Has Anybody Cured Their Depression?

[Dopamine]

@Dopamine

How are you getting on now?

Some things have changed. Thanks for asking.

I have a really good day once in a while. Yesterday I felt great. Felt like everything was going to turn around for me. But it never sticks and I end up depressed again. I just ate white rice and fruit all day and my digestion was perfect and my depression went away so i'm seeing my depression as actually more of a digestive disorder I think. Makes sense as bad digestion seems to be the main cause of high serotonin seeing as how most serotonin is produced in the gut.

I've also been exercising more and sleeping much better as long as I keep my digestive issues under control.

white rice, white sweet potato, and fruit seem to be the safest foods for me. Certain foods like milk, garlic, onions, beans- seem to cause a lot of problems.

I don't know though... I wonder if i'm just bipolar

I'll keep experimenting

 

[InChristAlone]

So you cut out protein foods? Do you think you have leaky gut causing reactions to the proteins in animals foods?

 

[HDD]

Have you checked your vitamin D? It was mentioned in this thread as was sunlight but since you are in Canada, you won't get Vitamin D from the sun this time of year.
"Anxiety and depression are associated with very low vitamin D."
Vitamin D - KMUD, 2016-11-18

 

[aquaman]

I have not read all 9 pages of this so may be a repeat

The issue is that depression can be caused by so many factors. Some things that have worked for me and things I have read on various forums that have worked, in no particular order:

- psychotherapy
- hypnosis
- mild, non-exhaustive exercise, especially earlier in the day
- regular movement, ie not stuck at a desk job, or if you are, try getting a standing desk - or at least getting out into nature a few times a week
- avoiding reading the news - too much negativity
- regular bed and wake times (for me this is the hardest)
- no late night screens/TV/lights
- try going without coffee for a few weeks, worked wonders for me, although I love it so much
- eating early in the day, particularly calorie and salt heavy in the morning (fewer liquids), and balancing blood sugars by having REGULAR meal times and similar foods that you know you can digest with a couple of snacks or sipping salted juice between your main 3/4 meals
- methylene blue - Ray mentions a study where 15mg per day was enough to break people out of cycle
- other metabolism boosting substances especially thyroid (as long as food is enough)
- stimulating activities especially things where you DO things, not where you consume them - ie painting/drawing/DIY/woodwork better than movies or
- meditation
- positive visualisation. I found I had trained my brain to think negatively over many years, and using hypnosis and visualisation helps to re-train it

Actually, should have just posted this from Rob Turner at FunctionalPS!!
http://www.functionalps.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Picture-1.png
Image here:

And Kate Deering just posted this on facebook:

"This would emphasize high protein (at least 80g.), double the carb to protein ratio, low unsaturated fats, low iron, and high antioxidant consumption (fruits, liver, milk, roots), with a moderate or low starch consumption.

In practice, this means that a major part of the diet should be milk, cheese, eggs, shellfish, fruits and coconut oil, with vitamin E and salt as the safest supplements. It should be remembered that amino acids, especially in eggs, stimulate insulin secretion, and that this can cause hypoglycemia, which in turn causes cortisol secretion. Eating fruit (or other carbohydrate), coconut oil, and salt at the same meal will decrease this effect of the protein.

Magnesium carbonate and epsom salts can also be useful and safe supplements, except when the synthetic material causes an allergic bowel reaction.” -Ray Peat, PhD

Bottom line: A diet of dairy, eggs, liver, shellfish, fruit, coconut oil and juice should be the foundation of a metabolically supportive diet. Coffee, salt, grass-fed meats, gelatin, bone broth, honey, white sugar, raw carrots, mineral broth are also of great importance and use.

 

[InChristAlone]

I have not read all 9 pages of this so may be a repeat

The issue is that depression can be caused by so many factors. Some things that have worked for me and things I have read on various forums that have worked, in no particular order:

- psychotherapy
- hypnosis
- mild, non-exhaustive exercise, especially earlier in the day
- regular movement, ie not stuck at a desk job, or if you are, try getting a standing desk - or at least getting out into nature a few times a week
- avoiding reading the news - too much negativity
- regular bed and wake times (for me this is the hardest)
- no late night screens/TV/lights
- try going without coffee for a few weeks, worked wonders for me, although I love it so much
- eating early in the day, particularly calorie and salt heavy in the morning (fewer liquids), and balancing blood sugars by having REGULAR meal times and similar foods that you know you can digest with a couple of snacks or sipping salted juice between your main 3/4 meals
- methylene blue - Ray mentions a study where 15mg per day was enough to break people out of cycle
- other metabolism boosting substances especially thyroid (as long as food is enough)
- stimulating activities especially things where you DO things, not where you consume them - ie painting/drawing/DIY/woodwork better than movies or
- meditation
- positive visualisation. I found I had trained my brain to think negatively over many years, and using hypnosis and visualisation helps to re-train it

Actually, should have just posted this from Rob Turner at FunctionalPS!!
http://www.functionalps.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Picture-1.png
Image here:

And Kate Deering just posted this on facebook:

"This would emphasize high protein (at least 80g.), double the carb to protein ratio, low unsaturated fats, low iron, and high antioxidant consumption (fruits, liver, milk, roots), with a moderate or low starch consumption.

In practice, this means that a major part of the diet should be milk, cheese, eggs, shellfish, fruits and coconut oil, with vitamin E and salt as the safest supplements. It should be remembered that amino acids, especially in eggs, stimulate insulin secretion, and that this can cause hypoglycemia, which in turn causes cortisol secretion. Eating fruit (or other carbohydrate), coconut oil, and salt at the same meal will decrease this effect of the protein.

Magnesium carbonate and epsom salts can also be useful and safe supplements, except when the synthetic material causes an allergic bowel reaction.” -Ray Peat, PhD

Bottom line: A diet of dairy, eggs, liver, shellfish, fruit, coconut oil and juice should be the foundation of a metabolically supportive diet. Coffee, salt, grass-fed meats, gelatin, bone broth, honey, white sugar, raw carrots, mineral broth are also of great importance and use.

These are good tips. I also second the coffee causing low mood, I had never had such extreme low moods except when I was on coffee/chocolate/coke. Sometimes they were so severe as to cause feelings of doom. I have been off all stimulants and have only had one bout of low mood that happened after taking my cypro along with some niacinamide. I think it was just a drop, then I distracted myself and it went away. I try not to give any power to these low moods. Also what you resist will persist. So just say oh hi anxious/depressed thought nice to see you again... then just don't give it any more attention. It will pass.

 

[Parsifal]

Some things have changed. Thanks for asking.

I have a really good day once in a while. Yesterday I felt great. Felt like everything was going to turn around for me. But it never sticks and I end up depressed again. I just ate white rice and fruit all day and my digestion was perfect and my depression went away so i'm seeing my depression as actually more of a digestive disorder I think. Makes sense as bad digestion seems to be the main cause of high serotonin seeing as how most serotonin is produced in the gut.

I've also been exercising more and sleeping much better as long as I keep my digestive issues under control.

white rice, white sweet potato, and fruit seem to be the safest foods for me. Certain foods like milk, garlic, onions, beans- seem to cause a lot of problems.

I don't know though... I wonder if i'm just bipolar

I'll keep experimenting

The Gut-Brain Axis: The Missing Link in Depression
Germ-free Animals Have Autistic Like Behaviors And No Resistance To Stress

 

[aquaman]

^^ this contradicts with Ray's advice about being germ-free. In one interview he quotes longer lifespan for animals with no bacteria in their Colon

 

[Dopamine]

^^ this contradicts with Ray's advice about being germ-free. In one interview he quotes longer lifespan for animals with no bacteria in their Colon

I think he has said mainly the small intestine should be sterile and not necessarily the large intestine.

These are good tips. I also second the coffee causing low mood, I had never had such extreme low moods except when I was on coffee/chocolate/coke. Sometimes they were so severe as to cause feelings of doom. I have been off all stimulants and have only had one bout of low mood that happened after taking my cypro along with some niacinamide. I think it was just a drop, then I distracted myself and it went away. I try not to give any power to these low moods. Also what you resist will persist. So just say oh hi anxious/depressed thought nice to see you again... then just don't give it any more attention. It will pass.

Ya I drink decaf now. Adrenaline rushes and poor sleep onset with caf. even 1 cup per day.

Have you checked your vitamin D? It was mentioned in this thread as was sunlight but since you are in Canada, you won't get Vitamin D from the sun this time of year.
"Anxiety and depression are associated with very low vitamin D."
Vitamin D - KMUD, 2016-11-18

I was taking 5000iu per day for a while but quit because it didn't seem to have much effect. I'll go back on it though just because its probaly good for general health.

 

[paymanz]

Get back into your body.

It's like there's a switch in your brain. Feels vs thoughts. The more you lose yourself thinking, the more you lose contact with your self. That's why, to me, any practice that helps you get back in the now at the felt/sensory level (meditation, breath, body part sensation, etc.) is better than thinking. Animals bounce back faster, IMO, from challenges because their let their innate (constitutive) wiring do what it does best: deal with it in real time.

Thinking opens a loop that must be closed or starved (no re-firing). It has its place, but also learn to prefer trusting your self, not some detached thought.

+1

 

[InChristAlone]

You could try EFT, I do it when I can't calm down. It is a way of grounding yourself, so you don't feel your thoughts are in control of you.

"Clinical studies done on EFT show that it is effective in treating anxiety. EFT can, on average, reduce levels of the stress hormone cortisol by 24%, anxiety symptoms by 42%, depression by 74% and phobias by 68%. EFT also has a success rate of 86% with PTSD." Clinical EFT as an Evidence-Based Practice for the Treatment of Psychological and Physiological Conditions

 

[Dopamine]

Thanks everybody.

I have been having some success with niacinamide. The antidepressant effects don't seem to be immediate rather it kicks in a day or two after starting. I had 2 fantastic days taking 500mg after breakfast then another 500mg after lunch for several consecutive days. I have read so many testimonials of people curing depression with niacin so I think this may work. I think I need to up the dosage though. I will keep everyone updated.

 

[scarlettsmum]

Thanks everybody.

I have been having some success with niacinamide. The antidepressant effects don't seem to be immediate rather it kicks in a day or two after starting. I had 2 fantastic days taking 500mg after breakfast then another 500mg after lunch for several consecutive days. I have read so many testimonials of people curing depression with niacin so I think this may work. I think I need to up the dosage though. I will keep everyone updated.

What brand are you using? Thanks.

 

[DaveFoster]

The thing with depression; there are many grades of depression, and when you surpass one grade, then you fall into homeostasis to the new "normal." There's a point at which depression no longer exists, and that's happiness, but that's usually brought on by a sense of novelty, purpose, and relationship.

 

[member 2106]

The thing with depression; there are many grades of depression, and when you surpass one grade, then you fall into homeostasis to the new "normal." There's a point at which depression no longer exists, and that's happiness, but that's usually brought on by a sense of novelty, purpose, and relationship.

True, but I think it's hard to find a sense of novelty and purpose, etc., until you've really addressed whatever environmental factors may be contributing to the inability to access such things. The more I think about it, the more it seems that dialling in on optimising nutrition, getting sunlight, things you can control - lots of the things Ray Peat talks about - is the first step, because when you achieve that lightness which comes with a good, functional metabolism and digestion, then you're on the path to rediscovering a sense of novelty, or being capable of such a rediscovery, being less weighed down by a compromised system. So it's a bit of a chicken and egg scenario. Yesterday, for example, I had a binge episode, and ate terrible foods all day, and was left with a deep feeling of depression which has only just passed. In general, I've found that eating foods that are optimal for me has begun to give me the energy to find purpose, novelty, motivation, equanimity, partly through improving my digestion and clearing the way, so to speak. That can easily be lost if you routinely throw spanners in the works.

 

[ReSTART]

Look around.

 

[scarlettsmum]

sometimes I struggle to distinguish whether it is indeed caused by chemical imbalance or if the depression has an underlying message or both? Is there any way to tell? Especially if one suffers from anxiety and so the mind is ever so creative in coming up with convincing scenarios. I wonder how many people quit jobs, broke off relationships, relocated because they thought it was their intuitive calling only to find out they were wrong and it was a decision made when depressed and perhaps not even being aware of it. Oftentimes I only find out depression hit me after I'm well into it. It starts slowly as I stop taking care of myself bit by bit, start to lose enjoyment in life and start questioning if life is worth living. And then I wonder if I just have to keep on going and remind myself that the older generation didn't allow themselves to get depressed. Are we just weak, is there a chemical imbalance, are we spoilt, are we ungrateful, do we have higher expectations? What is the cause of this suffering? Perhaps simpler lives and living in a community or extended families provided comfort which is something we have lost...? I wish I had the answer, me too, I'm in the midst of depression right now triggered by some deep thoughts brought on by my period. But again, were these valid thoughts or what if thoughts caused by anxiety...? I believe winter has definitely something to do with it too. Staying indoors in cold, lack of sunshine, vitamin D.

 

[Constatine]

sometimes I struggle to distinguish whether it is indeed caused by chemical imbalance or if the depression has an underlying message or both? Is there any way to tell? Especially if one suffers from anxiety and so the mind is ever so creative in coming up with convincing scenarios. I wonder how many people quit jobs, broke off relationships, relocated because they thought it was their intuitive calling only to find out they were wrong and it was a decision made when depressed and perhaps not even being aware of it. Oftentimes I only find out depression hit me after I'm well into it. It starts slowly as I stop taking care of myself bit by bit, start to lose enjoyment in life and start questioning if life is worth living. And then I wonder if I just have to keep on going and remind myself that the older generation didn't allow themselves to get depressed. Are we just weak, is there a chemical imbalance, are we spoilt, are we ungrateful, do we have higher expectations? What is the cause of this suffering? Perhaps simpler lives and living in a community or extended families provided comfort which is something we have lost...? I wish I had the answer, me too, I'm in the midst of depression right now triggered by some deep thoughts brought on by my period. But again, were these valid thoughts or what if thoughts caused by anxiety...? I believe winter has definitely something to do with it too. Staying indoors in cold, lack of sunshine, vitamin D.

I would say that a chemical imbalance and an underlying message is indistinguishable from each other, or rather they are the same thing. The chemical imbalance is simply the language the the brain speaks, your circumstance is the semantics. There are many things wrong with our bodily health and physical circumstance this day in age, thus we have many chemical imbalances. There are so many factors negatively effecting our health that if one cannot deconstruct their situation and find the underlying factors then it is best to quit one's job and relocate to a better place just to change one's lifestyle completely.

 

[Dopamine]

What brand are you using? Thanks.

Organika gelatin capsules

only other ingredient is magnesium stearate

 

[HLP]

Yes, my depression completely disappeared once I got help for hypothyroidism. Day to day life prior to this came with a large dose of exhaustion that consumed my life for 40 years. I'm surprised I survived going from doctor to doctor, only to be told nothing was wrong. I was the queen of sleep. I could sleep anywhere anytime and then again all night. Interestingly, each time I was pregnant the exhaustion would completely disappear and I would get a break. (4 times) This should have been a HUGE clue to the doctors. I finally gave up on orthodox methods and hooked up with Lita Lee, who turned my life around once and for all.

 

[Regina]

Yes, my depression completely disappeared once I got help for hypothyroidism. Day to day life prior to this came with a large dose of exhaustion that consumed my life for 40 years. I'm surprised I survived going from doctor to doctor, only to be told nothing was wrong. I was the queen of sleep. I could sleep anywhere anytime and then again all night. Interestingly, each time I was pregnant the exhaustion would completely disappear and I would get a break. (4 times) This should have been a HUGE clue to the doctors. I finally gave up on orthodox methods and hooked up with Lita Lee, who turned my life around once and for all.