depression and raw

[dreamrawalwz]

I'm just wonder what your thoughts on anti-depression or anti-anxiety medications are? I thought raw would help, but with the SAD and bi-polar combined i'm not doing well at all. I don't want to put the other chemicals in my body, but I'm also at a loss of what to do at the moment. I'm sorry for not having my posts directly related to raw. You all just seem very knowledgeable and helpful.

[Beanie]

Not sure if my post will help or hinder. I find it does help some with depression. But I've been hibernating for 3 days now from exhaustion (post semester) and SAD related, fearing the cold (the raw remedies haven't helped) and reverting to some cooked soups to keep myself from freezing to death, and also had a lot of anxiety right before exams. I posted on that. I think raw does help with depression but it seemed to fed the anxiety a little bit. I think much had to do with not using grains to numb it so it was more present that I had to deal with than beforehand and I had more energy too. So I think its in the category of it gets worse before it gets better. I too stopped taking Straterra for ADHD and questioning if I should return to it. I think bipolar though is more complicated. Mine are not chemically related so I think eventually in diet/environmental changes/better coping I can overcome them. Maybe I need a natural lamp type of thing too since the short days affect me some. Bipolar is less nutritional/environmental and more chemically related, so I hope someone posts on that. You might have to take meds for the bipolar. Or at least temporarily and possibly wean yourself off of them overtime eating raw.

[jaurequi]

dreamrawalwz,

sorry you're going through this. Eating optimally is not a cureall...not in the least. You may have biological/chemical/other considerations.

Have you sought professional help (counseling) before considering medication?
I would do that first.

If I had this problem, I would seek counseling first, then do what I had to do to find a doctor who could work with me and my diet and my desire to not take medication; I think it's that important and essential to who I am and my ethics (vegan).
For example, Dr. Fuhrman (who advocates a vegan diet as optimal), developed a vegan substitute for fish oil mainly for patients who needed it for depression. A doctor like this would be ideal; since he/she would work with you.

Best,

[cornvalley]

I would recomend Dr. Fuhrman as well. His medical degree in conjunction with his hygienic approach will serve you well with your questions.
Hoping you you can get some relief.

[jax]

I have many health challenges to deal with and raw foods are a tremendous help, however, chemical imbalances aren't easy to "fix" and medication may be quite necessary. I deal with depression, OCD, anxiety, FM and CFS. At one time I took 7-8 different medications and I was still struggling! Last Jan. I went 100% raw foods and by March I was medication free! I worked with my Dr. and gradually reduced the medications over a 3 month period. I have not needed to return to using meds. for depression, anxiety or OCD symptoms and I am grateful. I am taking pain medication again for Fibro symptoms but the flare-ups seem to be the worst during the cold months so I don't expect to need them long-term. A raw food diet can be your best "weapon" against any illness but sometimes we need temporary help beyond what we can do for ourselves. There are many good Drs. out there that will work with you and support your needs. Don't be afraid to "lean" on appropriate medication if you have a legitimate need for it! :) Jax

PS: I am a compounding Pharm. Tech and I know alot about medications if you have questions.

[solarliving]

I had suffered from depression since my teens and I have felt pretty good for about 6 months now. I have to stay away from regular sugar especially chocolate because the next day I will notice that I feel bummed. Basically what I have done is addressed all the things that were bothering me about my life with EFT ( I had a lot of childhood issues.) I also quit drinking coffee 5 months ago, which I feel was a contributing factor due to the depletion of B-vitamins. I think in our society we are too quick to medicate for depression rather than confronting our demons. Some people do need medications, just not the whole world. Check out the EFT, it helped me quit smoking, get off drugs, quit coffee, and heal eczema, not to mention heal all the issues from a dysfunctional childhood.

Best wishes
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