December 2025

Depression

• Beyond a mood disorder
• It’s not just in your brain
• The Gut Brain Axis
• Herbal Support For Depression

For a person who struggles with depression, making lifestyle changes is like climbing Mount Everest without ever training to do so, an impossible mission. They need either herbs or pharmaceuticals to support them while they make the lifestyle modifications.

Herbal Support For Depression

Herbal support for depression

Depression is a complex condition; therefore, the herbal support will be multi-layered. You want to consider:

• Nervine tonic
• Nervine relaxant uplifting
• Serotonergic herbs

Nervine Tonics

Nervine Tonics build long-term nervous system resilience to maintain balance. Many people with depression are depleted or “bankrupt” after a long struggle with stress, trauma, or chronic illnesses; a nervine tonic used consistently can help renew their adaptation capacity.

• Milky Oats (Avena sativa) – deeply nourishing and moistening to frazzled nerves. It is specifically indicated for insomnia with irritability, headaches due to nervous exhaustion, and melancholia.
• Skullcap (Scutellaria lateriflora) – When used fresh, skullcap is a cooling and calming nervine tonic. It is indicated for people who feel overstimulated, lights and sounds “attack them,” and feel they are at “the end of their rope.”

Nervine Relaxants with Antidepressant Properties

People who struggle with depression tend to ruminate. They are locked in repetitive negative thought patterns, catastrophic thinking, or obsessive worry. Nervine relaxants can shed light on these dark thought patterns.

• Damiana (Turnera diffusa) – increases vitality, responsiveness, and engagement in people who have lost their capacity to enjoy life. It is specifically indicated when depression reduces libido.
• Lavender (Lavandula) – for anxiety driven depression from constant worry. For mentally rigid people who are self focused and who are stuck in analysis paralysis.
• Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis) – uplifting, cooling, and relaxing, lemon balm is for people on the go. It is for people whose depression occurs alongside hyperactivity, restlessness, and mental agitation.

Serotonergics

Serotonergic herbs mimic, promote, or increase serotonin levels. Serotonin promotes the formation of new neuronal pathways in the brain, breaking rigid thought patterns and enabling flexible, adaptive thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. Serotonin supports the experience of feeling safe and part of the “we”.

• Mimosa bark (Albizia julibrissin) – gentle, softening and uplifting, mimosa is indicated for when depression involves heartache and suppressed emotions due to grief, loss, or deep emotional wounds that haven’t healed.
• Saffron (Crocus sativus) – warming, stimulating, and a neuro-anti-inflammatory. It is indicated for sluggish cold depression, poor circulation, digestion, and brain fog. For depression associated with pain, metabolic syndrome, and affective seasonal disorder.  
• Kanna (Sceletium tortuosum) – moistening. It is for people with mild depression with anxiety who need mood support during the day that is not sedative, so that they can be alert, function at work, and think clearly.
• St. John’s Wort (Hypericum perforatum) – slightly warming, St John’s wort is indicated for depression and anxiety alongside chronic pain such as in nerve injuries, post-surgical depression, and chronic disease. It is beneficial for mild depression with anxiety in general anxiety, panic, and phobia disorders, or PTSD. St john’s wort is also indicated when sleep is disturbed due to depression, nerve tension, and rumination.

Beyond popping a pill or taking herbs, depression is a lifestyle condition. Therefore, reversing depression should start with the basics: diet, stress, and sleep. Meds and herbs can support you on your healing journey and give you the energy and motivation to do the work.