe that they cannot really influence outcomes...that external factors (e.g. a boss, the economy, parents) dictate the outcomes.

There is a lot of research to support the idea that when we believe that we are in control of a situation and can affect the outcome, we feel happier. Dr. Marty Seligman coined the term "learned helplessness" and conducted numerous studies to show that a belief that we cannot affect an outcome can result in feelings of depression. Think about this in terms of your own life. Have you ever been in a work, school, or a relationship situation in which you had little control? How did it make you feel? Chances are that the perception that "what I do doesn't matter" or "I can't make a difference" weighed heavily upon you in such situations. I know that I have very negative feelings in my life in such circumstances.

Now, here is a critical caveat. We can control our own lives. We cannot control other people's lives. Our attempts to satisfy our psychology needs for power and control run directly into other people's needs to satisfy their needs for control and power. Other people don't want to be controlled by us...they want to control themselves. MUCH frustration in life comes from trying to control other people who do not want to be controlled. They get frustrated from trying to be controlled and we get frustrated when they do not submit to our controlling behaviors. This conflict is at the root of the proverbial "power struggle."

Reflect upon your own life to see if this is true. Have you ever had a boss or instructor that micro-managed? Did it drive you bananas? How about the rebellious teenager or child who does exactly the opposite of what you ask? The harder that you try to coerce, the harder the other person pushes back. Attempts to restrict another person's freedom often result in that person behaving in rebellious ways to reinstate their freedom/liberty. In the field of social psychology, this is known as "psychological reactance."

We see this all the time in the world around us. It happens with kids and adults. Very restrictive parenting can result in rebellious teenagers. Ever heard of the "preacher kid" syndrome in which the teen kids of preachers and the ministry have rebellious teens? How about the allure of the "forbidden fruit"? I see the principle of psychological reactance present with my 3-year-old son all of the time. Here's a specific example: At bedtime, when I pick out his pajamas...even when they are his favorite ones...he will say, "NO! I want to pick them out!" (Of course, I have learned to just let him pick them out now). It's fascinating to me how, even when I'm "right" (I'm getting his favorite pajamas, they are clean), he will not accept my "right" suggestion just to get his way!

I think back to a friend in high school who would always try to make some fashion statement with the clothes that he wore, his hair style, etc. We would try to tell him not to wear whatever it was, and I think that, objectively, we were often "right" about his fashion missteps. However, the more that we tried to convince him to change to what we thought was right (even if objective information supported our position) he would dig in his heels and flagrantly continue to wear what he wanted, when he wanted. There were many conflicts and lots of frustration over these minor things. Ironically, he would have been more likely to change had we left him alone!

We can influence others, but we can't control them. It is immensely liberating to us (and to others) when we give up the idea that we can completely control other people. Importantly, our leverage to influence others is directly proportional to how positive our relationship is with them. When we have a close, positive relationship with someone, they are more likely to listen to us. When we are in a lot of conflict with someone, it is much less likely that this person will heed our suggestions. In fact, when we are in a conflictual relationship, it is often the case that the person will do the opposite of what we suggest!

So, for our own happiness, it is essential that we try to control what we can (our actions and thoughts) and give up trying to control others. Our best way to influence others is to develop strong, positive relationships with them. One way to do this is to try to give up trying to control them. I will post some other suggestions on how to form and maintain positive relationships with others.

I have to give credit to Dr. William Glasser and his work, especially his recent book, Choice Theory, for his heavy influence on my views for this post.