Since 1949, Mental Health America and affiliates across the country have led the observance of May is Mental Health Month by reaching millions of people both online and locally. They share this:
This year’s theme for Mental Health Month is – Life with a Mental Illness – and calls on individuals to share what life with a mental illness feels like for them in words, pictures and video by tagging their social media posts with #mentalillnessfeelslike (or submitting to MHA anonymously). Posts are being collected and displayed at mentalhealthamerica.net/feelslike.
I love that they say that spreading the word that mental health issues like anxiety, depression, bipolar and other disorders is something everyone should care about.
I’d love to educate and inspire many of those individuals who have already posted on social media using #mentalillnessfeelslike and have yet to find a solution. There are so many of them and it’s heart-breaking. You can go to mentalhealthamerica.net/feelslike now and see what is being said.
Here are a few examples:
Severe anxiety feels like you are lost in a big city where no one else can speak your language and you are trying to get home.. #mentalillnessfeelslike
#anxietyfeelslike #mentalillnessfeelslike a never ending battle to keep worry from creeping in to your every thought. Trying to be present
Anxiety Attack #mentalillnessfeelslike: I’m swirling in a cyclone while also being constructed by a Boa
#MentalIllnessFeelsLike Worrying About Passing This Semester Causing Your Anxiety To Mess Up More Although Your Anxiety Put You Here
And this profound quote by MentallyAbnormallyNormal (you can find her here on Facebook)
I encourage you to participate if it feels ok to you. I’d especially love you to share how nutrition and nutrients like GABA, tryptophan, zinc, vitamin B12, and/or vitamin D have helped you. You can also respond directly to the posts others have made.
Here are some links to my prior blog posts on some of the many nutritional (and biomedical) approaches so feel free to also share some of this information and use it if you’re still on your healing journey to overcome anxiety, panic attacks, OCD, insomnia and other mood problems:
- Nutritional medicine in modern psychiatry: position statement by ISNPR
- Integrative Medicine Approach to Pediatric Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder and Anxiety
- GABA, the calming amino acid: products and results
- Tryptophan for anxiety, sleep and mood: in Put Anxiety Behind You
- Sleep promoting effects of combined GABA and 5-HTP: new research
- Neuropsychiatric Lyme Disease by Dr. Suruchi Chandra
- 60+ Nutritional & Biochemical Causes of Anxiety
I’ll be adding to this last blog during season 4 of The Anxiety Summit which runs June 6th – 16th. As I continue to interview experts I learn more about the myriad of possible underlying causes of anxiety:
- Mike Mutzel will be covering how leptin resistance affects the HPA axis contributing to cortisol imbalances and how we handle stress, inflammation, immune imbalances and obesity – all playing a role in anxiety, schizophrenia and depression, and OCD and even PTSD.
- Lisa Bloomquist will be covering fluoroquinolone related neuropsychiatric toxicity and how to recover from fluoroquinolone toxicity. Fluoroquinolones are commonly prescribed antibiotics (ciprofoxacin, levofoxacin, and moxifoxacin) and can be a major factor in anxiety and depression. She shares how this toxicity can be as bad for some individuals as benzodiazepine tolerance and withdrawal.
For some of my clients, eliminating anxiety (and other mood disorders) can be as simple as switching to a real whole foods diet, eating to balance blood sugar, quitting sugar/gluten/caffeine and adding some key nutrients like zinc and vitamin D. Many benefit immensely when using targeted individual amino acids like GABA and tryptophan. And some need to dig deeper to find the root cause of the anxiety.
But let’s always keep looking for that root cause or causes – find YOUR root cause/s – and address it/them.
My heart goes out to you if you are still suffering and still seeking a solution (and to everyone tagging themselves with #mentalillnessfeelslike and #anxietyfeelslike).
I say let’s aims to change this to the past tense so instead of #mentalillnessfeelslike let’s get to #mentalillnessfeltlike. Or how about #anxietyfeltlike or even #nutritionfixedmyanxiety ?
It truly is possible with food and nutrients! Do you agree? What has worked for you? Feel free to share in the comments and tag yourself on social media.
And do join us on The Anxiety Summit next month and share this during the Mental Health Month of May.
Trudy, I have been suffering from anxiety since I was 18 years old – I am now 62. I have just gone through a very stressful year as I returned to university full-time to get my Masters degree. I only finished a week and half ago and am feeling completely burnt out. My anxiety levels have really increased over the last month. Panic attacks, some agoraphobia, and suicidal thoughts (I don’t want to ‘die’) but i keep having hopeless, discouraged and despondent thinking. I thought I would try using the Lidtke tryptophan that you recommended at night before I go to bed, but I am getting a stomach ache when I take it. I thought of starting with 250mg (I poured out half of the 500mg), but I am still getting stomach pain. I have a lactose intolerance…is it possible that the tryptophan is a milk based product and that that is why I am having difficulty with it? Can you recommend a tryptophan product that I might tolerate better. I have been quite worried about my state of mind and want to help myself. Thanks for your response.
Lynn
I’m sorry to hear this. I would start by looking at how you score in the sections of the amino acid questionnaire https://www.everywomanover29.com/blog/amino-acids-mood-questionnaire-from-the-antianxiety-food-solution/ If low serotonin and the 250mg helped in any way then consider a lower dose. Some people do better on 5-HTP vs tryptophan. Both can cause mild digestive issues in some people but it’s usually short-term. Light therapy is a great option too + exercise + nature.
Low GABA and low blood sugar can be factors in anxiety, and low cats and low endorphins in depression.
I would assume the following: a real whole foods diet, quality animal protein, eating to balance blood sugar (so animal protein at breakfast), no gluten, no sugar, no caffeine – at a minimum.
Congrats on the master BTW!
I should have said that I have suffered from anxiety and depression. Right now the issue is as much depression as anxiety – that is why I thought to try the Tryptophan. Lynn
I have lived with lifelong anxiety (PTSD, BPD), which was finally diagnosed in 2002 as unresolved trauma. I received 2 years of DBT therapy, but it wasn’t until I got rid of ALL of the foods that I was sensitive to, healed my leaky gut, and insisted on changes in my husband’s behavior (he has OCD and PTSD) that things began to improve. I did not do well with any of the targeted amino acids, but saw great improvement when I added Xymogen Leptin Manager to my regimen. The real inner peace came when I began taking Organic India’s Ashwagandha (2x/day), Turmeric Formula (2x/day) and Brahmi-Gotu Kola (1 in a.m.). My husband also has calmed down by taking these plus their Joy formula and Complementary Prescriptions’ Cortisol Management (a combination of Relora and Sensoril, an Ashwagandha extract).
Now we are both free of anxiety most of the time and the contrast between our “new normal” and those occasional times when we get into overwhelm is so marked that it makes it easy to tell when we are anxious. When anxiety is chronic, the “hypervigilant” state is constant, and one cannot self-regulate. These supplements were the final ingredient we needed to attain a calm inner state as our regular condition.
Our diet consists solely of 100% grass-fed meat, above ground organic vegetables, pure water, and some berries (I only eat blueberries; my husband can also eat blackberries). We take a comprehensive array of supplements tailored to our individual needs and sensitivities. I cannot use anything that contains soy or is derived from palm or coconut sources, for example.
We also only wear and sleep on non-toxic clothing and bedding, made from cotton, wool, and small amounts of nylon or spandex. NO polyester at all, because it gives off very high amounts of formaldehyde, which gets absorbed through the skin and is carried to every cell in one’s body.
I do take one 200 mg capsule of NOW Foods theanine around 2-3 am because that’s when I wake up with my mind in overdrive. I also found that taking 2 grams of Solaray Two-Srage Time Release 500 mg Vitamin C (with Rose Hips) helped me sleep. I mention these specific brands because I have tried many and these are the only ones that work for me.
The bottom line for me is that it takes a multiple-pronged approach to treat anxiety, but it’s not only possible, it works! What we put into or onto our bodies (clothing, personal care items) can help or can hurt. Anxiety is a symptom of something else, and it isn’t until that something else (which may be very complex) is addressed that the anxiety goes away. Anything that throws your body out of balance can contribute to it, and our modern lifestyle is full of factors that work against inner peace. Our physiology reflects that.
My husband and I now enjoy a greatly improved relationship, and our lives have also improved greatly by addressing the causes and imbalances that supported our prior state of chronic anxiety. It took persistence and the willingness to examine every factor in our lives, but I can say it has been worth every bit of effort it took, because now our life is so much better that it’s nothing short of a miracle after so many years of suffering.
Thanks for sharing your amazing journey of healing! We are all so unique and there truly is no one size fits all and need to find what works for each of us – diet, specific nutrients, environmental factors and family dynamics/stress. I’m so happy for you both.
I’m intrigued that you saw great improvement when you added Xymogen Leptin Manager to my regimen. Was this with anxiety? I’ve just recently become aware of the leptin connection to anxiety, depression, PTSD and it’s so interesting. What led you to take this product and did you have a high body fat%?
It’s also interesting that you did not do well with any of the targeted amino acids. Did they not work or did you get an adverse reaction? May I asked what you trialed, how much and for what symptoms?
I was advised to use 5-HTP by an endocrinologist that was treating me for metabolic syndrome. It gave me weird dreams and did nothing for my anxiety. I tried the GABA you recommended and it did nothing for my anxiety. I tried St. John’s Wort and it did nothing for me. On your questionnaire, I scored as needing to boost my serotonin levels, but none of the approaches you have recommended have helped me.
My husband and I have both seen a functional medicine physician and he put my husband on Xymogen’s Testoplex, which gave us patient access to Xymogen’s site. On my own, based on things I had read (such as Nora Gedgaudas’ book, “Primal Body, Primal Mind” and articles I came across on the Internet), I had come to the conclusion that the reason I couldn’t tell when to stop eating was due to leptin resistance. Nora’s solution was to eat enough fat, but if I eat too much fat, I gain weight, and I still didn’t experience satiety.
When I was ordering the Testoplex from the Xymogen site, just on an impulse, I typed “leptin” into their search box and it turned out that they had a product called Leptin Manager. I know they only offer products that have been clinically tested, so I took the plunge and ordered a bottle. As soon as I took the very first capsule, I could feel my body quiet down inside. I tried going without it and the inner noise returned.
I don’t overeat anymore. I can feel when I am hungry (not often) and I can feel when I’ve eaten enough. I haven’t lost any more weight (I originally lost 40 pounds when I went off all of the foods I am sensitive to) and am still carrying more weight (all around my middle) than I want to, but am so glad to have discovered this assistance for one of my metabolic issues.
I was trying Solaray Adrenal Support and it was helping my adrenals heal from a period of stress I had gone through. The herbs it includes led me to try the Ashwagandha and Gotu Kola, and that was the final bit of magic I had been seeking. When I put my husband on them, that really made a visible and palpable difference for him. These herbs have been used for centuries in India for their “adaptogenic” effects. The Tumeric Formula addresses systemic inflammation. I also feel that systemic inflammation contributes to inner noise, and now my rosacea is also gone. It was my most visible marker for systemic inflammation.
The thing that really convinced me that I had turned some kind of corner through this complete regimen was that old traumas began surfacing in the past week and I was finally able to release their effects. I could finally “shake them off” and cry the tears I had needed to cry years ago, and wasn’t able to do so at the time. It was like dropping the self-definition that had been formed as a result of those traumas and becoming a new person.
I had a root canal done three days ago, and I was pleased to see that I could release all of the stress that was triggered by the procedure. By the day afterward, it was as if it had never happened. That’s how animals release trauma and stress — they shake it off. (See Peter Levine’s “Waking the Tiger.”) Now I am whole enough again to heal the traumas when they occur, instead of stuffing them and slogging stoically through life.
There were many factors that contributed to my chronic anxiety and I am sure that it took a multiplicity of approaches to effectively treat the causes without undermining the body’s ability to heal itself. I also feel that there was a spiritual component to it, whereby I could move out of a victim mentality and accept that there was a larger force at work in my life that knew more than I did about what needed to happen and when.
Inner peace has become the “pearl of great price” for me, and I am glad to have found what I needed to do to achieve it.
What an inspirational story! Thanks for sharing. I follow Trudy Scott and her advice. You did extra homework on getting better – so happy for you! I have a son who come down with OCD and I just couldn’t take the answer of doctors that it’s genetic. Functional medicine summits helped me a lot to see the truth and people stories: like you. We are getting much much better , dietary changes, supplements and tryptophan seems to work for us.
I just wish more people would self educate themself and make the adjustments to their own unique needs.
Be well and enjoy the healthy new you!!!!
Hello Trudy,
I love your blog and website and am looking forward to your anxiety summit. I have a question that I think others have. I have MTHFR methylation issues and struggle to take methylcobalamin and methylfolate. When I take them even at low doses I have adverse reactions, lightheadness, off balance, and uneven feeling. So my question is if taking these suppliments is part of cure for anxiety, depression and insomnia which I struggle with all three what can I do? I have tried many forms of b-12 and methylfolate. My norepinephrine is high and even though I have MTHFR I am an overmethylation not undermethylation . I am heterozygous for MTHFR. I am sure I am not alone with this issue.
Lee your not alone, I have to admit I can’t seem to find anyone online similar to myself who can’t take methyls and avoid heavy methionine feeding foods. I’m also +/- mthfr but there are so many other pathway breakdowns and all together create a unique story. I can share what I’m doing and it’s a rocky road but I finally feel confident in my protocol. I have the same issues as you described and have seen some of the most popular functional MDs and tried a lot of different things. It seems most people need methyls and the focus is on that but if anything it’s an example that we are all a little different. Also, I’m not sure if there is just over and just under methylators, but just when I think I understand it gets confusing again 😉
Lee
Thanks! Even with the MTHFR SNP it may not be causing issues i.e may not be expressing. I would suggest looking for other underlying causes that may be factors in your anxiety and insomnia https://www.everywomanover29.com/blog/60-nutritional-biochemical-causes-of-anxiety/
does barnes n nobles carry ur book?
i have a 15 year old who’s diagnose with mood disorder but as a mom im more seeing Adhd with him.He is very smart n loves stimulating video games,doesnt like boring questions…so that sound like adhd. i can tell his brain is on n on so i stated him on pharma gaba 20mg/twice a day.It seems to b helping a little. i think i heard u say u dont believe in pharma gaba? any recomendation? he has physical anxiety,anger n impulsive . can u help me to with d process of weaning him off his abilify,his down to 2.5mg n he feels dizzy? please help !!
Janette
My book is in all major bookstores or could be ordered from them. It’s also on Amazon and other online sites. I find that GABA can be more effective than pharmaGABA in some individuals. I have my clients do a trial https://www.everywomanover29.com/blog/how-to-do-an-amino-acid-trial-for-anxiety/
With anger low serotonin may be a factor and a trial of tryptophan may be an option.
I’m afraid I can’t offer specific advice via the blog and you’ll need to work with the prescribing doctor on the Abilify taper
I read your book last summer and have been mostly gluten free ever since. Now, when I return to even a small piece of bread that has wheat, I get a headache. (Even if I didn’t know it had wheat until later.) I don’t really have a history of headaches.
I tested negative for Celiac a few years ago. I’ve had a history of anxiety, and that’s why I tried the elimination diet.
My million-dollar question is: how can I know if the headaches are a sign of gluten sensitivity OR simply my body needing to readjust and be reintroduced to wheat? Internet searches yield a lot of amateur advice, and books like Grain Brain seem to have a lot of critics. Not sure where to turn. The diet is expensive to maintain and causes social friction. I don’t want to be on it unless I know I have the need for it.
Thank you in advance for any tips!
Kelly
When you’re sensitive to something and it out your system for a long time the sensitivity can be worse. It’s a clear message that gluten is an issue. Remove it again and then challenge with gluten and see what happens. You can also do testing with a lab like Cyrex lab as conventional testing is not comprehensive. Dr Tom O’Bryan will be covering this topic on the Anxiety Summit in June http://www.theanxietysummit.com
Thanks Trudy! I’ll look into the testing.
Trudy,I have a big problem with my 24 year old son.He got sick in 2008 ,his very first symptoms was fatigue and weight lost(he lost 60 lb in 6months)and social axiety he couldn’t be around people.He was diagnosed with schizophrenia and put on psichiatras drugs.I was looking for a reason what happened to my son.He wasa patient of Pfeiffer Treatment Center in Illinois.He has pyrrole disorder,low zink ,low histamine (later was changed to high histamine),candida ,disbiosis,hormone imbalances,sensitivities to gluteen,dairy.He was put on different kind of vitamins and supplements with no help just little by little he was becoming more and more agresive.We got to the point he would atack his family members any time with no reason.I am loosing my son who use to be smart kind loving person.Doctors say they have no magic pill to help my son.Trudy do you have any advice how to help my son.
Malaria drug causes brain damage that limits PTSD. Case study. http://www.militarytimes.com/story/military/2016/08/11/malaria-drug-causes-permanent-brain-damage-case-study/88528568/
Karen
Thanks for sharing this – it’s really scary! Here is the paper mentioned in this article https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27747687
My understanding is that many malaria drugs are fluoride based but I don’t know much about this one and will be digging further. There has to be nutritional approaches that would help. Please do share what you have uncovered to be helpful
Dear Karen and Trudy,
To learn more about some approaches to healing after a person is “floxied,” you may wish to check out http://www.floxiehope.com. Also, I believe Derrick Lonsdale, MD writes about the use of a special form of thiamine, vitamin B1, called allithiamine in healing after antibiotic toxicity as well as vaccine injury.
Best to You,
Robin
Thanks Robin! I love the https://floxiehope.com/ site
And thanks for the reminder about Dr Lonsdale’s work. Here is a link to an article on Gardisil http://www.hormonesmatter.com/post-gardasil-pots-thiamine-deficiency/. He writes about why some people are affected more and mentions stress – I wonder if pyroluria is a factor?
I’ll have to see if he has any work about malaria medications. And now I wonder if this may also be a factor with benzodiazepine effects and why some people have so many problems with them.
Karen asked me to share what has been helping her:
“Turmeric, or Protandim. Just learning about Cytodetox, which is a zeolite that can cross the gut and also the blood brain barrier. Healthy fats for brain, always.
Protandim is a NRF2 activator. Stimulates your dna to produce more enzymes to mop up oxidative stress. It has been very helpful with my brain injury. 5 natural ingredients in it. [Milk Thistle Extract, Bacopa -monnieri, Ashwagandha, Turmeric -longa, Green Tea Extract]”