Depression

[Dima]

I have found and read all existing forum posts on the subject. I am starting a new topic to get the new/current opinions and experiences from forum members.

I have had a mild form of depression for a long time - it was a fact of daily life and I was able to be functional on day-to-day basis. The depression has gotten worse in the last few months, to the point where I am beginning to consider taking medication for it. Being "out of it" makes it very difficult to stay on a diet, avoid stress, make lifestyle changes, etc. I would like to hear the suggestions and/or experiences of those who were able to alleviate depressive symptoms through RPD. Thanks.

[TylerDurden]

"High Meat" works for relieving depression:-

http://www.rawpaleoforum.com/display-your-culinary-creations/high-meat-recipe-preparation-for-more-advanced-rafers/

[ys]

depression is strictly psychological so you should focus on that if you want to really fix it.
there is no diet of any kind that cures depression.  some foods may provide some help but it does not fix the root cause.

depression is cured by changing habits, environment, and working towards achieving something.
one of my friends was severely depressed and stressed, being in late 30s, single, no education, no job, feeling miserable, no goals in life, complete apathy.  on top of that he had chronic GI issues like diarrhea and stomach pains.
so then he met a girl, moved in together, got married, went back to school, trying to start a family.  the result - depression and stress all gone, all health issues are gone.

[Busgrw]

depression is strictly psychological so you should focus on that if you want to really fix it.

Ys, with all due respect, you should be careful with claims like this as mental health including depression is a very complex subject and there are countless number of people who have cured themselves through diet alone thus proving that it is not just psychological.

T

[Dima]

While I agree with Busgrw, I do not intend to start a debate on the causes of depression. I just want to know what worked for people in terms of changing the diet.

[KD]

depression is strictly psychological so you should focus on that if you want to really fix it.
there is no diet of any kind that cures depression.  some foods may provide some help but it does not fix the root cause.

depression is cured by changing habits, environment, and working towards achieving something.
one of my friends was severely depressed and stressed, being in late 30s, single, no education, no job, feeling miserable, no goals in life, complete apathy.  on top of that he had chronic GI issues like diarrhea and stomach pains.
so then he met a girl, moved in together, got married, went back to school, trying to start a family.  the result - depression and stress all gone, all health issues are gone.

Ys, with all due respect, you should be careful with claims like this as mental health including depression is a very complex subject and there are countless number of people who have cured themselves through diet alone thus proving that it is not just psychological.

T

I tend to find in health forums...and even increasingly in the health field...emphasis is placed too much on the physical and the psychological (or life-stuff) is ignored. That said, personally I've found based on extensive research that the underlying element of depression and anxiety is very much grounded in physical stuff/toxins etc...with everything else in life somehow picking at that foundation. Each tool from life or lifestyle/diet can help repair it.

I believe people can overcome even the most physical traumas with just basic life-stuff/positivity etc...so its no mystery one can get better exclusively that way too (as compared to people who relied heavily on diet), but if that was the case I would argue pretty heavily hat the person probably didn't have actual 'depression' which is far different then even drastic feelings of unfulfillment. Plenty of people even commit suicide from sadness/awful events/lack of acceptance that don't actually even have depression as its defined clinically. Depression is basically the state where your actual thoughts and energy are distorted into some spiral, where often good things are absent entirely as feelings or solutions out of it.

[ys]

Ys, with all due respect, you should be careful with claims like this as mental health including depression is a very complex subject and there are countless number of people who have cured themselves through diet alone thus proving that it is not just psychological.

i'm not claiming anything, i'm simply stating the definition of depression which is a psychiatric disorder.  you said it yourself depression is part of mental health.

i am not disputing that some people have cured themselves through diet, changing diet is part of changing habits.

one should look at the causes of depression and eliminate those causes, either by diet, or new hobby, or new girlfriend/boyfriend, or whatever.

[KD]

While I agree with Busgrw, I do not intend to start a debate on the causes of depression. I just want to know what worked for people in terms of changing the diet.

healthy raw fat, stable blood sugar etc...meditation, relaxation, joyful passions or hobbies, tons of sleep

[Busgrw]

healthy raw fat, stable blood sugar etc...meditation, relaxation, joyful passions or hobbies, tons of sleep

I would 100% agree with KD here but can only vouch for anxiety as haven't suffered from depression (although like physical illness, I believe a lot of mental illnesses are linked). I suffer from anxiety and only when I moved on to raw fats, meats etc and cut my high sugar intake down to very low carb did I start to feel a lot better.

Where I think I can improve much more and this is where I believe ys is coming from is what KD says in relation to meditation, relaxation and tons of sleep. Once these are firmly in place as part of my lifestyle I believe my health will improve a lot further and eventually I will find myself cured.

So, although i'm not an expert Dima, I would suggest all of the above as synergistically, diet and working on changing your psychological habits through meditation and relation and tons of sleep could/ should do you wonders. Whether or not you might need medication to help you along this path initially is something only you can answer.

Ys, apologies if I misread your post.

[TylerDurden]

I agree that for some people meditation, self-hypnosis or whatever might help on their own. Not for me though: for some years prior to going rawpalaeo I had anxiety and tried everything from self-hypnosis to homeopathy to autogenic training etc. to get rid of it. They had only very temporary effects, though, with the condition not really improving, only some symptoms for a limited period.

[FoxWoman]

I would suggest a law carb diet, but not zero-carb (maybe about 40 grams?) - I personally suffered from aggravated depression / lack of energy during my 6 months zero-carb experiment. The symptoms pretty much disappeared when I added 1 to 2 fruits a day. On the other hand, upping carbs higher produced symptoms of anxiety / sugar drops - and subsequent depression, again. Maybe, 1 to 2 fruits a day would be an ideal amount of carbs to keep blood sugar levels stable which would help with hypoglycemia-induced depression?

Another thing which was already mentioned is "high meat". However, I do not make my own high meat since I find the smell really disgusting and revolting and cannot put it in my mouth. My alternative to high meat is century eggs (those are black aged raw duck eggs that you can find really cheap in any Asian market). I strive to eat several of those eggs a week. I chop them, deep in Tamari and eat as an appetizer. Just don't smell them, or you won't be able to eat them! The taste is actually pretty tolerable. Another alternative to high meat is really aged, "smelly" raw milk cheeses - a delicacy! I eat quite a lot of those (just don't do it in an office!  ).

Hopefully this is helpful.

FoxWoman

[BakeyMan]

"Another thing which was already mentioned is "high meat". However, I do not make my own high meat since I find the smell really disgusting and revolting and cannot put it in my mouth. "

I think it was raw al who came up with adding Raw Honey while fermenting meat.  That's how I managed not to throw up the first time.    

"Being "out of it" makes it very difficult to stay on a diet, avoid stress, make lifestyle changes, etc. I would like to hear the suggestions and/or experiences of those who were able to alleviate depressive symptoms through RPD. Thanks."

I still don't eat enough of it, but when I do, high meat disposes of that crippling sensation immediately.   So perhaps a diet of all high meat would cure depression?  

I think my problem is low testosterone so I've been taking raw testicles, adrenal and pituitary glands, but in pill form because I can't find them anywhere else yet.   Thats been boosting my energy levels slightly and I've been able to be more productive than usual.  I'm sure fresh raw glands would do me loads of good.

[Dima]

I would suggest a law carb diet, but not zero-carb (maybe about 40 grams?) - I personally suffered from aggravated depression / lack of energy during my 6 months zero-carb experiment. The symptoms pretty much disappeared when I added 1 to 2 fruits a day. On the other hand, upping carbs higher produced symptoms of anxiety / sugar drops - and subsequent depression, again. Maybe, 1 to 2 fruits a day would be an ideal amount of carbs to keep blood sugar levels stable which would help with hypoglycemia-induced depression?

Another thing which was already mentioned is "high meat". However, I do not make my own high meat since I find the smell really disgusting and revolting and cannot put it in my mouth. My alternative to high meat is century eggs (those are black aged raw duck eggs that you can find really cheap in any Asian market). I strive to eat several of those eggs a week. I chop them, deep in Tamari and eat as an appetizer. Just don't smell them, or you won't be able to eat them! The taste is actually pretty tolerable. Another alternative to high meat is really aged, "smelly" raw milk cheeses - a delicacy! I eat quite a lot of those (just don't do it in an office!  ).

Hopefully this is helpful.

FoxWoman

Thanks for your reply, FoxWoman. I do not think that century eggs from the supermarket are a similar product to high meat. I have eaten lots of those eggs without any observable effects. It is my understanding that nowadays the century eggs are made using an accelerated aging techniques and are not a true fermented product.

[TylerDurden]

Thanks for your reply, FoxWoman. I do not think that century eggs from the supermarket are a similar product to high meat. I have eaten lots of those eggs without any observable effects. It is my understanding that nowadays the century eggs are made using an accelerated aging techniques and are not a true fermented product.

  I agree. When I read some of the recipes for century eggs, I also saw references to using boiled eggs rather than raw eggs plus extras which were not suitable.

[Dima]

A brief update on my situation...

I've made a number of lifestyle changes which reduced my stress level significantly. Also, I've been eating mostly raw and somewhat low-carb. Sleep is slowly improving. Anxiety is nearly gone but the depression comes and goes. At any rate, there are improvements on both fronts. I have to agree with previous poster about the role of diet in curing depression. I think diet plays a significant but a small role. Other things like setting and pursuing goals, having an active social life, being productive are the decisive factors.

[Techydude]

Diet is 100% at the side of tackling depression, food sensitives removed, and low carb (dont go 0 you may react badly and get fatigued or emotional).


But also if you've been genitally cut, it has a psychological impact because it's very traumatic even if you forget it, I sourced my anxiety and depression disorder from it: http://www.cirp.org/library/psych/goldman1/


The best way for me to deal with depression is to let it out, have a good cry, don't hold it in makes it worse, talk it out, write it out in a general, get some exercise sometimes, lots of sun everyday, hours worth, laugh, socialize, etc. But yeah that's the source of it if you have been.

[Dima]

Thanks for the article Techydude. I'm going to read it and rub it in the faces of my circumcised friends who argue that the foreskin serves no function and removing it has all sorts of benefits.    Luckily I grew up in a place where circumsition was not a common practice.

[CHK91]

Thanks for the article Techydude. I'm going to read it and rub it in the faces of my circumcised friends who argue that the foreskin serves no function and removing it has all sorts of benefits.    Luckily I grew up in a place where circumsition was not a common practice.

Same here. XD

[Techydude]

Same here. XD

You can also check out The Whole Network and Intact America (google it) and Circumstitions as well as San Francisco bans Circumcision. Don't wanna post the link here in respect for the site but you can google and find the intactivist sites. Also there's Foregen and foreskin restoration via tlctugger etc to take back your body and regain more sensation. Google it . It helps with my depression to know at least I have the choice now. At least now I can take charge of my own body and decide what I want or dont want to do with my body - dietwise and restoration.


I've seen a therapist about my depression as a result of trauma from circ but most of them humor me on and dont believe me so now im looking for an intactivist therapist and in the meantime doing EFT Therapy via Patricia Robinette (google it), self help, healing, raw paleo, yoga, writing in a journal, and not ignoring my feelings or pains or emotions or depression but experiencing it and delving into it deeply to release it instead of repressing it and holding it on. A healer is their own healer. But still looking for a good therapist for my trauma who will listen to my genital cutting trauma with my sources -

 inflict that much pain to a baby on such a sensitive part and at such a developmental stage when a baby feels ten times more and people don't expect there to be trauma and psychological affects and depression etc? If only all the men and women who it was done to knew they were traumatized and affected someway: http://www.cirp.org/library/psych/goldman1/


I wish you the best in your healing journey and try EFT therapy and Patricia Robinette, etc(google it) everyone, it gives me hope.

[Dima]

Techydude, there's something I want to recommend in terms of self-help resources. I've read all sorts of self-help literature over several years. So far only two pieces stood out:

1) http://www.untamedlife.com
Many of the author's ideas are hard to take, but he's right on the money. Very paleo too


2) http://www.amazon.com/Radical-Honesty-Transform-Telling-Truth/dp/0440507545
This book's only downfall is that much of it is presented with a new age "feel"...otherwise its pretty solid.

[Techydude]

Techydude, there's something I want to recommend in terms of self-help resources. I've read all sorts of self-help literature over several years. So far only two pieces stood out:

1) http://www.untamedlife.com
Many of the author's ideas are hard to take, but he's right on the money. Very paleo too


2) http://www.amazon.com/Radical-Honesty-Transform-Telling-Truth/dp/0440507545
This book's only downfall is that much of it is presented with a new age "feel"...otherwise its pretty solid.

Untamed life and the truth one sound interesting. My life is about getting to the truth no matter how much pain and denial I have to go through. That's how I became a RPDer and an Intactivist for Genital Integrity of Males and Females. I just wanna heal myself just like Patricia Robinette , victim of Female genital cutting and depression and anxiety from the trauma whereas FGM was common in the US prior to 1997 where she became an intactivist for genital integrity of males and females and dedicated her life to healing and EFT and became a raw vegan(sucks maybe she'll join raw paleo one day). She made the book Rape of Innocence on male and female genital cutting in the US and healing: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/187841111X/ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp_sr_1?pf_rd_p=486539851&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=1878411047&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=1GW5GQMYCQD9SQ36TPWF


I guess dedicating my life to health, healing, wholeness, intactivism, activism, finding the truth, foreskin restoration, and etc really improves my life but I will always have anxiety disorder(bad especially socially) and chronic depression disorder from the cutting trauma at birth, but hope to see it improve via low carb paleo, getting rid of food sensitives, and reading books like you recommended me, more therapy, and healing. Hope this info helps the OP too.

[Dima]

Untamed life and the truth one sound interesting. My life is about getting to the truth no matter how much pain and denial I have to go through. That's how I became a RPDer and an Intactivist for Genital Integrity of Males and Females. I just wanna heal myself just like Patricia Robinette , victim of Female genital cutting and depression and anxiety from the trauma whereas FGM was common in the US prior to 1997 where she became an intactivist for genital integrity of males and females and dedicated her life to healing and EFT and became a raw vegan(sucks maybe she'll join raw paleo one day). She made the book Rape of Innocence on male and female genital cutting in the US and healing: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/187841111X/ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp_sr_1?pf_rd_p=486539851&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=1878411047&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=1GW5GQMYCQD9SQ36TPWF


I guess dedicating my life to health, healing, wholeness, intactivism, activism, finding the truth, foreskin restoration, and etc really improves my life but I will always have anxiety disorder(bad especially socially) and chronic depression disorder from the cutting trauma at birth, but hope to see it improve via low carb paleo, getting rid of food sensitives, and reading books like you recommended me, more therapy, and healing. Hope this info helps the OP too.

I've learned that are no such things as ALWAYS or NEVER. I had a limiting mindset when I was young and also thought: "I could never do that, I could never be that." Bullshit! I have become and have done things that I have never dreamed of as a kid! I am writing this in my own thread on depression, so my work is not done (is it ever?) but at this point in life I have proven to myself that I don't have to settle for any personal or circumstantial limitations. Anything can be overcome. Techydude, I hope that in time you can leave your limiting mindset behind and get well on the way to reaching the goals.

[Techydude]

I'll try to open my mind to that =)

Also has anyone noticed an improvement in their depression as well as anxiety on raw paleo diet?

[TylerDurden]

I'll try to open my mind to that =)

Also has anyone noticed an improvement in their depression as well as anxiety on raw paleo diet?

  Many of us have, myself included. High-meat also helps a lot in this regard.

[Techydude]

  Many of us have, myself included. High-meat also helps a lot in this regard.

Well that's true. Some people say depression is linked to bad digestion from bacteria loss/low bacteria, and just low bacteria all in all or low in the gut ie depleted from stress and antibiotics, etc. As well as maybe H.pylori.