There are some studies showing their effectiveness in depression:
*mod edit -- commercial website removed*
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26165367http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25384672http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26468457Here one that did not show a difference against placebo, both lifted depression:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26611571And one that did not see any difference from treatment with fluoxetine (same effects, same side effects):
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24289892Considering the side effects, I've seen people at a forum report some mild numbing effect, but much less than on a regular antidepressant and some fogginess in the beginning of use. I have read some study that people reported less side effects than a normal antidepressivum.
Considering the withdrawal effects, I found nothing. No commentaries on fora and no scientific studies. I'm worried about that, because I've now read that saffron actually works on quite a lot of receptors/systems in the brain (serotonin, dopamine, gaba, opioid (!)). For me, I want to use it when I'm really really really not feeling okay (as in: suicidal, near-psychotic or not sleeping from depression). In these cases it immediately lifts my mood a bit, while antidepressants take weeks to work. I hope it enables me to withdraw from haldol, which is a much more horrible med.
I do feel there is some temptation to use it more often...and I don't know if that is psychological or physical...but it might be relevant.
Be careful with meds, even natural ones!
-- Tue Feb 09, 2016 2:36 pm --
And what made me try out saffron...
I am very depressed (bordering on psychosis) because of PTSD and zyprexa withdrawal. I don't want more meds and i was hoping to find something natural to lift my symptoms, like diet or herbs. That's when I found out about saffron on this alternative treatment site. I do realise it works sort of the same as the antidepressant meds...so I don't want to use it too often. But it's also a bit of a stubborn and principal thing in me. Meds have "destroyed" me and if I can avoid buying more meds from pharmaceutical companies I will.