Broken Brain (Controversial?)

[shatteredhopes]

I just watched the most fascinating program on public broadcasting. The Doctor was talking in terms of wholistic medicine, and the effects of inflammation, hormone or thyroid imbalances, mercury and other types of toxicity, pollution, food allergies, insulin resistance, etc. on mental health...and example after example of people from dementia to ocd and behavior problems to depression and anxiety who were CURED through medical treatments and adjustments, without needing, or with completely coming off, psychiatric medications. He was saying this is the future of the science...for example, he was talking about the digestive system as the "second brain" and that for instance IBS can cause mental problems, not the other way around, as we have traditionally thought.

Of course, circumstances, life stressors, trauma, etc., may not be "cured" by healthy body approaches, but wouldn't they be significantly more manageable? I am thinking about how toxic our food supply is and how out of balance, genetically engineered foods and factory farmed mass produced with additives and such...and I wonder how much the rise of the factory farm and modern agriculture have contributed to the explosions in mental health issues in western civilization. It just so happens I saw a report on last night about the food supply and how bacteria is more commonplace, how genetic engineering has altered animals consumed, etc. I also saw a news clip about a book I learned about before on Book TV called "Crazy Like Us" where western society is exporting its mode of psychiatric and psychological approaches to other civilizations with sometimes determinental results, and questionable effectiveness...(in part pharmaceutical profit-driven?).

So I share this with you, because one thing I am going to do in response is keep a food journal of what I eat along with mood journal. A physical would also be a good idea...I already know I am hypoglycemic, which I don't really manage well right now...I am supposed to eat three to five times a day spread out low carb, high protein and complex carbs in small meals yet I eat usually one big meal a day and maybe a snack, far too many carbs/sugars, and don't exercise like I am supposed to...and I wonder how much of my struggling can be improved or better managed by better managing my blood sugar...if I were in great tip top general health as much as possible, that might lessen my physical pain too (which feeds the depression in my case for sure) and assist me in better controlling and managing my thought processes...I know how to do thought stopping for instance, maybe I would be more successful if I were physically healthier...reacting differently to triggers through some re-training of thoughts and better able to manage upsetting circumstances and stressful events through more deep breathing, meditation, better physical health...

It may not be a panacea, and I may always need meds; but meds have really had little effect on me, my depression has been treatment resistant so I wonder, rather than going up on the wellbutrin, maybe there's some physical reasons behind my mental illness that right now are not treated, properly managed, or even diagnosed...the only med that really works for me is ativan for anxiety, and that's the one since its a narcotic I would best be without...maybe in controlling my sugar/carb intake for instance I can reduce anxiety...but could I also get a better result from a more physical approach to treating my depression rather than wellbutrin (which doesn't seem to really do all that much for me, except maybe a few more good days)...ECT even didn't work for me...maybe there's a reason why...

Twice in my life I have had psychotic episodes...the first time, I only weighed 80 pounds, was clearly suffering alcoholic malnourishment, had a severe B-vitamin deficiency from inadequately managed vegan diet; yes there were some triggers that brought on delayed on-set PTSD...but I wonder how much my broken brain was actually from my severely poor health, and even knowing that massive B vitamin deficiency can cause psychotic episodes, I started taking meds and started a downward spiral from there (as well as B vitamin shots)...the second time there were a combination of factors, but for over a year the medication and therapy did not touch the mental illness...the psychosis gradually faded (hearing voices) and I learned how to disengage and manage on my own...now I no longer hear voices, and take only a tiny dose of medicine, less than what is prescribed or considered therapeutic, just to appease my mom and doctor (yet when I was once on high doses of the same med, I had massive symptoms still for a long, long time, and some meds actually made it worse)...

I wonder too about my leaking roof and toxic mold that may be in my house...and that its so dirty it could be toxic, so now I have good incentive to clean it and move my computer out of the roof-leaking room so I can shut the room off and not even need it...when I had the second episode, I know I spent most of my time in the room...I was also at the time not eating properly and was down on my weight significantly...now the only time I spend in the room is brief stints on the computer.

I know I was off meds (except occassional ativan) for almost two years, with depression but no suicidal thoughts nor psychosis prior to the second episode...as my circumstances, environment, and health deteriorated...that's when I went "off the deep end" and unfortunately, the way it was handled by my family and friends was absolutely the worst way they could have dealt with it, vastly exacerbating the problem...

So anyway, I am rambling now and just thinking as I type, but I feel a real glimmer of hope at the moment that maybe, just maybe, despite all I have been through and suffered, this may not be a permanent problem for me...there may be light at the end of the tunnel, with some significant changes and actions on my part...

Wanted to share with you, my friends, as at minimum, is food for thought about the way we deal with depression, anxiety, and other mental illnesses.

(Actually said they are now starting to classify Alzheimer's as "Type 3 Diabetes"...potentially changing the future of the science dramatically...)

[crystalgaze]

maybe there's some physical reasons behind my mental illness that right now are not treated, properly managed, or even diagnosed

Hi there s-hopes! I see that you are well on your way! That's good! Thank you for this post! I have said the same thing!

I believe that my depression --& I'll speak for myself here-- is a manifestation of something being wrong with my body some place. A dis-ease of sorts.

I have been thinking about something now for a while that I am not sure about entirely.

It's about worms/body flora imbalance.... The other day the doctor gave me a dewormer & after the initial crisis reaction, I actually felt the best I had felt in a while.... I also don't drool any more when I sleep now. (How about that?)

Perhaps, our greatest challenge as humans is staving off parasite infestation, body flora imbalance & mucous conditions.... with all of them having equal importance + severity....

I was reading that things we normally eat are actually very hard on our systems, that when we eat those things, it causes our bodies to produce mucous to help protect our organs & such.... (e.g. bread, meat, pasta, processed drinks, white flours, sweets, cooked fruits, alcohol, drugs, coffee, etc.)

However, isn't that what a lot of us eat?! Isn't some of what's up there said to be nutritious?! So what, the food pyramid is partially a lie?!

I mean... If I think about it, a lot of animals are just happy with grass!!! Or the ones who are meat eaters (carnivores) eat their food RAW!

I will be thinking this through some more....