Hi Everyone,

I know it's been AGES since I've been on here...life's been presenting me with many challenges the last 6 months!! And in that time i've gone completely off the rails with my eating and subsequently my health (physical, mental and emotional) have all been terrible.

 I'm currently on my 3rd day of a water fast and tomorrow I plan on going onto juice for 14 days and then onto raw veganism for a year...and then i imagine i will continue on htat path if i am feeling well and seeing the results i expect to see. My brain is screaming at me to eat right now and i'm quite irritable today but I have a good reason for sticking to my fasting/eating plan. I have recently been diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder...we believe I've had it since I was about 10 years old. Funny thing is my family GP when i was growing up had Bipolar himself and so does his son now and he laughingly suggested that I might be Bipolar when I was going through my hormonal teenage years.

So anyway, the reason I'm writing about it on here is because I have absolutely no interest in taking drugs to control it. I have read about people managing their symptoms by correcting their brain chemistry by fasting and then eating a raw vegan diet. So that is what I am doing! I was wondering if anybody else has heard of people correcting/managing BD or a similar mental illness with fasting and/or a raw food diet?

Thanks

Hey Organic Girl,

I too was diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder, back when I was 19. It's thought to be genetic and my aunt also has it. I heard that Carrie Fisher (Princess Leah) kept herself stable by a regular diet and exercise. Specifically that she included fats like flax seed oil. I started eating fresher, and more healthy fats, and exercise. And I only ever took meds for my first year of Bipolar. Now as long as I stay away from drinking and drugs (which I would anyways being raw), and stay eating healthily and exercising, I have not relapsed. I think routine and healthy components in your life are vital. I wish I'd never taken Lithium, everytime I try water fasts I can feel poisons flowing through my blood stream. It's discomforting to the point where I am too scared to fast until I can heal slower first.

Hi Organic_Girl,

How are things going? I don't have any direct experience, so no stories to share. I did want to let you know I'm thinking of you, and would love to support here when ever needed. Maybe you can come along to the next Brisbane picnic for some in person support from the whole crew. There were 25+ people at the last event. Lots of fun.

Take care and please do keep in touch and let us know how you're progressing. I know you will.

Cheers,
Sheryl

Thanks for your support everyone

Sheryl, thanks for your offer of support and I'd love to be at the next picnic but i think it's going to fall on the weekend that I'm at Don Tolman's Bootcamp 4 Brains on the Gold Coast. So i'll have to see you at the next one.Actually, I'd love to have a day at the Day Spa you found on the coast...looks lush...so if you're going let me know and i'll try to make it down.

Jocelyn, thanks for sharing your experience with your relative. I know I can get that way and so that's why I'm taking self-responsibility and calming my moods by dietary and lifestyle changes. I feel much better when exercising, eating all raw (and you're right...I definitely crave salt and fats and if i eat too many fruit sugars and nothing else my energy and moods start to swing and i get wired or grumpy!!) As for the famous people, i was aware there were a few out there...probably more than we realise. Apparently most bipolar have very high IQ's...I have a 156 IQ these days...was higher when i was younger and my doctor when i was a kid was a very smart man and a Bipolar.

Canadian Girl, thanks for sharing your story...it has supported my decision to avoid medication and make the lifestyle changes i know will make a more positive and healthy difference. I was an elite athlete when i was younger and have had a lot of operations and took a lot of prescription meds and when i first walked away from conventional medicine and started doing cleansing and fasting about 8 years ago i went through some big healing crisis'. I remember everytime i'd be fasting and i'd go in the steam room or sauna i could taste anaesthetic in my mouth...yuck!! Good luck with you continued journey to health

Thanks again for sharing yourselves with me...i was worried that people may have been put off from this thread due to our society's discomfort with "Mental illness"!

I read an interesting study done at UQ where they found that when people were in the depression phase they were functioning nearly purely from the right (creative/feminine) side of the brain and when in the manic/up phase they're functioning from the left (logic/reasoning/masculine) side of the brain. I hate the all or none thinking that i can get into when my moods aren't stable...but i am glad to knw that i can control it and that it just means eating raw, exercising daily and making sure i get sunshine, sleep and me time!! Not always easy to do...especially as a single mum with a business...but i am doing my best!

Love Georgia

cool!!!! no, i had a mate had a spare ticket for a night talk up here in Bris and I thought he was great!!! i love his book's!! absolutely will find you and we can sit together. i'm hoping there's enough raw food for the meal's they provide coz he's not a 100% raw foodie!

so when is the may picnic being held then??

Hi Georgia,

Just writing to say hello to you and to wish you much happiness with your raw journey.  Please do keep in contact and let us know how you're doing.  There is so much support to be shared here.

This forum is so fantastic for helping and sharing.  I joined another forum before this one and asked a few questions... 6 weeks later I got one single reply.  Lots of laughs   On this forum I've sometimes had answers within 6 minutes!!!

And I love your name.  Georgia is a very special name to me as you share it with my little grand-daughter

Love to you
May

i deleted my above post.... is abrasive to a few people ive been told. please pm me if this is so. then i can explain my message clearer on an individual basis. im happy for people to call me too. i deal with suicidal people, addicts, depressed folk. im sure i can help you. i provide a free service.