Diet in direct correlation with mental health?

http://www.forbes.com/sites/michaelellsberg/2011/07/18/how-i-overcame-bipolar-ii/

This is a topic that has always interested me as I used to work as a case manager with people who suffered from mental health disorders. I also have a personal history of struggling with OCD (depression and anxiety being the most common side effects of that particular issue). I think (at least in the U.S., I have no idea about other countries and wouldn't presume to know) that we are primarily pill-driven and are anxious to find that one "miracle drug" that will make all of our problems go away. I would love to know what you think of this article -- it is long, but well worth the read!

I suffer from some of the same mental health problems you do too but it comes under aspergers.

In the UK we very rarely get given medication for depression, anxiety etc. We use 'breathing techniques' and different "natural" ways to deal with our mental health problems. I don't believe in being prescribed pills, I think they get relied on far too much and can become an addiction.

In Australia we also rely on pills way too much.

I have actually overcome my depression and anxiety problems with using exercise as an antidepressant, and am no longer on them anymore

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Diet and mental health are obviously intwined. It bugs me that science needs case studies and the like to "get that." Anytime your body is feeling bogged down, your brain will as well. That's a given. My anxiety issues are always better when I eat well (and avoid sugar).

I suffer from anxiety, depression, migraines, and digestive problems and I am only 42. My doctor has told me that gluten intolerance can cause alot of these problems. I have heard that from other sources also. I am trying it out. I started for about a month and I have to say I was feeling pretty good. I got off track for my birthday and other birthdays and weddings this past month. I havent been feeling as energetic and happy. I still have to careful on the gluten free, because its hard to get enough fiber.

Yes, absolutely. I didn't even read the article yet.

Exercise is the closest thing we have to the "magic pill" or quick answer our society seems to want. Exercise helps with pain stiffness, mood, sleep, appetite suppression, energy. While it is NOT a magic pill, it is the closest natural thing we've got. Least invasive with no side effects.

It may not be enough for everyone, that is true. But diet (watch out for sugar and caffeine) and exercise are key. I also have to watch the carbs/bread/wheat. It's been about a year of what I'd call accidental experimenting. I'm learning what I need to eat, what I need to avoid to feel my best. This won't be the same for all of us...the basics of good nutrition are the same, but now I'm going beyond that to fine tune it for me.

If you want to know more about this, I suggest a book called Healing Depression & Bipolar Without Drugs by Gracelyn Guyol. Also check out the Garden of Life guy-The Maker's Diet. His angle is all about the probiotics in fermented food to aid digestion and fighting lots of health problems that way.

I speak from personal experience as well as experience as a mental health professional. This is not medical advice, but my opinion on the question asked.

I found this article really interesting, raises a lot of good points.

Diet is related to mental health, it shouldn't be denied but it is. For example, when I was diagnosed with anemia all the symptoms I had that I thought was an indication of depression turned out to be mostly because of the anemia - anemia symptoms can include fatigue, tiredness, decreased energy, lightheadness, and even intense sadness if is goes on.

(However for me it wasn't just the anemia causing this stuff for me, it seems. But I did help for that first while when I went B12 supplements and lessened the strength of future moods when on them. Must work for some people.)

I'm not sure if it's just B12 that I need to watch though personally. I might have moods, cyclothymia, maybe bipolar disorder of some sort (too afraid to go see/doing fine now so won't bother, yes bad me) because the signs are there and B12 wasn't the total answer. So I've sort noticed some trends in my food lately.
- I think there's a fair amount of truth in that sugar and refined carbs can make things bad for you. I've cut back on refined carbs since November (with the odd indulgence and a month in there where I ate without any regard to mfp and stuff) and I know I feel worse when I eat more refined carbs. The moods decreased in intensity and were probably the worst I've ever had in that month of bad eating.
- And lately, I just noticed that I am sort of cutting back on my sugars, and seem to be doing better too (even more so then when I was still eating a fair amount of sugar and less refined carbs/only whole wheat type carbs). The moods seem to come less often and are shorter and less intense too. I want to cut more out, from things like granola bars and ketchup, which I can't seem to part with, to see how it goes.

My son has several mental health issues.

He was recently released from a psychiatric hospital. A friend of mine sent me a link for the ADHD diet. She says it works well for her son, but the diet actually recommends mountain dew and coffee. I don't know how I feel about that.

Thank you for posting this. This article has come at the right time for me.

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.

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!

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

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