I make a tea of skullcap, passionflower leaves, mint and rose petals for anxiety/depression/lack of calm. The skullcap has worked for me for years. Passionflower leaf is a calming sedative, very gentle. The mint and rose petals are for pleasant taste and color. Good health, Jeanine

My thoughts align with SG for the most part, however, I have witnessed post-partum hallucinogenic psychosis and have known suiciders that no amount of self-will training or loving support from others would have prevented. There is a very real need for medicines which manipulate brain chemistry, and fortunately we have progressed in our ability to protect the most fragile in times of severe crisis. I hope that we can all be sensitive and respectful of people who have to resort to urgent pharmological interventions as the most effective and life-enhancing treatment for some types of depression, psychosis and other forms of severe manifestations of emotional distress. By and large, we've come to recognize and accept that brain chemistry and circuitry problems are indeed real physical diseases and that, just as with other diseases, there are various approaches to treating these types of illnesses. But SG's suggestion that it is an industry that is undermining our health is well-founded. Yes, there are appropriate usages for these drugs, but caveat emptor: there are several studies that suggest there is a price yet to be determined in terms of long-term cognitive ability with protracted use of anti-depressants. Consequently, they are currently in disfavor in much of Europe after having been tried, and other more natural treatments are now more routinely explored initially. I don't think these meds are the panacea to be used to mask garden variety discomfort, and I believe that is the segment that is best addressed by SG's approach. I concur with SG and others who suggest that far too many have been persuaded the appropriateness of dealing pharmocologically with the discomfort that is a consequence of simply being human. Grief, anger and other unpleasant emotions serve a real purpose, are often very appropriate responses, and are an intrinsic part of our journey. Often anxiety and difficult emotions are a sign that we really have difficult inner homework to do, and I'd opt for working through the issues whenever possible rather than placating through meds. (I hope readers understand my emphasis is on whenever possible and repeat I'm well aware that it is not always possible or advisable.) My SS, a neurologist, and some physician friends do not agree, and often routinely recommend for themselves and their patients meds to deal with stress and unhappiness rather than undertaking the arduous task of changing the structure of one's life and/or learning healthier responses to challenges. Ergo, it seems we will continue to be less able as a society to go down the path SG suggests. I believe many would be better served by accessing inner resources than by pills, but also know that a requisite foundation of skills, or access to a means to acquire this knowledge, is not within reach for some. Philosophically I can agree with SG that the answers lie within, and wholeheartedly endorse our responsibility to respond with love at all times, but IRL I know some are equipped with damaged circuits through no fault of their own upon arrival as Kkay suggests and others whose circuitry becomes damaged from illness, toxins or accidents, some have been badly wounded experientially, and some just may prefer an easier way out. I'm not sure that SG said there is no physical basis for depression. "Depression/anxiety is actually being stuck, neural-activity wise, in the primal mind of the lower brain." Rather, I understood her comment to signal a real understanding of physiological responses but that we can trigger better responses by substituting different thought patterns, widely endorsed by cognitive therapists and other gurus. SG is quite capable of defending herself, but I know many intelligent, non-cult, independent thinkers, medical professionals and main-stream religious and total non-religious types who concur with this approach. There is no one path to wholeness, and while it is always preferable to rely on inner resources and loving support, it is not always possible. Wholesale dismissal of alternate, non-pharm approaches is not helpful nor is insistence on innate ability to cope with severe illness without intervention. Intelligent discussions of this type can be a wonderful resource for countless anonymous readers in cyberworld who are facing difficulties, seeking solutions and who may need encouragement to face another day.

Hi Cheerful, good grief! Still having trouble? That sounds like me! I have had "menopausal symptoms" for 14 years, since a hysterectomy . So I have a lot of empathy. I want OFF prescription meds! I can't seem to taper the .5 estrogen lightly enough to keep from getting a migraine, but I'm going to the doc this week. Maybe he has some insight I haven't found online (I'm not holding my breath ). I've been using the .20 black cohosh twice a day for a little over 2 months, it doesn't seem to be helping as I still have flashes and some anxiety even with that and the .5 estrogen. I take calcium/mag/D. And get this: my vitamin D showed up low on a recent blood test! So I'll start taking that soon as I buy some, maybe it will help? I'd surely like to not be so stiff and achy. I also started maca about 5 weeks ago and can't tell a bit of difference. I don't know if I'll keep taking maca; surely in 5 weeks I should be able to notice I'm taking it? I'm going to give the flax seed and the soy milk a try, why not? I just don't want to switch one prescription for another, although that might be better than continuing on HRT, with breast cancer in the family ( mother, first cousin). I eat wayyyyyy better than most people I know- we grow most of our vegetables and beef comes from the farm. I don't tolerate food additives very well and avoid them if I can. ( I don't like to eat out, don't use packaged or canned foods, avoid sugar, etc). All that helps, but! When am I ever going to be flash free?! Let me know how you are!

The only thought that comes to mind for me as well is that it is very important where you put the crate when introducing the dog to it. When I first crated mine, I knew it was ****extremely**** important that that crate was very NEAR me. The dog has to know it is not being ostracized from the pack. Otherwise, it's just a punishment. More than anything, the crate should trigger a feeling of security in the animal. We don't have crates anymore in the den, but at one point, I had 3 large crates in my den, and 2 were used as end tables. I could leave the doors open all day, and often find Rusty or Mocha taking naps in theirs of their own volition. Ginger was another matter, she didn't ever really "take" to hers but didn't fight it. What I did find funny was that she would sometimes go into Rusty's to sleep. Ten years later she still follows Rusty like a puppy, and I think it was a comfort thing to her. If it had Rusty's scent, it was "safe". I'll go a step further and say that if you do decide to try a crate again, not only does it need to be near you in the evenings, it needs to be moved to where you sleep at night. Our dogs sleep in our room on the floor. They feel like they are part of the family pack. If I were crating a new dog, that crate would get moved to my room at night also. You never want the crate to be seen as a method of pushing the dog out of its pack (you and your family).