‘I never believed herbal remedies were for me’

Ben Leggett, 28, from New Zealand works in event management in Brighton. He has been finding the dismal British weather hard to cope with. Here he tells us how St John’s wort has helped to put him in a better mood.

‘I come from the sunniest part of New Zealand, so when I moved to the UK a few years ago, the weather was a big shock to my system. I found the long grey days of autumn and winter really hard going and sometimes difficult to get through. I started to feel down and lethargic. I tried to stay as busy as possible – but I even found it an effort to go out socialising when I felt so down.

‘I also think that the credit crunch has had a negative effect on my mood – especially as I am self-employed. I have noticed that simple daily activities such as travel are going up and up which is a worry.

‘Most of the year I use motivation and self-help techniques to keep me going. I try to be proactive and to have a plan, which I can get going on as soon as I get out of bed. I find that helps to put me in a positive mood for the rest of the day.

‘But when it comes to the particularly dark months of January and February I supplement with St John’s wort. When a friend of mine told me about it last year I was fairly sceptical, as I never really thought herbal remedies would work for me. But I decided to give it a go and I definitely feel more motivated in my social and work life. I have more get-up-and-go and I seem to be sleeping much better because I am not so anxious.