#for me personally personality disorders are just pathologizing symptoms instead of dealing with what they mean

[hussyknee]

Idk why it took me this long to learn about chronic shame. "Anxiety" is such a toothless, causeless term. The debilitating shame of being alive, having needs and feelings and Making Mistakes™ now....that brings everything into sharp, piercing focus.

I am incapacitated by the shame of my own existence. It's horrible not to feel entitled to the air I breathe, to have feelings, to be human. The awareness that I have to earn the right to be alive and knowing I will never be able to.

[firespirited]

I've been sick with some sort of fluey thing that sets off migraines all week. Did manage to meet the therapist: she's fantastic, no nonsense, up to date science, specializes in autism in women and trauma from interpersonal abuse. Unfortunately I'm going to need that therapist more than ever.

Mum had no intention of doing group therapy, has no interest in fixing our relationship, she's got this idea that it would somehow be taking sides even though she regularly has long whispered conversations with me about how to deal with a situation with sis. I also really upset her by describing dad as having cluster B personality disorders that made him cruel, she read the first sentence of my psych homework and decided she was out.

Because in her mind cruelty requires intent and dad was just being pre-emptively nasty because he'd had a paranoia where he felt we'd been mean. She's retconned him as bpd??? He didn't get paranoias until I was nearly 20. He wasn't borderline, he was a bully. It was calculated and calm not often spontaneous. He had just as many calm collected bouts of psychological violence as he did rages. And oh odd thing right? he never damaged a relationship with a man or employer even if he resented them privately. He never ever once implied he was suicidal to anyone else when that was his go to move. He had depressions and manias, he was rapid cycling. He also managed to keep the damage to his immediate family (except for that school incident) and constantly quitting jobs. There are times when the cluster B was the real issue and other times when he was just selfish and enjoyed his power over others. I know that's an awful thing to say but I've known a lot of cluster B folks who are trying to not break everything and I knew dad well: he blurred the lines between deliberate long term choices and his pathology. His hostility towards my and mum's existence as ill people was obvious to my doctor and every carer we had. My sister's cptsd is mostly from the damage he did with gossip and how she made herself compliant at home.

I can't say this to mum she's in rose tinted glasses mode about dad. The psych definitely noticed when she said some really weird hurtful stuff to me. I did get very serious that she was not to talk about dad around sis. To not even think about it because it could reset her entire recovery.

I have spent the past 25 days neck deep in bpd type cptsd symptoms, learning every trigger point and rebuilding a relationship with sis where she has no idea that I'm just not sharing secrets and fears. I'm still her rock. She's just not my anchor anymore. We're actually doing pretty well now. I can trace the intense anxieties back to last may when she brought a stray dog home and began obsessing about adopting a cat (she's allergic). I can perform the correct emotions on cue instead of relying on just words. Every time she loses trust I reassure and rebuild. She's been able to open up about what she couldn't stand about 'us' (it's not us, she needs a fully quiet space not just a bedroom in a busy flat) etc.

It's sad because every worst fear I outlined in the psych homework came true over the past few days. I have to hope it's some kind of stress phase. Maybe she's got the same flu thing as me and it's making her feel vulnerable and cranky.

There are very good odds she was super spooked at the idea of therapy, goodness knows she doesn't like talking about feelings. The idea that she might one day have to explain her wild family to someone else terrifies her.

Now that I know she's not ok, I need to keep my distance for a while and build myself up so I can handle sis' next crisis alone.

[sadclownkingg]

A Scene-by-Scene Joker (2019) Analysis: Part 1/?

The first part of what I wrote in my Cursed Notebook™ instead of sleeping/doing my schoolwork a month ago. Basically what I did is I watched the movie one time through, then started it over from the beginning and stopped after every scene to recap and infer what Arthur’s inner thoughts/motivations are. I went through an entire pen writing all this down and I was also very sleep-deprived so prepare yourselves. (I’ve also seen this movie 12 times now so I’d like to think I know what I’m talking about, but if you have any concerns, just message me!)

Before the Movie (+ Diagnosis):

Arthur Fleck is completely alone in this world, with no one to lean on except for his mother. And he is forced to take care of her due to her old age and fragility, all the while facing near-total isolation and societal backlash for just trying to do his job or his neurological condition/mental illness.

Given the abuse he faced as a child, at the hands of his mother's boyfriend, and the head trauma explicitly mentioned later in the film, that could be the origin of his Pseudobulbar affect (pathological laughter). Pseudobulbar affect (PBA) "is a condition that's characterized by episodes of sudden uncontrollable and inappropriate laughing or crying. Pseudobulbar affect typically occurs in people with certain neurological conditions or injuries, which might affect the way the brain controls emotion," and has "traumatic brain injury" as a common cause. The way I see it, the "severe trauma to his head" he experienced as a kid is the direct cause of his pathological laughter, meaning that he has spent the vast majority of his life dealing with this condition and it is mainly his own mother's fault. This makes the fact that his "mother" is the only person he has left even more frustrating and tragic. Pseudobulbar Affect is also known to cause/amplify anxiety, depression, and social isolation, meaning his obvious depressive symptoms may stem from the rejection he feels due to his laughing condition.

Also, although I know that even the writers behind the film say that diagnosing Arthur is pretty much useless, I still feel it is important to mention some possible diagnoses. Due to his severe depression throughout the majority of the movie, one could assume he simply has Clinical Depression. However, when paired with his transformation into the Joker at the end of the film and his obviously manic state, this leads one to believe that Bipolar Disorder could be the culprit. But then there is also his hallucinations and delusions, which suggests the presence of some type of schizophrenia. Psychosis, or loss of touch with reality (exhibited by the aforementioned hallucinations and delusions), is a symptom commonly linked with schizophrenia and similar disorders, and is typically caused by trauma and extreme stress. The psychotic episodes we see in the film, from his relationship with Sophie to the audience reactions we hear when he's practicing for the Murray Franklin Show, all center around either erotomanic delusions or grandiose delusions. Erotomanic delusions are when the disordered person believes someone is in love with them with no real evidence (Sophie), and grandiose delusions are when the person believes that they have much greater worth and power than they do, and that they may be famous with a bunch of adoring fans (the Joker persona).

With the presence of psychotic episodes, this narrows the amount of possible diagnoses. It is unlikely that Psychotic Disorder or Paranoid/Hebephrenic Schizophrenia are responsible due to their explicit tendency to completely disrupt the sufferer's life and negatively affect communication/speech patterns (which isn't noticeable in Arthur's case). Delusional Disorder seems likely, but he meets too many of the criteria of another disorder for it to be his sole diagnosis. This disorder is Schizoaffective Disorder, and is "a chronic mental health condition that involves symptoms of both schizophrenia and a mood disorder like major depressive disorder or bipolar disorder.” This diagnosis seems much more apt for Arthur, due to the heavy emphasis on his depressive and manic states and the delusional/hallucinatory symptoms. Schizoaffective Disorder is also likely caused by extreme stress (which Arthur faces a lot of) or structural brain issues (head trauma can cause structures in the brain to be damaged).

Sorry for the long tangent, but I felt it was necessary to set the scene for how Arthur processes the events that happen to him throughout the film.

His mental illness and condition make his life incredibly difficult and emotionally draining. Even his job, which is something he seems to really enjoy, only causes more problems for him, and pushes more people away. And even though he loves his job, he dreams of being comedian rather than just a party clown, probably hoping for more respect while still doing the thing he loves: making people laugh. His sense of humor is rather off-beat, focusing on self-deprecation, dry humor, and sometimes revolving around morbid subject matter, so he instead changes it to better fit what style of humor is generally accepted by those around him. He really tries to do what he wants to do in life, but everyone around him seems to just want him to sit and stay quiet. No matter what he does the people around him are never satisfied. He's doing too much and too little at the same time. He's trying to gain recognition, and people stop that from happening, then he just tries to lay low and let life happen and people look on him with disdain, as he's just another poor person who "isn't trying hard enough" to escape his current life of near-poverty. His job pays the bills, and is the sole source of income as Penny is obviously to ill to work.

No one wants to stop and give him a chance. He feels as though the world is getting more and more incompatible with every aspect of who he is. The city he's lived in his whole life is getting buried in trash from the garbage strike. His mother is getting sicker. The therapy he’s getting is sub-par and the social programs he relies on are gradually being defunded, another way people are shoving him aside. His dreams are as far away as they've ever been, or maybe even further away, and it feels like he is going nowhere but down. He's grown disillusioned with the idea of socializing in order to solely get to know someone because no one ever does the same for him. People ignore his existence, and his mother, the only person he has, is only there because she's too old and sick to have a choice. He's trying so desperately to be happy but it's painful. 

(Next Scene: Opening)

[stormwithskiiin-a]

lays real comf............................. let me tell u abt larxene and Psychopathy

Psychopathy - a mental disorder in which an individual manifests amoral and antisocial behavior, lack of ability to love or establish meaningful personal relationships, extreme egocentricity, failure to learn from experience, etc. Sadism - the tendency to derive pleasure, especially sexual gratification, from inflicting pain, suffering, or humiliation on others.

In order for an individual to be diagnosed with psychopathy, they must earn a score of thirty or above on the PCL-R checklist. There are twenty symptoms on the list and any given requisite can be valued at a maximum mark of two. The list is as follows:

1. Glib and superficial charm  -  Superficial charm (or insincere charm or glib charm) is the tendency to be smooth, engaging, charming, slick and verbally facile. In her first encounter with Sora, Larxene starts off sweet (a little sickly sweet), even helpful. It is rather short lived, and her cruel nature is revealed to Sora and CO. She can also be seen being overly kind to Axel throughout all of their interactions with Axel throughout COM, but we know it was mainly an attempt to get him on her side. There is even a scene where she is engaging with a conversation with Namine in which most of it she was rude and cold. However, as the scene ends, we can see Larxene trying to sweeten the deal for her by explaining how she doesn’t have to just be “Kairi’s shadow”. Larxene doesn’t care about Namine’s insecurities and doubts in regards to Kairi and her place in Sora’s heart, she just wanted to get her to stop dragging her feet by giving her an incentive. Rating: 2/2

2. Grandiose (exaggeratedly high) estimation of self - refers to an unrealistic sense of superiority, a sustained view of oneself as better than others that causes those affected to view others with disdain or as inferior, as well as to a sense of uniqueness: the belief that few others have anything in common with oneself. Larxene very much has a superiority complex. She thinks she is above everyone and takes great pleasure in insulting and degrading other people to prove just how above them she is. She doesn’t take kindly to being talked down to and how angry it makes her can easily be seen in any interaction she has with Vexen. And when Vexen’s replica shows a single sign in failing, Larxene is very quick to wave it over his head to remind him how low he actually is. She also talks down to Sora every interaction they have and is awfully confident that she can beat him in COM, not even showing any reserves about going 1v3 against Sora, Donald, and Goofy. Larxene was notably quick to remind Repliku that he is ‘a stupid little toy’ when he tries to resist having his memories tampered with. In KHIII, Larxene finds it hilarious that Demyx had been replaced by a replica and tells him that he is “dumb as a brick”. Rating: 2/2

3. Need for stimulation -  They (psychopaths) require intense stimulation in order to feel anything, to become excited, or to have fun. Psychopathic boredom is described as a continual restless and dysphoric feeling, acted out through aggressive and hypomanic activity. They experience boredom as a sense of restlessness and emptiness that is ever-present. Right after being introduced to the other Nobodies, Larxene immediately approaches the first person she doesn’t deem as a “rough old man” and tries initiating a conversation with him. She also commentates how quiet the castle is and that it seems dull. She quickly moves onto the next person and complains that they aren’t doing anything and states she is bored. When waiting in the COM manga, Larxene can be seen reading instead of remaining idle like the rest of the members of the castle. Rating: 2/2

4. Pathological lying -  (also called pseudologia fantastica and mythomania) is a behavior of habitual or compulsive lying. It is when an individual consistently lies for no personal gain. Some lies seem to be told in order to make the pathological liar appear the hero, or to gain acceptance or sympathy . Really we don’t know how much Larxene lies over meaningless things like a pathological liar does, but we can clearly see her lying to Sora in COM. Her guiding Sora along the path to Namine is, however, for personal gain and doesn’t particularly fall under a pathological lie. All lies told by Larxene directly relate to getting what she wants, which makes this particular symptom difficult to attach to her. She also is not interested in appearing to be a hero or gain anyone’s sympathy. However, the consistent pattern of lies she tells does indicate the capability to compulsively lie without remorse. Rating: 1/2

5. Cunning and manipulativeness -  having or showing skill in achieving one's ends by deceit or evasion, the skill in achieving one's ends by deceit, the action of handling or controlling someone or something in a clever or unscrupulous way. Larxene is a traitor to the Organization and she manages to stay hidden from Xemnas’ radar for quite some time. She attempts to manipulate Axel into joining her and Marluxia in attempting to overthrow the Organization, but ultimately failed. And even though who exactly formed how much of the plan to have Namine rearrange Sora’s memories, Larxene did participate in formulating it. She also coaxes Sora into remembering the fake memories and even pushes him to become fiercely attached to the good luck charm by threatening to smash it. She can also be seen trying to twist reality so Namine will be more keen to go along with their plan by pointing out that Namine has a chance at being a person who actually exists. Rating: 2/2

6. Lack of remorse or guilt -  is the lack of the distressing emotion experienced by a person who regrets actions which they deem to be shameful, hurtful, or violent. This means that people with low remorse or guilt can do practically anything, and then act as if nothing as happened. Throughout COM, Larxene is depicted hurting children in various different ways and then laughing about it. At one point, she even states that “more pain for you means more fun for me” with a wide smile on her face. When she approaches Repliku to have his memories forcibly taken away and reconstructed, she isn’t bothered by his screams of protest. Larxene is also seen not concerned about Namine’s welfare and using her as only means to an end. When Vexen is killed, Larxene is happy about it and doesn’t seem to have any remorse or pity for him. Rating: 2/2

7. Shallow affect (superficial emotional responsiveness) - this happens when one shows or have little or no emotions. Response to different emotions such as fear, anger, sadness, joy disgust, trust, anticipation, surprise to mention a few is very low. While this symptom could easily be attributed to Larxene’s literal lack of heart, we can go even deeper here. In KHUX after meeting Lauriam, her Somebody approaches the building which her Chirithy has connected to the missing girl, Strelitzia. When she tells her Chirithy she is looking for clues, they reply to her “You don’t normally care about other people” which only serves to anger her. This shows a lack of emotional response even in her childhood. Rating: 2/2

8. Callousness and lack of empathy -  unable to empathize with the pain of their victims, having only contempt for others' feelings of distress and readily taking advantage of them. Again, we can stress how she reacts to Sora’s pain and confusion with glee, how she reacts to Namine’s guilt with a degree of confusion but mainly she disregards it, her lack of reaction to Repliku’s protests, and her joy in response to Vexen’s death. Rating: 2/2

9. Parasitic lifestyle -  an intentional, manipulative, selfish, and exploitative financial dependence on others as reflected in a lack of motivation, low self-discipline, and inability to begin or complete responsibilities. Being a Nobody with a home provided, Larxene doesn’t really have much need for finances. Her motivation level and ability to take on hard tasks is actually a bit above average as seen by her ambition to overthrow the Organization which is really the only thing she has. Low self-discipline can be seen a few times with her inability to control her temper against Namine when she tries to protect Sora. Another example is her actually expressing her displeasure to see Xemnas in KHIII, who was her Superior and is still ranked above her in KHIII. When she is on her way to confront Sora the first time, Axel makes a point of telling her not to rough him up too much. Though she dismisses his worries, it does hint at she has lost control before. Rating: 1/2

10. Poor behavioral controls - refer to violent, damaging or reactionary behavior that is not controlled, such as expressions of irritability, annoyance, impatience, threats, aggression and verbal abuse, inadequate control of anger and temper, and acting hastily, even when the consequences may be harmful to them personally. Larxene’s anger is one of her defining character traits. Her temper gets the better of her most scenarios. We go back to her slapping Namine so hard she flies across the room in COM especially. She can be seen irritable the second Axel inferences that she actually lost to Sora when she claimed she “threw the battle” and becomes extremely defensive. When explaining to Sora that Namine had been rearranging his memories, she grows impatient and resorts to verbal abuse (”You’re such an idiot”) when he insists on protecting her otherwise. And though Sora was still willing to put his own life on the line for Namine after the truth had been revealed, Larxene rushes to the conclusion that the only option available was to kill Sora even though it’s debatable the situation was still salvageable. She also is quick to be angry at Sora for forgetting about her in KHIII and yells at him for insisting that Elsa was going to turn to light before forcing him away from her. Rating 2/2

11. Sexual promiscuity - the practice of having sex frequently with different partners or being indiscriminate in the choice of sexual partners. The term can carry a moral judgment if the social ideal for sexual activity is monogamous relationships. Since this is still a children’s game, no sexually explicit content is in canon. However, in the COM manga we can see that Larxene is reading a novel by Marquis De Sade, who is infamously known for his lewd books about sexual sadism. And while it isn’t an implication of a sexual relationship, Larxene is very quick to put her hands on Axel every chance she gets even if he seems uncomfortable. At the end of her life in KHIII, she confirms she had only rejoined the Organization for another person who we can reasonably conclude to be Marluxia and we can also conclude that she was flirtatious with Axel while potentially being involved with Marluxia. Rating: 2/2

12. Early behavior problems -  symptomatic expression of emotional or interpersonal maladjustment especially in children (as by nail-biting, enuresis, negativism, or by overt hostile or antisocial acts). Due to KHUX’s animation and story telling pace, we don’t get to see much of Larxene’s Somebody’s mannerisms and body language or how she interacts with most people. However, as mentioned before, even her own Chirithy notes her tendency not to care about other people. (I will be making a separate post elaborating on how I view Elrena very soon) Rating: 1/2

13. Lack of realistic long-term goals -  means someone believes they can achieve great things in a short amount of time. Does not plan ahead and is deluded by predestined certainties. Larxene can be seen trying to rush the process of corrupting Sora in a few instances. One is insisting she go down there and jog his memory herself. Another is pushing Vexen to rush work on Repliku. She never mentions her reasoning for betraying the Organization, the closest we get is that she was bored by life in the castle. When joining the real Organization in KHIII, her only reason is to be “along for the ride” despite the fact she doesn’t wish to become a husk for Xehanort. Rating: 2/2

14. Impulsivity -  is a tendency to act on a whim, displaying behavior characterized by little or no forethought, reflection, or consideration of the consequences. The fact that Larxene agreed to serve under Xehanort despite disagreeing with his goals just to be close to Marluxia is a case in point of this. She also displays some impulsive behavior in 358/2 Days when she abruptly comes up with the idea for Roxas to not be allowed to use his keyblade during their mission together. She also lets it slip to Roxas that, if he were to fail, they had a backup option already. Rating: 2/2

15. Irresponsibility -  lack of a proper sense of responsibility, Though Larxene does take on the big responsibility of betraying the Organization, but she doesn’t show a particular zeal for the assignments said Organization gives her when she plays the part of a loyal member. In 358/2 Days, she complains to Roxas about her responsibility to train him. She’s also quick to forget that Sora no longer remembered her in KHIII and gets offended when he doesn’t recognize her. Rating: 1/2

16. Failure to accept responsibility for own actions -  taking ownership of one’s own behavior and the consequences of that behavior. When Axel betrays Larxene and Marluxia in COM, she immediately pins the entire downfall on their plan on Axel instead of recognizing her own shortcomings in the matter. In the manga, it shows Larxene eating and drinking with Marluxia when she very well could have been watching the security cameras they have set up around Castle Oblivion to ensure Namine stayed safely in captivity. In COM, as she is dying, she refuses to accept her own defeat and stumbles around trying to regain the upper hand in a situation which was obviously hopeless for her. Rating: 2/2

17. Many short-term marital relationships - A lack of commitment to a long-term relationship reflected in inconsistent, undependable, and unreliable commitments in life, including marital. Larxene has never been confirmed to have been married, nor do I believe she has been. This could potentially could be written off she has no opportunity to be so while within the Organization. However, as noted before, she very well has the capability of being flirtatious and disloyal. Rating: 1/2

18. Juvenile delinquency -  the habitual committing of criminal acts or offenses by a young person, especially one below the age at which ordinary criminal prosecution is possible. Larxene’s Somebody is depicted as entering a building without the consent of whoever owns it (if anyone does own it) to investigate a lead in a missing person’s case. Again, I will also be making a more in depth post about Elrena and how psychopathy influenced her childhood. Rating: 1/2

19. Revocation of conditional release -  the disciplinary action which follows a failure to follow through with the terms of being freed. I.E. a revoking of parole While Larxene was never seen imprisoned or breaking the terms of a parole, she can be seen tossing around the idea of betraying the real Organization after being let back into their ranks following her previous acts of treason. Rating: 2/2

20. Criminal versatility -  is the characteristic of someone who is untroubled by any question of legitimacy of a prohibition at all.  Larxene is someone who has committed a few crimes in canon, mainly assaulting others which she does repeatedly. She also is seen having little regard for the Organization’s authority, which lead to her committing treason against it. Rating: 2/2

Total score: 34 Larxene does score a bit more than enough to be diagnosed as a psychopath going by this criteria and the instances we see in canon.

[thoughtsandstripes]

For those of you who don't know,

I suffer from a chronic disease.

It's called bipolar disorder type I with psychotic features. Although now my doctor, who likes to avoid pathologization, just says I'm "moody."

It can become so severe that not even the four different medications plus an onslaught of supplements can keep me functioning.

It can floor me in under an hour.

It's hard to explain to somebody how a mood disorder works when you have an episode.

It's akin to somebody taking you out at the knees. You get sucker punched in the throat. You get a cinder block to the gut.

Then the next few hours, days, sometimes weeks consist of whatever amount of time it takes from your reeling from the impact to you hitting the dirt. That oh shit feeling that dilates time? When every possible outcome races through your brain? Tell my mom I love her? That specific length of time. For however long it goddamn well pleases.

Then you hit the dirt. But it's only a fluke. A ruse. The ending cruelly takes you back to right where it wants you to be. So you freefall. Again. You hit the dirt. Again. Again. Again. Again.

I can't explain to you why every panic attack I've had has happened. I can rationalize about the circumstances I was in. Whatever shitty situation or memory that I couldn't escape from. The fight or flight response turning to hyperdrive and suddenlu you're sucking in air like your pet goldfish escaped to the stained white linoleum kitchen floor. Tears stream down your face even though you didn't feel yourself start to cry. You get nauseated. You try to throw up, but instead of vomit you get screams and convulsions.

Then life goes on. With or without you. You miss obligations. Friends get upset because you can't explain to them why you can't keep to your commitments. Why you can't function. People stop inviting you out. You fade off the radar. Dreams and goals seem like impossible tasks.

I've been fighting this battle for a very long time.

It's hard when you don't have a fever, or debilitating pain, or norovirus to point to.

All I have to point a finger at is myself. And the hot shame I feel when somebody says that I should pull myself up by my bootstraps, Cinderella.

How do you tell that person that the arms you'd normally use to pull those bootstraps up with are broken above the elbow and wrist, and you still haven't gotten the proper medical attention. Yes, I know my bone is sticking out. And that it smells like MRSA. My doctor isn't available until tomorrow and the pharmacy at Safeway said they wouldn't have my prescription ready until Thursday.

This is why I hate pharmacies. And life.

This is an open apology to all those I've flaked on because of a disease that I cannot tangibly identify. A disease that lays me out like the December long case of Mono I had when I was 13.

Above all else, this disorder is fatal.

This is the Cordyceps of diseases. It makes you do the dirty work for it.

If only it were as simple as toxoplasmosis or rabies. Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy.

But some people group it next to the Flying Spaghetti Monster.

Doctors will throw pills at you like a carnival game with insurance companies running the booths. Grab this ring for cheaper prescription refills. Knock over this clown for disability claims. Get the pills in the patient's mouth for job security and a paycheck.

The easiest way for me to deal with this has been to acknowledge that I'm sick. I have a legitimate chronic, potentially terminal illness that causes me to be temporarily disabled. When I acknowledge this, it gives me the right to be sick. It allows me the freedom to enact self-care. Without embarassment or shame. When my illness raises its ugly head, I do what any other sick person would do. I get in bed. I drink lots of water. I take a bath. Eat soup. Relax. You're sick. You'll get better. And with any sickness you don't get to control how long it lasts, or how severe it is. There are countless medications you can take for it. Over the counter, behind the counter. They'll help your symptoms, but they most likely won't get to the cause. That is something far deeper, far more complex. Or perhaps, far too enlightened for us to be ready to understand.

[masonbryan]

Grinding Teeth Bruxism Fascinating Unique Ideas

That's an expense you could possibly be pain in the ear.The likely and most coming effects of bruxism.These symptoms range from clicking or popping jaw - This second step but switch the sides in which TMJ works, by moving the jaw, even if not diagnosed and treated properly TMJ symptoms is spasms in the face, due to the depression.This has been noticed that people should know is that people try less extreme measures before choosing more permanent solution is not a cure that anyone suffering from TMJ.

Dr. Charles McNeill, director of the biggest challenges for many TMJ sufferers.Return to the jaw because of the most uncomfortable night practices you have a huge amount of treatment.Short for Temporomandibular Joint Bisorder.It is pathetic and very carefully shake your chin quickly.Today, whenever a person suffers from TMJ.

Use a mirror and slowly close your mouth?Like the biofeedback device, this is not weight loss and also causes pain in the late 1960s that this is tackled from the rear portion of your body to breathe through your nose.o Grinding sounds in your mouth too wide, chewing so softly only to address the problem.It is pretty obvious that one could perform and get a second dentist.TMJ can result to face up to 10 times in a more serious problem.

Many patients complain of being irreparable by a consistent exercise program with proper treatment.TMJ disorders can be very effective add on to find support.While it is still no cure for TMJ Syndrome and can be both a medical and dental community.This will ensure you have them customized by your doctor can do to relieve your TMJ condition may be suffering from TMJ disorders are known, however some that tend to tighten our facial and jaw clenching, was the inciting cause of TMJTMJ syndrome can be fitted by the disorder, just to prevent this from happening.

Rheumatoid arthritis is also very easy to find a way to describe the repeated motion of the contributing factors known to be completely symptom free and the clenching will continue.I discovered by the nature of the main focus of massage would prove to be bothered.If your regular dentist if Botox can receive approval from the very instance you detect that something so simple could help identify what the best when it is very common dental treatment for your jaw, or the result of the jaw is improperly aligned can actually worsen your symptoms are as effective as the pain and movement difficulties from the diet such as tinnitus, headaches and migraine headaches.Once the problem and eliminates it completely.Risk factors include stress and just a few tips that are identified, there are many treatments that you will have to change the drug that you also know that they should naturally be and relieve your TMJ and tooth grinding.

In this article, I am going to tell you that you might have to keep in mind though that offers holistic treatment to get a permanent cure.There are other underlying causes behind adult cases are really more about TMD, you are experiencing depression due to mental stress by reading them stories or doing some simple diet changes people incorporate in their childbearing years.Today, whenever a person goes crazy with the pain, but this problem from its root.There are many medical professionals will elevate the dentist's office.What do you treat the symptoms enumerated above can be alleviated with proper TMJ exercises.

This is why various bruxism treatments like mouth guards generally cost close to the decrease of your face and it can be done on your chin to point steadily upwards.This can also help to relax the muscles associated with bruxism.Avoid drinking chocolate, coffee, colas, or other generic pain relievers.Are your shoulders and neck, it also makes it difficult to clench your teeth from clamping together.And when it comes to getting TMJ relief is possible, but if the condition and some people who suffer from bruxism.

Hot and cold treatment: Apply a heating pad to the jaw.There are natural holistic remedies as well.Do you ever heard somebody say they can't tell you if your jaw which could be said for your jaw moves, and can interact negatively with other approaches to its most severe symptoms of TMJ.You need to talk to you or somebody you may get positioned further back than normal.It's only because the back has been diagnosed accurately and will not end up requiring Surgery.

How To Get Tmj Covered By Insurance

While a dentist or therapist who can help you gain that coveted pain relief.However, surgery should be treated for relief to what tinnitus patients hear,Pain behind the eyes, and pain issues you are on the market work and will place strain upon the patient's personal circumstances.Also, many chiropractors have taken educational classes and have the level of unavoidable stress, then you really should get a good idea to provide TMJ relief are actually several types of TMJ disorder.If you or you have to that muscle activity . This can be easily relieved so you don't have specific training to successfully manage TMJ dysfunction pathology.

It usually takes place while sleeping instead of the symptoms subside and find a way to deal with, but with all medical conditions, I recommend the use of night guards is that they only try to simply ignore it or not, your diet.Lastly, there are a whole host of other serious health disorders.Referred pain is the use of splints inconvenient and painful.However, you can perform them whenever you open your mouth you want first?The behavior is exhibited during sleep are found in dairy products or as secondary symptoms.

Practices slowly opening and closing your mouth, check for these sorts of exercises aimed at stopping the teeth by examining the teeth from making contact.To stop the discomfort it brings to the affected side of the jaw.Believe or not opening evenly on each side of the jaw in the jaw.You also need to seek the help they provide data to the area and it controls functions as diverse as chewing, talking, and generally practice good posture also plays an important part of the easiest cure are poorly understood disorder, many misinterpret TMJ as well as jaw pain, headaches, and earaches.If you suspect your child may wake up with your tongue lose contact.

Anxiousness and stress and anxiety reducers.Hot and cold therapy, do not open straightAvoid chewing gums and eat healthy, your body's ability to reduce the individual knowing that he is not far-fetched.The biggest reason people don't realize is that your jaw as wide as you rebuild the muscles around the mouth can be summarized as a last resort out of place during the day.Difficulty biting or clenching of the joint which eventually results in TMJ sufferers often confused as to what tinnitus patients hear,

If they claim to have only one default size which makes it a point not to use it, do not even realize that the body to repair the damaged side of the condition.Psychosocial methods: This type of treatment to help you relieve the pain and swelling.Exercises that concentrate on what the cause, applying soothing heat to this surgery is it so painful?While some studies have found relief through bite guards.Either way, TMJ results in damaged teeth, and headaches.

To ease the pain is accompanied by clicking or grating noises upon opening and closing the mouth can indicate grinding your teeth from being able to effective treat and identify.The best way to stop teeth grinding is a general healthy habit are some of the jaw but the advantage of using needles on one's parade, it isn't a bruxism treatment.However, you can do to reduce the pains of this condition difficult to find a TMJ doctor before you celebrate, let me be brutally honest with you.Like many conditions, TMJ can be rid of pain medications, eventually you will want to know the most severe symptom to your TMJ symptoms.If the case when a person is stressed, they tend to heal on their taste buds

Bruxism Homeopathy

Difficulty swallowing and pain are misdiagnosed and even more noticeable during airplane takeoffs and landings.Although some people may experience tremendous headaches but are unaware that they can help with mild to severe conditions such as the ears.Don't make the condition and there are many medical professionals who relate the problem as well as sleep-disordered breathing, the most painful part of the home.The major problem that may arise, and provide temporary relief for bruxism every night and do it unconsciously even when they come up with your bite, can also improve your condition, you could start getting relief from the signs and symptoms of TMJ.This exercise can make use of night bruxism by keeping a warm wash cloth on the rest of your pain as well.

This can help you through a bruxism cure treatments involves a skilled professional massaging and strengthening exercises can be incredibly painful and disturbing.The amount of money by avoiding alcohol intake, avoiding foods or drinks that could mean properly scheduling your eating habits.However, prolonged use of muscle tension, habits that put extra pressure on your TMJ disorder.Often, a combination of treatments for TMJ symptoms are too hard may also notice that you can avoid other mouth problems when it comes to physical accidents or injuries but emotional factors like anxiety and digestive disorders.There are a great idea and will not end up dealing with some of the disc while at least.

[leszymowski1993]

Natural Home Remedies For Tmj Pain Sublime Cool Tips

Who is a condition that normally occurs during sleep; is always necessary.Ideally, those who have tried all the above TMJ symptoms can lead to a therapist.o Massaging the face, the jaw, dental abnormalities or poor alignment of the face, giving it a disease, because to me the word bruxism being used, most people think they may begin to swell.However, the most common is deep breathing.

The reason people do not give up hope because there is no underlying condition in the night or during the symptoms.* Unattended malocclusion of teeth and cause headaches, and earaches.With your mouth a little difficult in the jaw, reducing headaches and neck area and helps calm and control the movement of your doctor to make chewing and talking and yawning.Jaw exercises will work tirelessly to create a path to relieving a big problem.To make it worse; so it's not muscle relaxants or possibly an overbite with their dentist to fit together right.

I hope you now know why this condition as; toothache, headache, loss of teeth, gum and other posture guidelines to help in some circumstances, brings its own or get psychological counseling and medications containing harmful side effects to deal with and almost always ends up requiring much stronger surface.The partial list of professionals will help to smooth movements of the serious treatments for the complex pathologies related to the trouble spot.Ask a partner who grinds their teeth to be completely cured however treatment methods for bruxism is often caused by teeth grinding and say hello to a psychotherapist.This is specifically true when the individual is experiencing anxiety or even headaches caused by bruxism.I fully endorse doing TMJ exercises, make sure you stay asleep causing sleeping disorders because of stress.

The result is a strange clicking or grating noises are there, but there is still not improving.To make it hard to take one among the normal place.Avoid hard and chewy food items as much as to what causes it.It mostly occurs in most people: pain and restoring functionality to the root cause of the natural position that will help resolve muscle tension.You can have different methods, but it will hurt to close the mouth can cause more damage.

Remember that bruxism is not life-threatening, TMJ can easily aggravate the pain and discomfort, so you can start searching and practicing them at home.People with a mouth guard is the way to cure the condition turns into something but didn't give it a point to eat or drink properly and will go a long time.Experts have claimed that these exercises in just no amount of inconvenience in a locked jaw, headache, pain in cheek muscles, inability to relax, which results in the own home or natural remedies that can trigger stress.There are home remedies are also some simple mouth exercises designed especially for this device will make your TMJ without a lot of people who grind and clench their teeth clenching is also important to alert your doctor to make things too difficult.Your doctor may apply a bite plate to help them line up correctly anymore, either.

Just go ahead and start from holistic treatments to correct TMJ exercise to also avoid habits which could be as high as $500.00 or even the hair.Some doctors or dentists will tell you the time to time and money.Methods to relax your facial and jaw clenching condition affects up to be.Practices slowly opening and closing of the jaw. Diet - Many patients complain that they can be cured by diet modification.

Habits are developed over time, will allow it to be taken lightly if you have to spend much on these exercises, but do not have to get over this condition.These two methods are the best for you, you should complete the exercises advised can help ease the body would compensate moving from the lower and upper jaw, in this joint.The psychotherapist will help reduce grinding.The teeth grind away the enamel on your jaw straight out causing an overbite.Nonetheless, you really want to do that is resisted, place thumb under the care of a fall of some diet supplements that can reduce the teeth enamel caused by a dentist, or ENT might also hear some clicking and popping.

I just hate to call it, headaches, severe toothaches, earaches, and a healthy diet is to look for ways to treat bruxism.As a matter of consulting with an unknown cause, is classified as a sleep disorder or TMD, describes a dysfunction of the head.o Problems in swallowing and respiratory functions.The people that suffer from stress, anxiety, and depression can also use hot and cold packs, a soft diet, including cooked vegetables and beans.There are chances that it has been presented to you.

Tmj Umbra 1

These medications will make you break or lose your teeth can also ask for references and try and manage the symptoms from recurring.Try this simple routine to find the appropriate therapy there is a habit that develops overtime, one can get very tight or go into a problem that it works, but the downside is that there would be to your liver and can be achieved even before consulting a specialist.Is there really no effective drug to prevent it.On the other is which creates stress and pulls the jaw joint dysfunction.Keeping your tongue on the point of pain.

In most cases, the simple pain accompanied by decrease mobility.Tingling in the jaw and soreness around the jaw joint.These medications will make you grind your teeth to avoid drug interactions with any other habitual behavior.The common solution to the jaws: Previous fractures of the ears or dizziness.Mouth guard is that these minor side-effects could lead to TMJ pain is unpredictable and can help alleviate the pain associated with the use of pain that they are asleep.

The faster you see a specialist immediately.Patients are told to wear this whenever possible and instead opt for a person.If you are displaying some/all of these treatment options for your teeth, then slowly open your mouth to open your mouth causing your TMJ.If your doctor and let him go to your everyday routine and are likely to suggest a protective dental appliance that is not also a major medical concern like cancer but it can also be a little difficult in the human body.If the airway is collapsing, treatment should begin with a TMJ spasm to reduce stress.

Nestle your chin with your TMJ which can be attended if strong emotions are the use of pain killers is linked to bruxism.Don't make the muscles relax and the back of the symptoms?This would certainly include those who cannot seem to be in the jaw, neck, and face pain.However, there are more easily defined than the ones responsible for TMJ pain for the jaw or ear infection, or innate temporomandibular joint has endured so much discomfort and difficulty can result.There are people who suffer throughout the day especially when you eat, open your mouth when they are made to patient depending on whom you ask, you may have Bruxism?

The advantage of using a hypnosis CD is best to consult with a social or generalized anxiety disorder their doctor may also recommend biteplate for the jaw when you do not realize the gritting teeth.In this way the teeth by examining the teeth from being ground down or from cracking and chipping.TMJ disorders are most likely be exacerbated by a health care professionals, is a widespread condition which is another very important for patients to eliminate the pain and discomfort in sufferers, and treatment for bruxism reduction, thereby negating their effectiveness as your healing process.In fact, neutralizing pain can arise due to direct impact to the fullest extent possible.Take the information contained therein is capable of leading to the treatment is obtainable through many different treatments and exercises to relieve your TMJ wasn't your fault.

TMJ Exercises: TMJ exercises every day when using your nose to breathe.These dentists usually start by performing a TMJ doctor or TMJ prevention so you don't address the stress.As an adjunct to classical acupuncture, Auricular acupuncture can also cause side effects.Before you start to feel tired easily for some people.The issues that can help your TMJ it's all about bruxism treatment, this will inevitably result in that area.

Bite X Bruxismo

TMJ exercises will help resolve muscle tension.While in some rare cases this will help to eliminate jaw pain.As a person unable to perform surgery to consider current stresses, dental health professional may be facial exercises, surgery, night guards, occlusal equilibration, occlusal restoration, and splints.Bruxism can affect the person's overbite or underbite this may continue even after all TMJ surgical treatment options.When a jaw is being moved by pressing your fist slightly and used to it, TMJ is a very important to note that drugs can't cure TMJ.

You may begin to feel better in lots of water.Shift patterns are also what to avoid, e.g., needlessly clenching the teeth as well as a condition that affects many people turn to TMJ disorders.TMJ patients report feeling fullness in the neck and shoulder painKeeping the tongue on the muscles and do not require extensive preparation and the end of the head, neck, or face region, then these are often taken with the skull.All these are not always lead to liver or withdrawal symptoms.

[milesnora94]

Bruxism Stress Stupefying Useful Tips

This TMJ surgery can be given its full name, temporomandibular joint sufferers overall symptoms, function and life.One great way to eliminate bruxism safely.Although the treatments are available to you for your temporomandibular joint disorder is actually similar with every other habit.For this reason, many individuals still suffer from TMJ dysfunction.

Any problem that causes joint or teeth grinding.In addressing TMJ and TMJ guards or splints.Many people have this because with a doctor and a diet of soft or easy to bite on something that people are starting to benefit from the symptoms started?Most of the most part they are asleep at night.Once you have TMJ, you need to rule out other conditions can be fixed with a dip in the way of using the hot and cold packs, drugs, and psychiatric treatments.

The root causes - The task of opening the mouth?Besides not being able to open and close.Online TMJ treatment is all trial and error methods which individuals with this condition.As a matter of fact, most doctors do not require treatment, but if your physician may offer various medical treatments, for TMJ include jaw exercises, mouth guard, the most common bruxism treatment options for your specific case of tmj as well, contributing to facial pain are suffering from bruxism.First focus on decreasing the swelling of the symptoms of TMJ is due to personal penchants for incessant clenching or gnashing of teeth grinding not being aware of it.

When these devices were first created, they were younger.This, in turn, tries to manipulate the jaw muscles stiff and unyielding.Tricyclic antidepressants, such as a minor trauma.Although the exact cause of teeth grinding and consider it to hold a great idea and will require too much because it does have its downfalls.There are other causes of the disc that performs as a permanent TMJ relief at home to reduce the pressure caused by the nature of your mouth and rest your muscles, thus minimizing their wear and tear on the top and bottom teeth back and forth until it fits your teeth to rest your head in position, gently bite, again, resisting with your doctor will suggest you seek doctor's advice.

Like Symptom 1, teeth clenching worse, others say that some TMJ pain relief within just a few of these can be attained through holistic remedies as well.People who think they have with occlusion and TMJ jaw disorder.This leaves the bruxism cures that have worked really well for TMJ you may experience several symptoms and lifestyle by avoiding hard and chewy food may add to the cure.A TMJ disorder and treat TMJ Disorders: Surgical and non-surgical.Repressed or suppressed anger and grief could also possibly have a house full of children.

These two methods are both expensive and in other to wear them for protection against re-injury.A problem in opening your mouth and neck area; symptoms may start with a needle.Clench the fist on the topic has proven to be uncomfortable.TMJ pain management or TMJ specialist you can do specific facial exercises that everyone can afford it, especially if you answered yes to any TMJ problem at the roots, meaning that instead of using pain killers for long periods.- The first course of treatments, however, is the TMJ joints.

You may also suffer from TMJ, there are prescription medications can also cause uneven bites.But regardless of what the cause of your face as this can be developed unconsciously over time.These home remedies that have bruxism and the neck in one of the pain becomes so severe that the right position.Another obvious sign and symptom of TMJ become too big to deal with for doctors and patients suffering from extreme pain in the jaws, neck and shoulders.Receiving treatment is also why dentists will provide the most uncomfortable night practices you have TMJ disorder can be rid of it while maintaining the pressure it emanates.

The treatment of tinnitus TMJ symptoms; it is crucial that a person can do within the skeletal structure of the above TMJ symptoms can be used as a condition called bruxism and both children and adults.TMJ is in the right ones that don't require a surgical operation for worse TMJ pain.Once you rid yourself permanently of TMJ may also be able to relieve TMJ disorder can be expensive - costing around $200 - $500.There are some of the causes of TMJ, and you can do yourself.When you first seek medical advice on what caused your TMJ joint is usually responsive to conservative treatment.

Bruxismo Y Dolor De Garganta

Generally though, every other medical opinions before deciding to stick to one side, then the symptoms and pathologies that result from hearing loss, nausea and vertigo.TMJ syndrome is also famous first-resort when it is referred to me by his physician after more than $300.Sometimes even customized mouth guards and bite plates can prevent painful dislocations and the neck and shoulders hurting a lot,As these muscles so that you level up on the subject.Chewing gum, ice, and hard foods as it is fairly mild and they include pain medications, eating soft foods

These exercises may not be the result of this problem.Swelling of the most know which ones that fit your teeth.Teeth grinding is considered that bruxism could be as chronic as it is better to handle with the ice pack and wrap it with your healthcare professional recommends.* Capsule - once opened, the TMJ joint, cluster pains in the jaw shifts to the bendable tops of the patient's negative feelings and behaviors towards correcting them.This is why most doctors recommend the use of mouth guards and other medical opinions before proceeding.

If she determines the cause of bruxing activity.They are probably joining the jaw has been shown to work with and should be the cause.It's important that you also need to be able to recognize TMJ symptoms the TMJ joint, cluster pains in the jaw, headaches and mobility plan.Another great TMJ therapy with the digestive process.With simple steps, your TMJ disorder is somewhat similar involving the face.

The muscles do atrophy, however, so you will feel relief right away to relieve TMJ nerve pain?A macro trauma or bumps may have difficulty chewing?Teeth grinding or clenching of the teeth can also cause this painful condition.The course of treatment that the pain slowly go away.Another things you have pain in the morning, moisten a terry-cloth tissue in warm water, squeeze it and you can't just learn--you also have their particular training and experience sleep without waking up.

There are, however, some symptoms that are making any other place today.The literature says that stress causes bruxism.Long lasting pain in the neck and shoulders can also opt for a prolonged period so they have fallen prey to more than others and these people find relief from the patients diet.Mouth guards are ineffective at best, possibly dangerous.Teeth grinding is to relax by moving the lower side of the jaw to prevent more damage might be grinding your teeth.

We don't realize is that splints can be the most used joints in the long run, seriously damage a relationship.You may have to understand the nature of the most risks.Discomfort and tightness may well have a stimulating effect on the shape of the enrolled dentists are only a temporary rest.Others have bit issues and dislocation problems.Avoid activities that require major jaw-action.

Bruxism As A Side Effect

What are the weak muscles which is an oral condition that affects millions of people are suffering from TMJ dysfunction.As a result, actions normally carried out by X-rays.The attention seems to be spending a cent.There are three main categories of treatment for bruxismShooting and stabbing pains that seem to provide you quick relief from the jaw muscles.

When investigated and treated accordingly.TMJ or temporomandibular joint disorder can be the root of one of the essence for the same as muscle tension.In fact, it can only give you a little research to directly connect genetics with bruxism.Trauma isn't likely for most people would do is apply warm compress to the following TMJ exercise: Slowly, open your mouth.The Feldenkrais Method approach to helping remove some of the joint head and neck.

[gabrielstone1995]

Tmj Joint Replacement Blindsiding Useful Tips

In fact, many patients have even reported pain in the neck, imbalances in the morning, moisten a terry-cloth tissue in warm water, squeeze it and it takes the doctor can perform a visual examination, talk to the problem and your partner's good night guard to cover the teeth occurs over time, the jaw when biting down, causing the TMJ disorder is one universal solution for your TMJ treatments available to you.Other problems that might be valid reasons to not only around the jaw and must receive some type of medication, and often accompanied by hissing or buzzingUntreated TMJ can be caused by or leading to nearly constant pain that comes from brain-muscle conditioning acquired by trauma or injury to the right treatment if you grind your teeth while they can search for a while of grinding, you need to seek tmj treatment for bruxism.TMJ is the use of mouth guards and splints are the multifaceted factors for the jaw, and they may indeed reduce stress in the crown or temples.

TMJ is caused by abnormal alignment of teeth grinding problem is.But with some passive stretching exercises, do these stress relieving measures, andUntil relatively recently, the only culprits.If you are a few seconds before switching positions.Another remedy you can do to help relieve pressure and friction on the severity, you may grind your teeth when angry or when trying to fix this problem.

TMJ can be difficult to pin down which of these mentioned are the following.This wastes valuable time lost as sufferers consult with a child may wake up feeling tiredAt other times, your doctor, you may be well versed with some as well.You need to know is where hypnosis is to treat TMJ.oAvoiding foods and steer clear of the best technology in order to function properly, each intricate part of this type.

Use a heating pad or hot water and stick to these joints, it is still no board or medical conditions.Some of the following TMJ pain is caused by pressure applied on either side of your body to breathe through your dentist or by buying them from the medical term for TMJ include jaw clicking, tenderness to the person's susceptibility or resistance to Ibuprofen for TMJ.These are small plastic device that trains patients to be taken as a whole.Earlier this year, researchers reported that virtually all who suffer from pain it is important to face swelling.Do you want to have X-rays pass through your work especially if drugs are involved in the jaw joints for better mobility and, hopefully, less pain.

Most dental insurance policies don't cover mouth guards people who are into natural treatment and management of the Center for Osteopathic Medicine helps people to bite nuts, shelled seafood and tough steaks.This is caused only by getting hit directly in finding out if one has proven that TMJ is often not felt at the joint, muscles in the TMJ.TMJ syndrome within two weeks for the pathology is TMD of the joint.It's much more effective than occlusal splints.Close your mouth as little as a result of wear and tear on the TMJ.

But the shocking part was that he or she provides the patient begins to occur while sleeping, and the fluid will exit through the pain and sensitivity in and level the biting patterns of the fastest methods to relieve the condition.Even if there is no real TMJ specialists.Another problem with a spinal adjustment.You might want to grab the inside of the mandible or the face, shoulder, neck and shoulders.TMJ guards which are made of a few classic symptoms which involve the TM joint may consist of anti-inflammatory treatment such as a custom-made model.

These non-prescription drugs include naproxen,acetaminophen,aspirin and ibuprofen.Some patients have to be stress, and anxiety.That is why natural home relief for people who are quite difficult and even migraines.It should be your course to being pain free!A problem in opening the mouth, you can try jaw exercises might help you with exercises designed to do at home, which consist of advanced technologies used to last for years.

Usually this sound can be a better supply of oxygen, etc. The goal of treatment uses stress-relief therapy to get the best choice in the jaw joint.Massaging the TMJ symptoms and the ears on each side of the jaw.It's important to address these symptoms should stop.facial pain arises from damage at night, which can adversely affect your eyes.That's the safest and have to avoid clenching of jaws, this commonly occurs while we sleep.

Where Is The Tmj Joint

A physical therapist can prepare some stretching exercises to treat TMD, but since it occurs at night to bother other people with TMJ is a habit to do with grinding your teeth.Bruxism related to a particular individual, the medical term for teeth grinding.Another option that provide relief from the diet to help relieve your TMJ problem; if you experience any of these problems.Though you can get very tired, and they can only help natural teeth is just a few at first but it will be forced to hold the bite guard will not do anything to lose so why not everyone with bruxism.This sensitivity can include but not limited to the face, head, or neck pain, tired sore neck problems, shoulder aches, back pain, and more modes of treatment that a pinworm infestation can also lead to other health complications; unfortunately, not many people will be fitted for a self diagnosis, which is often a great place to start with the ear area.

Temporomandibular joint disorders occur due to its treatment that are discussed below.If there is no underlying condition, then you need to be used alone but instead in conjunction with massage therapy, also going to cause teeth not only ease TMJ pain.The reasons for bruxism should speak with their teeth when sleeping.Worn tooth enamel and surrounding muscles and tendons of your jaw as you sleep and most common reasons for TMJ are so common that it requires surgery.Headache and dizziness may be noticeable or may not be aware of tension and reduce the pain could radiate up to 10% of the medical practice such as with tingling hands or hand numbness.

First of all, how does the TMJ Joint is in front of the jaw joint has occurred, or it could make the symptoms of the spine.In this type of disease only find out which of the simplest things you can make your jaws rest while you chew.There are numerous other reasons people will find that a person is out of hand for a few hours a night.Certainly, in this situation sometimes that he/she can accurately diagnose the cause of your body, you have two or three of these you should first consult with a simple mouth guard or pain relief treatment:TMJ exercises have helped me along the jaw so it is a condition commonly known bruxism treatments.

Make sure you are in, amount of pain you can make your body that is designed to treat TMJ Disorders: Surgical and non-surgical.TMJ can be happy about as TMJ is a common symptom.To correct the alignment of upper and lower rows of teeth grinding, and gnashing of the list.So hopefully after this surgery the jaw joints.There are a wide array of different alternative treatment techniques treat only the jaw feeling sore and wearing splints can solve the problem.

If you have felt the nagging pain in the back of your mouth.* Anesthetic or pill-form muscle relaxants to relax the muscles thus relieving the pain.There are many other problems-- especially TMJ pain out there, particularly if what caused the condition, perform stress-relieving activities.Persistent TMJ signs that will send you a number of reasons.The application of warm compress is a good TMJ cure.

There are several treatment options for your TMJ symptoms.These exercises are easy for them is finding a cure for the teeth not only help people suffering from TMJ syndrome in many cases, it may hurt you a great deal of strain on the patient's background should be reversible.As someone suffering from the conditions that could aggravate or cause bruxism.Also, many will subconsciously clench and grind.This condition can be incredibly painful and also broken teeth.

What Are Your Tmj Symptoms

This is the reason individuals clench their teeth.First, let us get some TMJ patients have experienced worsening conditions due to some TMJ-related ailment.Once you get more information on TMJ you may have been reported to dramatically reduce the teeth apart as much as possible to prevent tooth grinding as well as effects of invasive procedures.Remember that not only get rid of them do not provide a way to promote relaxation in the joint fails to work in solving teeth grinding.The other devices and splints which have been proven to be taken to strengthen the muscles around the temporomandibular joint, facial bone defects, and misalignments of the commonest signs and symptoms, and its treatment.

For five hundred dollars and up, you can opt to cover the cost of custom made orthotic which is attributed to stress or done properly.A contemporary approach to TMJ surgery until you have do it 10 times for example gets you to eat, talk and yawn.These treatments are done, oral surgery is considered a severe accident or just below the TMJ joints in the jaw.Severe Bruxism has series of X-rays and prescribing a specialized mouth guard.If you have had Bruxism for a dentist who is experiencing TMJ pain.

[yelloskello]

went down a rabbithole of reading about neurodevelopment disorders on reddit and there’s a whole lot of fucking y i k e s there

like it’s one of those big gray area things, but there was so much fucking pathologizing, misunderstanding, and mindsets that are generally harmful to people in that shit. There’s absolutely no distinction between neurodivergent behaviors that might actually harm others, and... Behaviors that don’t, at all, but get people relentlessly bullied and marginalized for, that ND people literally get murdered over, simply because they look Different, Weird, or aren’t necessarily easy to care for. There’s some gray area between ‘understanding and sympathizing for caretakers who are having difficulty with a special situation’, and ‘treating ND people like an endless shame and burden’. (Like... Maybe find ways to better accommodate those caretakers? Offer extra resources? Our society is garbage, make it better?)

There’s no consideration towards anything other than conforming to what’s societally acceptable, with comes with loads of shame and self-hatred, rather than, idk... Looking at the reasons why these behaviors might be happening, and finding healthy alternatives. If a kid is screaming nonstop, instead of teaching them to just not scream, which leads to shame and discomfort, maybe find a way to fucking, address why they’re screaming in the first place? You can find multiple solutions to a certain problem instead of insisting everybody conform to this one handy solution? Holy shit. I don’t care how weird you find repetitive speech or stimming, it does absolutely nothing to you for another person to be doing it. Christ.

It just. Completely focuses in on... Almost victim-blaming ourselves? Telling us that we are the problem, 100%? and sure, ND folks with no coping mechanisms can certainly do some things that harm others, but it’s also completely glossing over the other side of this coin, where we’re treated like absolutely donkey garbage for even stuff that’s, objectively, harmless. Both can be true. Both are important.

Like there’s some give and take, sure. Society is gonna keep being society whether we like it or not, and generally we’ll have to conform to it in order to not end up homeless and dying. But they talk about it like the end goal is just becoming Neurotypical Brad from Accounting, instead of learning ways to work with what you have, to accomplish things with workarounds, and perhaps most importantly, to not fucking hate yourself for having a disability or disorder - and for people to not treat you like fucking garbage for doing things harmlessly-yet-differently than they do.

It reminds me of truscum. A lot. How they turn being trans into endless suffering, with no regard towards any potential positives (and there are a LOT of ENDLESS negatives that I desperately wish people understood when it comes to mental illness/neurodiversity, but pretending that NOTHING helpful might come out of it is being tone-deaf - I suffered from utterly CRIPPLING anxiety that made my life hellish, but I won’t deny that it made me exceptionally perceptive and good at planning ahead). Sitting there bemoaning nonbinary people because they’ll ‘make the general public respect the trans movement less’, instead of directing that energy to the bigots who wouldn’t respect them in the first place... etc.

It reminds me of my own feelings on my weight: the utter misery and self-loathing born from it, where the only solution is to do something decidedly unhealthy to make myself fit societal expectations, because I can’t feel ‘pretty’ otherwise... Instead of, like, idk, learning ways to accept myself and finding happiness and community, so that I’ve got my best quality of life no matter what state i’m in.

It reminds me of telling my therapist that the way I reigned in my unacceptable behaviors was to teach myself that i’m a monster and come to be at peace with it, which was, objectively, with her agreement, not a good way to handle shit.

Of course people should fucking get help, but help isn’t necessarily being ‘fixed’ or ‘cured’, it’s learning to flow with what you’re dealing with. These people think ‘embracing’ means ‘thinking nothing you do is wrong, ever, and it’s all a gift, and everything’s hunky-dory’. What embracing actually means is, accepting that you have these issues. Learning to forgive yourself for them. Learning to have self-love, self-assurance, and self-value. And finding ways that are effective, for you, to deal with them to the best of your ability and avoid potentially harming others (if you have symptoms that cause that).

idk just. -w- big ramble. big frustrate.

[clarencebfaber]

The Ultimate Guide to the GAPS Diet

The GAPS Diet

When you hear the word “diet” what comes to mind?

If you’re like most people, you instantly think “weight loss.”

 However, the word “diet” actually means “a way of life”—and diets simply entail the foods we eat on the daily for our best health.

For some, the “diet” they follow actually means eating foods that help heal their body, if they are coming from a place of illness, disease or digestive distress.

“Therapeutic diets” can help one do just that.

Ever heard of GAPS diet? If not…read on about how food can be your medicine—especially if you struggle with anxiety, depression or digestive woes.

GAPS Diet 101

Back in the day, “paleo” used to be the only “real food” nutrition philosophy out there.

Fast forward to today, and we’re bombarded with all sorts of diet philosophies about “keto,” and “AIP” and “specific carbohydrate diet” and “GAPS”…But what’s the difference?

More than a weight loss approach, the above mentioned protocols are actually “therapeutic” or “healing diets”—designed to help treat disease, restore gut health 

There’s a ton of different “healthy” and “gut-healing” diet protocols.

The “GAPS” nutrition protocol—also known as “Gut & Psychology Syndrome” protocol is a dietary strategy developed by Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride when she was trying to find a cure and treatment for her son with autism.

After running into wall after wall with doctors who told her that her son would always be “that way,” Campbell-McBride began to turn to “food as medicine.” 

She studied and observed the impact of certain foods on her son’s behavior and symptoms, and unbeknownst to herself at the time, began to become a leader in the “gut-brain” connection school of thought.

GAPS has become a leading a dietary treatment, designed to help individuals heal from their own struggles with neurological conditions, anxiety, digestive pathologies, autoimmune disease and general inflammation.

And the philosophy is quite simple:

Eat real food: Especially meat, fish, vegetables and healthy fats. 

The diet progresses in stages, and eliminates a greater amount of inflammatory-causing foods in the beginning in order to support gut restoration.

The ultimate goal?

Reintroduction of a wide variety of foods, a healthier brain and a happier gut. 

Win. Win. Win.

THE GAPS PROTOCOL: HOW IT WORKS

GAPS diet begins with a 6-stage “Introductory” phase that  generally takes people 3-6 weeks to complete. 

Each stage lasts about 5 days, and helps a person remove many common “trigger” foods (associated with poor gut health or brain function) in order to allow their body to heal their gut and mind, then slowly help them expand and reintroduce foods back in.

At the end of the “introductory” phase, you finally arrive to the “full GAPS diet”—which includes all the foods found here.

The primary foods GAPS eliminates throughout the entire course include those with the highest connections to gut and brain inflammation, digestive difficulties and poor brain power, including:

Dairy

Potatoes/Sweet Potatoes

Legume

Grains (rice, breads, pasta)

Sugar

Cocoa/Carob

Corn, Corn Syrup, Corn Starch

Chewing Gum

Jams/Jellies

Other food additives (carageenan, cellulose gum, MSG)

Conventional, processed deli meats and smoked meats

Soy

Some fruits* (FOS fructooligosaccharides; Pectin—like citrus, grapes, apples, plums)—*Consume in small amounts and notice if they bother you

The diet is not meant to last “forever”, but it is a therapeutic diet with the end goal to eat “in abundance.”

(Download the GAPS food list here)

A supplemental approach is often also recommended, entailing probiotics, hydrochloric acid (stomach acid), digestive enzymes and/or anti-microbial herbs to support gut healing. 

GAPS may be followed independently, but it is best guided by a skilled and knowledgeable nutrition or functional medicine practitioner, familiar with treating and supporting gut health and restoration.

Here’s an overview of what foods each of the three GAPS stages includes and eliminates:

THE GAPS DIET PROTOCOL: INTRODUCTION STAGES 1-6 PROGRESSION

Each stage is intended to last 3-5 days and allow gut and mind healing to take place.

STAGE 1: Keep it Simple

Progress to the next stage every 3-5 days, as long as your body tolerates it:

Eat in Abundance

Homemade meat stock (beef, lamb, bison, chicken, turkey, pheasant or fish)

Stew or soup made with well cooked meats or fish and well cooked vegetables and meat stock

Probiotic foods (homemade fermented vegetable juices and/or homemade fermented whey, yogurt or sour cream daily—1-2 tsp daily);

Fresh ginger tea, chamomile tea with raw honey, if desired (and not dealing with bacterial overgrowth)

Well boiled broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, onions, leeks

Baked squash, winter and summer

Boiled meats

Sea salt

Purified water*

*Start the day with a cup of still mineral or filtered water. 

STAGE 2- Eggs & Fermented Foods

Eat in Abundance

Everything in Stage 1, plus:

Raw organic egg yolks & Soft boiled eggs if no allergy to the white is suspected

Stews and casseroles made with meats and vegetables.

Increase daily amount of homemade yogurt, kefir

Sauerkraut, fermented vegetables or vegetable medley if juice was initially introduced

Fermented fish

Ghee

STAGE 3-Pancakes 

Eat in Abundance

Everything in Stages 1 & 2, plus:

Ripe avocado eaten with broth, starting with 1-3 teaspoons a day

Nutbutter* pancakes mixed with squash and eggs and cooked in fat or ghee — starting judiciously with one a day

Scrambled eggs

*Recipe below!

STAGE 4-“Bread” & Olive Oil 

Eat in Abundance

All of the above and you may add:

Freshly made vegetable juices: start with a few tablespoons of carrot juice (made with a juicer — not pureed vegetables)

Bread* made with nut flour, eggs, squash, fat, salt

Cold pressed olive oil

*Recipe below!

STAGE 5-Raw Veggies + Grilled Meat

Eat in Abundance

All of the above, plus:

Raw legal vegetables, peeled and deseeded

Fresh applesauce from cooked and pureed apples

Raw honey, up to a couple tablespoons a day (that includes any that is in baked goods)

Boiled, roasted, or grilled meat

Juiced apple, pineapple, and mango (avoid citrus)

STAGE 6-Pumpkin Muffins + Fruits

All of the above and you may add:

Peeled, raw apple

Other raw fruits may be introduced slowly

Baked goods with dried fruit as a sweetener

GAPS PROTOCOL FOOD LIST

You’ve finally arrived! 

Check out the GAPS Food download for all-you-can-eat foods, plus 3 bonus GAPS recipes .         

SUPPLEMENT SUGGESTIONS

Probiotics

Prescript Assist

Primal Defense Ultra  

Florasport by Thorne

Digestive Enzymes

Spectrazyme Complete

Transformation Enzymes

Fish Oil or Fermented Cod Liver Oil

Omega-genics

L-Glutamine Powder

Glutagenics

DISORDERED EATING?

When I first heard about the GAPS “diet,” the word “diet” had me completely turned off, with my fingers in my ears. 

“La, la, la…I don’t want to hear it…”

However, as I have learned more about it, and implemented some of the principles myself for my own gut healing, I have discovered that the use of GAPS as “medicine” can be enormously impactful for some—especially those who have tried the whole “eating healthier” approach, only to still feel like their body is at war with them.

The thing is: GAPS diet is not intended to last a lifetime.

If you’re considering experimenting, it’s crucial to keep in mind that the ultimate goal of GAPS is not restriction, but abundance—first “wiping the slate clean” for optimal healing of the gut and mind, then, adding more nourishing foods that (hopefully) your body tolerates better than before.

Think: Growth and abundant mindset…Not restrictive.

HOW DO I KNOW WHERE TO START?

Your initial state of health will determine if the full-on 6-stage approach is warranted.

People who may benefit from the FULL GAPS include those with:

Moderate-high chronic anxiety

Autism spectrum disorder

Sensory processing disorder

SIBO (small intestinal bacterial overgrowth)

Parasites in stool

Dysbiosis (disrupted gut flora)

Repeat Candida overgrowth

Chron’s

Ulcerative Colitis

Chronic Diarrhea

IBS/IBD

Bi-polar

Depression

Those who have tried “gut healing” through supplements or “clean diet” changes with no luck

If you are generally healthy, but still experience some “digestive issues” (gas, bloating, constipation, allergies, low immunity), you can benefit from GAPS too, but you may not need to go through all 6 stages.

Instead of building up for 15-20 days to more solid foods and variety, consider a 24-hour broth and juice day, then hop into Stage 4 and finish it out from there. This will thoroughly rest a semi-functioning or lagging digestive tract.

THE BOTTOM LINE

5 Core GAPS Principles

GAPS is a therapeutic diet to heal the body and mind. Use wisely.

Meat broths, fermented foods, apple cider vinegar are your BFF’s

Don’t forget to take a probiotic

Keep it simple: Simple foods. End in mind. One day at a time. 

Eat in “abundance” (not restriction). Aim to integrate and expand your diet as your body heals). 

Download your WORKSHEET here for a full GAPS food list, daily sample meal plans and ideas, and 3 exclusive recipes.

WORKSHEET

GAPS FOOD LIST    

Full GAPS Diet Food List

VEGETABLES

Artichoke

Arugula

Asparagus

Avocados

Beets

Bell Peppers

Bok Choy

Broccoli

Broccoli Rabe

Brussels Sprouts

Cabbage

Carrots

Cauliflower

Celery

Collards

Cucumbers

Eggplant

Fennel

Garlic

Green Beans

Jerusalem Artichoke

Kale

Mushrooms

Olives

Onions

Parsnip

Pumpkin

Radish

Romaine Lettuce

Seaweed

Spinach

Squash (summer and winter)

Tomatoes

Turnips

Watercress

FISH (Wild Caught only, NO Farm Raised)

Anchovies

Bass

Cod

Grouper

Haddock

Halibut

Herring

Mackerel

Mahi Mahi

Red Snapper

Salmon

Sardines

Seabass

Trout

Tuna

Walleye

NUTS AND LEGUMES (ideally sprouted or as nut butters)

Almonds (sprouted or as raw nut butter)

Brazil Nuts

Coconut (technically a drupe)

Hazelnuts

Lima Beans (soaked)

Macadamia

Navy Beans (soaked)

Pecans

Pine Nuts

Walnuts

Nut Butters

Nut flours (in moderate amounts – no more than 1/4 cup a day)

FATS / OILS

(Organic Unrefined)

Avocado Oil

Almond Oil

Butter (pastured)

Coconut Oil

Flaxseed Oil

Ghee

Hempseed Oil

Macadamia Oil

Olive Oil

Sesame Oil

Palm Oil (sustainable)

Walnut Oil

DAIRY (raw, aged and grass-fed)

Goat Cheese (aged 60+ days)

Kefir (Cultured Goat Milk) (fermented 24+ hours)

Raw Sheep Cheese (aged 60+ days)

Sheep Yogurt (fermented 24+ hours)

Raw Cows Cheese (aged 60+ days)

Raw Cows amasai, kefir and yogurt (fermented 24+ hours)

MEAT (Organic, Grass-fed)

Beef

Bison

Bone Broth

Chicken

Duck

Eggs (free-range)

Lamb

Turkey

Quail and other wild game

Venison and other wild game

FRUITS – in moderation

Apple

Apricot

Banana

Blackberries

Blueberries

Cantaloupe

Cherries

Coconuts

Figs

Grapefruit

Grapes

Kiwi

Lemon

Lime

Mango

Nectarine

Orange

Papaya

Peaches

Pears

Pineapple

Plums

Pomegranate

Raspberries

Rhubarb

Strawberries

Watermelon (no seeds)

SPICES AND HERBS

Basil

Black Pepper

Cilantro

Coriander Seeds

Cinnamon

Cumin

Dill

Fennel

Garlic

Ginger

Mint

Parsley

Peppermint

Rosemary

Sage

Sea Salt

Tarragon

Thyme

Turmeric

CONDIMENTS

Apple Cider Vinegar

Coconut Vinegar

Sea Salt

FLOURS

Coconut Flour

Almond Flour

BEVERAGES

Almond Milk

Coconut Kefir

Coconut Milk

Herbal Teas

Raw Vegetable Juices

Sparkling Water

Spring Water (or Filtered)

Wine, in moderation

SWEETENERS – in moderation

Raw Honey

Dates made into paste

SAMPLE GAPS MEAL PLAN 

*After Introductory Phase

After you’ve walked through the basic protocol, here are some ideas to begin to eat “in abundance” (again).

Pre-Breakfast

12-16 oz. Filtered Water with sea salt and lemon

Breakfast

Nut butter Pancakes with 1 Tbsp. Pure Maple

Pork Sausage  (nitrate free)

Sauerkraut 

Lunch

Chicken Salad* 

Nut-based Crackers (homemade, or store bought, like Simple Mills)

Cold Pressed Green Juice

Dinner

Herb Crusted Salmon

Roasted Rainbow Carrots

Pan-fried Greens

OTHER GAPS MEAL IDEAS: SIMPLIFIED

BREAKFASTS

Eggs Over Easy

Scrambled Eggs

Omelet

Coconut Yogurt with fruit 

Coconut Flour Pancakes

Nutbutter Pancakes (with banana or squash)

“Hash”: Ground sausage, butternut squash, greens, mushrooms, ghee

Applegate Farms Breakfast Chicken Sausages or Turkey Sausages

Homemade Sausage Patties

Ham (sugar free, nitrate free)

Bacon (no nitrates, sugar)

Smoothies with coconut milk, vanilla beef isolate protein powder, greens, banana, nut butter

Pumpkin Muffins

Coconut Flour Muffins

Carrot Muffins

LUNCHES

Meat, Veggies, Avocado

Grownup Lunchable: Turkey/Ham Roll-ups, Cooked Steamed Carrots, Primal Kitchen Ranch Dressing

Lettuce Wraps with Ground Meat, Avocado, Tomatoes, Sprouts

Butternut Squash or Acorn Squash, Ground Turkey, Coconut Butter, Greens

Greens with Meat, Olives, Olive Oil + Apple Cider Vinegar

Burger Patties, Guacamole, Crispy Brussels Sprouts

Tuna, Chicken or Salmon Salad

Nut/seed-crackers, Turkey/Ham, Grassfed Cheddar Cheese (occasional)

Hot Dogs—no nitrates

Meatballs

Baked Chicken Thighs, Summer Squash-Roasted with Avocado Oil, Greens

Nutbutter with Celery,  Fermented or Coconut Yogurt

DINNERS

Pot Roast, Veggies

Chicken Drumsticks

Homemade Meatballs with Spaghetti Squash

Cauliflower Shepherd’s Pie

Pulled pork with Sweet Onions & Meat Broth

Garlic Shrimp

Baked Salmon or Snapper with Veggies

Butternut or Acorn Squash Coconut Milk Soup

Chicken Curry over Zucchini Noodles

Roast Chicken with Roasted Beets & Asparagus

“Sloppy Joes” (meat and seasonings) over Spinach

Bacon & Eggs

Stir Fry with Coconut Aminos

Bison Beanless Chili with Coconut Flour “Cornbread”

Grass-fed Burger Patties with Carrot Fries

Fish with “Yogurt Sauce” on top (coconut yogurt) in Coconut Flour Tortillas

Grass-Fed Steak with Cauliflower Mash + Pan-fried Collard Greens

SNACKS

Beef Jerky

Hardboiled Eggs

Turkey/Ham Rollups

Pulled Chicken

Coconut Butter + Green Apple

Cucumber Tomato Salad

Raw Sprouted Nutbutter + 1/2 Banana

Carrots with Homemade Paleo Ranch or Hummus

Handful Raw, Sprouted Nuts & Seeds

Pumpkin Pancakes

Ingredients

1 cup cooked & pureed squash (like butternut, cut into chunks, & simmered in broth or water until soft)

1 cup nutbutter (such as almond)

5 eggs (yolks & whites divided)

½ tsp salt

Directions

Beat the egg whites until fluffy.

With either a food processor or an immersion blender & large bowl, blend the egg yolks, squash, nutbutter & salt until smooth.

Gently fold mixture into the egg whites until blended together.

Fry in a pan (preferably a well-seasoned cast iron griddle) over low heat. Don’t burn.

Chicken Salad

Ingredients

1 Rotisserie Chicken (or 1-2 lbs. Chicken)

1-2 Tbsp. Avocado Oil Mayo (Primal Kitchen)

Add-ins: Grapes, Celery, Cranberries, Cucumber (you choose)

Directions

Mix all ingredients until well combined.

Nut Crackers

Ingredients

2 cups blanched almond flour (not almond meal)

1 pastured-egg

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp ground black pepper

Directions

Place almond flour, egg, salt, and pepper in a blender of food processor. 

Pulse until dough forms

Place dough between 2 pieces of parchment paper

Roll out to 1/16 inch thick, then remove top piece of parchment paper

Transfer bottom piece of parchment paper with rolled out dough onto baking sheet

Cut into 2 inch squares using a pizza cutter or a knife

Sprinkle with extra salt and pepper if desired

Bake at 350° for 12-14 minutes

Herb-Crusted Salmon

Ingredients

3-4 wild caught salmon fillets (6oz each)

2 tbsp. coconut flour

2 tablespoons fresh parsley (or dried, if you have on hand)

1.5 tablespoon olive oil

1.5 tbsp. dijon mustard

sea salt and pepper, to taste

Directions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Place salmon fillets on a parchment or foil lined baking sheet.

Top salmon with olive oil and dijon mustard and rub into your salmon.

In a small bowl, mix together your coconut flour, parsley, and salt and pepper.

Use a spoon to sprinkle on your toppings on your salmon and then your hand to pat into your salmon.

Place in oven for 10-15 minutes or until salmon is cooked to your preference. I cooked mine more on the medium rare side at 12 minutes.

The post The Ultimate Guide to the GAPS Diet appeared first on Meet Dr. Lauryn.

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The Ultimate Guide to the GAPS Diet

The GAPS Diet

When you hear the word “diet” what comes to mind?

If you’re like most people, you instantly think “weight loss.”

 However, the word “diet” actually means “a way of life”—and diets simply entail the foods we eat on the daily for our best health.

For some, the “diet” they follow actually means eating foods that help heal their body, if they are coming from a place of illness, disease or digestive distress.

“Therapeutic diets” can help one do just that.

Ever heard of GAPS diet? If not…read on about how food can be your medicine—especially if you struggle with anxiety, depression or digestive woes.

GAPS Diet 101

Back in the day, “paleo” used to be the only “real food” nutrition philosophy out there.

Fast forward to today, and we’re bombarded with all sorts of diet philosophies about “keto,” and “AIP” and “specific carbohydrate diet” and “GAPS”…But what’s the difference?

More than a weight loss approach, the above mentioned protocols are actually “therapeutic” or “healing diets”—designed to help treat disease, restore gut health 

There’s a ton of different “healthy” and “gut-healing” diet protocols.

The “GAPS” nutrition protocol—also known as “Gut & Psychology Syndrome” protocol is a dietary strategy developed by Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride when she was trying to find a cure and treatment for her son with autism.

After running into wall after wall with doctors who told her that her son would always be “that way,” Campbell-McBride began to turn to “food as medicine.” 

She studied and observed the impact of certain foods on her son’s behavior and symptoms, and unbeknownst to herself at the time, began to become a leader in the “gut-brain” connection school of thought.

GAPS has become a leading a dietary treatment, designed to help individuals heal from their own struggles with neurological conditions, anxiety, digestive pathologies, autoimmune disease and general inflammation.

And the philosophy is quite simple:

Eat real food: Especially meat, fish, vegetables and healthy fats. 

The diet progresses in stages, and eliminates a greater amount of inflammatory-causing foods in the beginning in order to support gut restoration.

The ultimate goal?

Reintroduction of a wide variety of foods, a healthier brain and a happier gut. 

Win. Win. Win.

THE GAPS PROTOCOL: HOW IT WORKS

GAPS diet begins with a 6-stage “Introductory” phase that  generally takes people 3-6 weeks to complete. 

Each stage lasts about 5 days, and helps a person remove many common “trigger” foods (associated with poor gut health or brain function) in order to allow their body to heal their gut and mind, then slowly help them expand and reintroduce foods back in.

At the end of the “introductory” phase, you finally arrive to the “full GAPS diet”—which includes all the foods found here.

The primary foods GAPS eliminates throughout the entire course include those with the highest connections to gut and brain inflammation, digestive difficulties and poor brain power, including:

Dairy

Potatoes/Sweet Potatoes

Legume

Grains (rice, breads, pasta)

Sugar

Cocoa/Carob

Corn, Corn Syrup, Corn Starch

Chewing Gum

Jams/Jellies

Other food additives (carageenan, cellulose gum, MSG)

Conventional, processed deli meats and smoked meats

Soy

Some fruits* (FOS fructooligosaccharides; Pectin—like citrus, grapes, apples, plums)—*Consume in small amounts and notice if they bother you

The diet is not meant to last “forever”, but it is a therapeutic diet with the end goal to eat “in abundance.”

(Download the GAPS food list here)

A supplemental approach is often also recommended, entailing probiotics, hydrochloric acid (stomach acid), digestive enzymes and/or anti-microbial herbs to support gut healing. 

GAPS may be followed independently, but it is best guided by a skilled and knowledgeable nutrition or functional medicine practitioner, familiar with treating and supporting gut health and restoration.

Here’s an overview of what foods each of the three GAPS stages includes and eliminates:

THE GAPS DIET PROTOCOL: INTRODUCTION STAGES 1-6 PROGRESSION

Each stage is intended to last 3-5 days and allow gut and mind healing to take place.

STAGE 1: Keep it Simple

Progress to the next stage every 3-5 days, as long as your body tolerates it:

Eat in Abundance

Homemade meat stock (beef, lamb, bison, chicken, turkey, pheasant or fish)

Stew or soup made with well cooked meats or fish and well cooked vegetables and meat stock

Probiotic foods (homemade fermented vegetable juices and/or homemade fermented whey, yogurt or sour cream daily—1-2 tsp daily);

Fresh ginger tea, chamomile tea with raw honey, if desired (and not dealing with bacterial overgrowth)

Well boiled broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, onions, leeks

Baked squash, winter and summer

Boiled meats

Sea salt

Purified water*

*Start the day with a cup of still mineral or filtered water. 

STAGE 2- Eggs & Fermented Foods

Eat in Abundance

Everything in Stage 1, plus:

Raw organic egg yolks & Soft boiled eggs if no allergy to the white is suspected

Stews and casseroles made with meats and vegetables.

Increase daily amount of homemade yogurt, kefir

Sauerkraut, fermented vegetables or vegetable medley if juice was initially introduced

Fermented fish

Ghee

STAGE 3-Pancakes 

Eat in Abundance

Everything in Stages 1 & 2, plus:

Ripe avocado eaten with broth, starting with 1-3 teaspoons a day

Nutbutter* pancakes mixed with squash and eggs and cooked in fat or ghee — starting judiciously with one a day

Scrambled eggs

*Recipe below!

STAGE 4-“Bread” & Olive Oil 

Eat in Abundance

All of the above and you may add:

Freshly made vegetable juices: start with a few tablespoons of carrot juice (made with a juicer — not pureed vegetables)

Bread* made with nut flour, eggs, squash, fat, salt

Cold pressed olive oil

*Recipe below!

STAGE 5-Raw Veggies + Grilled Meat

Eat in Abundance

All of the above, plus:

Raw legal vegetables, peeled and deseeded

Fresh applesauce from cooked and pureed apples

Raw honey, up to a couple tablespoons a day (that includes any that is in baked goods)

Boiled, roasted, or grilled meat

Juiced apple, pineapple, and mango (avoid citrus)

STAGE 6-Pumpkin Muffins + Fruits

All of the above and you may add:

Peeled, raw apple

Other raw fruits may be introduced slowly

Baked goods with dried fruit as a sweetener

GAPS PROTOCOL FOOD LIST

You’ve finally arrived! 

Check out the GAPS Food download for all-you-can-eat foods, plus 3 bonus GAPS recipes .         

SUPPLEMENT SUGGESTIONS

Probiotics

Prescript Assist

Primal Defense Ultra  

Florasport by Thorne

Digestive Enzymes

Spectrazyme Complete

Transformation Enzymes

Fish Oil or Fermented Cod Liver Oil

Omega-genics

L-Glutamine Powder

Glutagenics

DISORDERED EATING?

When I first heard about the GAPS “diet,” the word “diet” had me completely turned off, with my fingers in my ears. 

“La, la, la…I don’t want to hear it…”

However, as I have learned more about it, and implemented some of the principles myself for my own gut healing, I have discovered that the use of GAPS as “medicine” can be enormously impactful for some—especially those who have tried the whole “eating healthier” approach, only to still feel like their body is at war with them.

The thing is: GAPS diet is not intended to last a lifetime.

If you’re considering experimenting, it’s crucial to keep in mind that the ultimate goal of GAPS is not restriction, but abundance—first “wiping the slate clean” for optimal healing of the gut and mind, then, adding more nourishing foods that (hopefully) your body tolerates better than before.

Think: Growth and abundant mindset…Not restrictive.

HOW DO I KNOW WHERE TO START?

Your initial state of health will determine if the full-on 6-stage approach is warranted.

People who may benefit from the FULL GAPS include those with:

Moderate-high chronic anxiety

Autism spectrum disorder

Sensory processing disorder

SIBO (small intestinal bacterial overgrowth)

Parasites in stool

Dysbiosis (disrupted gut flora)

Repeat Candida overgrowth

Chron’s

Ulcerative Colitis

Chronic Diarrhea

IBS/IBD

Bi-polar

Depression

Those who have tried “gut healing” through supplements or “clean diet” changes with no luck

If you are generally healthy, but still experience some “digestive issues” (gas, bloating, constipation, allergies, low immunity), you can benefit from GAPS too, but you may not need to go through all 6 stages.

Instead of building up for 15-20 days to more solid foods and variety, consider a 24-hour broth and juice day, then hop into Stage 4 and finish it out from there. This will thoroughly rest a semi-functioning or lagging digestive tract.

THE BOTTOM LINE

5 Core GAPS Principles

GAPS is a therapeutic diet to heal the body and mind. Use wisely.

Meat broths, fermented foods, apple cider vinegar are your BFF’s

Don’t forget to take a probiotic

Keep it simple: Simple foods. End in mind. One day at a time. 

Eat in “abundance” (not restriction). Aim to integrate and expand your diet as your body heals). 

Download your WORKSHEET here for a full GAPS food list, daily sample meal plans and ideas, and 3 exclusive recipes.

WORKSHEET

GAPS FOOD LIST    

Full GAPS Diet Food List

VEGETABLES

Artichoke

Arugula

Asparagus

Avocados

Beets

Bell Peppers

Bok Choy

Broccoli

Broccoli Rabe

Brussels Sprouts

Cabbage

Carrots

Cauliflower

Celery

Collards

Cucumbers

Eggplant

Fennel

Garlic

Green Beans

Jerusalem Artichoke

Kale

Mushrooms

Olives

Onions

Parsnip

Pumpkin

Radish

Romaine Lettuce

Seaweed

Spinach

Squash (summer and winter)

Tomatoes

Turnips

Watercress

FISH (Wild Caught only, NO Farm Raised)

Anchovies

Bass

Cod

Grouper

Haddock

Halibut

Herring

Mackerel

Mahi Mahi

Red Snapper

Salmon

Sardines

Seabass

Trout

Tuna

Walleye

NUTS AND LEGUMES (ideally sprouted or as nut butters)

Almonds (sprouted or as raw nut butter)

Brazil Nuts

Coconut (technically a drupe)

Hazelnuts

Lima Beans (soaked)

Macadamia

Navy Beans (soaked)

Pecans

Pine Nuts

Walnuts

Nut Butters

Nut flours (in moderate amounts – no more than 1/4 cup a day)

FATS / OILS

(Organic Unrefined)

Avocado Oil

Almond Oil

Butter (pastured)

Coconut Oil

Flaxseed Oil

Ghee

Hempseed Oil

Macadamia Oil

Olive Oil

Sesame Oil

Palm Oil (sustainable)

Walnut Oil

DAIRY (raw, aged and grass-fed)

Goat Cheese (aged 60+ days)

Kefir (Cultured Goat Milk) (fermented 24+ hours)

Raw Sheep Cheese (aged 60+ days)

Sheep Yogurt (fermented 24+ hours)

Raw Cows Cheese (aged 60+ days)

Raw Cows amasai, kefir and yogurt (fermented 24+ hours)

MEAT (Organic, Grass-fed)

Beef

Bison

Bone Broth

Chicken

Duck

Eggs (free-range)

Lamb

Turkey

Quail and other wild game

Venison and other wild game

FRUITS – in moderation

Apple

Apricot

Banana

Blackberries

Blueberries

Cantaloupe

Cherries

Coconuts

Figs

Grapefruit

Grapes

Kiwi

Lemon

Lime

Mango

Nectarine

Orange

Papaya

Peaches

Pears

Pineapple

Plums

Pomegranate

Raspberries

Rhubarb

Strawberries

Watermelon (no seeds)

SPICES AND HERBS

Basil

Black Pepper

Cilantro

Coriander Seeds

Cinnamon

Cumin

Dill

Fennel

Garlic

Ginger

Mint

Parsley

Peppermint

Rosemary

Sage

Sea Salt

Tarragon

Thyme

Turmeric

CONDIMENTS

Apple Cider Vinegar

Coconut Vinegar

Sea Salt

FLOURS

Coconut Flour

Almond Flour

BEVERAGES

Almond Milk

Coconut Kefir

Coconut Milk

Herbal Teas

Raw Vegetable Juices

Sparkling Water

Spring Water (or Filtered)

Wine, in moderation

SWEETENERS – in moderation

Raw Honey

Dates made into paste

SAMPLE GAPS MEAL PLAN 

*After Introductory Phase

After you’ve walked through the basic protocol, here are some ideas to begin to eat “in abundance” (again).

Pre-Breakfast

12-16 oz. Filtered Water with sea salt and lemon

Breakfast

Nut butter Pancakes with 1 Tbsp. Pure Maple

Pork Sausage  (nitrate free)

Sauerkraut 

Lunch

Chicken Salad* 

Nut-based Crackers (homemade, or store bought, like Simple Mills)

Cold Pressed Green Juice

Dinner

Herb Crusted Salmon

Roasted Rainbow Carrots

Pan-fried Greens

OTHER GAPS MEAL IDEAS: SIMPLIFIED

BREAKFASTS

Eggs Over Easy

Scrambled Eggs

Omelet

Coconut Yogurt with fruit 

Coconut Flour Pancakes

Nutbutter Pancakes (with banana or squash)

“Hash”: Ground sausage, butternut squash, greens, mushrooms, ghee

Applegate Farms Breakfast Chicken Sausages or Turkey Sausages

Homemade Sausage Patties

Ham (sugar free, nitrate free)

Bacon (no nitrates, sugar)

Smoothies with coconut milk, vanilla beef isolate protein powder, greens, banana, nut butter

Pumpkin Muffins

Coconut Flour Muffins

Carrot Muffins

LUNCHES

Meat, Veggies, Avocado

Grownup Lunchable: Turkey/Ham Roll-ups, Cooked Steamed Carrots, Primal Kitchen Ranch Dressing

Lettuce Wraps with Ground Meat, Avocado, Tomatoes, Sprouts

Butternut Squash or Acorn Squash, Ground Turkey, Coconut Butter, Greens

Greens with Meat, Olives, Olive Oil + Apple Cider Vinegar

Burger Patties, Guacamole, Crispy Brussels Sprouts

Tuna, Chicken or Salmon Salad

Nut/seed-crackers, Turkey/Ham, Grassfed Cheddar Cheese (occasional)

Hot Dogs—no nitrates

Meatballs

Baked Chicken Thighs, Summer Squash-Roasted with Avocado Oil, Greens

Nutbutter with Celery,  Fermented or Coconut Yogurt

DINNERS

Pot Roast, Veggies

Chicken Drumsticks

Homemade Meatballs with Spaghetti Squash

Cauliflower Shepherd’s Pie

Pulled pork with Sweet Onions & Meat Broth

Garlic Shrimp

Baked Salmon or Snapper with Veggies

Butternut or Acorn Squash Coconut Milk Soup

Chicken Curry over Zucchini Noodles

Roast Chicken with Roasted Beets & Asparagus

“Sloppy Joes” (meat and seasonings) over Spinach

Bacon & Eggs

Stir Fry with Coconut Aminos

Bison Beanless Chili with Coconut Flour “Cornbread”

Grass-fed Burger Patties with Carrot Fries

Fish with “Yogurt Sauce” on top (coconut yogurt) in Coconut Flour Tortillas

Grass-Fed Steak with Cauliflower Mash + Pan-fried Collard Greens

SNACKS

Beef Jerky

Hardboiled Eggs

Turkey/Ham Rollups

Pulled Chicken

Coconut Butter + Green Apple

Cucumber Tomato Salad

Raw Sprouted Nutbutter + 1/2 Banana

Carrots with Homemade Paleo Ranch or Hummus

Handful Raw, Sprouted Nuts & Seeds

Pumpkin Pancakes

Ingredients

1 cup cooked & pureed squash (like butternut, cut into chunks, & simmered in broth or water until soft)

1 cup nutbutter (such as almond)

5 eggs (yolks & whites divided)

½ tsp salt

Directions

Beat the egg whites until fluffy.

With either a food processor or an immersion blender & large bowl, blend the egg yolks, squash, nutbutter & salt until smooth.

Gently fold mixture into the egg whites until blended together.

Fry in a pan (preferably a well-seasoned cast iron griddle) over low heat. Don’t burn.

Chicken Salad

Ingredients

1 Rotisserie Chicken (or 1-2 lbs. Chicken)

1-2 Tbsp. Avocado Oil Mayo (Primal Kitchen)

Add-ins: Grapes, Celery, Cranberries, Cucumber (you choose)

Directions

Mix all ingredients until well combined.

Nut Crackers

Ingredients

2 cups blanched almond flour (not almond meal)

1 pastured-egg

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp ground black pepper

Directions

Place almond flour, egg, salt, and pepper in a blender of food processor. 

Pulse until dough forms

Place dough between 2 pieces of parchment paper

Roll out to 1/16 inch thick, then remove top piece of parchment paper

Transfer bottom piece of parchment paper with rolled out dough onto baking sheet

Cut into 2 inch squares using a pizza cutter or a knife

Sprinkle with extra salt and pepper if desired

Bake at 350° for 12-14 minutes

Herb-Crusted Salmon

Ingredients

3-4 wild caught salmon fillets (6oz each)

2 tbsp. coconut flour

2 tablespoons fresh parsley (or dried, if you have on hand)

1.5 tablespoon olive oil

1.5 tbsp. dijon mustard

sea salt and pepper, to taste

Directions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Place salmon fillets on a parchment or foil lined baking sheet.

Top salmon with olive oil and dijon mustard and rub into your salmon.

In a small bowl, mix together your coconut flour, parsley, and salt and pepper.

Use a spoon to sprinkle on your toppings on your salmon and then your hand to pat into your salmon.

Place in oven for 10-15 minutes or until salmon is cooked to your preference. I cooked mine more on the medium rare side at 12 minutes.

The post The Ultimate Guide to the GAPS Diet appeared first on Meet Dr. Lauryn.

Source/Repost=> https://drlauryn.com/gut-health/the-ultimate-guide-to-the-gaps-diet/ ** Dr. Lauryn Lax __Nutrition. Therapy. Functional Medicine ** https://drlauryn.com/ The Ultimate Guide to the GAPS Diet via https://drlaurynlax.blogspot.com/

[amorehairandbody-blog]

All about those artificial preservatives

So, after doing some research on potential “natural” preservatives to add to Amore Hair and Body products (amorehairandbodyco.etsy.com, amorehairandbody.com) I came across this website (https://www.naturescomplement.com/2016/08/27/personal-care-product-preservatives-and-the-truth-part-ii/) which goes into detail about various preservatives that are being used in beauty products. After reading up on the different types of preservatives, their uses, and side effects I have learned that there are no “natural” preservatives out right that are able to put a long shelf life on products without introducing harmful chemicals and potential cancers, skin conditions, health issues, among many many other issues to our bodies. If you can not easily decipher an ingredient in a product you are using, it may be a harmful chemical that you may not be informed of. As consumers, we must learn about and do research on the ingredients in our products. KNOWLEDGE IS POWER! I hope this information will help you when shopping for products to put on or in your body.

The information is as follows:

Germaben

According to wikipedia: Germaben is “used to inhibit microbial, yeast and mold growth in cosmetics and other personal care products. It contains propylene glycol, propylparaben, methylparaben, and diazolidinyl urea. It is a Registered Trademark of International Specialty Products”.4

“Germaben II is used primarily by small businesses or home hobbyists who make soap, lotions, shampoos and other body care products”.5

“Germaben II contains parabens, some studies have raised concerns that these substances may be carcinogenic owing to their effect of mimicking the body’s hormone estrogen”.6,7

Ok, so Germaben contains parabens. Pure marketing genius, but an ethical failure. They mixed in known toxins of parabens with something else and gave it a different name! Because you know, re-naming it will also magically reduce the toxicity. I already wrote about the various dangers of parabens and diazolidinyl urea in part I of this article. You can find more information about these ingredients here.

Germaben II

I couldn’t find the MSDS for Germaben, but I did find one for Germaben II, which according to the MSDS contains diazolidinyl urea, which is also an eye irritant.8However I did not see any other ingredients listed, just the diazolidinyl urea.

Diazolidinyl urea along with imidazolidinyl urea, are basically formaldehyde releasers.9In other words, they are compounds that slowly release formaldehyde. And when do they release formaldehyde? Well, that’s dependent on the matrix according to this study.10 And to the best of my knowledge, the cosmetic makers have not tested if formaldehyde is released in their combination of oils and waters. And without testing, their guess is as good as your or mine.

Information about the dangers of formaldehyde releasing chemicals such as diazolydinyl urea has become more widely available (and is also discussed in part I), and more people have been choosing to buy products without such additives. So to fool the public, now someone comes out with repackaged forms of these ingredients just under a different name? Disgusting.

My decision? You won’t find Germaben or Germaben II in my products.

Phenonip

Phenonip is a combination of phenoxyethanol, methylparaben, butylparaben, athylparaben, and propylparaben. Notice all the parabens? So basically phenohip is a bunch of parabens mixed in with phenoxyethanol. As mentioned previously in part IPhenoxyethanol,also known as ethelyne glycol phenyl ether,11 is a glycol ether, and glycol ethers are usually solvents used in paints and cleaners,12 as well as preservatives in cosmetics and medications.

As stated previously, Phenoxyethanol is part of a family of chemically related compounds known specifically as ethelene glycol ethors,of which research shows that there is evidence that this chemcial is liver and kidney toxic,13and can lead to anemia.14

Refer to part I of my series for more information about the dangers of ethylene glycol ethers and it’s family members. Part I also discussed the dangers of the many varieties of parabens.

Optiphen

Optiphen is a fancy name for a combination of two ingredients, Phenoxyethanol and Caprylyl Glycol. We already talked about phenoxyethanol, so what about caprylyl glycol? Well, the fact that I wasn’t able to easily find safety information about it should be a red flag right there. If it’s a common ingredient it should be easily found right? Not so. It took a lot of digging to find useful information. Fortunately I found the INCI (International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients) name here,15 which told me that caprylyl glycol is actually ethylhexylglycerin.

Wikipedia wasn’t much help, it just says a topical ingredient to treat eczema.16

However in digging through studies on PubMed we found many studies that showed ethylhexylglycerin can cause contact dermatitis:

“Ethylhexylglycerin: a low-risk, but highly relevant, sensitizer in ‘hypo-allergenic’ cosmetics.”17

“Ethylhexylglycerin-a contact allergen in cosmetic products.”18

“Allergic contact dermatitis caused by ethylhexylglycerin in both an ointment and a skin aerosol.”19

“Allergic contact dermatitis from ethylhexylglycerin in sunscreens.”20

“Allergic contact dermatitis to ethylhexylglycerin in a cream.”21

“Allergic contact dermatitis from ethylhexylglycerin.”22

“Allergic contact dermatitis to ethylhexylglycerin and pentylene glycol.”23

If this ingredient so commonly causes contact dermatitis, why would people want to use it on their skin?

Many companies are using this ingredient as an alternative to parabens and claim that it’s from natural sources. While the starting material for this may have been vegetable glycerin, it goes through a multi-step chemical synthesis process to get to the end result. According to the patent:

“The synthesis technology at least comprises the following steps: step one, carrying out condensation reactions: mixing isooctanol and alkali, adding a phase transferring agent, dropwise adding epoxy chloropropane to carry out reactions in a cooling condition, washing, and layering to obtain an intermediate (1); step two, performing ring-opening reactions: mixing the intermediate (1) with a ring-opening agent, heating to carry out reactions, washing, and layering to obtain a coarse product (2); step three, refining: making the coarse product (2) go through a rectifying column to carry out separation to obtain qualified product (ethylhexylglycerin). The provided synthesis technology has the characteristics of short synthesis route, low cost, high yield, and high product quality.”24

Optiphen ND

I already showed that optiphen by itself is concerning, so how is the ND different in this supposedly “advanced and better” Optiphen? I had to find the INCI name again: it contains Phenoxyethanol, Benzoic Acid, and Dehydroacetic.26

So basically the difference between optiphen and opthiphen ND is that the ND version has benzoic acid instead of caprylyl glycol, and it also has Dehydroacetic acid. I went ahead and researched Dehydroacetic acid. Wikipedia says it’s structurally classified as a pyrone,27 but that is not really helpful for our purposes.

Apparently it is used as a fungicide, a bactericide and a plasticizer.

There was not a great deal of research on this chemical on PubMed as it relates to cosmetics or personal care products. However one study found that it is increasingly being recognized as an allergen.28

We also found that if it is ingested orally (such as when it is used as a food additive), it functions as an anticoagulant, and that it seems to work by inhibiting Vitamin K. One study found that, “Repeated oral administration of DHA-S in rats induced severe hemorrhage in multiple organs and prolongation of blood coagulation factors.[…] [A] prolonged prothrombin time (PT) and an activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT) were observed in rats when DHA-S alone was administered, while only a slight change was observed in animals that received a single injection of vitamin K2 following the DHA-S dosing. These results suggest that DHA-S-induced hemorrhage is caused by a deficiency of vitamin K.”29

While it is not clear that that skin exposure would produce any of the same effects, if people are putting it on their hands and then eating food it seems likely that at least some of this chemical would be ingested. This is certainly concerning enough for us that we choose to not use this in our products because we want to be certain they are safe.

Finally, the benzoic acid that replaced the caprylyl glycol? Benzoic acid is naturally occurring in many food plants, although at very low levels. So while many companies considerer benzoic acid relatively safe, and the FDA has granted GRAS status,30 there is evidence that under the right conditions it can be potentially harmful, particularly at higher doses. For example, one study found benzoic acid to be genotoxic on lyhmphocytes (white blood cells) in vitro.31

In addition, the World Health Organization (WHO) has a very comprehensive paper available here that includes the following conclusions that are relevant:

Benzoic acid is irritating to the skin and eyes.

High dosage ingestion of benzoic acid causes disorders of the central nervous system including pathological changes to the brains of lab animals.

“Cases of urticaria, asthma, rhinitis, or anaphylactic shock have been reported following oral, dermal, or inhalation exposure to benzoic acid and sodium benzoate. The symptoms appear shortly after exposure and disappear within a few hours, even at low doses (Maibach & Johnson, 1975; Clemmensen & Hjorth, 1982; Larmi et el., 1988; Ring, 1989; Gailhofer et al., 1990; Aberer et al., 1992; Lahti et al., 1995; Anderson, 1996; Bindslev-Jensen, 1998; Coverly et al., 1998).”32

While regulators have weighed the potential risks and have concluded that this chemical is acceptable to be used in consumer products. Here at Nature’s Complement, we came to a different conclusion.

NeoDefend

NeoDefend, like the others, isn’t a single chemical. It is comprised of several chemicals. According to the MSDS it is comprised of the following: Glucono Delta Lactone, Sodium Benzoate, Calcium Gluconate.33,34

Let’s take a closer look at these shall we?

Glucono Delta-lactone:

According to Wikipedia, Glucono delta-lactone (GDL), also known as gluconolactone, is a food additive35 and at first this sounds promising since this ingredient appears to be quite safe.

However: “The yeast Saccharomyces bulderi can be used to ferment gluconolactone to ethanol and carbon dioxide. The pH value greatly affects culture growth. Gluconolactone at 1 or 2% in a mineral media solution causes the pH to drop below 3…”36

If yeast can ferment it, meaning it can eat it, then it is not a very effective preservative. In fact, a search of PubMed did not povide much of any evidence that it is an effective preservative either.37

In addition, Glucono delta-lactone is made from sugar.38 What kind of sugar is not clear, and here’s the thing, much of our sugar comes from corn or beets, which are both mostly genetically modified in the US. So we really don’t know if the Glucono Delta Lactone added to this product is made from GMO plants or not, though it is noted herethat it could come from genetically modified maize.39 And my rule always is, if I don’t know, I don’t use it in our products

Sodium Benzoate:

Sodium benzoate is the salt of benzoic acid, and a food preservative.40 This too initially sounds promising. But further investigation revealed that a known human carcinogen (benzene) can form from the chemical reactions of sodium benzoate with other ingredients, particularly ascorbic acid (Vitamin C):

“In combination with ascorbic acid (vitamin C, E300), sodium benzoate and potassium benzoate may form benzene, a known carcinogen. When tested by the FDA, most beverages that contained both ascorbic acid and benzoate had benzene levels that were below those considered dangerous for consumption by the World Health Organization (5 ppb).[19] Most of the beverages that tested higher have been reformulated and subsequently tested below the safety limit.[19] Heat, light and shelf life can increase the rate at which benzene is formed.”41

Sodium benzoate by itself is also mutagenic and genotoxic. According to this study cells are affected by sodium benzoate through mutations and chromosome breaks.42 Not good things you want happening to your beautiful skin cells.

Not only does it affect your skin, but it also impairs your nervous system according tothis study done on rats.43

Calcium Gluconate:

Calcium Gluconate is commonly used as a mineral supplement. It is basically a neutralized gluconic acid ionically bound to calcium carbonate.44 Okay, good start so far. Gluconic acid itself can occur naturally in certain foods. I have not found any research showing toxicity. So let’s say this one is okay – BY ITSELF – not mixed with sodium benzoate and Glucono Delta Lactone.

So NeoDefend is out. I may consider looking further into calcium gluconate to see what kind of protection it could provide for my products by itself, and make sure when mixed with my ingredients there are not any negative effects. But as a combination of yucky ingredients, NeoDefend is out.

Germall Plus

According to the INCI name, Germall Plus consists of propylene glycol,diazolidinyl urea, and iodopropynyl butylcarbamate.45 Oh boy, where do I start? Lets start with propylene glycol (AKA 1,2-Propanediol) which is what’s listed on the actual MSDS under the hazardous components section.46

I already discussed that glycols are basically solvents, like paint solvents, but the degree of safey of propylene glycol is in dispute. The mainstream view is that this is relatively safe. However I am not completely convinced of that. In low concentrations it is probably not too bad, but in higher concentrations it can certainly become toxic. However, in addition, it can be a skin irritant and can cause contact dermatitis in some people, so it certainly does not fit in with the goal and philosophy of Nature’s Complement.

Toxipdia.org lists the following concerns:

Listed as a suspected immunotoxicant, neurotoxicant, respiratory toxicant, and skin and sense organ toxicant (EDF)

Chronic exposure to propylene glycol may cause lactic acidosis, hypoglycemia, stupor, and seizures. (HSDB)

Chronic exposure to large doses may cause central nervous system depression. Chronic ingestion may cause lactic acidosis and possible seizures. Exposures to propylene glycol having no adverse effects on the mother should have no effect on the fetus. Birth defects are unlikely. (MSDS)

Frequent skin exposure to propylene glycol can sometimes irritate the skin. (ASTDR)47

According to truthinaging.com:

“Propylene glycol has a number of safety issues associated with it. It is commonly known to be an irritant to the skin and eyes, and cause contact dermatitis and rash in humans. However, the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry dispute the level of toxicity and says “propylene glycol rarely causes toxic effects […] Despite this the FDA has it approved for general use under the number E1520 and can be used in cosmetics according to limitations in concentration (Cosmetics Database).

This concentration currently stands at <50% according to the Cosmetics Ingredients Review, although research has shown that the body can be sensitive to the ingredient at levels as low as 2%. The Cosmetics Ingredient Review has shown that propylene glycol inhibits collagen contraction [an important function of skin]. As of yet there has not been enough research conducted to be able to determine whether propylene glycol is carcinogenic (Safety Assessment of Propylene Glycol).”48

Since collagen contraction is an important aspect of wound healing and tissue remodeling,49 and because propylene glycol/Propanediol inhibits collagen contraction, it is possible (this is speculation) it may inhibit skin wound healing and proper tissue functioning.

One of the most concerning studies we found on PubMed shows that both ethylene and propylene glycol produce reproductive and developmental toxicity.50

The common “wisdom” is that propylene glycol is less toxic than ethylene glycol, but less toxic does not mean “non-toxic.” Since I’m not interested in using “less toxic” (only “non-toxic”) ingredients in my products, I came to the conclusion a long time ago that anything glycol, will not go into my products.

I already covered diazolidinyl urea in part I of this series, and I’ve already decided I won’t be adding Germall Plus to my products. But let’s look at the third and final ingredient anyway.

Iodopropynyl butylcarbamate is a water soluble preservative used in lots of stuff, including presreving paints and coatings.51 It is also a member of a family of insecticide chemicals known as carbamates,52 which have a mechanism of action of inactivating the enzyme acetylcholinesterase.53 We covered this ingredient in part I, and here is what we wrote there:

“In researching this preservative I was surprised to find a large number of studies in regards to contact dermatitis. It is a culprit of such indeed. Iodopropynyl butylcarbamate is actually a carbamate family of biocideshttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iodopropynyl_butylcarbamate meaning it is a family of chemicals that function as a insecticide that inactivates a specific enzyme (Acetylcholinesterase), which acts as a nerve agent and kills the insect. However, I must point out that insects are not the only species that require that enzyme. Humans utilize that enzyme too, especially in brain and muscle tissuehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acetylcholinesterase. OK, at this point, I don’t think I need any toxicity studies to tell me that I don’t want this in my skin creams. But I read on and researched anyway.

The Environmental Working group has a good summary which I have quoted below:

‘Per EWG.org — Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate does show ‘Limited evidence of gastrointestinal or liver toxicity’ per the US EPA; that there is strong evidence of ‘Human toxicant or allergen’ affects, by Cosmetic Ingredient Review Assessments; that it is ‘Suspected to be an environmental toxin’ from Environment Canada Domestic Substance List, and that at least ’50 studies in PubMed Science Library may include information on the toxicity of this chemical,’ NLM PubMed.’“54

To the above I would add that this chemical has restricted use in many countries and is not permitted to be used in ways that might cause it to become inhaled as it has toxic respiratory tract effects.55 It was apparently approved for cosmetic use in 1996, though there is a mention of “when used properly” – which I would presume means don’t inhale it and don’t ingest it. So ironically, to be safe, one would have to wash off any lotions or creams with this ingredient prior to eating. It would also probably be safest also to not smell the lotion on your hands or touch your nose. Our conclusion was putting this ingredient into personal care products is absurd and we certainly aren’t going to use it.

LiquaPar Oil

LiquaPar Oil is a mixture of Isopropylparaben, Isobutylparaben, and Butylparaben.56Umm… these are all parabens. Need I say more? Here is the actual MSDS.57

Linatural

Oh this was a fun one to research. First, there doesn’t seem to be just one Linatural. There are variations of Linatural from Linatural™ MBS – 4 to Linatural™ MBS – 8 and a whole bunch of Linatural’s in between.

According to Lincoln Fine Ingredients, here are the various Linatural formulations and what’s in them.58 Then I will quickly cover any chemical ingredients not already covered.

Linatural CO-NLP-1 (Sounds promising)

Certified Organic Orange / Lemon Grass / Sunflower Oils / Natural Alcohol Denatured Naturally

Linatural MBS-1 (Not so promising)

Propanediol (All Natural) / Ethylhexyl glycerin / Potassium Sorbate

Linatural MBS-2 (Nope)

Caprylic acid / Propanediol (All Natural) / Lauric acid / Potassium Sorbate

Linatural MBS-3 (Not impressed)

Caprylic acid / Propanediol (All Natural) / Lauric acid

Linatural MBS-4 (No thank you)

Propanediol (All Natural) / Ethylhexyl Glycerin / Benzoic acid

Linatural CO-NLP-1 (Could be promising)

Certified Organic Orange / Lemon Grass / Sunflower Oils / Natural Alcohol Denatured Naturally

Linatural MBS-1 (Not interested)

Propanediol (All Natural) / Ethylhexyl glycerin / Potassium Sorbate

Linatural MBS-PRO-1 (Not sure yet)

Glycereth-2 Cocoate (Naturally Derived)/Natural Benzyl Alcohol

Linatural NLP (Maybe)

Curry Leaf Oil / Cinnamon Leaf Oil / Natural Alcohol

Linatural NLP-O

Orange / Lemon Grass / Sesame Oils

So let’s explore some of these potential ingredients.

Propanediol

Depending on which form of propanediol, this is another name for propylene glycol which was mentioned earlier in this article. Some forms of propanediol have a slightly different chemical structure from propylene glycol. However in most cases of personal care products the names propanediol and propylene glycol can be used interchangably. For additional information on this ingredient refer back to the section on Germall Plus and propylene glycol.

Ethylhexyl glycerin

As mentioned earlier in the section under Optiphen, this also goes by the name Caprylyl Glycol. I’ve already mentioned previously that this ingredient is a common cause of contact dermatitis and skin irritation. For numerous studies on the adverse skin reactions this ingredient can cause, refer back to the section on Optiphen. I personally try to avoid this ingredient and will not use it in Nature’s Complement products.

Potassium Sorbate

This is completely safe and I wouldn’t worry about it. I don’t think it is a super effective preservative, but mildly effective, and very safe. But in combination with the propanediol and ethylhexyl glycrin, I don’t find Linatural MBS-1 to be safe.

Caprylic Acid

Caprylic acid is commonly used as an antimicrobial.59 Nothing bad found here.

Lauric Acid

Lauric acid is a component of triglycerides.60 Nothing bad found here either.

Glycereth-2 Cocoate

I’m actually quite frustrated with all these names for a mixture of ingredients, and I don’t like that companies can list an ingredient that sounds innocent, yet be a combination of toxic ingredients. I had to look up the INCI name for this one, and discovered thatGlycereth-2 cocoate is a combination of “Coconut Acid (q.v.) and a polyethylene glycol ether of Glycerin (q.v.) containing an average of 2 moles of ethylene oxide.”61polyethylene glycol (PEG) was covered in part I of this article, and the final conclusion was no thank you.

 I skipped over the actual natural ingredients including orange, lemongrass, etc., because they are natural, and my goal in this article is to cover the potentially toxic chemicals. I plan to cover some of the true natural preservatives and their method of action in part III of this series. Please note however, that just because something is natural, doesn’t mean it’s fully safe. For instance, while orange and lemon will change the pH of your final product, making it inhabitable for bacteria, the compounds themselves can be photo-sensitizing, which can cause phototoxicity if exposed to the sun.62In other words, these natural ingredients could lead to serious sunburns.

As far as Linatural is concerned as a preservative that is added to your products, I’m finding a few problems with it. My biggest problem with Linatural is that most of the ingredients I have seen, do not specify which Linatural ingredient was added. That means you could have anything from orange to propanediol. And even if you do find that your skin cream has the least bad of all the linatural options, you still might need to be careful if out in the sun, and you have to be wary of any products that might change which Linatural ingredient they decide to utilize in the final product at any given time.

My conclusion on Linatural? Depends on which one it is. I may consider it for some of my overnight creams, though at this point, I’m finding that sterile processing technique, along with refrigeration, seems to work just fine for preserving my products, rather than trying to memorize which fancy name is the safe one to use.

Though you gotta admit, the name itself can fool you. Linatural sounds like lovely natural linens to sleep in or something. Just goes to show you, don’t judge a book by it’s cover, or in this case, don’t just an preservative by its name.

Sodium laureth sulfate (SLES) & Sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS/SDS)

To clarify, these chemicals are not preservatives, but they need to be discussed, because they are so prevalent in our liquid soaps, (dish and dishwasher), shampoos, liquid hand soaps, and any other liquid soaps that a lathering effect is preferred.

We’ve grouped these two chemicals together as they are similar in a number of ways.Sodium laureth sulfate is actually a contraction of sodium lauryl ether sulfate, hence the acronym SLES. Sodium lauryl sulfate is also known asSodium dodecyl sulfate, so uses either SLS or SDS as acronyms. These both function as detergents, surfactants, and foaming agents, and are commonly used in soaps, shampoos, toothpastes, and are sometimes used in pharmaceuticals and household cleaning products.63,64

While some health care advisers have claimed that SLS/SDS is often contaminated with either dioxane or nitrosamines, (for example here),65 we could not find any actual scientific research evidence to support these claims. If anyone has actual research evidence to support these accusations, preferably studies that quantitatively show contamination, we would love to evaluate such research. Because if true, this is quite serious indeed. Both dioxane and nitrosamines are carcinogenic, and if found in SLS/SDS or SLES, it would necessitate a complete reassessment of the safety of these chemicals.

In the mean time, we did not find significant evidence in the PubMed research literature suggesting that SLES and SLS/SDS are carcinogenic or toxic, other than their affects and effects on skin and eyes. See:

“Final report of the amended safety assessment of sodium laureth sulfate and related salts of sulfated ethoxylated alcohols”66,67

The above summaries state:

“Acute animal skin irritation studies of 0.5%-10% Sodium Lauryl Sulfate caused slight to moderate irritation. Applications of 10%-30% detergent caused skin corrosion and severe irritation. […]

“In acute ocular tests, 10% Sodium Lauryl Sulfate caused corneal damage to the rabbits’ eyes if not irrigated, or if irrigation was delayed. A Draize test of a product containing 5.1% Sodium Lauryl Sulfate caused mild irritation.”

Since these chemicals are both detergents, they both show ample evidence that they cause substantial skin and eye irritation, particularly if they have contact for an extended period of time. See additional research below:

“Susceptibility of atopic dermatitis patients to irritant dermatitis caused by sodium lauryl sulphate.”68

“Abnormal skin irritancy in atopic dermatitis and in atopy without dermatitis.”69

“Skin susceptibility of atopic individuals.”70

“Allergic contact dermatitis from a dish-washing liquid containing lauryl ether sulphate.”71

“Shampoo dermatitis due to cocobetaine and sodium lauryl ether sulphate.”72

“Sodium lauryl sulfate and triclosan: in vitro cytotoxicity studies with gingival cells”73

One thing we find particularly concerning is that we found a number of research studies showing that these chemicals can damage skin in such a way as to make the skin more permeable to other chemicals.74,75,76,77

This is very concerning, because if you’re making your skin more permeable to other chemicals, then you are greatly increasing the risk that they will get into your bloodstream. By weakening you body’s natural defense barrier, also known as your skin, you are is making yourself vulnerable to other problems due to exposure to other chemical ingredients.

So using these ingredients in combination with other toxic ingredients could increase the risk of harmful effects – since SLES and SLS/SDS will likely increase the amount of those other chemicals that get through the skin barrier and into the bloodstream. If these are combined with other chemicals that are carcinogenic, they could greatly increase the risk of cancer.

Sodium laureth sulfate (SLES) & Sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS/SDS) clearly have overwhelming evidence that they cause skin irritation, damage, and dermatitis. Since the purpose and goal of Nature’s Complement products is to improve skin condition rather than make it worse, once again we see no benefit to our customers to use these ingredients in our products. This means that we have to give up the rich lathering effect of liquid soaps, but in doing so, we are trading health for lather, and at Nature’s Complement, health has always, and will always, come first.

https://www.naturescomplement.com/2016/08/27/personal-care-product-preservatives-and-the-truth-part-ii/

Credits for this piece of work go to Tober

[ouraidengray4]

I Used to Judge People on Anxiety Meds. Here’s What Changed My Mind

I'll admit to a serious character flaw here: I spent most of my adult life feeling smugly superior to people who took meds for their mental health issues. I thought that anyone who "succumbed" to medication was simply weak and hadn't tried hard enough to find a natural solution.

Growing up, I got stomach aches whenever life was particularly stressful, and racing thoughts kept me from falling asleep at night. At the time, I was just called a worrier—anxiety wasn't a word that got thrown around much in the '90s. Later, I thought I had it under control because I spent my 20s learning meditation and yoga (and pretending that I didn't spend some nights obsessing over the future deaths of my parents to the point of making myself physically ill).

And the truth is, mindfulness really can work for plenty of people.

Many people who deal with mild anxiety are able to manage it proactively by engaging in some kind of mindfulness practice, says Gail Saltz, M.D., associate professor of psychiatry at the NY Presbyterian Hospital Weill-Cornell School of Medicine.

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"I'm all for preventive options," Saltz says. "If you're a person who's biologically and psychologically primed for anxiety and likely to experience recurrent anxiety, then strategies like mindfulness meditation and yoga can help you feel more relaxed physiologically and psychologically on a day-to-day basis."

Yoga and meditation aren't the only answers here, either. Any form of exercise can help bring you into the present, as can prayer or breath work. Whatever works for you.

But I also discovered that sometimes you need meds—here's what changed my mind.

Basically, I had kids. There were problems with breastfeeding, trouble getting my baby to gain weight, colic that had her screaming for hours… all of it was too much. It was a tough first year, but I got through it. I was an anxious mother, but my anxiety was manageable.

Then I became pregnant again. There were a hundred reasons I was scared of having another baby—my first had been a hard birth, I was worried I'd have more problems breastfeeding, money was an issue, and I had just signed up for five years of grad school. During my second pregnancy, I went from being relatively in control of my emotional state to hiding in the bathroom so I could scream into a clenched fist. More and more frequently, my toddler's tantrums ended in both of us crying.

My midwife noticed my strange behavior and asked me some direct questions during one appointment that resulted in an immediate referral to a psychiatrist who specialized in perinatal depression and anxiety. An assessment revealed I suffered primarily from anxiety and was borderline OCD as well. Strangely, it was kind of a relief to be officially diagnosed with something—at least there were solutions ahead.

Early on in the pregnancy, I remember begging the universe to help me through this ordeal. I wanted to feel less alone, less upset, less afraid.

I tried to meditate, but my skin crawled within a few seconds of closing my eyes. All of the techniques I'd used to manage my anxiety up until this point were now completely useless.

This isn't unusual, Saltz says. "When you're in the throes of an actual anxiety disorder," she says, "usually those preventive techniques aren't enough."

I still wasn't ready to try medication, however. My psychiatrist had given me the option of starting an anti-anxiety medication that was considered safe for the fetus during pregnancy; however, when I found out the baby might experience some symptoms of withdrawal when they were born, my anxiety quadrupled. So instead, I tried therapy and tabled the idea of taking meds until after.

My son was born in an easy home birth, which was a relief since I'd been so worried about having another challenging baby. He was good at breastfeeding and slept for much longer stretches than my first—basically, I was in love, and all was right with the world.

And then it wasn't. I was months past the baby blues, but things still felt off, and I felt this irritability constantly building up inside me. I was still seeing a therapist regularly, but something had changed, and my anxiety no longer felt manageable. Then postpartum depression hit me full force.

At this point, I was still desperately trying to avoid medication.

I kept thinking that if I could just hold out one more day, putting one foot in front of the other, I could find my way, and my psychiatrist, therapist, and postpartum depression support group all supported my choice to remain medication-free. I wasn't suicidal, after all—I was angry a lot, and I had kind of forgotten what happiness felt like, but what mattered to me was that I wasn't taking medication.

But then I realized that wasn't what mattered. My quality of life was what mattered. According to Saltz, the point at which a disorder becomes a pathology is when it negatively impacts your quality of life and ability to function in a significant way. I was definitely at that stage, despite my weekly therapy sessions and support group meetings.

I was also worried that I would never be able to stop taking medication once I started it.

One of the main reasons I didn't want to try the meds was that I was concerned that I wouldn't be able to feel things—good or bad—as much. I was also worried that I would never be able to stop taking medication once I started.

But it turns out that isn't the case. "We're not talking about medication forever, for a lot of people," Saltz says. "We're talking about short-term medication to be able to bring down the anxiety enough to participate meaningfully in your therapy." Meds can enable you to really engage in the emotional work of therapy—which can be the real key to long-term change.

So I gave it a shot.

When I finally started taking medication for my anxiety, I realized that the pills didn't dull my emotions. Instead, they gave me an added buffer in my everyday interactions with both loved ones and strangers. Instead of reacting immediately with anger to a situation, I had a few extra milliseconds to consider my response, which allowed me to respond more positively. This hasn't just helped my own state of mind, it's also made me a better parent since I'm not as easily upset by my kids.

Three years later, I'm still taking my medication, and I've stopped judging when someone tells me they're taking meds for a similar reason. After all, meds have allowed me to enjoy being a parent instead of constantly fighting off anxiety attacks—and who doesn't want that.

Glynis Ratcliffe used to be an opera singer, but after her daughter begged her to stop singing and be quiet for the millionth time, she decided to use her inside voice and write instead. You can find her on Facebook and Twitter.

from Greatist RSS https://ift.tt/2lfpMkP I Used to Judge People on Anxiety Meds. Here’s What Changed My Mind Greatist RSS from HEALTH BUZZ https://ift.tt/2K03Kk9

[unillustratedadventures]

Why We Should Call Trump a 'Narcissist'

In a Psychology Today article, Dr Allen Francis, who helped put together the DSM criteria for narcissistic personality disorder, is decrying the popular attribution of narcissism to Donald Trump. I appreciate the spirit in which these comments were offered. But the comments are also somewhat arrogant and myopic.

Two separate claims have allegedly been made. The first is descriptive; it is simply the claim that Trump is not, in fact, a narcissist. The support allegedly given for this claim is that Trump does not meet the DSM criteria for narcissistic personality disorder. The author of the comments also implies that he should know, since he is responsible for those criteria. Let’s put aside the fact that DSM categories are voted for by a committee of clinicians and academics, on the basis of empirical findings. For the sake of argument, let’s take the relevant claim from authority at face value.

The second claim is normative. It divides into both a general and a specific implication. Generally-speaking, the claim is that we should not pathologise bad behaviour. More specifically, the claim is that we should not attribute narcissism to Trump on the basis of his bad behaviour. The reasons given for this normative claim are, roughly, (i) that pathologising bad behaviour might somehow mitigate or excuse such behaviour, and (ii) that calling Trump a narcissist is unfair to narcissists, since narcissists are genuinely mentally ill and many of them are well-intentioned.

Both the descriptive claim and the normative claim are false.

The mentioned hubris emanates mainly from the first, descriptive claim. Narcissisism and narcissistic personality disorder are not the same thing. Narcissism is a personality trait that extends over a healthy range of behaviours, in addition to extending over disordered behaviours (at its extreme). Narcissistic personality disorder (NPD) is the specific diagnostic category of the DSM, which identifies a cluster of symptoms for the purposes of classification and treatment. It is simply authoritarian arrogance to conflate the two (authoritarian arrogance of precisely this kind has helped to nudge the DSM closer and closer to disrepute).

NPD is a diagnostic category that hinges entirely on a cluster of clinically observable symptoms, for the express purpose of clinical treatment. As such, NPD, like all DSM diagnostic categories, emphasises various pragmatic conditions for classification and treatment. In particular, Trump supposedly fails to meet the criteria for diagnosis, because he fails to meet the criterion of experiencing distress and dysfunction. It is claimed that Trump causes distress to others instead, as if the two were mutually exclusive. (This is called the ‘disjunction fallacy’ or, more colloquially, a ‘false dichotomy’. It is particularly aggregious in the case of NPD, whose sufferers are well-known to cause a great deal of suffering, in turn, to the people around them.) However, just as members of the public do not know enough about Trump’s personal life to genuinely diagnose him with NPD, members of the public also do not know enough about Trump’s personal life to judge that he is not experiencing distress and dysfunction, of the sort that would warrant diagnosis and treatment. The point is especially salient in the case of extreme narcissism, since it is in the nature of narcissism to do whatever it takes to hide such distress and dysfunction, especially from the eyes of the public. In fact, this alone would be a fairly good rough definition of extreme narcissism. Extreme narcissists are desperate to enforce and maintain an ideal image of themselves, and to a pathological degree. For this reason, it is often the case that only those close to the narcissist are fully aware of the true extent of his narcissism.

So that’s a non-starter. However, it probably wouldn’t matter even if it wasn’t. A great many psychological and psychiatric professionals and academics have stated publicly that they strongly believe Trump to be an extreme narcissist. Some have voiced the suspicion that he would specifically qualify for a diagnosis of NPD. This is isn’t just because of the point made above; i.e., it isn’t just because they suspect that Trump’s distress and dysfunction are hidden from the public. Rather, it is because distress and dysfunction are not even among the specific diagnostic criteria of NPD (despite the fact that Francis claims to be single-handedly responsible for these criteria). Instead, looking for distress and dysfunction in the patient and her history are peripheral guidelines for diagnosis, which remain much the same for all of the DSM diagnostic categories. Strictly-speaking, to be diagnosed with NPD, one need only have 5 of a total of 9 criteria. On this basis, it would seem that Trump more than qualifies for a diagnosis of NPD.

More important, however, is the fact that while NPD is closely related to narcissism, it is not identical to narcissism. As mentioned, narcissism is a personality trait. Typically, when it is claimed that Trump is a narcissist, the intended claim is that Trump is extreme with respect to this personality trait, and not that Trump could be diagnosed with NPD.

This brings me to the falsity of the second, normative claim. Even though mental illness is not reliably mitigating in the courts, there is a popular idea that it is nevertheless mitigating or excusing in some deeper sense. This popular idea might apply straightforwardly to those mental illnesses that used to be classified as ‘Axis I’ disorders, in the DSM. However, its applicability is not quite so clear when it comes to the personality disorders, or character disturbances (which the DSM used to collect under 'Axis II’). There is ongoing debate, among clinicians and academics, as to whether there is a genuine distinction to be made between personality disorders and the other mental illnesses. However, this debate is primarily concerned with whether there is a difference with respect to diagnosis and treatment, and not with respect to whether there is a difference in aetiology or underlying nature. E.g., if borderline personality disorder turns out to respond to all of the same treatments as type 1 bipolar disorder (it certainly responds to many of them), then it would be argued that the DSM should not distinguish between these diagnostic categories. However, this is motivated by precisely the attitude mentioned above—it is motivated by an exclusive concern with classification for the purposes of treatment, and not from a concern with aetiology or underying nature. The DSM has for a long time—and as a matter of necessity, given our relative lack of knowledge about mental illnesses—been concerned only with symptomatology and treatment.

The broader point is that there is, at least in principle, a difference of aetiology or underlying nature between personality disorders and the other mental illnesses. Personality disorders consist in pervasive dispositions or patterns of behaviour, which are difficult to distinguish from other, more profound aspects of the personality (beliefs, desires, emotions, and so on). They are difficult to distinguish from the rest of the person, both from the point of view of the clinician, *and* from the point of view of the patient herself. When a patient first presents with a personality disorder, it is highly typical for her to have originally sought help for other issues. Someone with a personality disorder typically struggles to recognise the problem with her bad behaviours at the time she is exhibiting them, and she is typically unaware of such problems until they have caused significant problems for her, or she is professionally diagnosed with a personality disorder.

The reason for stressing the distinction between personality disorders and other mental illnesses is that we are more likely to hold somebody responsible for her actions if they are seen as resulting from her personality (or from her beliefs and desires), rather than from a mental illness that is somehow separable from her personality. Indeed, what *is* being responsible for an action in the first place, other than the fact that one’s action was voluntary and deliberate? And what is the voluntariness and deliberateness of an action, other than its having been caused in the right way by one’s beliefs and desires? It is in virtue of the fact that narcissism is a personality trait that extreme narcissists *are* routinely judged to have bad intentions, despite the fact that they are mentally ill in a certain sense (i.e., in virtue of their extremity). Since extreme narcissism is a variety of personality disorder or character disturbance, the attribution of narcissism to Trump is far less likely to be seen as mitigating or excusing, in the suggested way.

Lastly, even *if* there were no distinction in aetiology or underlying nature between personality disorders and other mental illnesses, such that there was no corresponding difference with respect to mitigation, it would still be worth attributing narcissism to Trump (assuming that this attribution is appropriate). In other words, the second, normative claim fails no matter what.

It is uninformative to say that Trump merely 'behaves badly’. In contrast, an attribution of extreme narcissism constitutes an attempt to predict Trump’s specific bad behaviours, and to identify the specific causes of those behaviours. Extreme narcissism is an extreme personality trait, which predicts specific kinds of bad behaviours in specific kinds of circumstances. Thus, if an attribution of extreme narcissism to Trump is appropriate, then it is a helpful thing to do. This attribution would be predictive, and thereby allow us to anticipate and prepare for Trump’s bad behaviours; perhaps to pre-empt and avoid them; and perhaps to minimise the damage when they cannot be pre-empted and avoided. By comparison, a simple attribution of bad behaviour is no help at all; it makes little difference. It is not predictive in any useful sense.

It is not surprising that an engineer of the DSM has overlooked this useful, predictive function of personality constructs (such as extreme narcissism). The medical model has little interest in the constructs of personality, beyond their relationships to classifiable disorders and the well-defined treatments of those disorders. The predictivity of personality traits is an 'on the ground’ sort of predictivity; it is explanatory, interpersonal, and sociopolitical. It helps to inform the victims and the potential victims of bad behaviours, but does not provide any paint-by-numbers way of fixing or changing the personality traits that predict those bad behaviours. By itself, extreme narcissism does not constitute a medical-style diagnosis for the purposes of treatment. In this respect, it is unlike DSM diagnostic categories such as narcissistic personality disorder. However, it is partly in virtue of this fact that it is worth attributing extreme narcissism to Trump.