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anxiety-naturalsolutions · 8 years ago

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Self Help for Anxiety & Depression

According to MIND one in four of us will experience a mental health problem during our lifetime and each year over 4,000 people experience enough distress to take their own lives, so we can all benefit from changes in lifestyle to support our mental health.

I have lived with anxiety and depression for over 30 years which has taken me on a journey through the various complementary and standard treatment options. It took me a long time to realise that way I had got used to feeling wasn’t right but I have never given up in my search for an alternative to anti-depressants. After ten years of researching I found out that I am hypothyroid - I have an underactive thyroid which is the most commonly under-diagnosed medical condition in the West and this was the cause of my anxiety, low mood, and debilitating lack of energy.

I have had the conventional medical treatments of psychotherapy, CBT, and SSRIs all of which have been helpful to an extent, but no GP or psychiatrist has ever mentioned the importance of nutrition and the role it plays in good mental health. This is something I have had to find out for myself and I am sharing the information now in the hope that others also find it helpful.

Always go to your GP for diagnosis and ask for psychotherapy and CBT. Most surgeries have a long waiting list for these treatments so it is important to get on the list as soon as possible. If your illness is so debilitating that it is having a negative impact on your life so that you are unable to work or look after your children etc then SSRIs can be an effective short term solution to get you back on your feet. It is important to start doing as much as you can to help yourself so that you don’t become dependant on the drugs starting with daily meditation, diet, and supplements.

Dietary changes and supplements can take three to six months to be effective so they should be started before you try to come off any medication. When you do come off go very slowly, much slower than the doctor recommends. I got a large emery board and filed across the tablet with one long stroke. I increased by one stroke every day to shave off a small amount to prevent withdrawal.

I have been on and off anti-depressants (SSRIs or Selective Seratonin Reuptake Inhibitors) five times during a period of fifteen years. I was told by my GP that I should remain on them for the rest of my life, but I refused to accept that. The diagnosis of depression and anxiety is entirely subjective and the knee-jerk reaction is to prescribe anti-depressants. There shouldn’t be any stigma to taking medication for those who need it, but it really is only a short-term solution.

In my opinion the medical profession should be spending more time finding out the underlying cause of the depression and anxiety because they are a symptoms of an underlying condition. This could be: iodine deficiency, underactive thyroid, low vitamin B12, copper imbalance, or a lack of good fats in the diet.

1. Nutrition

There isn’t much point spending any money on therapies or supplements until you have made changes to the lifestyle choices that could be contributing to poor nutrition.

Eat three meals a day with protein at every meal.

Cut out all sugar, caffeine, gluten, processed foods, refined carbohydrates, alcohol, vegetable oils, and margarine.

Sugar is an anti-nutrient that strips essential minerals from your reserves as your body attempts to break it down. Depleted levels of calcium, chromium, magnesium, and zinc leave your body in chaos.

Coffee inhibits iron absorption, affects B-vitamins, and raises cortisol.

Refined carbohydrates, such as baked goods made from white flour, have very little nutritional value and cause your blood sugar to spike. Reduce carbs and eat as advised by Weton A Price http://www.westonaprice.org/health-topics/be-kind-to-your-grains-and-your-grains-will-be-kind-to-you/.

Alcohol damages the gut lining, causing it to become permeable and ‘leaky’. It also breaks down B-vitamins and antioxidants such as vitamin C.

Monosodium Glutamate (MSG) is a processed food additive. It is an extremely dangerous neurotoxin (excitotoxin) that shrivels and kills brain cells in the hypothalamus and has been linked to migraines, seizures, ADD/ADHD, heart palpitations, tremors, and MANY other symptoms.

Following a low carb diet such as Weston A Price Foundation (WAPF) for a nutrient dense eating plan that doesn’t remove any food groups. Read Sally Fallon’s Nourishing Traditions.

WAPF also promotes the use of good fats such as lard, goose, and coconut for frying and roasting instead of vegetable oils which are too high in omega 6. Omega 6 imbalance causes inflammation in the body so we all need to increase our intake of Omega 3s. Extra Virgin Olive Oil should never be heated, reserve it for pouring on salads etc.

Read: Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon more information at https://www.westonaprice.org/.

2. Testing

B12

Low B12 has been linked with depression and anxiety. This can be tested by your GP. Ask for a print out of your results and check them yourself. On a range of 180-900 a healthy level appears to be 800 or higher. In the 500-800 range, you can benefit from supplementation.

You can increase your levels with B12 injections, by sucking B12 lozenges, or using a spray - sublingual B12, specifically Methylcobalamin, is a better form of delivery than swallowing capsules because the digestive process can inhibit uptake.

Take B12 alongside a good B Vitamin Complex supplement such as Doctors Best which contains the active forms in the correct ratio. People with MTHFR gene mutation cannot process synthetic B vitamins. B vitamins are water-soluble which means the excess is excreted through urine.

Take B supplements in a split dose at breakfast and lunch to give you energy throughout the day - do not take at night as they can keep you awake.

Keep a diary and note down when you started the supplement and how you feel.

Can be tested via finger-prick test with Medichecks https://www.medichecks.com/tests/vitamin-b12-active-folate

MTHFR

Diagnosis is via the 23andMe genetic saliva test. If you feel too overwhelmed at this stage to do this test you can just take the methylated B complex and see if that helps.

Vitamin D

Vitamin D isn’t a vitamin it is an essential hormone and chronic deficiency can contribute to depression and low immunity so it is important to ask your GP for a Vitamin D test.

Unless you are getting 20mins of sun exposure (without sunscreen) daily throughout the year it is likely that you will need to supplement with Cod Liver Oil and Rosita is the best quality. Raw organic milk is also a good source of vitamin D.

Morley Robbins advises against D3 supplements and increaseing magnesium instead. For more information on the Root Cause Protocol go here: http://gotmag.org/vitamin-d-deficiency-mg-deficiency-period/

Ferritin

Ferritin is a blood test that measures your levels of storage iron. The best test is the iron panel which can be done via finger-prick with Medichecks: https://www.medichecks.com/tests/iron-status-check Ensure you stop iron supplements 5 days before testing.

Stop The Thyroid Madness recommendations on interpreting results:

Iron/Total Iron: 23 is optimal

TIBC: optimal 1/4 above the bottom number in the range

Transferrin Saturation: optimal at 25-45% or close to 35%

Ferritin: optimal between 70 and 90 ug/L

Low ferritin can occur with high iron due to the MTHFR gene mutation impairing the ability to break it down.

Morley Robbins advises against taking iron supplements because the oxidise in the liver. Her recommends eating beef liver or taking Perfect Health Beef Liver capsules. http://gotmag.org/category/iron-toxicity/

Cortisol

Abnormal adrenal function can alter the ability of cells to produce energy for the activities of daily life. People who have a hard time rising in the morning, or who suffer from low energy throughout the day, often have abnormal adrenal rhythms and poor blood sugar regulation.

High dose Iodine supplementation above 100mg daily support an antioxidant effect which supports the adrenals and reduces cortisol levels by opposing the strong toxic effects of mercury - Iodine pushes mercury out of the body.

Cortisol levels can be measured by a saliva collection test. This test is recommended by STTM in the UK and I did it myself. I found it very easy to do: https://www.medichecks.com/cortisol-tests/cortisol-saliva-tests-4 .

https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/adrenal-info/faq/

Thyroid

The NHS will usually only test for TSH and Free T4. It is essential to also test for Free T3, Reverse T3, and Thyroid Antibodies.

Ask for a print out of your results which include the lab reference range. Optimal is FT4 mid range with FT3 high. Any lower and you are hypothyroid which causes depression, anxiety, brain fog, and low energy.

If you want to check yourself a cheap way of doing it is a home finger prick test. Medichecks https://www.medichecks.com/ do a range of thyroid tests depending on what you want tested, most of which can be done as a home finger prick test. Reverse T3 needs to be done by blood draw.

https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/recommended-labwork/

If you are hypothyroid the FaceBook group FTPO - UK & Europe can help with interpretation of results.

The best remedy for hypothyroidism is high dose Iodine (50mg for 6 months) and then once you have reached 90-95% saturation, if required, Natural Desiccated Thyroid - NDT. I recommend reading Dr David Brownstein's books - Iodine Why You Need It and Overcoming Thyroid Disorders. Those books have changed my life. And you are welcome to join my group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/NaturalThyroidHealth which has further information about iodine supplementation, the Root Cause Protocol, and Stop the Thyroid Madness.

3. Heal Your Gut

There isn’t much point taking supplements if you aren’t digesting the foods you eat properly. Before spending money on supplements, healing your gut is essential so that you body can successfully absorb nutrients. If you drink alcohol or have taken antibiotics your gut flora will be damaged.

Include fermented foods: kefir, sauerkraut etc.

Make your own bone broth and drink a cup per day.

Increase good fats: use animal fats such as ghee, lard, goose fat, or coconut oil for frying, baking, and roasting. Use Extra Virgin Olive Oil for pouring on salads and other cold foods - do not heat EVOO.

Cut out refined sugar and refined carbs. Take Oregano Oil capsules to kill off the bad bacteria.

Read: Gut & Psychology Syndrome by Natasha Campbell-McBride.

http://www.doctor-natasha.com/.

4. Nutritional Supplements

Iodine: should be the first supplement to start as it is an essential micronutrient which nourishes every cell in the body. It is difficult to get enough from Western diets as we do not eat enough shellfish or seaweed. Not only does it detox the body of heavy metals and other toxins, it flushes out halides such as fluoride, chlorine, and bromine which block iodine receptors and prevent absorption causing chronic deficiency. Follow the guidelines detailed in the posts on Iodine.

Read: Iodine: Why You Need It by Dr David Brownstein.

Join my group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/NaturalThyroidHealth/

Fish Oil: take a fish oil supplement that is high in EPA. I take Rosita Cod Liver Oil. EPA has been found to be effective in high doses in treating depression. It also contains Vitamin D which is a hormone not a vitamin and plays an essential role in the way the body functions. In the UK we don’t get the 20 mins per day sun exposure required to keep the levels normal all year round so supplementing is a requirement. The use of sunscreen prevents natural absorbtion so it is essential to get tested.

Amino Acid Complex: I take Biocare Broad Spectrum Amino Acids, one capsule after breakfast and lunch. It provides the essential building blocks for the brain to regulate chemical production.

Curcumin/Turmeric: reduces inflammation which can be a cause of depression. It acts like a MAOI antidepressant, but without the side effects, by inhibiting the monoamine oxidase enzyme modulating the release of serotonin and dopamine. It should therefore not be taken when you are on SSRI medication. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2929771

Magnesium Oil: lots of people are magnesium deficient due to soil depletion. I use 20 sprays of Better You Magnesium Spray before bed.

Probiotics: BioKult which is recommended by GAPs practitioners.

Tulsi (Holy Basil): reduces cortisol levels - the stress hormone. This should be for short-term use only while the underlying cause is being addressed e.g. removing the cause of the stress. http://www.livestrong.com/article/432475-holy-basil-for-anxiety-insomnia

5HTP: acts like a natural anti-depressant but should be for short term use only while the underlying cause of the problem is being addressed.

5. CBT - Cognitive Behaviour Therapy

After ten sessions of this therapy you will learn how to change your thinking to prevent your own self-talk from making you feel bad about yourself.

Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy by Dr David Burns. This was recommended to me by a psychiatrist and I found it to be a useful self-help manual.

6. Psychotherapy / Counselling

If there are people or life situations that are causing you to feel emotionally stressed through bullying, control, or manipulation then talk-therapies can help you to explore your feelings in a safe environment. This will enable you to gain insight into your own behaviour and that of others.

You can get 12 sessions on the NHS and there are organisations that provide low-cost services according to income.

7. EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique) / Tapping

There are lots of clips on YouTube that can help you to learn EFT which uses the tapping of acupressure points with the fingers to release negative feelings.

8. Exercise

Daily exercise for at least 30 minutes, preferably in the sunshine for vitamin D and light. It is important for the exercise to be strenuous enough to cause breathlessness to get the blood pumping. The only exception to this would be if you have chronic fatigue and adrenal issues - exercise will make you feel exhausted.

9. Mindfulness

It is clinically proven that daily meditation reduces anxiety and depression. Find a beginners meditation CD and do some every day.

It is free, you can do it anywhere, and you don’t need a group, teacher, or special equipment. Daily meditation for between 10 and 60 minutes, depending on what your body needs, is the best thing any of us can do for ourselves to overcome stress, anxiety, and depression.

Decided on a time each day for your practice. I find after lunch is best when I put my children down for a nap or sit them in front of the TV for a DVD that lasts at least an hour. Switch off your phone and sit in a chair in a quiet room on your own. Bring your attention to your breath. If your mind wanders, you start thinking, etc calmly send the thought away without judgement and bring your attention back to the breath. When a thought comes don’t see it as a failure but as a sign that you are growing in awareness. You are observing your mind and environment without judgement. You should eventually feel a sense of total calm and peace like you have never felt before. This feeling will come more quickly and easily the more you meditate. You will notice you are calmer and better able to deal with problem solving and you will become more efficient at your work.

The Mindful Way Through Depression - Freeing Yourself from Chronic Unhappiness by Williams, Teasdale, Segal, and Kobat-Zinn. This was recommended to me by a CBT therapist.

Sane New World by Ruby Wax.

10. Reiki

This is a hands-on healing technique performed by a trained professional which delivers universal healing energy via the healers hands. You lay clothes on a couch while the practitioner gradually works around key points on your body. The treatment takes around 50 minutes. You may feel very tired afterwards. It heals on a physical and emotional level and can help to remove deep emotional trauma which is causing anxiety or depression.

I trained as a Reiki Level 1 so that I can treat myself every night in bed. I spend 10 minutes working on the back of my head to calm my brain and then I fall asleep with my hands on my heart to open up my heart.

11. Acupuncture

Acupuncture works to relieve anxiety, depression, and insomnia. Start weekly before gradually working towards monthly top-ups to unblock the energy pathways in the body bringing it into balance.

12. EMFs

As much as you can try to avoid exposure to Electro Magnetic Fields (EMFs) which causes damage to our cells creating artificial stress responses which can adversely affect sleep and the production of neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine which affect mood.

Put your mobile phone on airplane mode when it is in your pocket or in a bag that you are carrying. When you are at home put it on change in a place away from where you or others are sitting. Turn off the Bluetooth and Wi-Fi signals.

Don’t use Bluetooth accessories for your computer or mobile phone.

Turn off the Wi-Fi signal on your router and use a wired connection for your computer.

Buy a corded landline phone and get rid of any wireless (DECT) phones.

Buy an earthing sheet from The Healthy House so that your body can repair itself during sleep.

Avoid using a microwave by heating things up in pans or in the oven.

Buy a salt lamp for every room in the house.

Put orgonite on electrical devices in the home.

More information about EMFs at http://www.powerwatch.org.uk/.

13. Managing Your Life

If you are fed-up of being bullied or controlled by others take and assertiveness training course and learn how to confidently take control of situations. Learn to avoid such people to make life even easier! Confidently say no with a smile on your face.

14. Detox Heavy Metals

Detoxing is only a good idea once your mood is stabilised

Lemon Juice Cleanse: two tablespoons of organic, preferably freshly squeezed, lemon juice in a glass of filtered tap water daily for three weeks. Then two teaspoons on alternate days.

Apple Cider Vinegar Cleanse: two tablespoons of organic apple cider vinegar with the mother (Biona do a good one) in a glass of filtered tap water daily for three weeks. Then two teaspoons on alternate days.

Take a super greens supplement containing Chlorella to chelate mercury particularly if you have amalgam fillings or if you have had vaccines. http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/01/28/chlorella-for-mercury-poisoning.aspx.

Use only stainless steel, pyrex, or ceramic cookware. Remove all aluminium pots and pans.

Avoid all vaccinations because they contain either mercury or aluminium.

Consult a homeopath or naturopath for chelation therapy to remove heavy metals from the body.

Filter your tap water and buy mineral water in glass bottles. Buy reusable stainless steel bottles to take out with you.

Iodine also pushes mercury out of the body.

15. Journaling

Write three pages in an A5 notebook on waking. This should be a stream of consciousness exercise to allow ideas and feelings to freely come up from the subconscious before the thinking and doing side of the train takes over during the day.

Read: The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron.

16. Hormones

If you are a woman visit my hormones blog at https://www.tumblr.com/blog/ovulationsyndrome

Read: A Mind of Your Own by Kelly Brogen MD.

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zealousloser · 7 years ago

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Talking to myself.

So this is going to be a journaling thing to try and get myself to get things done today and feel less shitty about life right now, so really you can just skip this post unless you want to see how this kind of therapy is laid out. This type of work through is more common in DBT, from what I can tell; but I’ve also encountered related stuff in CBT. It feels like a massive waste of my time and in my experience hasn’t resulted in a notable change of mental state, or rarely results in a different outcome... But here we fucking go because therapy is like slamming your head into a brick wall repeatedly, right? Right. Okay. I’ll go ahead and toss a read more break here I guess too, idk.

Today’s goals and current thoughts: Go to the post office and mail the eBay orders that were received, go to Walmart (kill me) for transmission fluid (primarily), exercise (physical therapy routine at the bare minimum), draw something, clean something. I’m having a pretty crappy day pain wise; I ache all over, I’m incredibly fatigued. My upper back is giving me some issues. I feel weak and like social interaction will be clumsy and particularly stressful. All I want to do is hide inside, smoke, listen to music, think some thoughts, exist in a perpetual void, etcetc.

Positive argument:

Ebay seller account will stay in good standing if things are mailed on time, which results in continued purchases, which in turn means more income. The post office is not far, and even a long line is really only a minor inconvenience at best. I’m not on a strict time schedule.

The car needs fluid or else it will become an even more expensive and time consuming problem to fix. Going to Walmart also allows me to try and find something small as a Christmas present for Emery.

Keeping up with exercise and physical therapy will help reduce the chronic pain and fatigue over time, helping achieve a better quality of life. It will increase mobility and flexibility, which honestly goes without saying how important those things are. It would make literally everything that involves having a body easier, more enjoyable, and more comfortable.

There’s a drawing for my fp that I need to work on! Giving that to him would make him happy, drawing feels like some sort of productivity, and it will be an important step to actually bring a piece to completion. I don’t have enough finished drawings. I always give up. So change that by finishing one for someone you dig, who digs you!

Cleaning tends to be a decent stress reliever, and being in a clean and orderly (or at least a tidy clutter) makes me feel better emotionally.

Negative argument:

There isn’t really much of a negative argument here. It’s just the post office, stop being a little bitch. For reeeeal. I mean yeah, you have to get the packing materials and the product from your dads house at your old job... but as much as you hate having to deal with those brief interactions with the people there, it’s not going to kill you. And he shouldn’t even have a reason to stop you because you were at his place last night and everything should be handled. It’s cool. Just leave the fucking house oh my goooooddddd.

Walmart really is awful. I mean, it’s a hellscape. My anxiety spikes to insane levels every time I’m there. I can find something for Emery somewhere else, and going to Walmart may also result in me purchasing alcohol; which I don’t have the money for, and I probably shouldn’t be drinking any more right now.

The pain and fatigue makes physical movement at all difficult, let alone actual exercise. I really don’t want to.

Drawing can be mentally tedious and with the pain flare ups, it can be a challenge to sit down and work on anything for any functional length of time.

Same stuff regarding pain and energy levels for the day applies to the cleaning goal.

Handling the negative:

Wear some comfortable and covering clothing, and just breathe. Eat some lunch, wait until some of the rush dies down so that the lines at the post office aren’t too unbearable. Start there; get those things mailed out, and then head to the auto parts store. It’s probably best to avoid Walmart for today to reduce exposure to unnecessary stress, and to remove the possibility for additional spending. The ATF is what’s important right now, I don’t need to buy anything else. It’s a slightly further drive, but driving with music and the fairly mild weather isn’t a bad thing. As for exercise, while going to the gym or something more committed like that is an option it is not mandatory. It’s a difficult day for something like that, and something is better than nothing. Just do the physical therapy regimen and see where goes from there. Drawing is flexible; sketch something small, at least try to. Don’t put too much pressure on it, it isn’t needed. I have a decent relationship with my art at the moment so it’s best not to risk turning it into a chore and hurting such a stable coping mechanism when I really need it. There are 3 roommates who are more than open to helping with house work, all I need to do is ask. I can take care of smaller tasks that don’t require too many painful movements on my own and enlist someone’s aid for the other stuff. The music and smokes aren’t going anywhere; it’ll all be there to drown in again once the days tasks are done! It will all be alright and over before you know it. ♥

#personal #dbt?#dbt #mental health #text #kdfgjkflkgjfdhfdhfgkdsgkjdsklgsdg #i dont want to do this o h my goood but i cant get myself to fuckING MOVE

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