UPDATE AT BOTTOM... This is the first time I've actually sat down and written a review of a product I've purchased on Amazon. I felt I owed my experience to others looking for relief from their depression. I'm a male Caucasian, 24years old, 6' tall, blue eyes, and 135lb's. I'm very lean but athletic shaped. I swim and bicycle at least once a week. I also work in construction so I stay physically fit. I've always had ADD and problems making myself fall asleep. I recently fixed that problem with a product called Prevagen. Now that I sleep well, the depression became much more noticeable. I had plenty of sleep, healthy diet, and lots of good people in my life. So why was I still depressed all the time? I've always had ups and downs in my mood but probably mildly compared to most others with chronic depression. I'm still able to function with daily life and keep a job. Sometimes though, I just can't handle life and I try to stay tucked away from sight...hidden from others. I got to a point where I was genuinely unhappy for longer and longer periods of time. Thoughts of suicide were common. At the same time I had lots of positive things in my life to look forward to. It didn't seem right to be depressed for so long. About every three weeks to a month there would be a time of happiness where problems seemed solvable and possibilities for my future abounded. Then it was back to the negative thinking and pessimistic outlook on reality. I've tried SAMe with no results at all. I've also used strattera but with side affects of impotence. That just wasn't an option. I've now been using this brand of St. Johns Wort for about 2 months. Since the first day I started taking it, I cannot recall a bought of depression. I'm now able to see the changes I need to make in life. If you also suffer from prolonged periods of depression even when things are looking good in your life, I suggest spending the money on this product. I came to Amazon to buy a different product and ended up purchasing this also because it was so inexpensive. It was certainly worth it for me. UPDATE 02/20/15 After about 2 years of using St Johns Wort daily, i discovered that i had a problem with my liver not functioning properly prior to using st Johns Wort. As a result i suffered the effects of numerous vitamin and mineral deficiencies. The most notable being a deficiency of tryptophan. Tryptophan is naturally occuring in most foods and is needed by the brain to create neuro receptors like dopamine and epinephrine. So i stopped taking St Johns Wort and began taking Tryptophan. I take 700mg of tryptophan 3 times daily which COMPLETELY corrected my depression almost immediately! I felt more clear minded and content within 30 minutes of the first dose. Ive continued taking it as a supplement 3 times daily for several years now. I notice a large decrease in effectiveness when only taken twice daily. Now im able to focus on the cause of my weak liver. Ive been making strides in this search and just recently believe ive found the cause....Now i just have to fix it. If you also suffer long term depression it may be possible that your feeling the secondary effects of another bodily illness. I hope my experience helps anyone with similar trials....Also if you choose to use tryptophan long term i suggest purchasing 250g of powder along with 1000 "00" sized capsules and filling machine. Using Amazon as my source it only costs $45 for 6 months worth of tryptophan which is about 300-400% cheaper than buying them pre-encapsulated.
