If you find yourself feeling low, you’re in good company. It’s estimated that one million Australian adults will suffer from depression this year and over two million will suffer from anxiety.

When anxiety or depression start to impact your health and you need a lift, herbal medicine can make a big difference. The first thing we’ll do when you consult with me about your anxiety or depression is to try to work out the underlying factors to your problem.

Perhaps your problem is that you’re feeling exhausted and you've lost motivation – this could indicate adrenal fatigue. Adrenal fatigue can be due to stress, poor nutrition, or an unhealthy lifestyle, and it often accompanies a vitamin B3 (niacin) deficiency. On the other hand, maybe you’re snapping at friends or family, this might indicate a hormone imbalance; or, if you recently gave birth, a disordered endocrine system.

Then again, it could be a particular life circumstance that’s making you feel stuck but you lack the energy to change. Or are you finding it hard to cope with one of life's big challenges? These situations indicate that your cognitive system, which is essential for regulating your mood, is affected. Certain nutrients, such as vitamin B12, can enhance your mood and help head off depression, with the added physical benefits of strengthening muscles and bones, and improving digestion.

If your diagnosis reveals you’re depleted in B group vitamins – which are essential in handling your day-to-day challenges – and you start taking a carefully blended, high-content vitamin B plant medicine, it can help get you on your way to feeling happier.

Whatever the reason for your low mood – emotional, circumstantial, physiological or a combination of all these factors – it’s important to unearth the root cause. Once we know the cause, we can give you a herbal medicine and flower essence blend to address your needs, so can begin your journey back to strength and health.

In a nutshell: