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Beware of licorice root


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So I've been doing a lot of naturopathic work lately and it appears I've worn my adrenals down quite a bit due to anxiety. One herbal remedy that's supposed to be good for adrenal recovery is licorice root, so I bought some licorice root tea and tried it this morning -- TERRIBLE IDEA! My brain fog is out of control as are my tracers and depersonalization symptoms. Also I can almost notice breathing in walls which I haven't had in months. 

 

There's another user here who reported this same type of reaction to licorice root tea so clearly there's a connection of some sort. In doing a brief web search it appears licorice root is an extremely potent sweetener and I know I usually get brain fog from sugar anyways so perhaps there's a link there. Anyway, point being, I'd HIGHLY advise avoiding this herb unless you tolerate stimulants well. 

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K.B.! I feel your pain, brotha.  That person you're speaking of was probably me.  I tried 100s of supplements, and only a few really did some awesomely positive or negative things.  That licorice root did the exact same thing to me.  Instant anxiety, tremors, visual tracers increased, hyper-awareness...it was 5 years ago ago when I tried it, and I still remember it.

 

You know, I've read a couple of your posts and always kind of said to myself, this guy (K.B.) has symptoms kind of like mine.  I think I'll peek through some of your posts and see if I can find some connections for us.  I'll do this soon cause I'm feeling lazy right now, hah :)

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K.B.! I feel your pain, brotha.  That person you're speaking of was probably me.  I tried 100s of supplements, and only a few really did some awesomely positive or negative things.  That licorice root did the exact same thing to me.  Instant anxiety, tremors, visual tracers increased, hyper-awareness...it was 5 years ago ago when I tried it, and I still remember it.

 

You know, I've read a couple of your posts and always kind of said to myself, this guy (K.B.) has symptoms kind of like mine.  I think I'll peek through some of your posts and see if I can find some connections for us.  I'll do this soon cause I'm feeling lazy right now, hah :)

 

Haha, yes, I think it was you Granite. I wrote this a while back so I don't remember exactly but I just searched the site for "licorice root" and I know there was another user who had  a similar experience. And yes, I also remember in reading your posts that you had similar symptoms to me. I think we both share heightened sensitivity to almost ALL substances. I can't even take a high amount of Omega 3s without my symptoms worsening. And it sounds like we also share a common bond in terms of anxiety which many users here have as well. Have you tried anything that's worked throughout your years of dealing with HPPD or are you pretty much resigned to living with it at this point?

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Haha, yes, I think it was you Granite. I wrote this a while back so I don't remember exactly but I just searched the site for "licorice root" and I know there was another user who had  a similar experience. And yes, I also remember in reading your posts that you had similar symptoms to me. I think we both share heightened sensitivity to almost ALL substances. I can't even take a high amount of Omega 3s without my symptoms worsening. And it sounds like we also share a common bond in terms of anxiety which many users here have as well. Have you tried anything that's worked throughout your years of dealing with HPPD or are you pretty much resigned to living with it at this point?

 

I'm actually doing really well.  Almost completely healed from a severe case of HPPD that has gone on for 6 1/2 years.  I had to straighten myself up completely with no shortcuts (that means I quit all drugs, smoking, drinking, caffeine), but I'm happy to say I feel pretty close to my young teenage self again -- minus the visuals and occasional flare-up of physical symptoms.

 

I was the exact same way.  I had reactions to practically any supplement I took; even simple ones like Vitamin D or Omega 3 like you.  It was mostly this instant tension that rushed through me, a kind of chronic muscle tension that wouldn't ease up.  I felt pressure on my chest for years, making it feel like I wasn't getting enough air.  Through all the supplements I tried, I did find a couple supplements that initially seemed like magic pills.  I've talked about these before, they are:  Bilberry Root, Dandelion Root, and Wobenzym.  At first, I mean within 10 minutes, when I take these I feel an instant lift of all my symptoms except the visuals, everything else is relaxed, no anxiety, mood is better, just terrific....but for reasons still unknown to me, once the supplement wears off after about 24 hours, my symptoms of tension return with a vengeance, and they are worse than before I take the supplement.  My blood vessels would dilate, my skin and mouth dry out, joint pain and fatigue hit, and this awful depression and suicidal feeling clouds over me and it takes like a week for all that to calm down.

 

So, I really didn't have a lot of luck with supplements.  I eventually just decided to go a la natural and let my body do the healing, and it's worked for me even though it requires immense patience.  I wouldn't say I'm resigned to living with it, because it's practically gone and at this rate I expect all my symptoms (including my visuals) to be gone within a month.  I still get the itch though to try and figure all this out, and I've learned a lot -- I feel like I'm really close to knowing my mechanism.  Here's what I know thus far:

 

There's 5 supplements/medicines that have helped me in total.  The 3 supplements I mentioned about (Bilberry, Dandelion, and Wobenzym).  2 are pharmaceuticals (Prednisone and Finasteride).  All 5 have interaction with neurotransmitters, specifically GABA-A.  Alcohol also temporarily relieves my symptoms.  Alcohol is a known GABA-A Receptor Positive Allosteric Modulator -- Benzo's and Barbituates are also in this class.  When I drink alcohol, initially it reduced my symptoms dramatically especially my chronic cholinergic hives.  As time went on, this no longer worked (I assume the chronic use of Alcohol changed the receptor dynamic by this point), so alcohol started to become a drag on my system as well.  I cannot tolerate opioids either or anti-histamines; or anything related to such (Singulair or leukotriene inhibitors) provoke star-burst visual reactions and blue flashes.

 

I also have a positive test for the ganglionic alpha-3 acetylcholine receptor (AChR).  It's an antibody test done through Mayo Clinic that effectively tests for neurological autoimmunity.  So it is possibly that my immune system is attacking that specific receptor, blocking it's communication and leading to dysfunction within the rest of my nervous system and neurotransmitters.  Basically, this makes me positive for Autoimmune Dysautonomia. If you're interested in running this test, have your doctor run this from the Mayo Clinic --> http://www.mayomedicallaboratories.com/test-catalog/Clinical+and+Interpretive/89904 . I've also had a positive sweat chloride test done through a neurologist as well, double confirming my autonomic dysautonomia.

 

EDIT:  I should point out, since I'm discussing the connection with GABA-A that I had already read this directly from the wiki page about Illusory Palinopsia (medical term for afterimages). "Illusory palinopsia is a dysfunction in visual perception, presumably related to diffuse neuronal excitability alterations in the anterior and posterior visual pathways.[19] Because of the drugs that cause illusory palinopsia, 5-HT2a receptor excitotoxicity or a disruption of GABAnergic transmission have been proposed as possible mechanisms"

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illusory_palinopsia#Pathophysiology

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I'm actually doing really well.  Almost completely healed from a severe case of HPPD that has gone on for 6 1/2 years.  I had to straighten myself up completely with no shortcuts (that means I quit all drugs, smoking, drinking, caffeine), but I'm happy to say I feel pretty close to my young teenage self again -- minus the visuals and occasional flare-up of physical symptoms.

 

I was the exact same way.  I had reactions to practically any supplement I took; even simple ones like Vitamin D or Omega 3 like you.  It was mostly this instant tension that rushed through me, a kind of chronic muscle tension that wouldn't ease up.  I felt pressure on my chest for years, making it feel like I wasn't getting enough air.  Through all the supplements I tried, I did find a couple supplements that initially seemed like magic pills.  I've talked about these before, they are:  Bilberry Root, Dandelion Root, and Wobenzym.  At first, I mean within 10 minutes, when I take these I feel an instant lift of all my symptoms except the visuals, everything else is relaxed, no anxiety, mood is better, just terrific....but for reasons still unknown to me, once the supplement wears off after about 24 hours, my symptoms of tension return with a vengeance, and they are worse than before I take the supplement.  My blood vessels would dilate, my skin and mouth dry out, joint pain and fatigue hit, and this awful depression and suicidal feeling clouds over me and it takes like a week for all that to calm down.

 

So, I really didn't have a lot of luck with supplements.  I eventually just decided to go a la natural and let my body do the healing, and it's worked for me even though it requires immense patience.  I wouldn't say I'm resigned to living with it, because it's practically gone and at this rate I expect all my symptoms (including my visuals) to be gone within a month.  I still get the itch though to try and figure all this out, and I've learned a lot -- I feel like I'm really close to knowing my mechanism.  Here's what I know thus far:

 

There's 5 supplements/medicines that have helped me in total.  The 3 supplements I mentioned about (Bilberry, Dandelion, and Wobenzym).  2 are pharmaceuticals (Prednisone and Finasteride).  All 5 have interaction with neurotransmitters, specifically GABA-A.  Alcohol also temporarily relieves my symptoms.  Alcohol is a known GABA-A Receptor Positive Allosteric Modulator -- Benzo's and Barbituates are also in this class.  When I drink alcohol, initially it reduced my symptoms dramatically especially my chronic cholinergic hives.  As time went on, this no longer worked (I assume the chronic use of Alcohol changed the receptor dynamic by this point), so alcohol started to become a drag on my system as well.  I cannot tolerate opioids either or anti-histamines; or anything related to such (Singulair or leukotriene inhibitors) provoke star-burst visual reactions and blue flashes.

 

I also have a positive test for the ganglionic alpha-3 acetylcholine receptor (AChR).  It's an antibody test done through Mayo Clinic that effectively tests for neurological autoimmunity.  So it is possibly that my immune system is attacking that specific receptor, blocking it's communication and leading to dysfunction within the rest of my nervous system and neurotransmitters.  Basically, this makes me positive for Autoimmune Dysautonomia. If you're interested in running this test, have your doctor run this from the Mayo Clinic --> http://www.mayomedicallaboratories.com/test-catalog/Clinical+and+Interpretive/89904 . I've also had a positive sweat chloride test done through a neurologist as well, double confirming my autonomic dysautonomia.

 

EDIT:  I should point out, since I'm discussing the connection with GABA-A that I had already read this directly from the wiki page about Illusory Palinopsia (medical term for afterimages). "Illusory palinopsia is a dysfunction in visual perception, presumably related to diffuse neuronal excitability alterations in the anterior and posterior visual pathways.[19] Because of the drugs that cause illusory palinopsia, 5-HT2a receptor excitotoxicity or a disruption of GABAnergic transmission have been proposed as possible mechanisms"

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illusory_palinopsia#Pathophysiology

 

Wow, this is fascinating. I'm a bit of a nerd so I love hearing people's stories and learning as much as I can about all this. I know this causes people tremendous, unbearable pain on a daily basis -- myself included -- but I can't help but want to learn about what's happening inside my brain. I just wish I knew... 

 

I've tried dandelion but it seems to exacerbate my symptoms a bit. Nothing I can't handle too much though. I'll have to give those others a try... 

 

So if you don't mind me asking, what's the progression of your symptoms been like over the years? Have you constantly improved or have there been times when it's been faster than others? This is the part of HPPD I really don't understand. For me, I've improved steadily at about the same rate for the last 15 months, and yet I'm still so very far away from being "recovered." To me, it's like transferring sand from one cup to another but only one grain per day. Yes, I'm improving and I'm excited about that but it's also at a rate that's so slow I often feel I can't take it. I'm hanging in there though...

 

It's interesting you mention GABA as that's something that I've zeroed in on as well. I'm a pretty big fan of Beverly Meyer (she's an Internet health celebrity of sorts) and she too suggests GABA is the missing link for people with anxiety issues and adrenal fatigue, which so many people with HPPD have as well. From what I understand passionflower is the best supplement for GABA and is actually one of the few substances that's known to increase the frequency and level of GABA naturally in the brain. 

 

My theory on what's happened to me based on my progress and symptoms and pretty much every bit of information I can gather about my situation is this: I took a single hit of acid 15 months ago and was thrown in an entirely different world, the world of HPPD, depersonalization, etc. However, I've steadily improved ever since and have improved at a slightly faster rate ever since addressing my health by eating a natural paleo diet, exercising, doing yoga, etc. Given my symptoms, how they seem tied together in terms of progression, and given what we now know about LSD and how it essentially activates many different parts of the brain that may not get activated under normal circumstances, my theory is that a part of my brain that was weaker or underused simply could not handle the influx of chemicals and either seized up, shut down or was destroyed in some sense. And yet, because the human body is built to regenerate it has slowly recovered ever since. I know this may seem elementary and somewhat obvious but it's the best I can think up for now! 

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Wow, this is fascinating. I'm a bit of a nerd so I love hearing people's stories and learning as much as I can about all this. I know this causes people tremendous, unbearable pain on a daily basis -- myself included -- but I can't help but want to learn about what's happening inside my brain. I just wish I knew... 

 

I've tried dandelion but it seems to exacerbate my symptoms a bit. Nothing I can't handle too much though. I'll have to give those others a try... 

 

So if you don't mind me asking, what's the progression of your symptoms been like over the years? Have you constantly improved or have there been times when it's been faster than others? This is the part of HPPD I really don't understand. For me, I've improved steadily at about the same rate for the last 15 months, and yet I'm still so very far away from being "recovered." To me, it's like transferring sand from one cup to another but only one grain per day. Yes, I'm improving and I'm excited about that but it's also at a rate that's so slow I often feel I can't take it. I'm hanging in there though...

 

It's interesting you mention GABA as that's something that I've zeroed in on as well. I'm a pretty big fan of Beverly Meyer (she's an Internet health celebrity of sorts) and she too suggests GABA is the missing link for people with anxiety issues and adrenal fatigue, which so many people with HPPD have as well. From what I understand passionflower is the best supplement for GABA and is actually one of the few substances that's known to increase the frequency and level of GABA naturally in the brain. 

 

My theory on what's happened to me based on my progress and symptoms and pretty much every bit of information I can gather about my situation is this: I took a single hit of acid 15 months ago and was thrown in an entirely different world, the world of HPPD, depersonalization, etc. However, I've steadily improved ever since and have improved at a slightly faster rate ever since addressing my health by eating a natural paleo diet, exercising, doing yoga, etc. Given my symptoms, how they seem tied together in terms of progression, and given what we now know about LSD and how it essentially activates many different parts of the brain that may not get activated under normal circumstances, my theory is that a part of my brain that was weaker or underused simply could not handle the influx of chemicals and either seized up, shut down or was destroyed in some sense. And yet, because the human body is built to regenerate it has slowly recovered ever since. I know this may seem elementary and somewhat obvious but it's the best I can think up for now! 

 

I've mostly constantly improved, like yourself, at a steady rate ever since I woke-up one morning in a complete fog with intense trails.  I had HPPD symptoms like anxiety, depression and visual snow before hand since 17 years back, but nothing like I had to deal with that day 6 1/2 years ago.  But, since then it's been a steady improvement, and only a couple things I changed seemed to increase the speed at which I healed and only at a very minor rate of improvement -- quitting smoking was big, and also changing my diet.  I actually removed meat and dairy, and avoided high salt and high fat things for a while as they seem to provoke my symptoms.  Since about a year ago, I eat meat a couple times a week, eat eggs regularly, and occasionally cheese, but I still adhere to a strict avoidance of caffiene and coffee.  Lots of vegetables, rice, beans, nuts, and WATER.

 

I know what you mean about having trouble hanging in there!  We just gotta take it one day at a time, it's the only way not to get frustrated and do more harm.  Whenever I have a rough day I just remind myself this flare-up will pass and I'll feel OK soon.  I really had to be very patient when I was going through intense mood swings (severe depressional swings) just from things I was eating or if I didn't get a good night rest.  So, I know how you feel buddy!

 

I love hearing about others theories as well, and passionflower is one I've never heard of!  Have you ever gave it a shot??  I'll have to look more into Beverly Meyer that's also a new name to me.

 

Your theory about the brain is as good a guess as I've heard.  We gotta keep trying to figure out the mechanism.  But, at least your right about the recovery, even while most people struggle to find help, almost everybody who quits the drugs, smoking, alcohol and all the things that provoke the heightened nervous system seem to improve eventually (at a snail's pace).  Having patience is so vital to having success in recovery.  Basically, every few days to a week, I notice my trails are just a little bit less intense than before.  And, that's been the judge of how my overall improvement is, because like I've said, as the visuals improve, the rest of my symptoms do as well.

 

Do you have any problems sweating?  Have you ever had to deal with hives?

 

My fault if my response is a little less cohesive this time, I had a rare horrible night sleep and feel like a zombie right now.

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I've mostly constantly improved, like yourself, at a steady rate ever since I woke-up one morning in a complete fog with intense trails.  I had HPPD symptoms like anxiety, depression and visual snow before hand since 17 years back, but nothing like I had to deal with that day 6 1/2 years ago.  But, since then it's been a steady improvement, and only a couple things I changed seemed to increase the speed at which I healed and only at a very minor rate of improvement -- quitting smoking was big, and also changing my diet.  I actually removed meat and dairy, and avoided high salt and high fat things for a while as they seem to provoke my symptoms.  Since about a year ago, I eat meat a couple times a week, eat eggs regularly, and occasionally cheese, but I still adhere to a strict avoidance of caffiene and coffee.  Lots of vegetables, rice, beans, nuts, and WATER.

 

I know what you mean about having trouble hanging in there!  We just gotta take it one day at a time, it's the only way not to get frustrated and do more harm.  Whenever I have a rough day I just remind myself this flare-up will pass and I'll feel OK soon.  I really had to be very patient when I was going through intense mood swings (severe depressional swings) just from things I was eating or if I didn't get a good night rest.  So, I know how you feel buddy!

 

I love hearing about others theories as well, and passionflower is one I've never heard of!  Have you ever gave it a shot??  I'll have to look more into Beverly Meyer that's also a new name to me.

 

Your theory about the brain is as good a guess as I've heard.  We gotta keep trying to figure out the mechanism.  But, at least your right about the recovery, even while most people struggle to find help, almost everybody who quits the drugs, smoking, alcohol and all the things that provoke the heightened nervous system seem to improve eventually (at a snail's pace).  Having patience is so vital to having success in recovery.  Basically, every few days to a week, I notice my trails are just a little bit less intense than before.  And, that's been the judge of how my overall improvement is, because like I've said, as the visuals improve, the rest of my symptoms do as well.

 

Do you have any problems sweating?  Have you ever had to deal with hives?

 

My fault if my response is a little less cohesive this time, I had a rare horrible night sleep and feel like a zombie right now.

 

Ah yes, I can relate to a lot of what you said. I too had depression, major anxiety and visual snow prior to my onset but I never thought they were in any way related. Ever since getting HPPD I've discovered a lot about myself and my past. For example, I went through a phase of Depersonalization/Derealization when I was about 14 or 15 but it only lasted a few months and I didn't really think much of it because I was doing lots of drugs at the time, which I'm guessing is what triggered it. Ever since that period I've battled depression here and there but mostly anxiety and I've had minor snow and floaters as well which suggests I've actually always had minor DP/DR symptoms and never really knew it until I got HPPD. 

 

I also relate in terms of mood swings. That's one thing I've really struggled with most. I've been doing pretty good with my depression for the last month but there's this general instability that seems to come and go with my diet, sleep, exercise, etc. I've figured out this is often related to eating sugar or overexercising which suggests I could have a candida problem. In general when I eat lots of raw, leafy veggies, as well as healthy fats and go low on sugar I do really well. This sort of ketogenic diet has also helped my symptoms a bit and has a great track record with many neurological disorders so I figure I'll keep it up as long as I can.

 

I've tried passionflower a bit here and there and it's one of the few supplements that doesn't make visuals worse while upping my mood. I tend to try and stay away from supplements in general though but it's sorta my fallback when I'm having a bad day. It's pretty relaxing and some people use it for sleep. I'm not sure the effect it could have on symptoms over a long period of time though.

 

I don't have problems sweating but I do have skin issues. I have psoriasis so my immune system is overactive. I think my biggest problem outside of HPPD is that I also have poor adrenals and malnutrition from years of anxiety. It's quite funny how all this stuff relates though. If there's one thing I've learned since getting HPPD it's that this didn't happen by accident. Years of anxiety, improper eating and poor health in general depleted my body and mind of essential nutrients needed to function properly, then with one hit of acid the entire system was thrown out of whack. Henry Abraham says people who address their anxiety and abstain from drugs tend to recover and it makes perfect sense because for once they're truly addressing their health as well as the underlying issue. Anxiety is probably one of the more insidious illnesses out there simply because most all its side effects are internal. When you enter fight or flight mode your body essentially shuts down all other internal systems that help keep you healthy because escaping danger and staying alive (the purpose of fight or flight) has historically been our No. 1 priority. In short bursts (as threats manifested in the past) this makes perfect sense, but in modern living when we're in 24-7 states of anxiety and our body is constantly shutting down due to a perception of a threat we are essentially silently killing ourselves without knowing it. In my opinion this is why so many people with anxiety end up getting HPPD: because their body is already weak and vulnerable and simply breaks with the introduction of an extremely powerful substance entering the system. 

 

Anyway, your right about patience. I think that's been the single most difficult aspect of dealing with HPPD for me. Even though I was anxious prior to this I was also really happy and doing everything I wanted to accomplish in life. I know if I keep doing what I'm doing I'll eventually get to full health again but I just struggle a lot with how long that could take. I don't have any guarantees that I'll overcome this in another year or two or even five. I guess after a while you get used to is, as many have described on this forum. I just wish I could wake up in two years and have this be over because right now I just feel like a zombie trying to make it through life one day at a time without completely losing it...

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Ah yes, I can relate to a lot of what you said. I too had depression, major anxiety and visual snow prior to my onset but I never thought they were in any way related. Ever since getting HPPD I've discovered a lot about myself and my past. For example, I went through a phase of Depersonalization/Derealization when I was about 14 or 15 but it only lasted a few months and I didn't really think much of it because I was doing lots of drugs at the time, which I'm guessing is what triggered it. Ever since that period I've battled depression here and there but mostly anxiety and I've had minor snow and floaters as well which suggests I've actually always had minor DP/DR symptoms and never really knew it until I got HPPD. 

 

I also relate in terms of mood swings. That's one thing I've really struggled with most. I've been doing pretty good with my depression for the last month but there's this general instability that seems to come and go with my diet, sleep, exercise, etc. I've figured out this is often related to eating sugar or overexercising which suggests I could have a candida problem. In general when I eat lots of raw, leafy veggies, as well as healthy fats and go low on sugar I do really well. This sort of ketogenic diet has also helped my symptoms a bit and has a great track record with many neurological disorders so I figure I'll keep it up as long as I can.

 

I've tried passionflower a bit here and there and it's one of the few supplements that doesn't make visuals worse while upping my mood. I tend to try and stay away from supplements in general though but it's sorta my fallback when I'm having a bad day. It's pretty relaxing and some people use it for sleep. I'm not sure the effect it could have on symptoms over a long period of time though.

 

I don't have problems sweating but I do have skin issues. I have psoriasis so my immune system is overactive. I think my biggest problem outside of HPPD is that I also have poor adrenals and malnutrition from years of anxiety. It's quite funny how all this stuff relates though. If there's one thing I've learned since getting HPPD it's that this didn't happen by accident. Years of anxiety, improper eating and poor health in general depleted my body and mind of essential nutrients needed to function properly, then with one hit of acid the entire system was thrown out of whack. Henry Abraham says people who address their anxiety and abstain from drugs tend to recover and it makes perfect sense because for once they're truly addressing their health as well as the underlying issue. Anxiety is probably one of the more insidious illnesses out there simply because most all its side effects are internal. When you enter fight or flight mode your body essentially shuts down all other internal systems that help keep you healthy because escaping danger and staying alive (the purpose of fight or flight) has historically been our No. 1 priority. In short bursts (as threats manifested in the past) this makes perfect sense, but in modern living when we're in 24-7 states of anxiety and our body is constantly shutting down due to a perception of a threat we are essentially silently killing ourselves without knowing it. In my opinion this is why so many people with anxiety end up getting HPPD: because their body is already weak and vulnerable and simply breaks with the introduction of an extremely powerful substance entering the system. 

 

Anyway, your right about patience. I think that's been the single most difficult aspect of dealing with HPPD for me. Even though I was anxious prior to this I was also really happy and doing everything I wanted to accomplish in life. I know if I keep doing what I'm doing I'll eventually get to full health again but I just struggle a lot with how long that could take. I don't have any guarantees that I'll overcome this in another year or two or even five. I guess after a while you get used to is, as many have described on this forum. I just wish I could wake up in two years and have this be over because right now I just feel like a zombie trying to make it through life one day at a time without completely losing it...

 

I know, man -- the struggle is real.  I had no idea how long it would it take either, but somewhere along the line I made a commit to myself that I would see this through to the bitter end no matter what happens.  There were a lot of dark nights I wanted to cancel that commitment, but I made it and I get to smile to myself now and be damn proud of it.  Obviously, I would never want to go through something like this again, cause it's so damn tough, but I have this gratification for having been given one of those rare moments to become aware of my health and how to take control of my poor lifestyle habits.  You know so many people go through life never having those breakthrough moments and just become frail, and sickly.  I'm still young in my early 30's and have a chance to take this change with me -- you know...But, definitely keep going with the good diet habits.  I know 15 months is nothing to sneeze at, and in hindsight it's shocking that it could take 6+ years for my nervous system to heal the mood swings, but they did eventually heal and these once monster mood swings, over time just became tiny temper tantrums that hardly bother me; and I can spot them immediately as before I would get completely sucked in by the depression/suicidal swing.  I'm noticeably happier and more social everyday now.  Like I said, I feel like a young clean teenage me at moments.  B)

 

I also had some skin issues through my ordeal.  Maybe a light case of psoriasis, I definitely have severe dry skin issues, flaky scalp and skin...also much improved and almost completely healed.  The sweating is one of my biggest problems, keeps me feeling overheated at times.  Really bizarre feeling to have cold hands/feet, and be unable to sweat.  Only recently did I notice that improved also.

 

I believe in much of what you talk about with poor lifestyle habits and stress.  I remember being young and forced to wake-up early to go to school everyday, exhausted on 5-6 hours of sleep and always feeling in overdrive.  I never ate fruits/veggies, never drank water, never slept well, always stressed out...I guess I was predestined to get something like this when I decided to start smoking herb and other drugs (ecstasy, lsd, shrooms) all by the time I was 15.  I believe the gut houses the majority of our neurotransmitters, and it makes perfect since when we aren't taking care of the gut, that we can develop more mental issues.  Simply taking probiotics can heal depression (https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/evolutionary-psychiatry/201602/probiotics-depression).  So, like you, I knew I had to work on this area and I will never neglect it again for the rest of my life.  We were never meant to eat processed garbage all day.

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I know, man -- the struggle is real.  I had no idea how long it would it take either, but somewhere along the line I made a commit to myself that I would see this through to the bitter end no matter what happens.  There were a lot of dark nights I wanted to cancel that commitment, but I made it and I get to smile to myself now and be damn proud of it.  Obviously, I would never want to go through something like this again, cause it's so damn tough, but I have this gratification for having been given one of those rare moments to become aware of my health and how to take control of my poor lifestyle habits.  You know so many people go through life never having those breakthrough moments and just become frail, and sickly.  I'm still young in my early 30's and have a chance to take this change with me -- you know...But, definitely keep going with the good diet habits.  I know 15 months is nothing to sneeze at, and in hindsight it's shocking that it could take 6+ years for my nervous system to heal the mood swings, but they did eventually heal and these once monster mood swings, over time just became tiny temper tantrums that hardly bother me; and I can spot them immediately as before I would get completely sucked in by the depression/suicidal swing.  I'm noticeably happier and more social everyday now.  Like I said, I feel like a young clean teenage me at moments.  B)

 

I also had some skin issues through my ordeal.  Maybe a light case of psoriasis, I definitely have severe dry skin issues, flaky scalp and skin...also much improved and almost completely healed.  The sweating is one of my biggest problems, keeps me feeling overheated at times.  Really bizarre feeling to have cold hands/feet, and be unable to sweat.  Only recently did I notice that improved also.

 

I believe in much of what you talk about with poor lifestyle habits and stress.  I remember being young and forced to wake-up early to go to school everyday, exhausted on 5-6 hours of sleep and always feeling in overdrive.  I never ate fruits/veggies, never drank water, never slept well, always stressed out...I guess I was predestined to get something like this when I decided to start smoking herb and other drugs (ecstasy, lsd, shrooms) all by the time I was 15.  I believe the gut houses the majority of our neurotransmitters, and it makes perfect since when we aren't taking care of the gut, that we can develop more mental issues.  Simply taking probiotics can heal depression (https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/evolutionary-psychiatry/201602/probiotics-depression).  So, like you, I knew I had to work on this area and I will never neglect it again for the rest of my life.  We were never meant to eat processed garbage all day.

 

I'm right there with ya man. I want nothing more than to see this through and I feel I'm really committed to doing that as well. I was in love with live prior to this happening and I want desperately to get back to that place, even if it takes much longer than I ever imagined. 

 

And I'm in total agreement in terms of health. Because we're fed this entirely garbage diet from cradle to the grave in Western society we never actually realize how bad all this stuff is. I've totally altered my diet over the last few months and have noticed definite improvements in my symptoms and almost a total transformation in my mood from suicidally depressed to pretty content on a day to day basis. Like you said, the gut is where a large number of neurotransmitters are made; therefore the equation is simple: eat healthy, feel better. I'm starting in on a completely sugar-free diet and I'm pretty excited about where it'll take me. 

 

In terms of treating depression naturally one of the best -- probably the best -- "supplement" I've come across is turmeric, which is actually a spice. Turmeric is the new craze in the health world and for good reason. There was a recent online article that claimed turmeric could be the downfall of big pharma because of it's multitude of healing powers: http://www.greenmedinfo.com/blog/800-reasons-turmeric-threatens-big-pharma

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