Emotional Trouble :(

[akh78749]

I feel terrible. I began the raw diet on May 4 and felt fabulous for the first two weeks, then BAM! Depression hits me hard this weekend. All kinds of negative emotions surfacing. I am so incredibly irritable, angry, and none of this makes sense because there is nothing on the outside causing it. Could this be an emotional reaction to the detox? I have read a little bit about that, but didn't really believe that your emotions can get so out of hand simply by detoxing. Has anyone else experienced this? I hope it goes away soon. I feel like I wasted the entire weekend being in a bad mood. :(

Is there anything I can do to hurry the process and get back to feeling wonderful again?

[Sharon in Colorado]

Emotional detox is common and happens along with your physical detox.

Since you are freeing your body up on so much energy by not eating anything cooked, your body is using up the energy in different ways.

Usually cooked addicts will replace emotional distress (energy) by eating their favorite cooked food, and when the body processes it, their emotional energy has been displaced for a bit, but since you are eating fairly energy-free food you are feeling your emotions the way they are supposed to be felt.

Although you are having a hard time, it is good that it's happening and should pass soon. Try to get out in the sun and light as much as possible to lighten up your mood in the meantime, or think of things to occupy yourself with (maybe a walk or some other physical activity) until it passes.

[dreamrawalwz]

Sounds like emotional detox. It's pretty normal. When eating cooked foods it numbs the emotional feelings you may have, but if you don't have that numbing effect anymore you'll have to deal with them. Sounds like you need a hug ::hug::

[akh78749]

Thanks for the hug. I feel like I need a punching bag. Hopefully this won't last much longer. It feels like my blood is boiling. Ugh. Not fun.

[Rawkinlocs]

I agree with all of the above...it could very well be emotional detoxing...BUT, I also know that I, personally, get in a REAL funky mood right before my cycle starts. It's getting better, but I always know it's getting close to "that tiime" because I begin to get irritable and every little thing bugs the stuff out of me.

So, aside from the HIGHLY probable fact of emotional detox, could that possibly play a factor or no?

[eatyourbroccoli]

may i also suggest you attempt to track your vitamin and mineral intake through fitday.com?

i started experiencing the SAME thing about a week and a half back into high-raw. yes, emotional detox exists, definitely! so the above posters are right on with that. but after using fitday.com to track my approximate vitamin/mineral intake (resist the temptation to use it for calories, calories dont exist the raw world :) ) i found that i was low on all b vitamins except b-6, vitamin a, vitamin d, calcium, niacin, folate, magnesium...well, basically everything!

i starting taking a multivitamin, and a vegan vitamin d supplement. im going to go to the store to look for a live multivitamin - as ive only been using the trader joes brand (though its far better than normal grocery-store vitamins) - soon.

ive noticed a major, definite difference.

ETA: deficiency in b vitamins and magnesium and whatnot can lead to crazy mood swings/depression

[akh78749]

Nope, it's not PMS. That was last week. This certainly feels like PMS though. PMS times 10.

I am taking a liquid multi-vitamin, but probably not often enough.

I am just wondering if maybe I should try and eat something really cleansing to push this emotional detox along, if that's what it is. Maybe a lot of citrus or something??? Any ideas for hurrying the emotional detox along?

What's really strange is the severity of the negative emotions that were occurring over the weekend. It was like little shards of pain were swimming around in a sea of confusion. I was experiencing so much anger, jealousy, guilt.... And for no logical reason. Last week I felt completely the opposite, so full of happiness, love, patience. It was like all negativity was erased. So this weekend it was very weird to have all those emotions come up. I think I just need to be reminded that this is part of the process of getting everything out. Hearing others people's stories helps. Hopefully, I am not really deficient in vitamins/minerals. I have been eating alot of really healthy stuff. I just hope it ends soon. I still feel very lethargic and irritable today. Grrrr.

[Sharon in Colorado]

This certainly feels like PMS though. PMS times 10.



:eek:

I can hardly take my emotions during PMS (which is now :mad: ) so I cannot imagine that times 10. I hope you find your punching bag or at least go out for a run!

[ryana]

i went / am going through an emotional detox. I have sufferent from extreem depression, social anxiety, and irratiblitiy in the past. and guilt and resentment is surfacing. I'm becoming more petty. I am getting through it by trying to figure out the root of the sorce and then realeasing my emotion. try crying that helps take the edge off the emotion. I would rent a really sad and depressing movie to cry too then I would journal about you emotions and actions and try to find the link. medating could help keep you balanced but I'm so bad at alaways making sure I medate. The journal really help. Hope you feel better soon.

[RedFizz]

I just finished a 40-day detox, and I went through the same thing! I discovered I had cycles: 1.) emotional distress, 2.) physical pain (i.e. flu-like symptoms, aches, etc.), then 3.) my body would purge the toxins via-bad breath, ear wax, acne, mucus, etc.

Don't give up. They usually last 3 days tops. Your body will thank you when it's through and you will feel great afterwards.

[akh78749]

Thanks!

I especially like the sad movie idea. I honestly feel emotionally constipated. I think good cry would do me some good. It's been so long I read somewhere that cortisol (the stress hormone) is released in our tears. Now to figure out what movie to watch. It's depressing just thinking about which depressing movie to watch.

As the day goes by, I am starting to feel a little better. The bitch in me is retreating a bit. I am tired of her. Other people are too. :rolleyes:

[ryana]

lol try mighty joe young it alwyas brings me to tears. oo and sweet november. also just check out the drama section for depressing covers

[jaurequi]

I cry pretty easily at sad movies, but I know "The Way We Were" will do it every time :).

I think you should distract yourself, yes, but do give some time to self reflection. The sooner you deal with it, the sooner it will be gone from your life; and, hopefully not return.

Best,

[Shan]

I have to say I'm a little nervous now because I'm mainly on this diet to try to get rid of my depression. I'm only on day 10 and I'm scared I'll go through this emotional detox! Yikes.

As for sad movies... The Notebook does it for me... talk about waterworks!

akh...let me know how you're feeling. I hope things get better!

[akh78749]

I am really confused as to how detox could cause emotions to surface. If your emotions are caused by thoughts, how can emotions be caused by detoxing? I still don't get it.

I know when I get PMS I think very irrationally about things. Things that normally wouldn't bug me, do. This is what is happening now. It seems like it is letting up a bit today. After reading that I should find a way to deal with it, I am brought back to the idea that I need to trace the specific emotion back to the thought that created it. But that is very hard to do when the emotions are so chaotic.

Honestly, I am not sure how to deal with it. Maybe like PMS I should just try to divert my attention and let it pass? Try not to feel guilty about it, etc. I don't know if I could figure out where the emotions are coming from if I tried.

I hope I laugh at this tomorrow.

[Sharon in Colorado]

Terms of Endearment.

No need to sit through the whole thing, just fast forward to the last 1/2 hour. The part where the little boy says goodbye to his terminally ill mama (Debra Winger) for the last time.

Also a good movie when you are congested...enough cryin' gets all the phlegm out!

Steel Magnolias is another tear-jerker.

Beauty and the Beast even got me going.

Or any Hoover commercial. For some reason that got me good.

I am such a cry baby. I never used to be this way before I had kids.

[jenna rose]

"what dreams may come"

"elizabethtown" - this got bad reviews but i thought it was terrific

"John Q"

"The Family Stone" had some total tear jerker parts in it.

[Brianna]

The same emotional thing happened to me this weekend. I definitely believe it's a part of detox. I see it all the time where I work at Hippocrates Health Institute, where we have people come from all over the world to heal from all sorts of different diseases on a raw food diet and other methods of cleansing. People have to re-live old emotions and feel things for a second time. Some of them get really crabby, but they get through it and feel wonderful. The difference a few weeks makes in them is amazing. They change so radically. I think part of the issue is that we are not used to letting ourselves feel our emotions. Instead of dealing with them, we numb ourselves with food and alcohol and drugs. I know I've numbed myself with food. It's emotional eating. When you no longer numb yourself in this way, you actually have to face your emotions and deal with them. It's actually a good thing, though it can be uncomfortable when you're going through it. I'm doing a colon cleanse right now and I've been detoxing lots of different emotions.

[RawFoodieMom]

akh, I really feel for you. I hope you feel better soon, please keep us updated on how you're doing.

HUGS!
Debra

[akh78749]

I am actually doing MUCH better tonight (aside from the cashew/swollen lip mishap that I just posted). I think going to the gym after work helped. Thanks for all the support and advice. It does help to hear other people's stories and thoughts. Helps immensely. It seemed that it lasted almost 3 full days. That's about the length of the time most cleansing crises last. Or at least that's what I have heard. :rolleyes:

I am feeling much more energetic now. Glad to be getting back to the real me. :)

[Faithfullyfit]

Thanks!

I especially like the sad movie idea. I honestly feel emotionally constipated. I think good cry would do me some good. It's been so long I read somewhere that cortisol (the stress hormone) is released in our tears. Now to figure out what movie to watch. It's depressing just thinking about which depressing movie to watch.

As the day goes by, I am starting to feel a little better. The bitch in me is retreating a bit. I am tired of her. Other people are too. :rolleyes:


I think you should curl up and watch "the notebook"- I cried during 80% of the movie -but it was heartfelt and not depressing......just enough to let off some of the emotional detox your experiencing! Hang in there :)

[akh78749]

The funny thing is, I watched The Notebook Sat. night with my boyfriend. I wanted to cry, but couldn't. I was afraid he would laugh at me. He thought it was cheesy. So I was stifling a whimper.

God.

No wonder I felt so emotionally constipated.

It seems hilarious to me right now.

Now where is that King Kong movie when you need it?

[kiddies]

Some exercise might be helpful. Something to get the blood flowing. Depression can be a sign of a blocked liver. The liver filters the blood during the night. If the liver is sluggish leftover blood can be retained in the liver in the morning. Morning exercise can get the blood flowing and activates the liver.

[beckyb]

I am going thru the same thing!! I CRIED my eyes out tonight during
American Idol when Taylor Hicks was singing!! It was so awesome !!

I am also wide awake all night with all this energy!! (Sleepy during the day
from being up all night)

Thank Goodness for this forum!! Loving it and reading all the post!!

[rawpriestess]

My big burly 6'3" 38 year old son LOVES the Notebook, he cries every time he even thinks about it.

he's such a big ole' softy at heart.

I love a man who is gentle and loving with a good heart.

[cassidy]

Man, am I glad this thread exists. I am going through somthing major the last few days. Severe anxiety, depresses a little bit, 0 patience, just this huge negative evergy surging through me. It really sucks. I almost feel like I need to smoke a ciggerette to make me feel better! I mean this is bad. So this is emotional detox huh? I have been at this 100% for a week now. I am a big time emotional eater and I still use raw foods like banana and carob, nuts and flax crackers to keep my emotions at bay... but they don't compare to the numbing effects of pizza and/or ice cream. Bummer. So this goes away in a few days... because my husband is WORRIED. I was so mean to him today. PMS times 10. AKH I deffinantly feel your pain... maybe you can let us know how you are doing now?