Diet in direct correlation with mental health?

LastSixtySix

I will tell you that when I eat well, sleep well, and workout my anxiety and depression are very much under control.

Me too, exactly! In my experience, a healthy balanced lifestyle between body, mind and spirit makes all of the difference. I was diagnosed with Major Depression over 12 years ago and haven't had a bout of if for a decade after I started working out.

-Debra

foodfight247

Gonna read the article later, but what I have found is that diet definately plays a role on your general mood etc.

I was once given the option of taking anti-depressants many years ago, got the pills. Took them home and left them in the cupboard for a few days. Now, I hate taking tablets for anything - I would rather ride a headache out than taken painkillers. So for me, this was quite big to have anti-depressants. Anyway, I took the first dose and hated the feeling! After that, I chucked them down the loo and said, I don't need them, want them or like them. I can do this on my own. And I did!

I think if you're determined enough and watch your general diet too, you can control some health issues.

That's not to say, that for some illnesses, etc, you have no choice but to take pills etc and I admire anyone who has to take pills on a daily basis for health reasons. But certainly for some milder mental health issues, I do think that a good diet plan can help.

At the end of the day, always follow the advice of your doctor though.

sophiathedss

I have bipolar II...and diet and exercise help, as well as no sugar or stimulants, but that is me. I have 13 years clean and sober but I have been on antidepressants and mood stabilizers when I needed them. I feel better eating right and exercising. I have also felt really wrong eating right and exercising. I have a disorder centered in my brain and my medications in the beginning saved my life. I did not get high on them...they worked exactly the way they were supposed to. I stayed away from narcotics like xanax for example, because I know I am an addict. BUT I had to be my own advocate and educate myself on treatments, which included the medications/antidepressants. etc. I am not a doctor but I can totally agree that the simple solution in Western Medicine is a pill. Good article btw


Created by MyFitnessPal.com - Free Calorie Counter

fels123

I'm in the UK as well and we get told about things like breathing and meditation to control anxiety. It works too, I took up yoga and it's really good!

seamonkey789

When I was first misdiagnosed as major depressive, I was eating clean, dancing 8 hours a day, and had lost 80 lbs a few year before. Anti depressants were making me out of my mind.

I have bipolar on BOTH sides of my family and when I finally got the right diagnosis and the right medication, which was trial and error for a while, i am finally able to hold down a job, go to music classes and dig myself out the **** hole i dug while I was misdiagnosed and while we were trying to figure out the right medication for me.

I see my therapist every 2 weeks and the psychiatrist once a month though my medications rarely need a tweak unless I am having sleeping issues.

My diet since I was 19 and lost weight has been clean. I've been playing sports or dancing since the age of 6. I STILL got diagnosed with bipolar at the age of 26 and even the slightest dose change in my geodon leaves me skipping work and locking myself in my bedroom composing symphonies or painting.

And actually, reading this article, the guy sounds like someone that read a book, decided it sounded like him, then went to a psychiatrist and suggested his own diagnosis, which some p-docs will do. I have had previous pdocs let me suggest my own medication and prescribe it to me and it's always resulted in a disaster

wackyfunster

The majority of Americans are deficient in Choline, which is a precursor to Acetylcholine. Inadequate acetylcholine levels lead to a variety of maladies, but the most relevant here would be disregulation of anxiety. Interestingly enough, choline has been used successfully in treatment of the manic phase of bipolar mood disorder.

The thing about choline is, cooking destroys it. So unless you are eating a lot of raw choline-rich foods, you are probably not getting enough.

Choline deficiency is also the main factor responsible for "pregnancy brain" (forgetfulness/clumsiness associated with pregnancy), and supplementation will mitigate symptoms. This is because choline requirements are significantly increased during pregnancy, and dietary intake of choline does not typically increase to compensate.

The more you know! :P

Fitty_Cent

I can see both sides of the argument. I know people that have been greatly helped by psychiatric meds. For me they never really worked. When I eat two or three good meals instead of a bunch of snacks I find that I feel a lot better. Also I've learned that I am not superwoman and therefore sleep is not optional.

I wish that medicine was more holistic, as someone else mentioned. I know lots of people that are taking sleeping pills, but also drinking cup after cup of coffee a day, or taking anti-anxiety medicines while also drinking and taking drugs. We need doctors that will take the time to look at the whole picture and not treat the body as separate parts that have nothing to do with each other.

purdieang

bump