Healthy Living

How Natural Mood Enhancers Work

Natural mood stabilizers and mood enhancers usually work by encouraging the production of serotonin and other "pleasure" chemicals such as norepinephrine in the human brain, thereby promoting a sense of calm, well-being and revitalization.

Herbal mood enhancers may contain several different medicinal herbs and vitamins in concentrated form ranging from St. John's Wort, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Vitamin B12 and various proprietary blends of botanical extracts and powders. The goal of natural mood stabilizers is to simultaneously alleviate stress and anxiety, while increasing energy and vitality levels (this is where Vitamin B12 usually comes into play - as an energy enhancer). All of this is done through precise blends of complementary ingredients that produce the desired outcome chemically.

A mood stabilizer is an excellent way to make it through life's rough patches or particularly stressful events in life, since they are natural and non-habit forming, but very effective for those who need some temporary help from time to time. Please note that individuals who suffer severe clinical depression should seek the help and guidance of a therapist and/or psychiatrist though, as therapy and medication may be needed in extreme cases.

History of Medicinal Herbs

Mood enhancing medicinal herbs have actually long been used in ancient civilizations as a means for mood stabilization and mood elevation. Natural mood enhancers, in contrast with prescription antidepressants, actually do not produce many of the common side effects of prescription antidepressants.

Drawbacks of Antidepressants

Side effects of the more common antidepressants (Zoloft, Paxil, Effexor, Lexapro and more),may include any of the following: suicidal tendencies, sexual dysfunction, dry mouth, urinary retention, constipation, blurred vision, headache, weight gain, gastrointestinal disturbance and more.

Most people actually discontinue the usage of prescription mood enhancers (antidepressants) due to the simple fact that the side effects are worse than the actual depression. Many critics of prescription mood stabilizers argue that we don't know enough about how or why they work in the human brain, and that it is the "overkill" approach to treating depression or the "sledgehammer to crack a nut" approach, which is not necessary to effectively treat many cases of depression.

One thing is certain. There are countless people who suffer from moderate depression and mood disorders from time to time. There is simply no reason to not try a natural method based upon medicinal herbs to stabilize and regulate your mood to get through emotionally difficult times. It's simply not worth the risks associated with antidepressants if it is not severe enough to warrant a psychologist's supervision.