The Long Silence

For those who've wondered what's going on with the inactivity of the Basement Shaman blog, we'd like to say we're tuning back into all the wonderful people that have kept us going through the years. The past year has been challenging for us on several fronts, but we're still committed to help people discover a more enlightened and happier way of being.

We'll be sending out an e-mail shortly with plenty of new additions to our offerings. We're expanding our sacred cactus selection and rolling out some other new interesting products. We always love to hear from you as to what you'd like to see. So let's keep the conversation rolling!

On a somewhat side note, there may be legislation brewing in the state of Massachusetts to ban not only Salvia divinorum but also Kratom (Mitragyna speciosa). It seems the war against the natural world rolls on.

Comments

[Ronnie Miller]

reading a book titled "plants of power" by alfred savinelli @1997, which is based on native americans historical use for sacred ceremonial rites....and listed Native Scents @Taos, NM and I found this site on googles search of it....so, I am curious if PTSD and bi-polar disorder are one and the same and can be treated with herbs as I have been off VA meds since 8-1-08 and seeking a herbal medicine I can trust to help me walk-in-balance during this challenging time of living with many others totally out of balance?

[Eric]

Glad you're back! Thanks for keeping the business rolling through such a hazardous landscape.

[basementshaman]

Hi Ronnie. PTSD and bi-polar disorder are generally considered as two distinct clinical conditions. That said individuals who've undergone intense periods of stress can experience latent disorders such as bi-polar disorder.

Bi-polar disorder is a complex condition and I haven't seen much clinical evidence for herbal treatments having efficacy. Stress disorders however can respond to certain natural remedies including botanicals such as Rhodiola rosea and kava kava.

A new promising non-drug therapy for treating PTSD is eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy. If combines cognitive therapy with eye movement training and can be of significant help. Try googling EMDR to learn more.