There does not seem to be much merit in this argument. In the use of St John’s Wort to treat depression, the Europeans have been leaders for over 350 years. Since the publication of Commission E in Germany in the mid-1980s, St John’s Wort has been actively studied there. A high-strength preparation of Hypericum was developed in Germany and when it was tested at a dosage of 900 mg per day was found to be superior to placebo in multiple controlled studies. While each of these studies may be flawed or limited in one way or another, taken together they portray a convincing picture of an active anti-depressant. While a large US multi-centre study such as the one currently being planned under the aegis of the National Institute of Mental Health, is likely to add valuable new information to our current knowledge, it is not in my opinion a necessary step in proving the anti-depressant efficacy of the herb. In addition, if we wait several years until the results of the US multi-centre study have been analysed and presented, many depressed people who might stand to benefit from the herbal anti-depressant in the meanwhile will suffer unnecessarily. Many people have already voted with their feet and decided to go ahead and try St John’s Wort. I believe they are justified in doing so.

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Her daughter telephoned her saying that she had read an article in a woman’s magazine saying the elderly should have greatly reduced doses of tranquillizers because they cannot excrete them at the same rate as the young. Because of this, the elderly are often confused and have frequent falls. Weight is also an important factor. So often a person weighing stones is prescribed the same dose as a heavy weight of 15 stones.

Grace telephoned the Citizens’ Advice Bureau to see if there was any help in her area. After a telephone call to the support group (and to her doctor for his permission), she started slow withdrawal. She had been cutting down for six weeks when she felt her old self returning. Her family said she had lost the dead look from her eyes and her skin looked a healthier colour.

She rang the group regularly for explanation of a symptom or for reassurance. Her main problems were headaches, slight incontinence, and a feeling that her bottom was ‘not there’. The agoraphobia was much better by the time her drugs were reduced to half, although by this time she was a bit shaky outside because she felt the ground was moving when she walked.

Her positive attitude to any problem was a great help to her. She was more confident when she pushed a shopping trolley. Walking with a stick was the next step. She now walks unaided, supports others (often using humour to ease tension), and is excited about her holiday when she is taking her grandson camping.

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If you tie a tight band around your arm, what happens to your hand? You will certainly get pain, swelling, loss of movement and an altogether unhealthy hand. You are effectively doing the same to your head by tension in the neck and shoulder muscles. Decreased circulation to the head causes headaches, sinus pains, jaw pain, ear problems (including tinnitus) depression, confusion and more. Is it worth working on your neck and shoulders?

Vitamin and Mineral Deficiency

During illness or stress the body’s need for vitamins and minerals is increased. Common deficiencies are: iron, calcium, magnesium, vitamin C (particularly if you smoke) and vitamin B complex. It is advisable to have advice about which supplements you need and the length of time you should take them. For instance, many people take vitamin B6 for pre-menstrual tension not realizing that if they take one of the B vitamins in isolation they deplete their store of the other B vitamins.

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Many people suffer agoraphobic symptoms both while on, and coming off tranquillizers. These will go eventually like all the other symptoms. Even people who were agoraphobic before they took pills, often recover because during withdrawal they face old fears and gradually overcome them. Don’t push yourself whilst you are still physically low.

depressed and they are in the caring role. Reassure them that you are only changing your feelings about yourself, not them.

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There is some confusion between memory lapses and loss of concentration. Many people have said that they make appointments and then forget them. It may be that because of lack of concentration at the time, they have failed to take in the information rather than subsequently forgetting it. Concentration does improve as withdrawal progresses. Life can be very boring when you cannot concentrate on reading or watching television. Large print books (helpful if you have sore eyes) are available from most libraries. You may need to choose ‘light’ reading material for a while. Some people stimulate concentration by doing simple crossword puzzles.

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