Herbs and Manic Depression

Before we can get into herbs that might benefit those with Manic Depression, we should discuss what Manic Depression is. Manic Depression is marked by mood swings that can go from mild and calm to excited - highly irritable. These cycles can last for days or weeks. In some cases, these cycles can occur multiple times in a day.

Standard Treatments

Manic Depression is a serious form of Depression requiring more intensive treatments.
Standard treatments typically include psychotherapy (talk therapy) combined with one or more antidepressant medications. In some serious cases hospitalization might be necessary to stabilize your moods.

Anti-depressants fall into four classes and each class works in a different way on the chemicals in the brain that control mood. The levels of two neurotransmitters - Serotonin and Norepinephrine are affected. Anti-Depressants have some serious side effects that could put you in a risky situation.

Booster Drugs are used to increase the effectiveness of the primary drug. One such drug is Ritalin. This works about 50% of the time. They are still used and with new drugs coming out all the time the effectiveness could increase.

Herbs

Herbs have been used in rituals and healing practices by ancient tribes and Shaman. They were brewed, used to flavor foods, burned (as in incense), and in moist packs applied to injuries called poultices. With the development of western medicine natural remedies were left aside.

Due to the fact that anti-depressant medications have such serious side effects, many people are looking to return to natural remedies whenever possible. Natural/herbal remedies are safe and they are effective. They have been known to help those with Manic Depression but still more studies need to be done to confirm that.

Some herbs used in supplements to treat any form of Depression include Green Tea which is an anti-oxidant and is known to boost general metabolism and mood. It can also be used for stomach problems.

Valerian is known as a sleep aid. It can be used in smoking cessation. Valerian also is known to have anti-anxiety properties.

The highest quality herbal supplements should have gone through very extensive testing. The metabolic pathway of the ingredients is studied at the molecular level. The interaction of the ingredients should be studied as well. When the supplements are manufactured they should be made according to pharmaceutical grade standards.

This helps to ensure you are getting exactly what the label says you are getting, their efficacy, potency, and safety. You can check with your pharmacist or the manufacturer for this information.

Conclusion

Manic Depression is one of the more serious forms of Depression. Standard treatments include anti-depressants, psychotherapy, and the possible use of Booster drugs. Herbal usage is becoming popular again and can be effective in treating Manic Depression but studies, as was said, need to be done to confirm the effectiveness of herbal supplements.