Expert: Jurriaan Plesman, Nutritional Psychotherapist - 1/18/2008

Question
I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder (along with schizophrenia and post traumatic stress disorder) when I was 17, I was in and out of 3 institutions in two months and shortly after being released from the last I stopped taking my medication. Since that time I have definitely had "ups and downs" but nothing too severe, although I have had problems with self medicating, I have found that for the most part I can control most symptoms with regulation of my "sleep-wake" cycle having noticed that when I don't get enough sleep I go into a manic state and if I don't eventually get to sleep it gets worse. I guess my question is can people have only one severe break in their life and live a relatively normal life afterward? I have always been worried that at some point I am going to have another break.

Answer
Dear Robert,

This is not an easy question to answer from a distance. It all depends on the circumstances.  As a Nutritional Psychologist I use a combination of nutrition and psychotherapy to help people feel better.

Many people with mood disorder have a hypoglycemic syndrome, that can be medically tested with a special medical test as explained at:

Test for Hypoglycemia explained at:
http://www.hypoglycemia.asn.au/articles/testing_hypoglycemia.html

I suggest you read:

What is Hypoglycemia at:
http://www.hypoglycemia.asn.au/articles/what_is_hypo.html

The Serotonin Connection at:
http://www.hypoglycemia.asn.au/articles/serotonin_connection.htm

Depression is a Nutritional Disorder at:
http://www.hypoglycemia.asn.au/articles/depression_disorder.html

Nutritional Aspects of Schizophrenia at:
http://curezone.com/upload/Newsletter/Hypoglycemic_He/HYPONL2001_06.pdf
and go to page 7 of Newsletter.

Bipolar people benefit from taking lecithin when in a manic stage, but should not take it when depressed.

Search for Lecithin at our web site.

If you are interested in the non-drug treatment of Bipolar Disorder I strongly suggest that you be referred to a nutritional Doctor or a Clinical Nutritionist.

It is best to inform yourself of the connection between "mental illness" and nutrition.

Study ur web site hat contain many articles and also refer to:

www.alternativementalhealth. com

for more articles.

It is a question of being informed and the n choose the right practitioner to help you out.

I hope I have been of some help.

_______________________________________________
Jurriaan Plesman BA (Psych) Post Grad Dip Clin Nutr
Editor of
The Hypoglycemic Health Association of Australia.
www.hypoglycemia.asn.au
Author of "Getting off the Hook"
Freely available at Google Book Search