==I am not a doctor, & I am not recommending any particular thing.
==I only am sharing what I've tried & what worked for me.
==I suffered from what seemed to be paralyzing depression, & that's what I sought to find a non-medication/pill solution for that would work for me.
==If it happens to work for someone else who may try it, then "Great" & "YEAH".
==Doing things in small quantities is best to make sure you're not allergic to any thing & to avoid having a reaction.
==I tried or did only one MAJOR "internal" thing at a time, usually for a few months to see how I responded to it. Some things can be paired up without problems, though.
==I nearly went broke doing this, but I believed something was wrong in my body--whether it was due to something I was doing wrong or something I was taking--& I set out to get every thing back into equilibrium. I operated from this premise because I had been taking medication for about 3 years consecutively & felt that I was a toxic soup pot brew of all sorts of chemicals.
==My approach to getting well was to phase out every thing I was doing or not doing or not doing enough of that I should/should not be doing that could contribute to my incessant feeling of being unwell.
==I'll start with what was most effective for me 1st, but it is really hard to put an order to every thing. It's better to check every thing on the list.
==Please look at every thing carefully. Re-read it if necessary.
==Non-medication/non-pill treatment was important to me because I had had a bad experience with medication & really didn't feel like being bothered with it any more. In another post, I explain why I have an issue with pills + medication.
==Every thing was not always clear, clear cut or easy. I had many moments of despair, but I kept reading/ re-reading & researching/re-researching every thing I could find feverishly. I mulled things over in my brain for a good while before trying them out finally.
==I believe that the reason I got better was I took a holistic approach. It took at least 2 to 3 years, since I had to research things & I had no one to give me tips & I had to start from scratch.
I'm not a great multi-tasker, but I did my best. Once I finished with something, I would ask myself, "What do I do next?" I would go into maintenance mode where I would do whatever it was every other day or once a week or once a month (something like that).
==Some of what's below may be givens. The point here is that if you aren't taking very good care of yourself, please try your best to improve at it.
==I am not endorsing or telling any one to use any particular brand or product. A few things are mentioned, so that people who don't know where to look have a starting point.
==Most things are lifestyle changes.
==Every thing I'm talking about I have tried or done myself.
==What I've written is not gospel but it's food for thought.
==I was a bit of a daredevil in all of this because I used myself as a guinea pig, not knowing if I would have a problem. What I did do was research every thing as much as possible & made sure to do damage control. I was very scared at times, but I did my best & it worked out okay.
==I believed that I could heal myself and was qualified to do so, just like any doctor out there, especially after having tried medication & not having it work for me, due to whatever reason. I made sure to think & think hard & ask myself all the questions I could. Safety was always first!
==The only thing I wish that could have happened differently was having a list of things to try off the bat. It was really difficult searching for all the information, day in & day out tirelessly.
==I went in with the attitude that I was going to fix whatever it was that was doing me. There are some things that I could not "fix" exactly, like I'm still really scattered, but at least my thoughts don't race like they're in a Nascar competition any more.
It was sort of like fix what's off physically & work through the mental. I was like, "I don't care how long it takes, but I will not fail myself. I'm the only one who can do it. It is my duty/job to do so, even if it's one step at a time (& it really was one step at a time). There's no pressure, but you will work toward what you need to do & get it done. I'm going to give this thing the 1 2 punch knockout. Bam."
==I did not always have super days. There were a lot of down-in-dump days while I searched for things to help me. It was also very exhausting.
==It was very important to me to NOT be dependent/addicted to any thing I tried/used.
==If something isn't working or makes you sick, then stop doing it.
HERE GOES.
1. Apple Cider Vinegar (1 tablespoon diluted in about 3 cups of water)
I couldn't drink it straight, so I added a little bit of lemon/lime juice.
About two months ago, I tried this as a last ditch effort as I almost exhausted all of my resources trying to get better & this is what has helped me keep my sanity.
Cost: About $3 for the vinegar. Gallon bottles of water where I live costs about $1.00 to $1.25 per bottle.
Duration: I did this for about 1 to 2 months & then as needed. I don't know why it worked, but it did for me.
Important: Please drink enough/more water. See below. Please make sure to brush your teeth, as vinegar can be hard on your enamel!
What It Fixed For Me: The Constant Unwell Feeling/The Not Feeling Good Situation; Low Energy; Stomach Problems that Persisted No Matter How Healthily I Ate; Bowel Problems (IBS???); Hyperactive Stomach that Would Occur When I Got Nervous
Background: I was constantly feeling unwell, but the unwell feeling was always very mild & I could never put my finger on what it was. I mean, it was as though I was okay, yet strangely not okay at the same time. I'd been battling that the last two years. I almost thought every thing was all in my head.
What I Did Before Starting: I went with caution because I had done an internet search & found a web site where people had listed contraindications. I didn't NOT want to try it, so that's why I decided to use a lot of water when I drank it.
Possible Effect: You might go to the bathroom more & more completely & more easily, if you're having a problem.
To be honest: I did not believe the apple cider vinegar would do any thing. I was very doubtful it would help me. It was a desperate stab at the wind / last ditch effort on my part.
2. Apples/Tomatoes/Tomato Sauce
What Happened: A friend mailed me some information on apples that she had received.
Dealing with My Problem: I didn't really like fruits, but I tended to like green or golden apples.
To be honest: I would sit down & peel off the skin for fear of pesticides.
Cost: Not too expensive, as far as I know
Duration: Once a day or every time I started to feel bad/depressed/low energy
Result: I would feel better after eating the apple. It was like an instant lift. I don't know why it happened. The same would happen when I ate tomatoes/tomato sauce.
Important: This is probably a given, but wash it well.
What It Fixed For Me: Low Energy; Cravings for sweets (Okras did as well for me.)
3. Drinking Enough/More Water: Staying Hydrated!
Background: When I started the apple cider vinegar, I worked very hard to make sure I drank at least 64 oz of water per day. Sometimes I would drink close to twice the amount because I felt thirsty & my lips often felt cracked.
Dealing with My Problem: I had had a hard time drinking water. So.... I took baby steps. I liked lime/lemon so I put it in my water & drank it. I started with drinking tea without sugar or very little sugar (like 2 or 3 drops of Stevia extract). When I got tired of that, I made cinnamon water & would try to drink that & plain water well.
Result: I am better at drinking water straight now.
To be honest: I didn't really like drinking water, but it wasn't really smart to be stifling my body by not doing it, so off I went on my water journey.
What I Believed: Water would help flush out my system.
Cost: I went for gallon bottles of water, which often gave me more bang for my buck.
Duration: From whenever I started to present as much as possible
Important: Don't overdo it.
What It Fixed For Me: Dehydration
What I Did Before Starting: Talked myself into doing it & told myself that it would be good for me, since I didn't really want to do it & did every thing to look at it positively
Possible Effect: It may have helped get junk out of my body.
4. Eating More Healthily
What I Believed: Cutting out/avoiding chemicals would help.
Dealing with My Problem: I had to give up a lot of food I had previously enjoyed & that was "bad" for me any way.
To be honest: It was hard at first. I didn't know what I could actually eat but then I found some things!
Cost: Can be expensive but is worth it & if you reduce your portions it can last a good while.
Duration: From whenever you start to present
Important: Watch the labels like a hawk! Clear out the pantry so you won't be tempted. Use the glycemic index. Don't eat something if you're allergic to it!
What It Fixed For Me: Exposure to chemicals, such as MSG, food dyes, acesulfame potassium, preservatives (BHT + BHA, THBQ), sugar substitutes (aspartame, sucralose, etc.) etc.
Background: I felt it would help me.
What I Did Before Starting: Research, research, research & more research; lots of casual going into the store & looking at labels, looking for nutrition facts online
Possible Effect: Eating less processed foods might make you feel better. I know I felt like I went into withdrawal, which goes away after a while. The point is to phase out the chemicals over time.
Foods I Discovered/Re-discovered I Could Eat: (WATCH THE LABELS LIKE A HAWK! List is provided to help you get started with adjusting your diet, if you want to try it.)
---Crispbread (tried Kavli; helped with my bread/cracker fetish/craving);
---Fruit (bananas, strawberries, cherries, watermelon, honey dew melon, canteloupe, pineapple, apples, applesauce, etc.);
---Vegetables (I liked spinach, carrots, corn, green beans, french cut green beans, mixed vegetables, etc. so I started with those.);
---Cereal (I tried some Cheerios.); Waffles (Kashi); Rice Cakes (only if you like them); Yogurt (Vanilla at first/plain was very trying for me.)
---Soup (made close to from scratch; One I particularly liked involved adding fresh spinach + scrambled eggs/egg whites to some broth; It's an Italian dish I had in a restaurant, but I can't remember the name for the life of me! I modified it by adding pasta, particularly vermicelli)
> Peanut Butter + Jelly (Skippy Natural or Polaner's Strawberry, for example)
> Ice Cream (Breyers or some other brand, just not the really caloric ones like Haagen Dazs.... If you get Haagen Dazs, don't eat too much of it all at once. A pint of that stuff lasted me a month when my parents weren't home. Sometimes I would go overboard as well;
I was human....)
> Sea Salt (I cooled out with the fine salt crystals.)
> Brown Sugar and/or Stevia or Agave Nectar or Honey (whatever it is you like)
> Ramen Noodles (I had a bad addiction/craving for ramen noodles, SO I would fix the noodles & not use the seasoning packet. That was how I beat the MSG. Then, I would use Braggs Aminos &/or Soy Sauce in the water for taste. I still cut down on how many times I would eat it.
> Beans (Frozen or in the Bag or Eden Organic/Libby's Organic, for example)
> Tuna (I happen to love the one in water. I stay away from the albacore one.)
> Salmon (Canned, but fresh tastes better)
> Cheeses (Especially Cottage, but I am not a fan of it; I liked Feta, Mozarella, American Yellow or White, Blue, pecorino, etc.)
> Pasta (vermicelli, spaghetti, fettucine, etc. I haven't gotten into wheat ones much. I still can't get used to the taste & often don't cook it well.)
> Rice (low glycemic ones, brown or maharani)
> Essences (Simply Organic or Flavorganics)
> Tea
> 100% Juice (Nantucket, etc.)
> Nuts (low sodium/sea salt/unsalted peanuts, pecans, almonds, etc.)
> Spices (cinnamon, garlic, etc.)
> Junk (Yummy Earth lollipops & mints; Betty Lou's Jumbo Fruit Bars, Luna Bar, etc.)
> Snacks (I was addicted to Pita Bites for a while, due to my bread/cracker fetish/craving.)
> Soda (Natural Brew Soda or Club Soda or San Pelligrino or Grown-up Soda, etc.)
> Oatmeal
> Broth (MSG Alert)
> Almond/Rice/Soy Milk
> Coffee Alternative: Teeccino (Check the ingredients, especially if you have a stomach problem. I had a REALLY BAD coffee/cappuccino problem, especially when I was in college & in winter. Sometimes my classes were early & that was the quickest thing I could grab. It also tasted great, so I was hooked after my first cup.)
> Condiments (I didn't/couldn't give up these. T.T Sorry. So I had my steak sauce, which I used every now + then, mayonnaise, mustard, ketchup, dijonnaise, etc.)
> Almost Nothing Was Off-Limits as Long as It Was Healthy (not packed with fats, preservatives, grease, cholesterol, too much salt or sugar, etc.)
(I even tried out some organic bars, but I got tired of those after a while. Taste is always a factor. Since home can be limited sometimes, online stores that could ship to me were my best of friends.)
I looked up labels at the veganstore/other online stores & even tried out some vegan/vegetarian foods + things I had not tried before like tofu, veggie burger mixes from seteinbacher (no low sodium version available, though.... T.T). (:lol: If you'd seen me with the Tofu, you would have died laughing. As much as I looked up every thing, I STILL didn't know what to do with it.)
> ETC./Whatever Else I Forgot or Left Out
4. Eating Less (but not starving; not eating as heavily)
Heavy is like a meal packed with a bunch of rice or pasta. (My culture is known/notorious for heavy food. Let's take a common get together, for example. There will be rice + peas/beans, potatoes/potato salad, macaroni + cheese, potato stuffing, fig, fungi (cornmeal ball), etc. & a lot of times, it will all be on 1 plate. Woo!!
)
What I Believed: There would be less junk/stuff for my body to process or a reduction in the work my body had to do.
Dealing with My Problem: I still craved a lot of food + was still hungry a lot.
To be honest: It can be hard.
Cost: Not eating as much food & dealing with withdrawal
Duration: As long as you want to do it or from whenever you start to the present
Important: Start slowly & do this over time.
What It Fixed: Feeling Heavy
Background: I tried this the other day & I felt my energy improve. I used to feel lethargic (like Ugh!) just as I would wake up in the morning & when I did that for a few days I felt like a race horse that had just left the gate. I try to do this every other day or eat at least 1 heavy/semi-heavy meal & eat stuff like salad, fruit, etc.
What I Did Before Starting: I just did it. Someone in my house had to fast to go to the doctor & take tests & I wanted to be considerate, as in not eat a bunch of food in front of that person when I know that individual couldn't eat any of it. (I thought that would be really insensitive/piggish of me, if I did that.)
Possible Effect: You might feel better. If you feel bad or like you're in withdrawal, eat a little more.
5. Exercise/Exercise-Related
> Going for a walk (1 mile per day or something like that)
> Doing toning moves with weights
> Yoga was really helpful for my mood/low energy + the issue with my brain (seizure condition) & maybe even concentration.
> I lost 20lbs so far with yoga + eating less + running around doing errands. I do have about 55 more lbs to lose though or minimally anywhere from 35 to 45 lbs. T.T
The point: Whatever it is you want to do to get moving, you don't have to make it overly complex or difficult. It can be as simple as running stairs or running around the block + doing some situps, pushups, squats, etc.
I tried protein powders, but after a point, I got tired of them & then the taste sometimes left a lot to be desired.
6. Tea: Green, Oolong, Black, White, Red (According to Dr. Tea)
--Helped with my low energy problem
(I usually drink a latte cup full of tea at a time & it's usually my beverage of choice during the day.
Books I used as references include 20, 000 Secrets of Tea by Victoria Zak (p. 49 - 68 especially as it has an index called the Herbal Guide to Health) & The Ultimate Tea Diet by Mark "Dr. Tea" Ukra.... (Recipes for cooking with tea were interesting. I didn't see any/many vegetarian/vegan ones, though.) & Herbs Demystfied by Holly Phaneuf.
I used mountainroseherbs as an online resource.
--With tea, I always chose the one that was not known to cause any problems, the one that should do the least harm.
Tea bags out of the store work just fine. If you want to try out some fun stuff, gunpowder green tea and kukicha twig tea are pretty good.
7. Going Detective/Playing Video Games/Sitting in Front of the Computer with Moderation/Newspaper Games
> This helped with my concentration problem. Rosemary tea also worked wonders. The only problem with the tea is that you might urinate more. It can be calming as well. I often mellowed out after drinking it. I used to drink it a lot every day at one point.
Alright. I don't watch a lot of TV BUT when I do and something interests me, like mysteries, I try to solve them. I'd ask myself, "What's wrong with this picture?" or "Why is this?" or "What are the reasons for ________?"
I guess my hobby is looking at commercials + trying to see possible hidden meanings. For example, one time I noticed that an anti-gambling & pro-gambling commercial played back to back on the channel I was watching at the time.
> Video games (free online or console)/Newspaper Games
Mystery/Puzzle (involves finding objects)
Sudoku Jumble Word Find
Scrabble type games Educational (Vocabulary, Math, Spelling)
RPG (sometimes has puzzles but can be outrageously long)
In some Sonic games I played, for example, I liked trying to figure out which route to take. (The speed can be sort of dizzying in some games, though, if you're not used to it already.)
Vocabulary (Learning/Using New Words
Thinking in two languages (I chose English + Spanish. I don't do it all the time.)
Whatever I chose, I stopped doing it when I felt like I was about to get a headache or become exhausted, as in "Time to Sleep.... Zzzz.....".
8. Facing Things that Bother You Directly/Introspection
> Work through whatever it is & get rid of it as much as possible. If you've got excess baggage, do your best to dump it. It sounds easy but can often be really difficult.
> Believe that you won't be facing whatever it is forever & you're going to come out okay.
9. Vitamins
I used this with moderation. At first, I wasn't taking any & I got a boost when I started. Now, I just do it occasionally if I'm feeling odd & use a liquid vitamin (Liquid Centrum/Daily Complete by Awareness).
The Awareness one can be potent.... I poured like 3/4 of a bottle of that mixed in a bucketful of water on a temperamental pumpkin vine & the plant perked up + bore these absolutely huge pumpkins for months!
Sometimes when I couldn't find the liquid vitamin I wanted, I would shop at Vitamin Shoppe, for example. They have all sorts of stuff.
10. Aromatherapy
I used naturesgift as a resource as well as Aromatherapy for Healing the Spirit by Gabriel Mojay (Cover with roses on it). Read up on how dilutions are done on the site or get already diluted ones.
Make sure you're not allergic!
Lavender essential oil was very pleasing to me.... so I used that. I tried other things like chamomile & helichrysum. They can be some really heartwarming stuff at times.
I also checked out some hydrosols & neroli or peppermint often boosted my mood. I'd sort of wash my face & then spritz my face with that afterward.
11. Used Less Toxic Soap/Shampoo/Conditioner/Lotion/Body Oil (Items with fewer/simpler ingredients)
I went with liquid castile soap or olive oil soap bars. I started with Olivella (sort of expensive) then went to Kiss My Face (really great bang for your buck, if the water is allowed to drain off from the bars), for example.
If I shopped at an online store for handmade soap, I get samples now 'cause I often get bored with my soap.... ~lol~ Yeah, unfortunately, I even lose interest in my soap....
For shampoo, I used a shampoo bar. Those are pretty cool. For conditioner, I used Aubrey's Organics or you should be able to use vinegar or lime or some mixture like that. I don't remember the conditioner/rinse formula exactly, so go look it up if you are going to go this route! I used chagrinvalleysoapandcraft as a resource. They have all sorts of stuff on there.
At first, I couldn't really find a less toxic lotion so I went for a body oil. I have keratosis pilaris, so I tried out avocado oil on my trouble spots & it seemed to work.
Oils can sort of leave a greasy feeling so you may want to use something like grapeseed. Just do some research to find non-greasy carrier oils/body oils that don't trouble your skin.
At one point, I even used less toxic cleaning supplies + laundry detergent (e.g. Sun Earth).
Oh ya! I also used to have this random problem with toothpaste. When I brushed my teeth, I would often feel nauseous afterward. I also used to feel nauseous when I smelled meat cooking & always had to run for some ginger/sniff ginger essential oil so I wouldn't gag or barf. It was something! (& no, I was not ever pregnant!) This went on for a long time, so I used Tom's of Maine or Miessence. Then I remembered plain old baking soda + peroxide.
I loved lip balm + lip gloss, so I picked up the new Chapstick botanicals/naturals + some from chagrinvalleysoapandcraft, for example & a natural soap store where I live.
12. Try to Wane Out Bad Habits Affecting Your Health + Check Your Family History + Pay More Attention to Your Body/How You Feel
---Alcohol ---Drugs ---Anger ---Etc.
> Whatever it is that is a "fault" or not such a great thing to do
As far as I know, it's not really a good idea to drink alcohol + take prescription meds.
> While trying to find something that worked to help me, I took all of this into consideration so I could prevent further illness & sort of save myself from more heartache/harrassment.
13. Thinking More Positively (Even in Stressful Situations)
> Reducing negative self-talk
> I would always think the worst of whatever situation was occurring. I found that it was better to just not think about any thing in particular & LOOK + LISTEN to see what evidence there was for thinking what I thought. Playing detective helped me out a great deal. ~lol~ It was like constantly playing a mini-game or constant self-entertainment.
14. Build a Better Positive Self-Image (if you don't already have one)/ Believing in Yourself More/ Being More Confident/ Being More Hopeful
> After I lost weight, my clothes fit me in a way that wasn't flattering. I saved those bigger shirts for exercise sessions & got ones that looked better on me. In short, I wore my size.
> My school colors were orange + blue... I used to detest those colors, but I was always wearing the same drab dark colors. I added some color to my look & I sort of perked up too, oddly enough. I was always wearing grays + blacks + browns, etc. There's nothing wrong with it, but I found a change helped me big time.
I never used to wear short pants/skort (pants skirt illusion) because I had hair on my legs. Now, I wear almost whatever I want instead of worrying about stuff. I also put on what can be this annoyingly bright red long skirt I have. It's sort of hilarious, so it doesn't bother me too much.
> Since I had gained weight, a lot of my bangles + bracelets didn't fit me, so I really didn't have much of any thing special to wear to spruce up myself. When I cut my hair, it got even worse & my earrings never looked right on me. I always looked wrong somehow or like I lacked something.
Once I figured out what I needed to do, I got some different pieces & I didn't spend an arm + a leg doing it either. I checked out some magnetic jewelry. There are lots of stuff in fun colors that complements + brightens up my look.
Somehow, switching to brighter colors helped my mood. Odd, I know. I don't know what it was exactly. (I've never gravitated to bright colors; actually they usually hurt my eyes, which was why I avoided them for the most part.)
15. Building Better Resilience/ Checking the Coping Mechanism
I was really only able to do this after I started feeling a little better. Before that, it was ultra rough.
16. Fish Oil Pills/Vitamins
> I tried this, but I didn't like them because I got indigestion, so I stopped.
17. Cleaning/Getting Rid of Stuff/Lightening Up/Being Better Organized
> This has helped my mood every time I've done it, but then again I had/have really bad spatial issues. Some days I just don't give two hoots & it won't bother me, but then other days I'll want to run out the room.
Let's see... How do I describe it? It could be deemed (mild?) claustrophobia.
Okay. My current room is small. It was always too small. The plan for the house needed to be modified but no one realized that at the time. With just a bed + dresser, it's already full. I used to have a desk in there, too, but I took it out of there. Space was just too limited. Basically, I've outgrown it. So.... I'm almost always switching it up to have the space or feel in the room I want.
This also happened to me in college, & I got these insanely high bed raisers called Rack Raisers, which elevated the bed high enough for virtually every thing to fit under it. I needed a chair to get up on my bed, but aside from that, I had the illusion of space. The raisers helped me stay organized in such a small space. (I had to stock up on necessities, so that I had them when I needed them. Getting off campus was hard. Sometimes, there were delays in order shipments.)
Even when I went to grad school for a spell, I had an efficiency for a short time & I felt it was small. There was one room for every thing + another room which was the bathroom. That's it. That thing drove me up the wall enough times! AAAAHHHH!!!!
18. Getting Enough Sleep....
Alright. I think this is the end of the list. I hope it is helpful in some way.
Edit: Sunday, July 12, 2009
19. I tried out this powder drink that was in the pantry & it helped me battle my remnants of sluggish feelings. I actually feel alert for once, like some cobwebs cleared or a fog lifted. My headache subsided for the most part.
It's called Ultima Replenisher. It doesn't look harmful....
What are your thoughts? If there are any errors--grammar, whatever--let me know!
I also only have me. No one else is going to do what I need to do for me. Actually, I think even if someone would, it's probably not even possible.
Right back at ya!