How (and when) can I stop taking SJW?
Getting off SJW, or a prescription anti-depressant, should always be your goal. No one wants to take a drug forever. Some people have to, but many do not. We take these things because it helps us to heal, and it helps us to see the light that we may not even realize is there. When you are depressed you don't see the world as it really is. Taking something natural like St. John's Wort can really help, you can buy it over the counter in most countries and maybe you need to take it for a few months or years, so what? A natural herb or prescription medication can both help you through a difficult period. But never lose sight of the goal: being antidepressant-free!
One way to stop taking it... 
I can't give you all the answers, but I can tell you what worked for me. One day it felt like the SJW just wasn't working anymore. I was feeling depressed because of this, but still taking three capsules a day like I'd done for years. It had always worked. I feared it had "pooped out" and I'd have to try something else. Actually, for a while when I took a break, I did try a prescription antidepressant (Wellbutrin), but later went back to SJW again and it felt the same. I never thought I might be taking too much, and it was making things worse.
St. John's Wort appears to "wear out" over time. Meaning, over several years. People tend to take more and more SJW when this happens, which is a mistake. Trust me on this one. If you've taken SJW for a long time, at least a year or more, and it's stopped working... try taking a little less, not more! It seems counter-intuitive, and it is. From my experience and from what I've read of others, I'm starting to believe that sometimes less is more. When I was depressed at the full dosage and then reduced my intake to 2/3 the recommended, I actually felt much better. A few weeks later, I started feeling crappy again. So I reduced the dosage to 1/3 of the recommended amount, and I started feeling better again. Cool.
It might take many months or even years, but it's possible to stop taking SJW for as long as you want. It's certainly not addictive. We can learn about ourselves, our mood swings and our depression and decide when we might need it again, in the future. And keep the goal of getting off anti-depressants, going au natural and feeling great. For many people, it's the ultimate feeling of healing that one day they just won't need it anymore.
What if it just plain doesn't work? 
Don't give up. There are other natural options out there, too. I'll talk about them a little bit on the next page.
go
to the next page (other options)
