Has Anybody Cured Their Depression?

[zztr]

I was very lean and had decent musculature from strength training a couple times a week. I looked cut on the beach and got laid. I was definitely way, way under eating. I have no idea how many calories I eat now but it's a multiple of what it was before. It took a year and a half to build up to what I'm eating now. I have most of a gallon of 1% milk, a cup of rice or oats or pasta with a half teaspoon of gelatin, two beers, three eggs, and more. *So* much more than I was eating before when I was "shredded" and just lifting a couple times a week.

Personally, I just don't see how it's possible to be healthy and sedentary. The daily sub-lactate threshold activity is non-negotiable from my experience. We're just made to be in motion.

 

[tyler]

I'm really low bodyfat and don't eat much- probaly ~2000 calories per day. I don't have a big appetite. I think that is a very interesting observation. I'll try eating higher calorie and see if that helps.

I think this is a good one. I don't think 2k is enough for even very sedentary individulals. When I don't eat enough, the effects are far more mental than they are physical. I am prone to OCD tendencies and these manifest greatest when I don't eat enough. I become obsessive, neurotic, low self esteem, and i am less able to recognize negative thinking patterns.
@tara posts on the topic really helped me here when I was coming out of a long period of under eating.

It's disconcerting to think that in the 50's you could get your own place for about 10,000 dollars? Mangers in your average store had houses of good size within 3-4 years of work,bought and owned.
It's strikes me as intelligent what a lot of millenials are doing by using their parents home as a base when you consider living expenses in the west.

Comments like are you afraid of success are part of the stigma and ignorance of the current economic world they live in,it's the baby boomers who are the entitled brats. Millennial listening to this will get depressed quickly,it's important to pen and paper the facts,your generation are getting screwed,you will work harder and longer than the spoiled brats of the baby boom generation and will end up with less.
The level of judgment for the millennials is unheard of in history,they are criticised at every turn because of social media yet the baby boomers claim they are mollycoddled,the baby boomers are the moddy coddled pathological entitled narcissist we are dealing with now,they made this mess worldwide in 50-60 years! Possibly the worst most deluded human generation in history.

Your depression is intellegence manifesting/developing itself. You have ticked most metabolic boxes so it's not entirely that.
Read haiduts posts on how psychologist have changed the definitions of depression for modern times. Be very selective of any baby boom generation advice,they are majority deluded imo.

Speak truthfully as often as you can ,you will feel better for it.

This is a great post. I am particularly interested, being a 22 year old. I've never heard anyone with this view. Is there anywhere I can go to read more on this subject?

 

[InChristAlone]

I was wondering what your calorie intake was! 2,000 calories is not nearly enough for a man. It isn't even enough for me at 109 pounds. I am going through a period of undereating due to adrenaline and it is practically destroying me. I am using cyproheptadine to get in more calories. Check out the youreatopia thread. Young males are 3,000 calories minimum. Now I do know people who can thrive on less, but they are also sedentary and have extremely strict dietary needs. One such guy is selfhacked.com. I added up what his calories were and they are under 2000 and he's not even eating real food unless you call honey and leafy greens and protein powders real foods. I don't know how he does it. He claims all his health issues were related to food problems, he was sensitive to caffeine and all animal proteins and grains. So could be something to look into as well, but not if you think it will cause an eating disorder. Which for me it most definitely would. I am trying to be healthy on real foods. I do think I have some sensitivities though. Could be poor digestion. Many factors in mental health. Eating more calories might help give your digestive system the fuel to utilize the calories better. So could be a simple nutrient deficiency. Like B12.

 

[Drareg]

I think this is a good one. I don't think 2k is enough for even very sedentary individulals. When I don't eat enough, the effects are far more mental than they are physical. I am prone to OCD tendencies and these manifest greatest when I don't eat enough. I become obsessive, neurotic, low self esteem, and i am less able to recognize negative thinking patterns.
@tara posts on the topic really helped me here when I was coming out of a long period of under eating.


This is a great post. I am particularly interested, being a 22 year old. I've never heard anyone with this view. Is there anywhere I can go to read more on this subject?

The reason you won't hear anyone speak of it is because they are generally the ones in powerful positions in the establishment and other corporations.
Millennials have been born into chaos and its reaching tipping point.

If you read about after WW2 what life was like you will get what I am saying or even search house prices throughout history,car prices etc and compare that to incomes during those periods.
There is little if any value now until it collapses again.

It can be argued that the generations before the boomers were mentally tougher than the millennials but the game is not over for the millennials, they are seeing how warped the systems is a good age,the next collapse will hopefully get the rest of pop culture addicted to snap out of it and see reality as it is,they are also getting good info on diet and nutrition,unfortunately many will be victims of their selected sources of information.
Millennial will have less kids and this is an advantage in the coming economic climate,not advantageous for big government as they need more plebiscites for the tax line.
The game is almost over for the baby boomers in every country and majority are an absolute disgrace,they are playing the blame game for their failed systems,also what they see as failed children,their PUFA and serotonin laden perceptions are the issue here.

 

[ecstatichamster]

I think very powerful red light can help depression great deal. You have to have enough of it. On your torso or body preferably.

 

[Regina]

I think this is a good one. I don't think 2k is enough for even very sedentary individulals. When I don't eat enough, the effects are far more mental than they are physical. I am prone to OCD tendencies and these manifest greatest when I don't eat enough. I become obsessive, neurotic, low self esteem, and i am less able to recognize negative thinking patterns.
@tara posts on the topic really helped me here when I was coming out of a long period of under eating.


This is a great post. I am particularly interested, being a 22 year old. I've never heard anyone with this view. Is there anywhere I can go to read more on this subject?

"I become obsessive, neurotic, low self esteem, and i am less able to recognize negative thinking patterns." Those were my exact symptoms when I was catabolic skinny. And they are distinctly the very traits that have reduced while Peating.

 

[EIRE24]

"I become obsessive, neurotic, low self esteem, and i am less able to recognize negative thinking patterns." Those were my exact symptoms when I was catabolic skinny. And they are distinctly the very traits that have reduced while Peating.

Have you gained much weight while peating?

 

[Regina]

Have you gained much weight while peating?

Yes. However, I am a terrible clerk. I never record anything like calorie intake or weighing myself.
I just eyeball it.
I got a little too thick in the mid-section for maybe 2wks but that has slimmed down a bit.
But I am overall happy with the new extra weight distribution. (T n A ) . It would be a nice-have to slim a tiny bit more off the waste but I wouldn't sacrifice any of these other gains to get that.

 

[EIRE24]

Yes. However, I am a terrible clerk. I never record anything like calorie intake or weighing myself.
I just eyeball it.
I got a little too thick in the mid-section for maybe 2wks but that has slimmed down a bit.
But I am overall happy with the new extra weight distribution. (T n A ) . It would be a nice-have to slim a tiny bit more off the waste but I wouldn't sacrifice any of these other gains to get that.

I understand what you mean, what does your diet look like?

 

[tyler]

"I become obsessive, neurotic, low self esteem, and i am less able to recognize negative thinking patterns." Those were my exact symptoms when I was catabolic skinny. And they are distinctly the very traits that have reduced while Peating.

Yup.. I thought I appeared healthy at that point too
My fear of gaining weight was undoubtedly the greatest limiting factor when it came to succeeding on a peat inspired lifestyle/diet. If I would have simply listened to my body and cravings sooner, it wouldn't have taken me a year to finally make progress.
I don't know if this is an issue for OP, but if it is- I encourage you to overcome that mindset and tune into your body.

 

[amethyst]

This is a random question but tied to the topic-wanted to know if depression or feeling down, can affect one's temperature? Thoughts?

 

[Dopamine]

4 Slices Toast w/Butter and Jam
3 Eggs Scrambled w/Cheese and salted
1 Coffee w/tbsp of Ice Cream and 1.5tbsp sugar
1 Serving of Fruit (Usually 2 Peeled Apples or Fresh OJ)
~1050

.5 Cup Rice w/butter, coconut oil, and salt
1 Cheese Stick
1 Serving of Meat (Fat free Chicken, Shrimp, Sausage, Gelatinous Meat)
.75 Cup Puffed Corn Cereal w/.75 cup 1% milk
~1000Cal

1.5 Cup Puffed Corn or Rice Cereal
1.5 Cup 1% Milk
2 Large Baked Potatoes w/Coconut Oil, Butter, and Salt
~1000Cal
__________________________
Daily Calories >3050
Protein ~127g
Carbs ~435g
Fat ~80g

I created a basic trial diet plan that I think I can follow pretty closely and it's realistic and practical for me. If I feel like eating/drinking more I will so I would expect daily calories to push up to at least ~3300 which is I think what they recommend on youreatopia.com for adult males as a minimum.

The puffed corn and puffed rice cereals I buy have basic ingredients and no added iron which is pretty cool. I generally use lactose free milk.

 

[Dopamine]

I was wondering what your calorie intake was! 2,000 calories is not nearly enough for a man. It isn't even enough for me at 109 pounds. I am going through a period of undereating due to adrenaline and it is practically destroying me. I am using cyproheptadine to get in more calories. Check out the youreatopia thread. Young males are 3,000 calories minimum. Now I do know people who can thrive on less, but they are also sedentary and have extremely strict dietary needs. One such guy is selfhacked.com. I added up what his calories were and they are under 2000 and he's not even eating real food unless you call honey and leafy greens and protein powders real foods. I don't know how he does it. He claims all his health issues were related to food problems, he was sensitive to caffeine and all animal proteins and grains. So could be something to look into as well, but not if you think it will cause an eating disorder. Which for me it most definitely would. I am trying to be healthy on real foods. I do think I have some sensitivities though. Could be poor digestion. Many factors in mental health. Eating more calories might help give your digestive system the fuel to utilize the calories better. So could be a simple nutrient deficiency. Like B12.

On 2nd thought I probaly eat a bit more than 2000cal. Breakfast for me is probaly 750-900cal then I just sort of snack or eat small meals the rest of the day. Still I know I don't eat nearly enough. Youreatopias minimum for adult males is I think 3300 calories which I'm most certain I never hit.

That self hacked guy seems pretty nutty to me. I don't think he's healthy. I saw his supplement list a while ago and there were several dozen items. I'm sure he was taking probaly over 100 pills a day. I don't think people who feel healthy and stable do things like that. Reminds me of Dave Asprey who claims to be super healthy to sell his products but meanwhile he takes stimulants and diabetes meds and probaly isn't that healthy.

I think this is a good one. I don't think 2k is enough for even very sedentary individulals. When I don't eat enough, the effects are far more mental than they are physical. I am prone to OCD tendencies and these manifest greatest when I don't eat enough. I become obsessive, neurotic, low self esteem, and i am less able to recognize negative thinking patterns.
@tara posts on the topic really helped me here when I was coming out of a long period of under eating.

I have those same problems but the severity fluctuates on a daily and even hourly basis. As you say it's probaly from not eating enough and not maintaining stable blood sugar.

I agree tara has helpful posts

 

[sladerunner69]

Why is it that if serotonin is so negative and evil, which is clearly the prevailing sentiment held by this community, then why do so many studies and scientists and academics believe that serotonin is the "happiness" chemical? I am struggling deeply to understand how these two positions could be so polarized. On one hand, we have numerous success stories of posters on the forum claiming they cured depression through anti-serotonin drugs. On the other hand, we have plenty of outside evidence of people taking pro-serotonin drugs and claiming their depression is lifted. My freind swears by 5-htp, a serotonin agonist, and regardless of my preaching to him about the merits of decreasing serotonin, he loves the stuff and takes it everyday.

 

[Dopamine]

"I become obsessive, neurotic, low self esteem, and i am less able to recognize negative thinking patterns." Those were my exact symptoms when I was catabolic skinny. And they are distinctly the very traits that have reduced while Peating.

also common symptoms described in the "Minnesota Starvation Experiment"
The Effects of Starvation on Behavior: Implications for Dieting and Eating Disorders - River Centre Clinic

"Although the subjects were psychologically healthy prior to the experiment, most experienced significant emotional deterioration as a result of semistarvation. Most subjects experienced periods during which their emotional distress was quite severe; almost 20 percent had extreme emotional deterioration that markedly interfered with their functioning. Depression became more severe during the course of the experiment. Mood swings were extreme for some of the volunteers:

[One subject] experienced a number of periods in which his spirits were definitely high … These elated periods alternated with times in which he suffered “a deep dark depression.” (p. 903)

Irritability and frequent outbursts of anger were common, although the men had fairly tolerant dispositions prior to starvation. For most subjects, anxiety became more evident. As the experiment progressed, many of the formerly even-tempered men began biting their nails or smoking because they felt nervous. Apathy also became common, and some men who had been moderately fastidious neglected various aspects of personal hygiene. During semistarvation, two subjects developed disturbances of psychotic proportions. During the refeeding period, emotional disturbance did not vanish immediately but persisted for several weeks, with some men actually becoming more depressed, irritable, argumentative, and negativistic than they had been during semi starvation."

This pretty much describes me to a tee. Mood swings, anger, and anxiety especially.

 

[tyler]

4 Slices Toast w/Butter and Jam
3 Eggs Scrambled w/Cheese and salted
1 Coffee w/tbsp of Ice Cream and 1.5tbsp sugar
1 Serving of Fruit (Usually 2 Peeled Apples or Fresh OJ)
~1050

.5 Cup Rice w/butter, coconut oil, and salt
1 Cheese Stick
1 Serving of Meat (Fat free Chicken, Shrimp, Sausage, Gelatinous Meat)
.75 Cup Puffed Corn Cereal w/.75 cup 1% milk
~1000Cal

1.5 Cup Puffed Corn or Rice Cereal
1.5 Cup 1% Milk
2 Large Baked Potatoes w/Coconut Oil, Butter, and Salt
~1000Cal
__________________________
Daily Calories >3050
Protein ~127g
Carbs ~435g
Fat ~80g

I created a basic trial diet plan that I think I can follow pretty closely and it's realistic and practical for me. If I feel like eating/drinking more I will so I would expect daily calories to push up to at least ~3300 which is I think what they recommend on youreatopia.com for adult males as a minimum.

The puffed corn and puffed rice cereals I buy have basic ingredients and no added iron which is pretty cool. I generally use lactose free milk.

This looks great- definitely report back!

 

[InChristAlone]

I'm so glad you are going to attempt to eat more! It can be soo hard when you have anxiety and depression. I don't have hopeless depression but I do have anxiety and a lot of my anxiety surrounds eating and having a reaction. Yeah that selfhacked guy is kinda nutty, I realized he is eating real foods now, that diet plan was for when he was recovering from chronic illness so it was almost like a soylent type thing where he dumps all these supps in to make sure his bases are covered. But yeah I could never do that. I don't have chronic fatigue syndrome or autoimmunity as far as I know. Is your appetite good for that many calories or do you feel you have to force it?

 

[tomisonbottom]

Why is it that if serotonin is so negative and evil, which is clearly the prevailing sentiment held by this community, then why do so many studies and scientists and academics believe that serotonin is the "happiness" chemical? I am struggling deeply to understand how these two positions could be so polarized. On one hand, we have numerous success stories of posters on the forum claiming they cured depression through anti-serotonin drugs. On the other hand, we have plenty of outside evidence of people taking pro-serotonin drugs and claiming their depression is lifted. My freind swears by 5-htp, a serotonin agonist, and regardless of my preaching to him about the merits of decreasing serotonin, he loves the stuff and takes it everyday.

Have you read Peat's articles on serotonin? I think the reason is in some cases it's doing other things they don't well understand. Peat talks a lot about this. And with your friend, see how they are doing 5 years from now. There aren't long term studies, so many things like cortisol are good in the short term, but dangerous long term.

Study confirms science behind serotonin and depression is backwards

This Dr. has a good article
Depression: It’s Not Your Serotonin

"So, we have a half-baked theory in a vacuum of science that that pharmaceutical industry raced to fill. We have the illusion of short-term efficacy and assumptions about long-term safety. But are these medications actually killing people? The answer is yes.

Unequivocally, antidepressants cause suicidal and homicidal behavior. The Russian Roulette of patients vulnerable to these “side effects” is only beginning to be elucidated and may have something to do with genetic variants around metabolism of these chemicals. Dr. David Healy has worked tirelessly to expose the data that implicates antidepressants in suicidality and violence, maintaining a database for reporting, writing, and lecturing about cases of medication-induced death that could make your soul wince. What about our most vulnerable?

I have countless patients in my practice who report new onset of suicidal ideation within weeks of starting an antidepressant. In a population where there are only 2 randomized trials, I have grave concerns about postpartum women who are treated with antidepressants before more benign and effective interventions such as dietary modification and thyroid treatment. Hold your heart as you read through these reports of women who took their own and their children’s’ lives while treated with medications."

 

[Regina]

also common symptoms described in the "Minnesota Starvation Experiment"
The Effects of Starvation on Behavior: Implications for Dieting and Eating Disorders - River Centre Clinic

"Although the subjects were psychologically healthy prior to the experiment, most experienced significant emotional deterioration as a result of semistarvation. Most subjects experienced periods during which their emotional distress was quite severe; almost 20 percent had extreme emotional deterioration that markedly interfered with their functioning. Depression became more severe during the course of the experiment. Mood swings were extreme for some of the volunteers:

[One subject] experienced a number of periods in which his spirits were definitely high … These elated periods alternated with times in which he suffered “a deep dark depression.” (p. 903)

Irritability and frequent outbursts of anger were common, although the men had fairly tolerant dispositions prior to starvation. For most subjects, anxiety became more evident. As the experiment progressed, many of the formerly even-tempered men began biting their nails or smoking because they felt nervous. Apathy also became common, and some men who had been moderately fastidious neglected various aspects of personal hygiene. During semistarvation, two subjects developed disturbances of psychotic proportions. During the refeeding period, emotional disturbance did not vanish immediately but persisted for several weeks, with some men actually becoming more depressed, irritable, argumentative, and negativistic than they had been during semi starvation."

This pretty much describes me to a tee. Mood swings, anger, and anxiety especially.

Thanks for the study.
For me, the sudden increase of very strenuous exercise and stressful environment created a semi-starvation condition. Pure stress chemicals full-throttle.
My "neurotic" symptoms were more inwardly directed. I was not irritable, but I just became fragile mentally and emotionally. Easily picked off by any psychopath looking for a snack.
The contrast since Peating though was very profound. I'm more teflon and fearless. Still empathetic but not self-sacrificing.

 

[member 2106]

@Dopamine

How are you getting on now?