Sheila, I'm not taking flax for the purpose of DHA. This is a fundamental difference between Chinese medicine and western versions. My body needed a boost in terms of reducing overall inflammation (which has been strongly linked to diabetes, depression, asthma, allergies). Western medicine singles out one thing and neglects to look at the whole body or the whole person. Every substance I take, or how I spend my time, or who I spend my time with, all influence the body/mind/spirit. I don't see any of these things as separate, so can't be singled out to cause/effect individually. When I see the naturopath, he wants to know how I'm doing in body/mind and spirit and we look at ways to decrease blockages, improve flow, etc. For example, when I was having trouble sleeping, he didn't give me melatonin--he gave a homeopathic to stimulate the pineal to make more melatonin. It's encouraging and supporting the body to do what it already knows how to do...not imposing something on it. Western thought is about "fixing" on a more superficial level. And there's such a tendency to think in this culture that more is better and that we need to hit the body with a stick of dynamite in order to produce change. Eastern thought is markedly different in this respect too.

Also, given my experiences of western practices following my car accident, diabetes treatment, and especially with antidepressants....I am now much more engaged with my health and not waiting for a vitamin or any pill to "fix" my problems. I feel that things like meditation, imagery and qi gong work in a much deeper way...it's a way of life more than a "thing" to do. For me, taking some substance and expecting it to change something only promotes a helpless kind of stance. I'm responsible for my health and state of mind...not a pill or supplement, although these may sometimes be used to augment what I'm already doing.

There's been significant study on mindfulness, qi gong, and imagery...and all have been shown to make permanent and lasting changes in the body/mind..it's not just something to relax or a form of exercise. These things combined can likely make a much deeper change than taking fish oil alone.