For me, its natural versus man made. Yes sometimes man made is better... but why fill your body with chemicals if you don't need to?

http://www.disabled-world.com/artman...cription.shtml

I think it is the same debate as real sugar versus aspartame. One is natural one is not. Everyone has their personal preference. For me I would take herbal if I could but I am not against prescription medications either. I think we live in a time where doctors are over prescribing and people are filling themselves with medications they don't necessarily need... but maybe that is just me.

I got my appendix out in the US... yes I was sore but did I really need a huge dose of oxycodone? (for those of you who don't know, it is kinda similar to heroin) At the time I didn't know, so I was taking my prescribed dose of one pill every 4 hours - being only 14 at the time having no idea that there were millions of people HIGHLY addicted to this drug.

When I got back to Canada my doctor threw a fit, told me to throw the pills away and gave me some T3's. T3's was ALL I needed, I did not need ocycodone but I didn't know any better.

When I was in the hospital I asked for Tylenol and they gave me a shot of morphine instead...

Anyway, this is just my own personal experience and I realize now I was WAY WAY over medicated and this happens all the time... I think people are lead to believe that herbel meds are a joke and don't work... maybe that's true, but really what do you have to lose by trying them? With all the money they make off these prescription drugs why would they want us to think otherwise.

Really I'm not trying to pick a fight here ... but I do have a point. :)

Why do you say that st. johns wort isn't a chemical?
The thing that is in SJW that helps with depression is the EXACT SAME CHEMICAL that is synthesized out of plants and put into many other anti-depression meds.

Whether you're using herbs to self-medicate or using commercially made meds, you're still using chemicals to change your body.

There's this mindset that because it's "natural" it's better for you. But you know what ... belladonna is natural too. Arsenic is natural. Amanitas mushrooms are natural. All of them will kill you.

The difference is that a lot of people who take SJW because it's "natural" dont' think about the fact that it's still a medication and it *will* react with other meds they're taking, with sun exposure, with foods they eat - just like any prescribed medication. But because it's "natural" .. very few people consider that. They just pop pills and say "but it's natural".

This is a big hot button for me - as you might be able to tell. My husband suffers from clinical depression and takes meds for it - and will the rest of his life. We did a LOT of research into natural and herbal remedies when he was diagnosed ... and did even more when I was diagnosed with temporary depression a couple of years ago.

I'm not saying that people shouldn't take SJW. It's very effective for some people for mild depression, if taken with awareness. But I wish with all my heart people would quit saying it's an ALTERNATIVE to medication. It is as much a medication as any pill you get from the pharmacy, and it needs to be taken with that full awareness and consideration.

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