"natural" remidies for mood swings? st johns wort work?

hi all
I'm reaching the end of my rope and am thinking of giving in fighting depression/ mood swings through will power alone.
Yoga, meditation and acupuncture have all worked for me in the past. unfortunately due to go geographical and financial restraints they are not really an option at the moment (i tried to do yoga at home, and meditate but i need a teacher!) so im on the edge of accepting pharmaceutical help but i really, really don't want to, for a mirread of reasons.

so im wondering if any of you have any remedies that have worked out? Has anybody tried st johns wort? I know that is essential the same as any other SSRI, but i just feel that if it comes from nature it is more likely that i will be able to metabolize it and it is less likely to cause adverse effects. Ive read all the scientific papers i can on it and it seems at least as effective as generically prescribed SSRI's but im still just that bit reluctant.

Any inspirational miracle cure stories to inspire me?

xx Orli

*Not to be taken as a substitute for medical advice*

I can't comment on St. John's Wort (I have no experience with it), but...

Bee pollen, aside from a host of other 'goodies,' is said to help regulate your moods. I used to take it... I'm not going to lie, it is THE WORST tasting stuff I have ever put in my mouth. Ever. It's like eating the apocalypse. Ugh. But, if you can get past the taste, it's good stuff. I haven't taken it for a while because I want to see if the new acai pills I introduced into my system are actually doing anything... they seem to be (but that's another story).

Anyways, my dad suffers from horrible mood swings... up and down all the time. I gave him bee pollen to help with his stomach pains (bleeding ulcer) and, no surprise, it helped his pain, but I also noticed his moods balancing out. You can tell when he's not taking the bee pollen lol.

Bee pollen has no known side effects, aside from allergic reactions (and anaphylaxis) and some people have reported an upset stomach (including me), but, other than that, the stuff is pretty awesome.

I should note that a lot of its claims aren't 'proven...' I can only speak from my experience, but adding bee pollen into my (and my father's) life had a positive effect. I had a lot of energy when taking it... whether, or not, it was all psychosomatic, I can't say for sure lol.

Yes, I use St. John's Wort. I use it when I'm experiencing mild depressive symptoms and am more stressed out than usual to even out some of the lows. Tends to work, but it's difficult to say if my anecdotal observations constitute a clinical demonstration of efficacy. As a scientist, I have to put that disclaimer. I believe that it helped me, but I can't promise it alone was the cause, in other words.