Taking "feel good" supplements cheating?

[MissK]

Hi everyone, Hope you're having a wonderful day so far.

I have a question- Do you think taking mood enhancing supplements such as St. Johns Wart or B12 is cheating?

My mood, attitude and all have improved dramatically on their own using LOA and shaping my life and thoughts the way i want them, exercise and transitioning to the raw lifestyle (still in early stages) but i still have a long way to go.

Ive never been a medicine type of woman. No tylenol, antibiotics, etc. I had my vaccinations and things of that nature but ive never seen the need besides periodically taking a one a day multivitamin.

So today i took the b12 and St. Johns wart and OMG there is a drastic difference!! I feel much more calm anxiety wise, happy and way more energetic.

Now mind you as i write this post i still feel amazing. This isnt some trick of the mind thing here, i feel as though im on a drug high (what i imagine one would be since ive never actually been on one lol.)

But i feel guilt. Cant i achieve this on my own with more diet, exercise, action and LOA (i feel wonderfully alive and energetic) or are supplements a completely valid way of achieving a feeling? I feel like a cheat!!

Perhaps i had an imbalance before? I dont like feeling as though i took the easier way out... what if i become an addict? (I'm not even joking i have a drug paranoia overall but was told these were natural..)

Words of wisdom please.... Thanks for taking the time to read this!!!

[Liveformx64]

If you are recovering from a bout of depression, St Johns can definitely help you stabilize your pleasure centers of your brain.

A few years ago, I went through a pretty deep depression, and when I finally began to come around and work to get my life back, I would go through periods of extreme highs and extreme lows.

My thought process was basically your body is trying to regain the balance it once had through trying to meter the amount of dopamine distributed throughout your brain. Because of the depression dopamine production was shut off to almost nothing, finally when I started doing things to encourage healthy dopamine production again, I would experience a few hours of an almost manic type happiness, quickly followed by a low. This was after months of not even so much as a happy moment, so I felt like I was getting somewhere, but nowhere nearly as quickly as I wanted to.

After a few months of this, the cyclical revolutions of highs and lows extended to a period of days, instead of hours, and this is when I decided to try St. Johns wart. After about 30 days of treatment, my hi-lo cycles went to a weekly and even bi-weekly. All the wile the depression was slowly losing its strength. At this point when I had a down week, I didn't want to lay in bed all day, I just didn't quite feel as chipper as I normally would.

After taking St. Johns for a few months, my cycles became very mild, and manageable. Finally feeling well enough, I decided to quit taking St. Johns, and now a few years later depression is but a foggy memory to me.

The way I see it in my head goes something like this, my dopamine receptors were trying to jump start back to life and overcompensating, followed by under-compensating. Too much, followed by not enough, and finally a balance. This all took a few years of positive conscious affirmation and rebuilding of my self worth to make it happen. Really though when you think about it, what other choice did I have?

I think many bi-polar, and depression sufferers often get put on a life time of prescriptions and drugs because of this, and never truly address the real issues of their life.

A few things to remember.

1. Depression is just a symptom of a bigger cause. Usually coming from an unbalanced life, and putting too many eggs in one basket, and then becoming dependent on that once facet of your life, for your sense of well being.

2. Recovery is a process, it is uncomfortable, and takes hard work. The situation didn't rise over night, and it won't quite go away over night either.

3. The St. Johns and other supplements should be used as a tool to help you back towards emotional stability.

[Elrond]

Whether or not it is cheating depends on what your goal is.

It seems like your goal is to feel good. And if those supplements have more good effects than bad, then I don't see the problem.

lol, anything that makes you a feel good is a "valid way of achieving a feeling".

Maybe if the game of life was a competition, then we could worry about whether someone is being happy (winning) through the means listed by the rules.


It is of course great if you are able to feel good whilst being less dependant on circumstances. That is a skill you can cultivate and explore whilst still "cheating".

[MissK]

Hey guys, Thanks for responding.

Elrond, I have many goals in my lifes journey. Feeling wonderful and happy about my life is one of the top ones. See, with all this personal development, feeling good is a byproduct. Its cyclical really.

With LOA i subscribe more to the Abraham Hicks method which really emphasizes raising your vibration by feeling good and finding the positive in any situation to the point of not even acknowledging that anything negative or unwanted can happen. Any focus on the "negative" or unwanted is what attracts it into your life. I love that. Not only do i already feel good thinking wonderful thoughts no matter what, Less and less do i acknowledge my pesky limiting fear/beliefs so i get things i want done and therefore what i want is manifested. Which makes me feel even better! (though there is one area in my life thats more than a bit resistant- perhaps i shouldnt have acknowledged that. sorry higher self lol!!)

I suppose ill use them how you both described in conjunction with strengthening my use of LOA. When im not feeling 'o so vibrant' or it seems difficult to get my good thoughts flowing perhaps ill take one. I'll use it to get my good feelings/thoughts and high vibration on a roll lol. Once i am an LOA/Good vibration champion ill toss them.

BTW I took the sublingual form of the B12 and it reaches your blood stream fast!! Threw me for a loop indeed.

[wellbeing]

I think, MissyK, you've gotten the answer you were looking for, so I'm not going to weigh on you "cheating" question.

I just wanted to point out, if you decide to continue to take St. John's Wort, you should research and discuss with your physician possible drug interactions. St. John's Wort is a mild MAO inhibitor and, in some people, this class of compounds has be known to interact with a variety of other medicines.

(BTW, I'm not saying this to scare you or to sway your decision. I take a variety of supplements--though none for mood at the present--myself. I offer this advice for your safety and to further your goal of heightened Well-Being.--Notice the Abraham pun there?)

[MissK]

Thanks for thinking of me WellBeing (i love the pun btw!!)

I did think of the drug interactions but the wonderful thing about not being a conventional medicine kinda girl- i dont take any other drugs!! Though i will let him know just in case... oops i almost focused on what i didnt want- see what you made me do lol sigh and i have to take responsibility. whoo this personal development thing is a lot of work. Well worth it though.

Thanks!!!

[wellbeing]

Sounds like you're taking active control of this choice, MissK, so whatever you decide will be informed and safe for you. Great to see that!

Farbeit from me to get you to focus on what you don't want.

How about instead?:
"I have all these wonderful people (doctors, books, posters, etc.) supporting and contributing to my Wellbeing."

Ahhh, ya, that feels gooooood to me.

Continue to feel great (and, like Abraham says, have fun with it)!

[Holistic Star]

Well if you felt that great so soon after taking B12 then I would say it's not cheating, you needed it!

B12 isn't really a vitamin, it's a beneficial bacteria found in soil - however our food is too 'clean' these days and our soil depleted so we don't get enough of it and that includes meat eaters as well as vegans.

[MissK]

Holistic- Thanks for that tidbit. I'll definitely research more about it.

Well Being- Wow wonderful alternative to view it! Thanks! also in reviewing what i posted i saw that i am holding the belief that "this personal development thing is a lot of work." An exciting but slow difficult somewhat tedious worth it process. I wonder what would happen if i believed it was easy???? How much faster would my development happen then... hmmm?? Perhaps my belief has been making my development more difficult than it need be.... Lense change everyone!!! (lol lense as in the way Steve uses it- the way you view the world)

Thanks guys!!!

[jeff3]

Originally Posted by Holistic Star

Well if you felt that great so soon after taking B12 then I would say it's not cheating, you needed it!

B12 isn't really a vitamin, it's a beneficial bacteria found in soil - however our food is too 'clean' these days and our soil depleted so we don't get enough of it and that includes meat eaters as well as vegans.

B12 is not a bacteria, in nature it is produced by a bacteria but it is classified as a vitamin.

[wellbeing]

Originally Posted by MissK

...I wonder what would happen if i believed it was easy???? How much faster would my development happen then... hmmm?? Perhaps my belief has been making my development more difficult than it need be.... Lense change everyone!!! (lol lense as in the way Steve uses it- the way you view the world.)

Now that's a great vibe change, Miss K! I can feel it all the way over here. You go!

[happyG]

Hi

I liked the article but was curious to know what LOA is?

regards

G

[Aleksander Krstic]

Originally Posted by happyG

Hi

I liked the article but was curious to know what LOA is?

regards

G

Law of Attraction(like Secret)

[Andrew Gubb]

Dude, I'm going to take B12 and saint John's wort now! Thank you. I'll do a thirty day trial for each one. Damn, sounds great!

I don't think you should feel bad about feeling good for no reason. The only way you can reach the greatest hights of happiness is to feel good for no reason. I don't know about saint John, but probably B12 makes you feel good because that's what your body needs. So cheating? No way, you're playing the game and winning fair and square.

[TheColonel]

I took SJW for years. Looking back, I was at least dependent on it - especially through my divorce. I'd take 6-8 little pills throughout the day.

EFT and meditation helped me break away from it. Haven't touched it in about a year, and I feel great.