Does anyone know of a herbal/natural pick me up for depression?!

Does anyone know of a herbal/natural pick me up for depression?

My dad died in December and my mum is alone after 50 years of marriage. She is being very strong but obviously she is sad and lonely. I know she has considered ending it all but gave herself a mental kick up the backside because of myself and my two brothers and two sisters.

Whilst we do what we can, I live miles away, I have a sister in Yorkshire, and the others are pretty far too (most of them.)

Either way, it can never make her loss any better (I say her loss as we are all married with kids so it's easier to cope I guess)

She asked the doctor and he prescibed prosac but she looked them up and it said they can give suicidal tendencies.

She ripped up the prescription as, she feels if the thoughts have been there, they may subconciously still be and the medication could push her over the edge.

Is there anything herbal or natural, does anyone know, please?

2 weeks ago
Great answers thanks. Tom K, thanks for that, appreciate the help. I call every morning if I can usually every day, my sisters both call every day too at some point (unlike my brothers.)

She also goes out with her sister and her husband every other week or so, actually gets about more than before (to keep active and occupied I think)

I work full time and have 3 kids (age 5, 4 & 3) so not so easy to get to her but I try.

She trys hard to be upbeat but I guess it gets to her somethimes more than others.

Treatments for depression that are used to regulate seratonin all have the ability to make symptoms worse in the short term. This includes Prozac as well as the other SSRI's. St. John's Wort is a mild regulator of seratonin, tho because it is herbal, it's potency can't be assured. Any SSRI will be safer than for her to self medicate with herbal remedies as the dose will be accurate in the prescribed medicine.
Chocolate and exercise will only raise endogenous endorphins which will give a rise in mood for < 2 hours. Omega 3 and Omega 6 fish oils will do nothing since the apparent cause of her depressed mood isn't genetic.
Marijuana won't work since it is a depressant; it will however destroy short term memory, but I don't recommend that as the treatment.