Natural Depression/Anxiety Cures?

[grundy]

Hi I was wondering if anyone had any info on dealing with depression/anxiety on a natural level. Basically I had a super bad panic attack(thought I was having a heart attack and went to the ER), and then several nice little follow up panic attacks. The doctor diagnosed me with Anxiety/Depression(In the last 3 months I have been laid off, separated from my wife and my parents are divorcing as well) and put me on Celexa. Well I am still getting anxiety except I am controlling it better. The Celexa makes me feel weird so I want to get off of it. My diet is pretty clean, so I am looking for some advice on supplements and techniques to help. I have tried the St. Johns stuff but it actually made me feel worse.

Thanks,
Jason

[Connie Brown]

The doctor diagnosed me with Anxiety/Depression(In the last 3 months I have been laid off, separated from my wife and my parents are divorcing as well) and put me on Celexa. Well I am still getting anxiety except I am controlling it better. The Celexa makes me feel weird so I want to get off of it. My diet is pretty clean, so I am looking for some advice on supplements and techniques to help. I have tried the St. Johns stuff but it actually made me feel worse.

Thanks,
Jason
Have you read PnP? It was written for nutritional relief of depression. I certainly banished all that by eating PnP style.

Even if you have been eating clean, timing and fuel type is important. there is hope that by adjusting fuel timing and types you can avoid panic and get rid of certain types of depression. Mainly the situational and life-style caused types.

Throwing supplements in doesn't work nearly as well as healing the nutritional deficiencies that caused the imbalance in the first place IMHO.

[Scott Sonnon]

Jason,

I am very sorry to hear of your family problems. As Connie suggests, although you may have a 'clean' diet, you should looking into PnP in order to create a nutritional approach which can 'hold' your emotional duress, so that you can deal with those issues without the addition of biochemical volatility.

Reframe your nutritonal pursuit as a means of creating a reliable platform to work on the actual issues; rather than taking meds or using food as mood control as MDs sometimes suggest.

I'd also suggest that you increase your water intake to flush any of the chemical toxins which release due to heightened anxiety... and remove any stimulants as well.

To help that, I strongly suggest a daily dose of 15-20 minutes of Warrior Wellness to discharge dense structures in your myofascia resulting from the anxiety, to wash away toxic byproducts, and to restore nutritive flow to your connective tissue.

We're here for you if you need any support.

[Randell Waddell]

.....a daily dose of 15-20 minutes of Warrior Wellness™ to discharge dense structures in your myofascia resulting from the anxiety, to wash away toxic byproducts, and to restore nutritive flow to your connective tissue.



To get your headspace around this, please consider the info contained in:

http://www.saltspring.com/smallshaw/itd-biotensegrity/biotensegrity.html
....... [ Click "Models" .]
http://www.synearth.net/TensegrityHtml/Tensegrity.html

http://www.biotensegrity.com/paper5.html

http://www.biotensegrity.com/paper3.html

http://www.kennethsnelson.net/

http://www.biotensegrity.com/paper1.html

http://www.biotensegrity.com/paper4.html



A lot of different sources were cited so that you can choose those descriptions that are easiest to read depending upon your background.

Cheers
Randell. :D

[Scott Sonnon]

Your brain (and your hard drive) are too big, Randell. :D

[anthonyantosh]

Sorry to intrude. Sleep and rest (yes they are different) help. Don't be too hard on yourself. There are plenty of people on this forum that will help. Chances are someone has been down this path before.

[DianeG]

In addition to the other things mentioned, you might try getting more sunlight or a lightbox if that isn't possible. This is the season for SAD (seasonal disorder) to set in. If you are prone to it, it may be combining with the other stresses you are facing to make them feel even worse.

Good luck,
Diane

[grundy]

Thanks for the advice! I have read Potatos not Prozac, which is basically the guidelines I use when eating, but I think I need to read it again (we learn things when we are ready), it is a great book. I have not got the Warrior Welness yet, but I have been doing my Zdroyve, which I will add more to until I get Warrior Wellness(which should be soon)

Thank You,
Jason

[Scott Sonnon]

Jason,

Start following the steps, and I feel you will make dramatic progress on dealing with your anxiety.

[Coach Gostnell]

In addition to the other things mentioned, you might try getting more sunlight or a lightbox if that isn't possible. This is the season for SAD (seasonal disorder) to set in. If you are prone to it, it may be combining with the other stresses you are facing to make them feel even worse.


Jason,
Several years ago, I was planning a winter trip to warmer, sunnier climes & decided to try tanning, not only for the vain part about not looking like a sheet when I got there, but to avoid sunburn, if possible, which is supposed to be the worst thing you can do to your skin.

Somehow, after the trip, I kept on with the tanning, (just once a week or less for 20 minutes) & at the end of the winter, I realized I had not gone through the killer depression I'd been suffering year after year in that season.

The next year, there was no mood-adjusting trip, but I had the same experience...and every year since. I've read all the warnings about aging skin, etc. from tanning and I'm anxious to avoid the "tanned leather look" of people who go every couple days, not to mention skin cancer, duh! but I have some good, dark-skin genes from my grandmother (who also maybe gave me the tendency to depression).

So while trying to balance the risk, there does seem to be something about being bathed in light & warmth for 20 minutes even once every two weeks that imparts immunity to the effect the short gray days of winter here have on me.

(My brother-in-law, a clinical psychologist, says in the human brain, there are photo-receptors behind the forehead (the area of the "third eye") - who knows if that has anything to do with it, but it's a cool factoid.)

[madamek]

hi there --

here's my two cents worth....i have had depression for years and pretty intense anxiety - no panic attacks, but always on the alert, very flighty and nervous.

here's what I did -- I followed Potatoes Not Prozac TO THE LETTER - not the gist or general guidelines, but absolutely religious on meal times, protein amounts, complex carbohydraes and adequate veggies, omega 3 oils, reducing omega 6 oils, complete elimination of refined carbohydrates, potato and vitamins. This took me 3.5 years to really get right. It is a LOT more challenging than it looks. And I had an extensive background in nutrition, whole foods and gourmet cooking, and 'thought' I was doing it right.

My anxiety and depression improved quite a bit. Then, I stopped eating corn and wheat, and my anxiety disappeared completely. Totally. THEN, I added in WW and CSt and my weird little compulsive habits like nailbiting just evaporated.

I no longer have nervous or anxious behavior. No medication. Just food as pharmacology and movement as healing.

It took care of it. But, I took it slowly, followed her outline (after dinking around for 3 years telling myself I was 'more or less' following it), and am now amazed at the transformation.

good luck, Maggi

[Randell Waddell]

My own take is that when the Vestibular System is "out of wack", a lot of confusion and "low level noise" is occurring around your body, as it strives to integrate stimulus from several sources. This confusion and noise can operate detrimentally at the subconscious level, negatively affecting cognitive function and mood, and reveals itself within the Body Tensegrity as density (creating build up of things like adipose tissue around the gut and organs etc), various forms of immersed/emeshed Fear Reactivity etc etc.

The advice above is very sound - may I particularly emphasise - "do the food" (and particularly try to keep off the grog or other substances like caffiene that are mind altering) - WW is superb, and I believe you should throw in rocking type motions (as in Spinal Rock type work), roll work, and ground engagements/disengagements (all availible from a variety of RMAX resources).

I believe you should be gentle with yourself, and concentrate on rebuilding a healthier balance within your body ( several times a day if you can do it ), instead of just "attacking" the exercise at times ( as one may choose to do in an attempt to "snap out of it").


Cheers
Randell. :D

PS:

Please note:
Some learned people may be somewhat agast on my use/abuse of the Vestibular System approach - please note that I am utilizing it as a concept or MODEL that may not always be always spot-on, but is hopefully useful in changing a person's perception (and appreciation) of themselves and their body as a functioning, hopefully more balanced integrated unit.

[Brett]

Some great advice here. We know there will be a somatic and visceral component to your health issues.

Food chemistry is big here and finding your food sensitivities and eliminating them is paramount to long term success.

You may never uncover the core etiology, do many things but do no harm. When you are at a lost for what to do-just use the bucket. A big bucket of cold water, cold ice water.

Seriously, I have used this recently with a couple of patients weened off of long-term psyche meds who get stuck in a repeating loop every once in a while. Snaps them out of it and they are good to go.

[Matt Vierra]

"food as pharmacology and movement as healing" --Maggi

good statement there Maggi. That's a very concise way of putting things. I am sure it has been said before, but this is my first encounter with it. Breathing, thinking, and water have to fit in there somewhere. Is water a separate component to food or a part of it? Electrolytes and and water are connected, right? What are the thoughts out there about amount and timing of drinking water? For example, I don't drink any water with meals because it seems like the digestive enzymes would be diluted. Does this make sense? Thanks for any input.

[scott stoller]

In addition to the fine suggestions offered by others, I'd speak with your doctor about not being able to tolerate the Celexa. You don't necessarily need to take medication for the rest of your life, but depending on how severe your depression is, and what your particular depressive symptoms actually are, you may well need a course of medication for 9-12 months. Men with depression have a tendency to think they can just tough it out. Sometimes you just can't.


I have had some personal success with EFT, which you can learn to use on yourself from any number of inexpensive books or videos.

[shadow]

hello,

not sure if this whole situation has been passed already or not, but this is actually the first time i have popped my head into this part of the RMAX forum.

i have just recovered from depression myself. it has only been about two weeks since my last feelings of depression, and it may seem as if i am premature in mentioning what has tipped it for me.... but the emotional space i am currently in is one in which i have not been for more than 6 months. previous to this i have been oscillating between high and low. right now i am in the middle, and as i have not been here for so long it suggests to me that things are working out.

anyways here is what has helped me.
firstly, colloidal gold... if you have access to it... definately takes the edge off.

secondly, and this is what has really done it for me, i got this from advice with someone i saw for counselling and this is.... ACCEPTANCE.
simple but oh so profound. acceptance of your situation, acceptance of your feelings, acceptance of your past, acceptance of everything. no feelings of guilt, no feelings of anything is wrong, just accept everything as perfect just the way it is.

really helped me and i'd just like to share.

thanks for taking the time to read.