[mgibbons19]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Licho', 'I')'m taking high overdoses of fresh carrot and sex. Does it count?

[Ludi]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('threadbear', ' ')Are you sure you're not just weird? Really. Because there's plenty you can do about that. I've actually taken weird to a whole new level and thrived, as a result. No drugs required.

[seldom_seen]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('uNkNowN ElEmEnt', 'I') often wonder how much of psychiatric illness is actually induced by our crappy eating habits, processed food and soil depletion.

[Ludi]

There are definitely links between diet and mental health. Symptoms of psychotic disorders have been reduced by providing extra omega-6 and other nutrients. These disorders may have a metabolic basis somewhat like diabetes, I won't be surprised if it turns out some people simply don't metabolise nutrients sufficiently to maintain proper seratonin and dopamine levels. But so little is known of these disorders at this time, pharmaceuticals are basically just shooting in the dark, trying to kill a mosquito with a bazooka.

People on the Atkins diet were experiencing mood problems because complex carbohydrates form part of the process of seratonin production in the body, and without sufficient complex carbs, this system doesn't work properly. Likewise diets high in simple carbs contribute to mood problems in some people.

[mmasters]

As much as I've been around and been envolved with mentally ill people, drugs, gangs, etc... I will say there's some people that are truely mentally ill, but it's the minority.

Most of these people just venture too far into the dark side (which lies in all of us), form some very bad mental habits, have bad childhoods, etc... But what keeps them trapped is making the outside world responsible for their condition, all the labels, drug concoctions and such do more harm than good to many of these people. In any case the only way out the mess is the hard road of taking full responsibility for yourself. I only can say this with any certainty because it's how I got out of my horrid state of being and made something of myself.

[Ludi]

Definitely how one reacts to life and its challenges has a lot to do with one's mental health. But, going over to the dark side, or whatnot, I don't have any experience of that, being a generally cheerful and optimistic person myself. I think what you might be talking about is situational depression, when a person has a bad life experience from which they don't recover. About 15% of the population has depression at some point in their life, most of this is situational, and most people recover from it either with help from medication, or otherwise. A much smaller percentage has mental illness with a genetic component. "Pull yourself up by your bootstraps" and such really doesn't do much for these folks (I suppose I might say "us folks") as the problem is largely physical and not from bad mental habits. Not discounting the importance of good mental habits to coping with brain problems, mind you. I feel this is crucial, at least, it has been for me. But not a "cure" by any means.

[WildRose]

Depression and anxiety are very common amongst people young and old. In my work, I have encountered many cases of situational depression (loss of a loved one, job, etc.) and many of the type that are harder to categorize, but I guess would be caused by the stresses of coping with daily life.

What is interesting to me is how often people have trouble with depression and/or anxiety at key times in their development, such as adolescence, young adulthood, postpartum, midlife, menopause. I wonder about the link between hormone levels at these times in people's lives and depression/anxiety. But I don't think hormones are the whole picture because these milestones (adolescence, new parenthood, etc.) are times of significant social and emotional upheaval in a person's life as well.

[threadbear]

I had an episode of depression that lasted about a year a while back. It wasn't real deep or very serious, but serious enough that I will go on medication if it happens again. I'm pretty sure it was partly hormonal. I thought at the time: if only my mind could throw up, I'd feel better. It dawned on me, that taken in that context, telling someone to focus on the positive or find a new hobby, etc...while they're in the grip of this kind of depression is inappropriate and utterly cruel. It's like telling someone who is on the verge of throwing up from flu, to get their head out of the toilet and think pleasant thoughts.

[Ludi]

That's so true, threadbear, and so many people don't understand that. They think the depressed person is just lazy, or "everyone is blue sometimes" "just cheer up" "take responsibility for your life" etc etc.

People don't resort to electroconvulsive therapy because they are lazy or need to "cheer up."

[uNkNowN ElEmEnt]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', '"')Pull yourself up by your bootstraps" and such really doesn't do much for these folks (I suppose I might say "us folks") as the problem is largely physical and not from bad mental habits.

[Ayame]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('uNkNowN ElEmEnt', '
')I wonder what the connection is between our food being more and more processed and our soil getting depleted and the rise in mental health issues.

[oowolf]

Ludi, my late mate was bipolar. She was a gifted woodcarver who often didn"t know North from South or left from right She had to try turning the water faucet BOTH ways every time and I had to lock the washroom because she would wreck the washer timer by turning it the wrong way. I also had to keep the truck battery disconnected or she would get up in the middle of the night and drive 'til the gas ran out. Every thing was tried, including fish oil, and nothing really worked. I still have boxes full of "nutraceuticals", long outdated.

I used to worry how I'd take care of her if TSHTF. Now I don't have to.

She was the bravest, most accursed, person I've ever known.

I miss her.

[Ludi]

I'm so sorry, oowolf. I'm so glad she had you to help her, even if she couldn't stay with you into the future. Love is so important, but even love can't always save us.

[PrairieMule]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('oowolf', '
')I used to worry how I'd take care of her if TSHTF. Now I don't have to.

[Ludi]

"Manic depression" and "bipolar" are two names for the same condition.

Without medications, many of us are screwed. I think about this a lot. Suicide will go up tremendously.

[JustinFrankl]

What about people who use other vices for their stress-relieving effects? Who doesn't need a drink, walk, prayer, pharm, smoke, toke, trip, bump, or bang to get through the day? That would be an interesting poll.

Suicide is only one of the things that will rise with the decline of anti-depressants and other brain pharmaceuticals. People will turn to other drugs and vices, and people will act on their now chemically-impaired impulses.

[oowolf]

Yes, the Law of the Jungle will return, in spades. Only the fittest will survive. "Civilization" has allowed far too many of the "unfit" to survive to breeding age. Mother Nature is a cruel bitch.

Yet, for millenia, humans must have considered life as it was worth living. How many of the present population will want to go on living without all their toys?

[Ludi]

I don't know about the "unfit" theory, oowolf. There's evidence many non-civilized peoples accepted loons and nutcases and weirdoes and allowed them to live their own nutty lives as long as they didn't hurt other people. Some became shamans.

Civilized life is very stressful on people in ways that non-civilized life isn't. There may be less depression and anxiety in the future once people get past the tough times of doing without things they were used to having. I have trouble imagining being happy in a life without hot running water, but if I had never had it, I wouldn't be stressed out by missing it. It's the taking away of what we're used to that will hurt so much, we're so spoiled. It will be easier for younger people to change, us older folks will bitch and moan something fierce.

[PrairieMule]

A simple life in the country in many ways has much less anxiety. Last week we finished our 8ft deer proof fence for our vegetable garden. Also, I spent Thanksgiving morning digging out a clogged drainage pipe under a creek crossing.

That kind of work is simple, clean, and required almost no talking-just work. Replaces artificial enviroments with fresh air and sunshine. I'd rather have that over a Xanax.

[oowolf]

For some time, my forest garden has been the only thing keeping me going. I'm trying to live every day as if it were my last-and if I spend my last day spreading compost, so be it. At least I would go out doing something SANE.

When I consider the present state of most of humanity, I feel like I want to vomit forever.