Mental Health

[Victoria1234]

So I was wondering if anyone avoids or eats certain foods because of unhealthy mental health? I was originally dx with ppd which I went on lexapro for many years. Then since my parents died recently I was diagnosed with bipolar. I'm not sure if I really have it though or if the depression is just from bad things happening in my life. I went off lexapro, and now With the med, latuda, I'm never manic yet I miss being "manic" ... to me that meant that I was actually super excited and really happy most of the time. I'm on the lowest dose now and hoping to get off it before the new health regs  come down the pike. I'd never be able to afford it. But I'm basically so dull headed now. Never super happy, never super sad. I miss having emotions. The only thing I have in spades is anxiety. I take trazadone to get to sleep.

Since being a part of this community I see how food is such a part of our whole selves. Which led me to wonder if there are foods to avoid for a more healthy brain. Or vitamins to add. Currently I do not take any. I'm not sure if this is a taboo subject or not, but if you feel comfortable answering I'd so appreciate it.

[Ennis-TX]

Yeah Gluten was a huge trigger for me and bipolar, and made my ADHD go crazy. Since recently removing all grains I found it completely removed itself. I tend to be more happy go lucky, no cares, quite mentally active once the ketosis kicked in.  

As for nutrients/supplements for your mind I take two things. Liquid Health Stress & Energy and Liquid Health Neurological Support, half dose each 3 times a day before a meal.  Seems to work wonders really. They are nice blends of b-vitamins and other nutrients.

[Victoria1234]

37 minutes ago, Ennis_TX said:

Yeah Gluten was a huge trigger for me and bipolar, and made my ADHD go crazy. Since recently removing all grains I found it completely removed itself. I tend to be more happy go lucky, no cares, quite mentally active once the ketosis kicked in.  

As for nutrients/supplements for your mind I take two things. Liquid Health Stress & Energy and Liquid Health Neurological Support, half dose each 3 times a day before a meal.  Seems to work wonders really. They are nice blends of b-vitamins and other nutrients.

Thank you! Do you get the vitamins from Amazon or local? 

[Jmg]

I'm not diagnosed but I experience very pronounced highs and lows and I did enjoy the highs. I felt super competent, highly creative.  It's a rush, talking ten to the dozen, making plans, ideas for novels and screenplays, all sorts. I wrote a 10 thousand word dissertation at college in just about a single night and got a first for it. I have virtually no memory of writing it and when I read it some years later I couldn't understand it! Of course I was also experiencing rotten lows. That was me for many years until the anti depressants smoothed me out but also killed me inside.

1 hour ago, Victoria1234 said:

But I'm basically so dull headed now. Never super happy, never super sad. I miss having emotions.

Yes I know this feeling. I've had many different anti depressants over the years and I think Effexor hit me like that and I remember amitryptiline having a similar effect. I used to feel that I was living my life with a diving helmet or crash helmet on. Everything was going on behind a plastic screen, at one remove. I was an observer in my own life. 

I read a book called potatoes not prozac years ago and that was the first time I tried to control my mental state via my diet. I ate trying to increase my intake of tryptophan and thus increase serotonin levels. It was a revelation, I did feel my mood lifting. I've subsequently realised that I'd removed a lot of gluten from my diet at that point. I gradually slipped somewhat on the diet but it was helpful and I do think there are some good ideas in the book around sugar intake and depression. 

Of course the biggest difference I found was when I went gluten free. That was staggering and after the initial realisation, very difficult to take. I had a lot of anger towards the doctors who hadn't bothered to investigate when I was telling them something was wrong and just wrote script after useless script. 

Today I still try to eat oily fish, eggs and turkey etc to increase tryptophan levels. I take cod liver oil also as well as vitamin supplements. 

 

 

 

[Victoria1234]

32 minutes ago, Jmg said:

I'm not diagnosed but I experience very pronounced highs and lows and I did enjoy the highs. I felt super competent, highly creative.  It's a rush, talking ten to the dozen, making plans, ideas for novels and screenplays, all sorts. I wrote a 10 thousand word dissertation at college in just about a single night and got a first for it. I have virtually no memory of writing it and when I read it some years later I couldn't understand it! Of course I was also experiencing rotten lows. That was me for many years until the anti depressants smoothed me out but also killed me inside.

Yes I know this feeling. I've had many different anti depressants over the years and I think Effexor hit me like that and I remember amitryptiline having a similar effect. I used to feel that I was living my life with a diving helmet or crash helmet on. Everything was going on behind a plastic screen, at one remove. I was an observer in my own life. 

I read a book called potatoes not prozac years ago and that was the first time I tried to control my mental state via my diet. I ate trying to increase my intake of tryptophan and thus increase serotonin levels. It was a revelation, I did feel my mood lifting. I've subsequently realised that I'd removed a lot of gluten from my diet at that point. I gradually slipped somewhat on the diet but it was helpful and I do think there are some good ideas in the book around sugar intake and depression. 

Of course the biggest difference I found was when I went gluten free. That was staggering and after the initial realisation, very difficult to take. I had a lot of anger towards the doctors who hadn't bothered to investigate when I was telling them something was wrong and just wrote script after useless script. 

Today I still try to eat oily fish, eggs and turkey etc to increase tryptophan levels. I take cod liver oil also as well as vitamin supplements. 

 

 

 

Thank you for your reply! I'm starting to see a trend of using supplements! 

I totally understand what you mean about script after useless script. Especially if it's the type of script that you have to ease off slowly or cause yourself horrible symptoms. 

When I am finally settled in a new job (looking for one now) I hope I have enough money to start investing more into myself and try some of these vitamins, I used to take a bunch when I saw a natural path/chiropractor who gave me tryptophan. But that was years and years ago, before I was gluten-free. 

Sorry so disjointed. Trying to cook at the same time!

thank again you guys.

[Jmg]

8 hours ago, Victoria1234 said:

I hope I have enough money to start investing more into myself and try some of these vitamins

I buy the cod liver / omega 3 and a multivitamin / calcium supplement from costco. They're not expensive and they're gluten-free of course. Otherwise I try and get my vitamins etc from the food I eat. So don't worry about expensive supplements, you will get more out of the food now you're gluten-free

 

[artistsl]

My son experienced auditory and visual hallucinations, insomnia, emotional lability, sensory processing issues, steropathy, constipation, bloating, episodes of confusion, episodes of speech deficit, etc. His symptoms nearly  disappeared after going gluten and dairy free (despite negative celiac results). The steropathy was our only seemingly lingering symptom and that has since gone away after adding high dose of vitamin B12. He also takes a multi strain probiotic which helped tremendously. 

 

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[Victoria1234]

On 5/9/2017 at 11:06 AM, artistsl said:

My son experienced auditory and visual hallucinations, insomnia, emotional lability, sensory processing issues, steropathy, constipation, bloating, episodes of confusion, episodes of speech deficit, etc. His symptoms nearly  disappeared after going gluten and dairy free (despite negative celiac results). The steropathy was our only seemingly lingering symptom and that has since gone away after adding high dose of vitamin B12. He also takes a multi strain probiotic which helped tremendously. 

 

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Wow, I'm really happy for you and your son! And thanks for the article too!