I have different mental disorders I struggle with and whenever I try to go really high raw or all raw they seem to get worse and magnified. I don't know if it has to do with a chemical thing - with being even more deficient in certain nutrients or if it is just because of detox and feeling more, being more self-conscious without dulling the senses with an overload of comfort food and starch etc.

Do you enjoy being all raw or is it a struggle? I think that when things are challenging for us then emotional issues can be exacerbated or 'disturbed'. i wouldn't think that being raw in itself would cause emotional disturbance.

Detox is a funny one - some people seem to suffer all sorts of things when they switch to high raw or all raw; I hardly noticed a thing, I just enjoyed my food even more than I had before.

do you think that being all raw makes you more deficient in certain nutrients as you comment? It could be that you are finding the whole experience a bit unsettling and therefore that is bringing up all kinds of other issues for you.

good luck with it - I hope you feel ok soon

Anything that pushes you to grow and evolve can certainly exacerbate mental disorders and even make you aware of issues you never knew you had.

When you wake up from being numb, things hurt.

Of course, certain deficiencies might trigger mental issues as well, also certain diets might screw up your blood sugar and exacerbate mood swings. Best to pay attention to your body and mind and be honest about what you're experiencing. Also best to have help from a health care provider you know and trust (doesn't have to be an MD or a shrink, just someone, too many people think they can make it on their own, one thing I've learned in life unequivicobly is that you can't, well I can't anyway).

Yes....it certainly can Nik. Eating raw sends new healthy, safe signals to the body. When this happens, energetic and physical blockages start to release and break up. Learning to regulate this 'detox' is one of the wisest skills a new raw fooder can acquire. Eating lighter foods to facilitate and speed up this detox....while eating heavier raw foods to slow it down.

-David Z. Mason

WWW.RawFoodFarm.com

There's also literally tons of either unnatural additives or actual compounds in cooked food that alter brain chemistry. Pasta, wheat, and milk, for example, have an opiate effect which acts as a "downer" in the brain.

You knnow, I was just reading something concerning mental illness and diet. It was a e-book written by a woman Dr who started helping mentally ill people in her house. She explained that the mental psychosis actually got worse before getting better. She also explained that there were lots of algeries that brought on the mental illness most of the time. It was a very interesting read. The womans name was Dr Moser and her husband is Steve Soloman who copys e-books for people to read. If you can get it it would be very helpful for you to read.

Good point, nik. Obviously it doesn't affect everyone like that, but taking any diet too seriously to the point where food becomes more important than enjoying life itself isn't a healthy approach, IMHO.

I get worried about people who justify starving themself on raw by brainwashing themselves that because the raw food diet is healthy, that eating next to nothing is healthy as well. Maybe I'm being a nosey parker but on some raw sites, I wonder if people are either lying about living on practically zero calories, or are doing so/but feel like crap OR are super human ;-)

At one point I felt really miserable whilst raw- the novelty of having better skin, losing weight etc had wore off and as much as I loved the idea of raw, I felt conflicted- I believed in raw (you know that moment you think "I'm going to be raw from this day on for the rest of my life!", but thinking I was doomed to eating boring salads or revolting raw pizza for the rest of my life, depressed me.

It wasn't the raw lifestyle that made me feel that way- the food was making me feel great- but that kind of 'heavy' restriction/expectation I had put on myself made me feel conflicted and I'm susceptible to that sort of thing.

So go easy on yourself :-) Pre-raw you probably wasn't getting all the nutrients you needed- but raw will take you in the right direction!

oh Jeese.
I am a raving lunatic most of the time.
eating raw seems to calm it.
but today....
be lucky I am not telling you all to go jump in the river.
hahahahahah

Very interesting question! I have noticed myself that stable blood sugar is key for me. Also noticed that the slightest detox triggers the big emotions.

My Doc advised me to have some brown rice protein powder (or whey, sorry, non vegan) first thing in the morning. Whilst I dont do it every morning, I do feel more stable on the days that I do. I was also told that detox stresses the adrenals, hence stresses the emotions etc. I do believe going SLOW is key. I am still eating baked potatoes, steamed veggies, lots of dates and bananas to slow things down. Nothing radical, just step by step...

n/a



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/24/2008 10:00PM by nik.

Nik,

I think getting a good therapist is a great idea. For me, therapy has helped with the mental imbalances that were caused from PTSD that began at age four, and raw has helped with the chemical imbalances! I think they work great together. We are complex beings and it makes sense that we need to work on all aspects of ourselves (body, mind, spirit, emotions) to truly gain balance and health.

Lots of love and peace to you!

Wendi
XOXOXO

I am certainly hoping that raw eating will improve my mental health issues.
I do know the sense of peace when eating raw....but stuff still wages on your mind.

Hello, it depends on what you eat but eating raw will bring unresolved emotional issues to the fore. This is a good thing and part of the process but it can take years to work through them. Eating raw can make you feel 'raw' internally sometimes but it is there for you to understand and overcome. Seeing how different foods affect the emotional state varies person to person. Homeopathy can be very helpful as a support also as you go through these states.

[www.rawlifestyle.co.uk]
Recipes, ebooks, diary

Any type of stress can exacerbate mental or physical disorders.

Some people find meditation and/or yoga helpful in alleviating stress.

[www.mayoclinic.com]

I hope this helps.


Lee

i don't know what "mental disorders" you are suffering from but I think it would be a good idea to write down a list of all the things in your life that is causing you stress and rate them numerically in terms of how much each item is causing you stress. Then, monitor how you feel as you take steps to improve, overcome, modify etc. each area of that stressor. For example, if John Doe is suffering from stress due to the fact that he feels overwhelmed by clutter,then takes steps to get an organizer, a cleaning schedule ( that he sticks to) and monitors how he feels for two weeks, this along with going raw may be a better indicator of what is going on.

It is easy to say that food is the cause of this or that. And without a doubt food has a MAJOR impact on how we feel. However, from my experience, one cannot
isolate and separate food from all the other things that are going on in our lives.

My goals are emotional, physical, spiritual, financial, etc. If I take steps each day towards fulfilling parts of my goal in order to enhance any area of my life, I literally get a HIGH off of that.

I think that being easy on myself helps a lot too. Before, when I had a perfectionist model, I got a lot of stuff done, but I was never able to enjoy the outcome because I was always onto the next thing.

Now, my motto is " ANY " improvement is good and reason to get excited about and it actually allows me to do better.

Certainly, a series of hollow achievements that are not connected to our soul's mission is meaningless and the undertaking of them can be a form of enslavement.

If, however, I make ANYTHING that I do connected to my soul's mission, and can reframe it in such a way that it DOES, then it goes a LONG way in fulfilling different parts of me.

What does this have to do with food and your original post concerning the effects of mental conditions? I believe that a positive feedback loop is definetely possible. When my diet is serving my goals, in alignment with my mission and honoring to my well being, it becomes easier for me to be bold in other areas as well. The excitement generated from accomplishing things in other areas and the desire to see this continue compels me to continue having a good diet in order to accomplish my PERSONAL goals etc. This definetely becomes a compellingly positive cycle that does more to enhance my mental states than just monitoring my food alone.

I monitor the things I do as well and keep track of how I feel. I do this far more than monitoring my food because my food is always the same. I also find more "flavor" in going for the goals that I have set for myself no matter HOW small and sometimes there are days when I can only accomplish very little but it is still going towards my goals so I get excited about it.

I used to think that food was the answer too but it is just a beginning and just one facet of the wheel. In order for the wheel to turn, it is VITAL for me to pay attention to all other areas of my life.

Like I said, I don't have to do everything or even a LOT. I just have to do what I decide is necessary for that day in order to make me feel as if I am fulfilling my heart's desires and my mental state becomes vastly improved.

I too have mental "rarities" ( this is what I prefer to call them instead of "disorders" though I have never taken any medications for them). I find that I can overcome my challenges not by denying them but by actually USING the strengths derived from these "conditions" and channeling them to my advantage.

I don't know if this helps. Just want to let you know that i do relate, have thought about this a great deal and have come to my OWN conclusion that food is just ONE ingredient in making my life work. The rest of it has to do with how well I order my life in order to fulfill my dreams.

to answer your question even further

raw helped me a great deal in the mental department

fasting however, did bring things to the fore and going THROUGH them felt like an invisible flame was going through me without consuming me.. it was very intense

if u feel that the raw diet is exasperating your mental state, respect that
and honor yourself for making that sacrifice

and enduring

things will get better

things will oscillate

healing is a wave like process with crests and low points

but as u go through each wave, the healing deepens

which is why things get ' better"

food is not the sole answer, it is just a co partner in the various other partners that will partner with you to make your life beautiful

Raw food give me clarity in my thinking.

Well said, la veronique.


Me (30), Joseph (24 mo.) Jeremiah (4 mo.)

We are enjoying spring and being outside!!!

thanks angie

i think the challenges never end and they can seem daunting

but it is still possible for me to enjoy the process if I go in with the framework of "discovery" and fascination

otherwise, just ONE of the many challenges I face could be my undoing
but it is not