I have tremendous respect for the SSRIs, SNRIs, and the whole collection of other antidepressant classes when applied to the care of patients who experience depression and anxiety as an inextricable part of the struggle to find answers and solutions during a prolonged illness. These have, at times, really lifted me up to the point at which I could become lots more effective in finding my way back to more normal living. This time around, though, they did not come through for me, and I was compelled to reach back into my roots in natural healing (where Western herbalism has held the greatest appeal for me). I recalled learning, years ago, how pharmaceutically purified concentrates of herbs used in folk medicine have, after clinical testing in sizable populations, gone on to become mainstays of medical care in Western Europe, especially . . .and specifically remembered an old product called Kira, a St. Johnś Wort product that was once (and may, by other names, still be) beloved even by lots of primary care physicians in Europe. As I have shared before, this time out, I discovered that the international nootropic community has fine-tuned its position on St. Johnś Wort in a way that focuses on exactly how it should be dosed for particular variations of depression and anxiety. Yesterdayś Kira is todayś Perika (made by Natureś Way), and these days, the nootropes tout it for, among other things, somatoform depressions and anxieties, i.e., those mental states that have either come on as a result of physical illness and/or entail harmful thought patterns that distort oneś outlook on illness. Once cleared of any Rx meds, I gave Perika a try, recently, and memory again returned on how pleasant a product this can be -- and, if it works at all, how much more rapidly than Rx meds this seems to take hold. St. Johnś Wort (SJW) is DEFINITELY one of those herbs that has the potential to cause secondary issues like sun sensitivity, and also to interact, sometimes in risky ways, with Rx meds and other herbs. But with good supervision and openness with oneś doctors -- ideally doctors who will take the trouble to read past the counterfactual hysteria surrounding some herbs and look at the serious, peer-reviewed studies on these herbs -- I believe there is lots of untapped help for us out there through careful and creative reliance on herbs. The U.S. has very few medically qualified herbalists practicing today, alas. And so we still have to hope to be able to turn our regular physicians into at least agnostics about herbal medicine, who will give some well-studied picks at least a chance. But physicians can themselves become charlatans when they memorize a few easy bywords about this or that herb or other supplement, and don´t apply the same analytical thought they ordinarily apply to Rx meds to these different substances. In any case, even with herbs that agree with one and help, patience is required. But thereś always something really rewarding about the study of herbs and their actions. It brings one closer to nature, which is, even by itself, potentially quite healing.