Understanding Depression (Important Info Everyone Should Know)

I always remember a Psych professor saying that depression comes as a result of turning anger inward....to some extent I do think this is true. I used to be horribly depressed in my teens and early 20's (and oh lucky me took Paxil and Zoloft before docs realized that it may make teens and young adults MORE depressed and yup that was me)....that's just not a chance I would ever take again or ever risk letting my kids take that stuff---seems like a conspiracy in itself.

However in the past 10 years, I have found ways to vent when I get upset and I am happy like 99% of the time now...but for all the people in the past that used to say "wow you look sad" or "are you ok?" -- I get to hear things like "you're rude, inappropriate, abrasive, etc" This makes me even happier....

reply to post by Blanca Rose


My thoughts on the Liver and depression

I am not a qualified doctor but I have beaten bad depression nutritionally so I believe I have something to share. I am going to write a big post at some point but it might be good to share things piecemeal as well. According to chinese medicine a bad liver is one of the causes of depression. It can be either blocked qi or excess liver fire, which is what I suffer from. Be aware that while the diagnosis may sound strange to us, a western doctor may say "fatty liver", cirrohsis or something like that.

My Symptoms

I have suffered from anger and irritability on and off throughout my life. I realised a long time ago that while people can be eejits sometimes the problem was in myself. I read a little bit about the liver and depression, but didn't pay much mind. Personally, when I am not on a decent nutritional regime, I suffer from irritability, nervousness, jumpiness and occasionally borderline panic attacks. I can normally keep this stuff under control but if I eat bad for a few days I can quickly go downhill. At some point we are going to have to face up to the fact that our generation is under complete, sustained chemical assault and our bodies are literally overwhelmed.

How I cured myself

I have cured heart twinges and breathlessness with Linus Paulings protocol. I cured bad digestive problems with psyllium husk, herbal teas and a raw diet. The liver remains the final thing I have to cure. I have suffered relapses recently through not having the right products, but anyway, here goes: I have had great success with a product called xiao yao wan, an ancient chinese formula which translates as "Long Rambling powder", "Free and Easy pills" or even "The Free and Happy Wanderer"... I kid you not. I remember reading about it online when I was depressed a couple of years ago. I thought, I'd like to be a free and happy wanderer.

(Back soon)/ Back- just eaten organic carrot+flaxseed+Wanderer pills. Awesome. You don't know what you're missing people.

So anyway. May 2007 I found out about these pills. Did a bit of research online and realised that I had a lot of the symptoms. You're not supposed to diagnose yourself in TCM but I was too broke for a consultation, plus I'm a bit of an experiementer so I thought I'd give it a whirl.
The liver is supposed to provide sustained, smooth energy. If it becomes imbalanced the energy can become sporadic and agitated. Then, from a traditional chinese medicine perspective (TCM) the liver invades the bowel and/or brain. The result can be digestive disorders and agitated thoughts. So I went up to Chinatown in London with my beautiful Korean girlfriend and went looking for these pills. A couple of shops didn't understand my pronunciation of Xiao Yao Wan, but eventually I got hold of some...

So I took them there and then. I remember I had a a couple of ciders and that puts anyone in a good mood, but honestly, through the alcohol I really felt something, like a calm descending over me, a fire had been put out. I still remember that event very clearly. I remember telling my girlfriend how I felt really happy and just wanted to help everyone out. She just nodded, lol.
Anyway, the feeling persisted all night. Sure, you could argue that it was placebo, alcohol, love or whatever but I have spent hundreds if not thousands on ineffective supplements so I know if something's good or not.
I felt great- but the next morning I felt toxic, like I'd been poisoned, I think a lot of modern chinese meds are really badly made. Next day I woke up feeling half good half bad, sort of happy and poisoned. I wondered if I was being paranoid about the pills so I took some more and felt the same thing- great for a few hours, then that cold, poisoned feeling, so I stopped taking that batch.

Modern Chinese Medicine

Chinese medicine as a healing art and modern chinese herbal production methods are two completely different things. The formulas that have been carefully prepared by great chinese medical thinkers are often made by dishonest, uncaring comapnies that just want to make a a quick yuan. Who knows what corners they cut. People say that the FDA releases stories about toxic chinese meds to smear them- but in this case, it really is true- it's a minefield out there. I suggest you research well before trying anything. I'm wary about posting any brand names cos people will think I'm marketing, but screw it- check my posting record if you want to know about me- I'm often on the medical threads. Most of the best acupuncturists in London use a company called Mayway, they also operate in the U.S.... I think you have to get a TCM prescription filled if you want to order from them, they don't sell direct to the public. They sell formulas as well, I can't vouch for them but I suspect they're high quality. I get sick whenever I take TCM tea pills, but powders and honey pills are fine. A company called "Bird and Tang" also make pretty good teas.

Further Experiences with Chinese Medicine for the Liver

So I ditched that first batch of pills, and went up to Chinatown with my girlfriend a few days later, it was early June now. I went to what was supposed to be the best TCM shop in London. I ended up buying "jia wei xiao yao wan" Easy Wanderer plus or maybe uhhh, The Really Free and Super Happy Wanderer, or Ultra-Far Rambling Powder. lol, the Chinese make me laugh, but when the names of most of our medicines sound like they came straight from the Necronomicon, who are we to judge?

* * *

So, I took that medicine faithfully all summer 07, along with a lot of other medicines. It was the summer I went raw. I was eating a lot of superfoods like Maca, medicinal Hemp, Goji berries and all sorts of other wonderful things. I lost a lot of weight, started to feel awesome, and women about ten years younger than me started to queue up. Rawsome. I felt absolutely amazing. I'd gone from near suicidal depression to seething with life, joy and energy. I was losing weight despite the fact I was going out and drinking most nights, and binging on pizza, but I started to lose interest in beer because I began to realise I didn't need it any more.

Note:Calming the liver is not the sole cure for depression, but it is one of the keys to nutritional healing.

[edit on 14f20094pmThu, 16 Apr 2009 16:15:21 -050021 by HiAliens]

Continued from above....

Omar... you're going to get banhammered for that post, but I will say that ***Medicinal Hemp Seed*** (legal, no THC, can't get high from it) helped me a lot. It has a full complement of omegas and amino acids, and it's one of the best foods on Earth. Please excuse all my mistypes and bad punctuation everyone.

* * *

So in Summer 07 I felt amazing, but gradually I stopped some of the supplements I was taking, and gradually my health began to slip again. It has taken me nearly two years to put back together the health protocol I stumbled on that summer, and in the meantime I have had periods when I've gone right back to feeling really bad again... I only realised that I had candida in Dec 08. I cleared it from my gut, but it stayed in my liver. I have only recently realised the importance of the liver to health. Every morning I take the ferry over to Hong Kong island to get a burdock salad from the organic supermarket, this helps a fair bit-
I got hold of a decent version of the formula I wrote about just twelve hours ago. Prior to that I hadn't taken it for months because I could only get poor quality stuff where I was living. It's been a struggle, but I have started to feel alot better already. I had a flushed face -a sign of a dodgy liver- this afternoon but now (4am) I feel so much calmer...

It is criminal that we are not taught proper nutritional wellness. The rulers of the world know all about it. Why do you think that they all look so damn healthy? Biden, Obama, Clinton, Blair- most of them have a full head of hair, are slim, charismatic and look healthy as hell. Svali mentions that the illuminati know all about nutrition, if you rate her testimonial at all:

Q: Some researchers claim that various items that people are commonly exposed to in society are part of the means to weaken their enemies. Therefore, I wonder if the Illuminati allow their own leading members to be exposed to these, i.e. the following:
a. chlorine and fluoride in water and foods;
b. vaccines;
c. medical drugs;
d. junk food;
e. microwaved food;
f. dietary supplements;
g. biochips;
h. mercury fillings;
i. HAARP;
j. chemtrails?

A: In general, true leadership is protected from much of the above. They are ORDERED to not: drink, do drugs, or anything harmful to themselves. They don’t go as far as junk food or microwaved food, since they don’t worry about that, but at meetings, healthy food such as granola or trail mix are given out during exercises, and they know the importance of good nutrition.

...

Do they claim to use vaccines or medical drugs for genocide? I had not heard that when I was in the group. Everyone I knew was vaccinated and took medications, although vitamins and good diet were also important.

I suppose I have a lot to share. All this just on the liver- I haven't even gotten to the digestive tract, impure vitamins, superfoods and a lot of other stuff. Like I said, normally I just don't bother talking about this stuff cos it falls on deaf ears, even on ATS- but people on this thread seem receptive so I'm going to continue trolling you all with stories of my success. I wouldn't have written much but today I have started to make massive steps towards curing my liver, so now I feel I can really talk about it. Hopefully I'll be back to health within a month.

I'll leave you with a gallery + clip of people who have transformed themselves inside and out by going raw + using superfoods, the pictures and interviews speak for themselves.

Peace, and I wish you all every success in your battle...

www.welikeitraw.com...

www.youtube.com...




[edit on 14f20094pmThu, 16 Apr 2009 15:50:23 -050023 by HiAliens]

I am in highschool and have been suffering from depression for about 6 years now. Recently it started getting much worse again and a psyciatrist diagnosed me with major depression and prescribed some medication. For the first week I suffered some bad side effects, but after that I really started feeling better. Suddenly I just started getting more and more depressed, my school work is suffering the most (used to be way above average and now I'm passing only just) ,wich causes even more stress. I have no concentration, constantly tired and I fall asleep in class quite often. My life feels worthless. I have lots of friends, but still I feel there's problems in my social life, kinda feel as if people don't really care about me except for maybe 2 friends and my family. Nowadays I keep getting more and more suicidal thoughts and it's really getting to me. It feels like I've tried everything( medication, counselling etc.) I just don't know what to do anymore...

[edit on 16-4-2009 by Emile124]

[edit on 16-4-2009 by Emile124]

I have tried taking medicine for depression and anxiety before.. but to no avail. All they did to me was make me feel dependent on something i didnt need. I took 4 different types of medicine a day for 6 months(Citalopram(80mga day),Welbutrin(200MG a day),Seroquel(for anxiety, low dose 5mg), and Trazedone(200mg a day). I was like a walking zombie... no feelings, no emotions other than feeling extremely depressed still and numb. Everything for me was gray, even if i look back to that time in my life my memories are all in gray there is no color there... I stopped taking the medicine and im glad i have mood swings, I am glad i can feel again and even though i may get depressed from time to time maybe for 2 weeks, or i get extremely stressed over nothing(Anxiety), i can still manage without the medicine because it feels good to even feel sad.. it reminds me that i am in fact human on my own mind and depend on nothing to do the things i need to survive

reply to post by HiAliens


Yes, I'm receptive to learning more about your diet. Unfortunately, I can't just breeze over to Hong Kong for a salad or herbs!

So, hopefully you can direct those of us to remedies that might be readily available at say, a local health food store!

I'm a true believer that people are "what they eat."

You can fight depression man.

I've been through a lot of crap, especially in 2k8 . smoked pot , got a couple of antidepressants, lost my gf and apartment, and the job got tougher.

however, i have been thinking a lot lately. I guess I am able to cope with that, if I take deep breaths instead of punching walls, if I can keep my calm in tough situations, the rest will follow .

An example : i eat my nails and , to be honest, a little more than that. MY hands look like crap since I started that uncool habit at age 5. 20years later, i decided i could stop, got a product from the local pharmacy and put some on my nails. The taste made me stop, it was 3 weeks ago.

reply to post by Emile124


Medications will not solve your problems - only you can.

There are not many people in the world who truly love you (speaking for myself at least)...you got SOME close family, hopefully, and maybe a few real good friends. Even then, a family member or two.

This is how I look at it. It may not help you - but it sure has me.

I was oppressed for quite some time, even now (I am in a "minority"...doesn't matter what though). With being in a minority, it is hard to fit in with the crowd. Yes, I have a decent amount of friends, but only a few true ones. But, even they have a poke at me here and there.

What you must realize though is that ALL of these happy people today are not living for themselves, but other people. They get their joy from the acceptance of others. That will soon run out after school. You must be stronger than others, and as the famous quote goes, take the road less traveled. Do good in school, go to college, do good there, and get a successful career that YOU ENJOY.

Live for yourself. Make enough money so you are happy. Because when you do that - others will be jealous of you. A life change is needed, not a new pair of sneakers or a new bottle of medicine.

As harsh as this may sound, it as helped me. MY goal is to prove to everyone else that I am better than them, which in MY eyes will be having a good career. My slogan for life is "don't do your best, do the best". Always strive for more.

The real cure is in your brain - you just have to find it.

reply to post by FritosBBQTwist


Not everyone can. I've known several people that HAD to have medication, because they just didn't produce enough of the right chemicals. People TRY to beat it on their own, but they just can't because their physiology defeats them, and there's nothing they can do about it.

Originally posted by Blanca Rose
reply to post by HiAliens

 

Yes, I'm receptive to learning more about your diet. Unfortunately, I can't just breeze over to Hong Kong for a salad or herbs!

So, hopefully you can direct those of us to remedies that might be readily available at say, a local health food store!

I'm a true believer that people are "what they eat."

I don't know what city you're in, but many health stores have formulas that contain Bupleurum, or Thorowax, which is the main ingredient in the preparation I take. You need to research and ask around. "Plum Flower" and "Min Shan" brands are supposed to be good, but I have no personal experience with them. I dnt know if you're in the U.S., but there are lots of excellent companies that can ship next day delivery. Just make sure it has no crap like Magnesium Stearate in it.

I typed "Plum Flower" "Xiao Yao Wan" in google and there are lots of results. I personally don't like tea pills but maybe other people will like them. I would phone up one of the suppliers and ask for honey pills or powder. I just can't say how good their stuff will be, but you should be O.K. with the two brands I mentioned above.

Burdock is not exclusive to China- Dandelion and Burdock is a famous liver cleansing formula that is available at nearly every health store.

You actually have things a lot easier in the west. There is some great stuff in HK but I get most of my stuff shipped from the U.S. or U.K, which is time consuming and costly. I love it here, but if I was back in the U.K. I could walk into a health store, buy all the stuff I need and be back to health much quicker.

Peace

reply to post by Zaphod58


Thats why I said most people.

I am sure there are those out there that need these medications.

I am sure there are those out there that need to be put on these medications.

But I also THINK there are TO MANY out there on them that should not be. No research or anything can back that up, besides my own eyes and brain.

There are people who go through a rough patch and instantly go to the drugs, when that is just worsening the problem.

But, those with a REAL chemical problem in their brain, they have my respect. I am by no means trying to pin point the entire group, calling them all phonies.

reply to post by MegaCurious


Depression is NOT "I'm feeling sad today because I don't have a girlfriend." That's short term, and you get over that. The ILLNESS Depression is MUCH more severe than just feeling sad. You have no CLUE how debilitating it is until you've been there. You've heard the adage "Don't judge a man until you walk a mile in his shoes"? Try it some time.

Depression is the day after day feeling of nothing can go right, and when things DO go right, you sit there waiting for them to blow up in your face, because they always do. You CAN'T get happy about things, because they don't last. Every single time something went right for me and I SHOULD have been happy, I sat there thinking "This is going to blow up in my face." And when it did, it just made things worse. There are days when you sit in your room with the door closed, almost completely non-functional. You come out to eat, because you don't want anyone to know what's going on, because you're ashamed of it.

Depression IS real, just talk to someone who has had the REAL illness, not the short term one.

My depression was caused by the toxins in the food supply. I stopped eating the toxic food and bam... no more depression. If I eat in a restaurant or at my parents house, depression returns for about a week. As soon as I can clease the toxins out of my system... the depression is gone again.

So the bottom line is this... the food industry poisons you and the pharmaceutical companies drug you and your doctor will not tell you the truth.

Defo about diet, since I have cut out meats, I have been a better person - the hormones in meat and milk can effect you and I ended up being on evening primrose oil and since I have not been intaking fish, milk or meats (pultry and red) my moods have stabled out a lot better.

Only think at the moment is the liking for sugar, but, I have to get rid of the mercury as I believe the sugar is replacing the sugar being nicked by the Hg

I have never been depressed in my whole life until this past 2 years. I have a feeling it may have to do with all of the economic crisis and everything else but I am not really sure. But there are some days when I will be sitting down watching tv, and for no reason at all I just start crying. Why I have no idea. My life seems to be fine. But I also have a bad time sleeping. I go to bed at about 11 and am up at 3 am and stay up until about 2 pm then nap for an hour. But other then that I have no other symptoms. But I am wondering if its maybe me getting ready to go through the change of life. I am 40 years old. I know my aunt went through a depression when she went through the change.

reply to post by HiAliens

Thank you for the information. I am living in a temporary situation at the moment, boyfriend travels all over the country for work.

I did notice a health food store in a small town not to far from us the other day, so I am going over there to see if they have what you recommended.

For those with depression or anxiety, how does God or religion help you? Does knowing that God wants you to be happy help you fight to be happy? Just curious how some of you use religion to help, I have my answer to that.

Ive oftem wondered if fluorid was the culprit. I use 2 stage water fitlers alot, bathroom sink, kitchen sink..kitchen sink one was a fluoride fitler in it. Its hard for me to know wether or not im depressed or not, becuase of my job. I work in retail management, and go through so much childish crap allflicted on me, even by pharmacists every day..i have recently been getting anxirty attacks..few weeks ago, i was late for work.in my car for the first time in my life i was not able to suprress the shakes anymore. I could feel 2 top parts of my brain go knumb and feel like they were pressing out. Youde think i had parkinsons disease or something. The weird thing is, im a smoker,marlboros, their the strognest smoothest cigg ive ever had, they calm me down or a few minutes, but makes it worse later on. This is wrok related stress anxiety..screaming boss, hard work no appreciation type of deal. Sad thing is, even te pharmacist knows, but hey make it worse..this is for a CVS in old greenwich CT.
I dont really have thoughts anymore of ending it all...but reading about posibel thyroid gland or aadrenalin makes me think..what coul be triggering them?

reply to post by ziggy1706


I've known people that used fluoride most of their lives, that nothing would depress, and I've seen people that hardly ever used it that were almost hospitalized for depression. I don't think we can pin this on fluoride, or any other one particular thing in the food or water. I think we're born with the POTENTIAL to become depressed, but it's affected a lot by our lives. There is some trigger that causes us to go into a chemical imbalance, and we don't recover easily from it, which makes it worse, and it becomes a vicious cycle that we get trapped in.