Expert: Jurriaan Plesman, Nutritional Psychotherapist - 10/29/2011

Question
QUESTION: my boyfriend has bipolar and ocd. this is all new to me. i know what it is, but with this have lots concerns. every few months he withdraws from me. dont hear from him. hes tired all the time. works fulltime. recovering addict. clean 9yrs now. does his avoiding me and withdrawing like this have anything to do with his diagnosis?

ANSWER: Hi diane,

You will have to accept that people with mood disorders will from time to time withdraw from their loved ones. When they are depressed, they do not know or understand why, and thus cannot communicated their feelings. I suggest that you familiarise yourself as much as possible with the nutritional aspects of mood disorders. We have quite a few articles at our web site.  Please read:

Nutritional Aspects of Schizophrenia and Bipolar Disoder at:
http://curezone.com/upload/Newsletter/Hypoglycemic_He/HYPONL2001_06.pdf
and go to page 7 of Newsletter.
Depression is a Nutritional Disorder at:
http://www.hypoglycemia.asn.au/articles/depression_disorder.html
Depression: a Disease of Energy Production at:
http://curezone.com/upload/PDF/Articles/jurplesman/depression_energy32.pdf
Conquering Anxiety, Depression and Fatigue Without Drugs - the Role of Hypoglycemia by Prof. Joel H. Levitt
http://www.alternativementalhealth.com/articles/hypoglycemia.htm
Silent Diseases and Mood Disorders at:
http://www.hypoglycemia.asn.au/articles/silentdiseases.html

and ask for a referral to a Nutritional Doctor, Clinical Nutritionist or a Nutritional Psychotherapist, if self-help therapy fails.
Going on Hypoglycemic diet (look up at our web site) is the first step in treatment. Please search our web site for more information at:
http://www.hypoglycemia.asn.au or at the INDEX.

Also look up Bipolar Disorder at our INDEX.


_______________________________________________
Jurriaan Plesman, Nutritional Psychotherapist.
Hon. Editor of
The Hypoglycemic Health Association of Australia.
www.hypoglycemia.asn.au
Author of "Getting off the Hook"
Freely available at Google Book Search
Skype: jurplesman


---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: what can i do when he pulls away and wont answer calls? i dont know how to be there for him. right now hes doing this. says growing apart. hes in a strange place in his life, and he feels alone when all he does is work, go to meetings and sleep. he makes it sound like im not supportive for him. says all i want from him is the intimacy and feels pressured and that i thrive on it. please help me.

Answer
It seems to me that you cannot do absolutely nothing, if he keeps on withdrawing from you. The best is to give him space and keep on being supportive towards him whenever he wants to. I suggest that he see a Nutritional Doctors.

_______________________________________________
Jurriaan Plesman, Nutritional Psychotherapist.
Hon. Editor of
The Hypoglycemic Health Association of Australia.
www.hypoglycemia.asn.au
Author of "Getting off the Hook"
Freely available at Google Book Search
Skype: jurplesman