Emotional Imbalance from Detox?

[tammay]

I know there are a ton of threads on detox symptoms and I've done a search and read a few, so I apologize that I'm posting yet another one.

I was off and on raw (about 95-100%) in Aug and I started the Sept challenge with trying to go 100%. Since starting this month, I've noticed I've been extremely hypersensitive and quickly irritated. I've always been hypersensitive but I feel like this is way out of the norm - like I'm taking everything people say and do personally and getting irritated for no reason. I didn't connect it to detox before but now I'm thinking maybe that's what's going on.

Granted, I have a lot to be stressed about. I started a new grad program this month and although grad school isn't new to me, I'm in a new field and have both studies and am also a teaching assistant (again, teaching isn't new to me). I've been very disappointed with some things about the new program (mainly that the teaching assistantship is more of a secretary to the professor than a teaching position) and I'm working in an environment I'm not used to.

If it is detox, is there anything at all I can do about it? I think it's starting to affect my relationships with the people in the department and I don't want that to happen.

Tam

[PDXGeoff]

While I'm not 100% raw I absolutely experienced these same kinds of things when I upped my raw foods to 75%. Going raw seems to draw out the crud in your system both physically and mentally. I'd HIGHLY recommend a regular yoga practice and taking some time to either meditate or have some quiet alone time to just deal with your feelings and get more grounded or centered.

[Weazelchef]

I feel the same way too. My husband thinks i'm depressed! Well, it kinda feels that way! haha

[tammay]

Geoff, I totally agree about the yoga and/or meditation. I have a yoga DVD but I just haven't had the motivation to do it on a regular basis the last 2 weeks, feeling too stressed about all the schoolwork I have to do. But I'm going to try and make an effort to do the DVD regularly.

Tam

[KathleenO]

Good luck Tam,
since you know the "glories" of grad school, ha ha.. I'm at the tail end of my studies and I TA'd my butt off for 4 years while trying to keep up with classes and my research and never having enough money to live on, so I feel your pain. My guess is you're experiencing a combination of slight hypersensitivity due to the dietary changes and valid frustrations associated with the start of a new semester. See how the weekend and next week goes - things normally settle down a bit after the first week of school, don't they? So gooooood luck and be good to yourself this weekend,
Kathleen

[Raw Mom]

There's a lot to be said about emotional detox. Your body is now using more energy to help you heal not only physical, but emotional. I remember actually, physically shaking during my first month. Something was pushing me to talk to this guy I really didn't want to have anything else to do with and I thought it was over. But I listened to my body and turned out, I needed to learn something else. Not just from this guy, but around the whole situation. I cherish the moments I get tense. Is it real? Am I just stressed? How should I handle it? Is there something I'm not looking at here? Yoga is great for slowing down body and mind. Even just sitting and being still by yourself. Listen....watch....learn....:) Good Luck

[isabelephant]

I think it is really common to have emotional detox. There's a lot of emotions we tend to hold on to and for a complete healing, they all have to come out. I find that having plenty of alone time makes me feel less "crazy" and doing additional things to excellerate detox helps to get it all out more quickly and completely. For instance, after my sister died, I put on a few pounds, and when those pounds came off I felt like I had to deal with it all over again. Perhaps not only do we store toxins in our body fat but we also store emotions. Good luck to you and be as gentle as you can be to yourself. Getting a raw buddy to talk to can be very helpful too as does screaming into your pillow. ;)
I have to say too, that besides yoga, doing vigorous sweaty exercise helps to balance your emotions and up your endorphins...