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Did "How I Beat Depression" answer your questions? Tell me what you think...

From the lens How I beat depression.

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  • candidaabrahamson Mar 24, 2012 @ 12:14 pm | delete
    I'm back. I found this lens so compelling that I actually used it as a featured lens in a new duel lens I just published on whether to use anti-depressants or alternative means to treat mild to moderate depression. You can stop by if you want to see your name in lights, but I know people will enjoy visiting you there as well as here.
  • Christine Mar 16, 2012 @ 9:35 am | delete
    I have just begun a low sugar diet and I feel amazingly well. I have suffered from depression for years and my doctors attributed it to hormones (I'm a 44 year old woman). Hormones are actually triggered by insulin, so it all fits! I am currently studying anthropology and completely argee with the hunter/gatherer argument! Best of luck to all.
  • JimDickens Mar 9, 2012 @ 12:09 pm | delete
    Very interesting lens for me personally. Did you know that some antidepressants (mirtazapine, specifically) are known to raise blood sugar levels?
  • candidaabrahamson Feb 6, 2012 @ 2:59 pm | delete
    This is such an inspiring and relevant lens that I just added it to my "featured lens" module [if you want to see yourself in lights, come visit at http://www.squidoo.com/mood-disorders2]. I had been addressing treating mood disorders with diet, exercise, and sleep--and along comes somebody who's done it! Good for you--and keep up the good fight. Candida
  • candidaabrahamson Jan 30, 2012 @ 2:33 pm | delete
    Although I'm still a proponent of medication, based on what I've seen in my practice, I've also become quite gung-ho about the healing potential of exercise and proper diet. Drop by, if you have a chance, to see what I put together on that topic at http://www.squidoo.com/mood-disorders2. Meanwhile, your story is gripping--thanks for sharing. Candida
  • Heather Jan 29, 2012 @ 5:41 pm | delete
    1) my extremely sugar addicted sister was told do go paleo or die in 3 years. Guess what she still eats? Her cardiologist told her this... that she was 3 years off from "a big one"... that was a year ago... I'm fully expectinig a funeral in 2 more.
    2) I have been doing Atkins/low carb off and on for a couple years now. I'm bipolar and I cycle, but I have noticed a trend of I get tired (burn the candle at both ends), I eat sugar, I get depressed and spiral and ALSO I hurt! I was just coming out of a depressive cycle (where I was eating junk food and sugar a lot) and found I had a torn rotator cuff and was in intense pain. I realized about 4 days ago it was starting to feel better... and in retrospect I realized I went low carb again about 7 days ago. Coincidence? Don't think so...
  • cherry Jan 29, 2012 @ 12:05 pm | delete
    I'm so glad to have found this and am definitely going to try it out, at this point I feel exactly as you did, I've cut out sugar and am feeling pretty good, but still I have NO energy. I'm heading to the library right now to check out some of the recommended reading, wish me luck!
    Thanks!
  • TheBigSquid Jan 16, 2012 @ 2:12 am | delete
    Great lens, I can somewhat relate to this lens. My wife went through depression for years, due to being over weight. She struggled with weight problems all her life, up until last year when she tried the diet solution program.

    Now she looks amazing and she is so full of life, but more importantly she is HAPPY and healthy!

    She has her own website called - My Diet Solution Program Review at www.dietprogramreview.net
  • Sandra Smith Jan 14, 2012 @ 9:45 am | delete
    I'm thrilled I found your site and suggestions. For 2012, I'm playing a game of doing one thing daily for the entire month to encourage some new, good habits. For the month of January, I've been exercising at least 30 minutes daily. I think February, and heck, likely the rest of January too, will be using this diet. I've been suffering from depression for 25 years off and on. I've been in a bad spell for several years at present. I want to help myself by getting to the root of the cause and not just buy in to the idea that some dangerous antidepressant is the answer. In my core I believe that I can cure my depression somehow; the answer lies with me making choices. It might be hard to change my eating habits (it most certainly will, I think) but my laziness is not an excuse to just pop an antidepressant. You've given me some great direction. I'm super excited! Thank you. I started a fledgling blog http://onegratefulgal.wordpress.com/ that I finally admitted out loud that I had this illness. My intuition told me it was time to break my silence and get support. I have a feeling your post and suggestions will have a direct effect on what I share in the future! I hope so.
  • green-health-girl Dec 27, 2011 @ 10:56 pm | delete
    Great lens - sugar is something that has exploded into our diet in the past 30 years and with it has come increasing depression, mental illness and obesity among other health issues. I quit sugar 6 months ago and it has made a huge difference to my mood and energy!
  • ExirSaffron Dec 22, 2011 @ 2:53 pm | delete
    I am very sorry to hear about your wife and how she suffered from depression and i am completely agreeing with the side effects drugs have. It used to be the mission to "Prevent illness" rather than cure it, but i guess money works better than old policies. that is why in US we have more people following drugs rather than prevention. Public Health hands are short. They like to make people to follow drugs and using proscriptions and health insurance is not working good enough to cover even the costs. Depression is not an illness i don't believe in it. we do all have hard times but the real thing is we need to fight it out. It is hard and even harder when you see there are no ways out, but there will be always light in the darkest hours. We usually don't like to fight it but we have too. My friend used to have depression and used prozac, the thing is he got even worse, he even began loosing hair, so he stopped. Instead he began to push himself to be happy, doing sport, using natural good food and there now he is better than i am.+)) so i guess instead of looking into the cure we have to take out the cause and prevent anxiety.
  • jaredsgirl Dec 19, 2011 @ 1:10 pm | delete
    I'm a huge sugar junkie and have battled with depression since I was 18 years old. This lens has been super helpful! It's so nice to know I am not alone. Thank you so much for sharing.
  • Scott Adolph Nov 25, 2011 @ 11:55 am | delete
    I just wanted to say it's amazing to find others that are going through what I was experiencing. I've battled with depression for all my life and looking back my diet and consumption of sugar is horrendous. I was getting ready to pull the trigger. I couldn't take it anymore. I was also going to a chiropractor at the time and he was working on me because I was having dizzy spells and these headaches. It was taking longer than usual. What was weird was all the feelings seem to be streaming from the neck area and went through me from there. He finally told me to cut out coffee and juice just until we get things worked out. I didn't at first but then was getting worst so decided to do it. It took about two weeks but I started to stabilize. I thought things were getting better so I thought I would try having a coffee. By the time I finished the coffee I was if full crying mode and the neck and dizzy spell were back. So coffee was out of my life and things improved allot. I then thought to myself, "i'm going to cut sugar out of my diet for a month and see what else happens. The results were staggering. I felt like a human being again. I wasn't walking around crying all the time for no reason. That was the crazy thing about the depression was that I wasn't depressed about things that much. Things were starting spiral out of control because I was acting stupid but it was just a feeling that was consuming me. Not only did the depression go away but the chronic itchiness was gone and a inner ear infection that I had for 12-15 years all went away. I must be supper sensitive to sugar now because even a yogurt with too much of a sugar count will bring me to my knees. One more note I was trying to deal with the feelings with alcohol and that was just making things worst because that was turning to sugar too. When I had a drink the other day I was so itchy and I just feel worst when I had the drink. So unfortunately , as much as I like my Scotch, it has to go as well.
    We can get down that we can't eat these foods anymore but when you think of the alternative of being depressed I would rather be off the sugars than deal with the emotions.
  • ratetea Oct 16, 2011 @ 2:30 pm | delete
    I think it's a bit of a fad diet when people say you need to cut grains out of your diet entirely, but I definitely think large amounts of refined sugars are not a good idea. Just about everyone has experienced the "sugar crash"...it's not pleasant. People can get adjusted to foods low in refined sugar, and after time, they actually start to taste better. It's worth adjusting your taste buds to a more diverse diet, lower in sugar.
  • hank Sep 24, 2011 @ 10:35 am | delete
    I am also thoroughly convinced that diet and exercise played a huge role in my depression. Coming off an illness last week where I hadn't been able to eat much I noticed a steep decline in my mood and thought I was about to go into another deep depression. The past few days I have been reading positive material and focused on my diet and you know what I feel really good again, not perfect but hey when are you ever? It was great reading your thoughts on the subject and I documented my own here if anyone is interested: http://conquerweshall.com/how-to-beat-depression-without-medication/

    Things do get better.
  • Nic Sep 19, 2011 @ 10:31 pm | delete
    I could cry and cry ( in a good way!). I have battled chronic anxiety and depression since I was 12 years old. I am now 38. I have taken every antidepressant available and contemplated suicide more than once. I have a beautiful family and an adoring husband and I just couldn't work out why I felt so awful. Tired, moody, upset etc, etc. Anyway, I cut out sugar 6 weeks ago - all of it including all flours and most grains. I did it because I go to crossfit and they prescribe the zone diet - I preferred the paleo as it seemed much more sensible and it made sense. Well I am stunned at the 'side-effects'!! More energy, no cravings and a complete personality transformation! I actually can't believe it. I also have had chronic itchy skin and have seen dozens of drs over the years only to be told that cortisone is the only option.... No more itchy skin with no sugar! It is been a revelation and I can't possibly ever go back
  • Scott Adolph Nov 25, 2011 @ 11:30 am | delete
    I feel like I'm reading my own story here.
  • HeartBroken62 Aug 26, 2011 @ 1:02 pm | delete
    Great information here. Diet always has an effect on us one way or another...with or without the depression. Glad you were finally able to find a physical cause for your depression and work towards a better quality of life.
  • WoeIsMe Aug 14, 2011 @ 10:23 pm | delete
    Very interesting concepts. I turn to sugar when I'm depressed or stressed, which I guess is making it worse? I've tried substituting carrots, grapes, nuts, or other snack type food but I keep returning to cookies, M&Ms, and chocolate chips.
  • Sydney Nov 15, 2011 @ 6:05 pm | delete
    Carrots and grapes are both very high in sugar, also.
    Try berries! Strawberries, raspberries, blueberries!
  • Scott Adolph Nov 25, 2011 @ 11:32 am | delete
    Isn't it worth just one month out of you life to go off the sweets? You would feel amazing if this is the route cause.
  • Angelina Mayers Aug 5, 2011 @ 3:25 pm | delete
    I used to think that sugar helps improve your mood by giving you more energy or what they call as 'sugar rush'. As what you've mentioned, drug side effects can be nasty such as the side effects of Zoloft (e.g. significant weight loss).
  • KayDavid Jul 5, 2011 @ 10:51 pm | delete
    This is really interesting, so much useful practical information.

    I don't suffer from clinical depression, at least not at the moment. But what I admire most and I always encourage others to do is how you took charge of your life and refuse to be a victim.

    When you need it some times professionals will not have all the answers, so people who are depressed have to be willing to take a step further and seek information for themselves. Refuse to let their situation defend them or use it as an excuse. I have always believe that we can do and overcome anything if we put our minds to it, and you're a proof of that.

    That's for sharing, I hope many learn from you.

    Karol from coping with depression blog
  • AddaptAbilities Jun 7, 2011 @ 9:28 pm | delete
    I'm glad you found a lifestyle that works for you. I discovered a few years ago that sugar and refined flour wreaks havoc with my mood and my ADHD symptoms. *blessed*
  • SeanVernall Jun 6, 2011 @ 3:14 am | delete
    excellent lens... I had long suspected there to be a connection between the lethargy caused by eating the wrong kinds of food and depression, but had never come across the paleo diet before. evolutionarily speaking, it makes perfect sense.
  • darciefrench May 29, 2011 @ 12:34 am | delete
    Sugar and depression go hand in hand. Excellent article - angel blessed.
  • FitnessTom May 11, 2011 @ 9:41 pm | delete
    I absolutely love that you linked depression to carbs. It is 100% true and worked for me as well. I wish most people realized how badly carbs are affecting their lives.
  • John May 2, 2011 @ 2:03 am | delete
    Wow. A really useful piece of information. I have suffered depression since I was 17, I'm now 46. It has affected every single area of my life. The medical profession most definitely put people into pigeon holes, ie if you can move your hands, make eye contact and converse properly then you only have mild depression. This is so very wrong and goes to show that the medical profession still don't understand depression.
    I have never ever in my life tried to live without sugar. I just read on the labels of things that I eat and every single one of them has sugar as ingredient number 3 or 4 so it's quite high. I have decided that I am going to live for one whole week without any sugar at all, neither coffee, yoghurts with sugar - absolutely nothing. I am assuming there will be a significant change in my moods. I have a juicer and a smoothy maker so I will be preparing juices each day also.
    The Paleo diet seems very interesting but a huge problem for me is I don't eat meat, well, I will eat chicken occasionally. Neither do I like shellfish. If it weren't for meat and shellfish I would most certainly follow the Paleo diet. IS IT POSSIBLE TO DO THIS DIET WITHOUT MEAT AND SHELLFISH?
    Ok, many thanks for your extremely interesting and hopefully life changing information. I start my sugar free week next Monday 9th May. I am out of work due to depression and receive Fruit and Veg Vouchers and it is with these I will be buying my ingredients for my sugar free week.
    Many many thanks for your insightful information.
  • I know I should eat this but... Sep 9, 2011 @ 8:59 am | delete
    You can do a veggie Paleo diet or a more extreme version the Raw Food Diet. If you do either diets, I would recommend eating lots of greens like kale, spinach, collards, ect. (These are the most nutritonally dense foods on Earth.) Eating greens isn't fun - if you blend about a cup of them with about two cups of fruit they taste pretty good! And you also get fiber. (Smoothies have fiber; juices don't.) If you want more information about the raw food diet, read Green for Life by Victoria Butenko. Wish you luch on your diet!
  • GoodStew Apr 5, 2011 @ 8:30 pm | delete
    I let go of sugar about 3 years ago and mainly eat a Paleo diet. In 3 years I have had 2 short, non-intense bouts of depression that lasted less than a day. In fact, these bouts might be labeled sadness rather than depression. Absolutely nothing as in the past, when depression immobilized me and took over my life. My health and all my lipids have greatly improved as well. Also, I have since learned about a correlation between sugar and cancer. Most doctors won't admit it, but the science is there... Do yourselves a favor --- lose the white stuff and improve every aspect of your health.
  • Hopeful in Africa Mar 29, 2011 @ 11:51 am | delete
    I have been surfing the net, trying to find answers. While I was reading your story, it was like eureka. People who have not experienced it, just don't get it, being told to snap out of it, just doesn't work. To make matters worse I'm in Africa, where mental health is still a taboo subject, plus the cost to see professionals is prohibitive. I had given up my search, when I started craving biscuits, and that made me think, look up depression and sugar. If this treatment makes a difference, just by putting up a website, you would have saved my life, and given my daughter her mother back. I feel I have hope. My father died after depressive illness, a hallucination made him jump out of a building, he survived the fall but he later died from a pulmonary embolism. I've been stressing myself waiting for the hallucinations to begin since I am fast approaching the age his psychiatric illness begun, but I may just have simple depression. I hope to be putting up a very optimistic post in a few weeks time. But just for giving me tonight I Thank you, thank you, thank you.
  • Othercat Mar 16, 2011 @ 11:35 pm | delete
    This is very interesting. When I was a preteen I was diagnosed with depression. The first thing my therapist did was have me change my diet so that I ate absolutely no sugar (I even had to switch to sugar free gum!). It was a horrible 2 months. Since it didn't help my depression, we moved on to the next "cure".
    I've always thought my therapist was nuts. I guess I was wrong!
    Blessed!
  • Sparkles Jan 27, 2011 @ 5:33 am | delete
    Thanks for talking about sugar and depression!

    It wasn't until I read Potatoes not Prozac by Dr Kathleen DesMaisons that I really understood how sugar was causing my own depression and mood-swings. I could see myself on every single page. I could inhale a doughnut at 30 paces and would eat all day long - ugh.

    But that changed when I started doing the steps outlined in Dr DesMaisons' books. No more bingeing! No more crazies! Amazing stuff!

    Keep up the good work!
  • bakerwoman Jan 18, 2011 @ 10:54 pm | delete
    Thank you for posting this lens. I did not know that sugar causes depression. Blessed by a SquidAngel.
  • TAK Dec 26, 2010 @ 10:47 am | delete
    Sugar definitely causes mood swings and then depression in me. I used to eat cookies, donuts, honey buns, colas, whatever, it's how I grew up. I was also very moody and frequently depressed. I did not connect the two until I was in the my 30's and tired of the emotional roller coaster. I went off sugar completely and my moods stabilized and the cloud lifted. Unfortuantely it's call is just too strong and I play around with a cookie here, a candy bar there until I overindulge and WHAM!, depression. I also have found that certain sugary items are worse than others for me, and now I am looking for the common ingredient. One taboo is chocolate, which I ate all my (moody) life. Lately I have been consuming soft peppermint candies over the holidays and I have also been irrationally depressed. I thought it was a safe food for me, popped one in my mouth a few minutes ago, and here it came again, so that's the end of those (until I drift off, I admit it). Anyway...if you have irrational depressive thoughts you can't stop, I suggest a complete sugar ban in your life for a while, and you will see the difference, I promise! Watch out for sugar in some foods too, like ketchup, it's loaded with it. Thanks for letting me write this, I feel better!!!
  • Teresa Dec 25, 2010 @ 1:10 pm | delete
    I have personally had great success from Kathleen DesMaison's Potatoes not Prozac diet. Increasing the amount of quality protein I eat, eating regularly and eating good complex carbs have all helped. I am not sugar free (though I know that would help me even more). I know the sugar is my way of self medicating depression as it causes the insulin release which boosts serotonin. The downside is that it also affects beta endorphin levels and causes these to fluctuate which affects my mood. I continue to work on my diet and connect with Kathleen's online community. Its a work in progess. More information about Kathleen's 7 step plan can be found at www.radiantrecovery.com
  • Koupie Dec 11, 2010 @ 3:44 pm | delete
    Wonderful lens, I am so happy for you and your family :)
    I have lived with clinical depression for most of my life starting in my teens and now 52 but I didn't get treatment until i was 21 years old.
    Years later I am doing great , still on medication because I can't give up sugar or potatoes, even though I believe it does help , my life would be miserable if i did, I love both but in small amounts. I have learned to eat one piece of chocolate if I have a need and then stop :)
    I have been able to live normally with my depression through using my thoughts, my mind and now I am even grateful for all I have gone through, because it has made me who I am today, a better person, with so much empathy and compassion for others.
  • I'm gonna try the caveman diet Oct 27, 2010 @ 4:22 am | delete
    Hi there,
    What a great story. I found this less whilst searching for a diet cure for my problems. Thanks for sharing with us.
  • Goodpal Oct 6, 2010 @ 4:36 am | delete
    I truly admire your battle to fight away depression. You are definitely an inspiration for others who are battling depression. All your research points to relating body chemistry with depression and discovering what was lacking in the diet. That's wonderful.

    My personal experience say that fighting it where it belongs - in the mind - is another approach that may suit some sufferers. My personally tried recipe is

    1. daily exercising vigorously (start slowly) to tone up neuro-muscular connections across the body, it also releases chemicals that reduce stress and promote mental wellness.

    2. Practicing mindfulness meditation regularly -- over a period of time it provides good enough emotional strength and confidence,

    3. Practicing forgiveness: It is not so easy but doing it after meditation even for few minutes heals from inside.

    4. Not staying alone unless really required. Keeping good company where you can share freely and laugh as well helps. If don't find people, watch funny or witty movies.

    Thanks for the great lens.
  • Senja Oct 3, 2010 @ 5:30 am | delete
    Lots of interesting information. Sugar does cause depression and I would like to add that caffeine does too. The caffeine makes the body produce extra insulin just like sugar so if you give up your sugar you should give up your caffeine. I would like to know if it is easier to go cold turkey and give up sugar in one go or to cut back first?
  • PhilipDRiggs Oct 6, 2010 @ 7:00 am | delete
    For me it was easier going cold-turkey. From my experience, a little sugar easily leads back to the addiction.
  • Bristol Mar 16, 2011 @ 9:32 pm | delete
    In regards to cutting back on sugar - because it's definitely an addiction - you should read Dr. Mercola's book (and website), called The No Grain Diet. It's amazing. It also has very specific recommendations for beating the sugar addiction (caused by grains, starches, and sugars).
  • Fit_Over_40_Buzz Sep 19, 2010 @ 9:57 pm | delete
    Your lens is great. Very informative. I liked your lens with a thumbs up.
  • Jess Aug 19, 2010 @ 9:15 pm | delete
    Yes sugar does cause depression! At 33 I battle depression, anxiety , thyroid problems and fibromyalgia. Ive tried almost everything under the sun! Over 30 medications!! Countless herbs, vitamins, and minerals (ive spent big money through the years at health food stores. Always seeking the next possible cure!) SUGAR AND WHEAT are bigtime offenders and COFFEE! I only tried this sugar thing because I was looking to lose weight and the healthfood store lady told me if I cut out sugar the weight will come off. Its only been a couple days . Depression, anxiety, racing thoughts.... I wonder if sugar makes me bipolar. I HAVENT SLEPT THIS GOOD IN YEARS!!! Finally...another piece to the puzzle.
  • Tony Feb 16, 2012 @ 5:33 pm | delete
    Google michael Ellsberg, he wrote a great article on Forbes.com "how I beat bipolar and saved my own life" or similar
  • DrJanelleSinclair Aug 16, 2010 @ 12:10 am | delete
    Great Lens. I totally agree that diet can trigger depression, and going on the right diet can help many people with depression. I just wanted to note that there are other physical causes for depression including hormonal imbalances, toxins, nutrient deficiencies and food allergies. I've just written a book about the 20 different biochemical/causes of depression. Check out my lenses if you want. I hope this helps some of readers.
    Janelle
  • Hailey Aug 3, 2010 @ 7:40 pm | delete
    I just wanted to write here that, although, I do not suffer under depression, I have noticed that consuming sugar makes me very melancohlic and tired. I was just looking for possible reasons for that on the Internet and stumbled upon this.
    Maybe it is useful for people suffering under such addiction to know that I rarely, truly very rearly, eat sugar, and still get thouse sticky bouts of melancholy..
  • PhilipDRiggs Jul 28, 2010 @ 4:49 am | delete
    Thank you for sharing you story, Brent.

    Staying on a sugar-free diet can be really difficult. Holidays with family who don't understand is probably the hardest. I think it isn't about making one decision; it's about renewing your commitment every day you wake up.
  • Brent Dooley Jul 27, 2010 @ 11:57 pm | delete
    Thank you for putting up this website. I found your site about two years ago and after reading your information and looking up more information on the internet I too tried to lower my sugar intake to help my depression. I must admit within a few weeks of eating better, I felt much better. Well that lasted about a year and then my bad eating habits returned and ofcourse so did my depression.

    Go figure!

    So after visiting my therapist, whom I haven't needed for over a year, he looks at me and says what has changed. I thought about it and the answer was clear, my diet once again had gone back to my large intake of sugar. He also asked me how much am I excercising? Well I must say not at all.

    So back to my low sugar diet and off to the gym. I must say that within weeks once again my depression has all but disappeared and go figure I have also lost over 12 pounds in under 3 weeks. Now after 5 weeks I feel great!

    I am now off all medication, I am sleeping great and am living once again!

    thank you once again for helping me and others treat our sugar depression.

    PS: Another great read is the Ultramind Solution by Dr. Hyman. It discusses the evils of Sugar among many other issues that also help me with my depression.
  • BookMama Jun 27, 2010 @ 4:33 pm | delete
    I lensrolled this lens, to my lens on natural depression treatments (http://www.squidoo.com/natural-depression-treatments). I agree that no one approach is likely to work for everyone, but there are great benefits for sharing what has worked for you. Thanks for providing this information and your courage in dealing with depression.
  • PhilipDRiggs Apr 4, 2010 @ 7:48 pm | delete
    I agree, Luke. Children are a great motivator for many things. They helped me survive and help me keep going today.
  • Beat Depression with Luke Mar 30, 2010 @ 2:02 am | delete
    Thanks from the great lens. I understand where you were at with the thoughts of suicide. I believe the only thing that stopped me when the thoughts were at the worst was the thought of my children suffering because of my death.

    I can also relate with the medication side effect. One of the worst, in my opinion, but one of the main goals of the medication is that of removing the care and pain of the day to day. For me the ever growing threat of my family leaving me seemed to worry me less when I was on medication. In consultation with my doctors I went off medication..then back on..then off..you get the idea.

    I am still off the medication and looking into all the other area of treatment outside psychotherapy and medication (hence finding this lens).

    Plenty of sleep, whole foods or less processed foods, fish oil, vitamin d and amino acids, exercise and getting out of the house and being around people. all very hard when you at the bottom of the pit but very beneficial if you can manage.

    I am keep a blog of my progress and other stuff at Beat Depression

    Thanks again for the very informative lens. Good luck with it all.
  • Chanetsa Dec 13, 2009 @ 10:14 pm | delete
    Hi. Great lens, I think you have provided some really helpful info. I suffered from depression for about 15 years, during which I was unemployed for some of the time. Therefore I had too much time on my hands and ended up just sleeping all day, which lead me to lose all motivation to get out of bed. I also created a lens about my story. Here is the link: depression help
  • richybird Nov 27, 2009 @ 9:13 am | delete
    Yes I agree with you too, eat too much suger will cause you depression. Protein will make you happy, but suger has the opposite function
  • too blessed to be depressed Nov 10, 2009 @ 4:16 pm | delete
    first off....thank you for this information and to all the responses.

    my story.

    my fiancee and i had a great weekend! until....i decide to down a pint of ice cream. which leads me to here. today, we talked and he said he wants me to snap out of my moodswings....get some fresh air, do something i enjoy! i am now lying in bed --unable to get and i feel severly trapped. mind you, when just a few days ago i was feeling on top of the world! it wasnt until --ONE DAY LATER--after inhaling all that sugar, i am feeling the lows of depression. i am a sugar fanatic! i can live on sweets alone....i have been like this for years. and for the same amount of time, my mental state has declined.

    THEY MUST BE LINKED!!!!!!! THEY HAVE TO BE. I AM GOING TO NOW TRY GOING WITHOUT THE SUGAR. which will be good because i can do without the cravings and my fiancee, who has ADD, the moodswings...

    not one for the crazy meds..but maybe im am doing something to create this imbalance.

    THANKS
  • Gloria G. Nov 5, 2009 @ 8:40 am | delete
    I was so excited to stumble across your page. I was diagnosed with depression very early on being placed on prozac at the age of 9. Then, this was an experimental drug, and the side effects were unknown, since Prozac is now not intended for children as we know it causes alter effects. I soon enough had refused to take them, but suffered tremendously. I was troubled for my teens and into my adulthood. The anxiety was unbearable. I had worked with several therapists, and was diagnosed with BP. They wanted me on meds.
    But I wouldnt budge. I tried EVERYTHING. I began seeking alternatives, stumbling across an incredible naturapath who placed me on low doses of Lithium, as well as a D5 blend containing 5-htp, L-lysine, L-tyrosine. But it wasnt until My husband, who is a nutrition certified CrossFit coach, brought home his "Paleo" information that things really took off for me. I delve in right away, CrossFitting, and eating STRICTLY PALEO! I got better, and FAST!
  • Norma_Budden Oct 31, 2009 @ 12:03 pm | delete
    Well, I must admit that I was only looking for other lenses to promote on the lens I am creating about depression, When Darkness Settles In; your lens will definitely make it as one of the featured lenses. :)

    While I'm sorry to hear of the struggles you've had, I'm enthused that you did not end up a victim of suicide; I wrote a book about it a few years ago and it was a heart-wrenching experience. However, I'm amazed how sugar and grains were, largely, the contributing factors.

    I don't suffer from depression but I have every intention of cutting down on my sugar intake. Thanks for this article! It has taught me something new.

    Norma
  • Suprtlchk Oct 20, 2009 @ 10:13 pm | delete
    I am researching for a brochure to show to clients in our therapy office and for grad school. This site was helpful to pull together some great resources. It has been difficult to find good published articles.... a sugar free diet to cure depression doesn't make for big bucks.. so no $ to support research. Thank goodness for universities! I was drawn to this subject because of my own battle with fatigue, IBS, and slight reoccurring depression... the chiropractors wife is a nutritionist.. she put be on a sugar & gluten free diet for 3 weeks... I was jumping out of bed on day 2! Stopped taking my Provigil asap! It was fabulous. I too am off the wagon..late nights doing school work but next shopping trip will be sugar free! Thank heavens for good organic/health food stores!
  • sue ellen Sep 26, 2009 @ 3:31 pm | delete
    i found this page very helpful, thank you. I will try to stay off sugar to see if it helps
  • Ringo Sep 1, 2009 @ 12:28 am | delete
    My daughter, Amanda, is not quite 10 years old and has had 5 years of therapy. One year play therapy, 3 years of holding therapy and 1 year of talk therapy. The diagnosis is bipolar disease and reactive attachment disorder.

    She throws violent fits several times per week. She is treated by a child psychiatrist and is heavily medicated. At our wits end we decided to try EFT training with Gary Craig. We have applied the training and are already seeing more improvement than with all the other therapies combined.

    We still have a long way to go, but for the first time in many years we have hope that the fits may be stopped and our daughter can have a normal life.
  • Ann Aug 11, 2009 @ 12:19 pm | delete
    I have not been diagnosed as clinically depressed, however, my mother commited suicide when I was very young (she was depressed for most of my life). I too have felt depressed experiencing very low moods for no particular reason and along with that being extremly lethargic. So I stumbled on the paleo diet and started it with gusto, to loose weight and to my delight found I had more energy and clearer thoughts for the first time I could remember. I did fall off the waggon, and started eating chocolate and bread again, and low and behold my low moods and lethargy returned (coincidence? I don't thinks so)
    I am now back on the waggon again with gusto and plan not to fall off again.
    I do have to overcome the teasing from family, but I will over come, I want good health for the future.
    So for those who may be sceptical, I challenge you to try the paelo diet for a few weeks, and see what your experiences are. What have you got to lose?
  • Steve Jul 10, 2009 @ 7:40 am | delete
    It's good to heart that there is at least a thearetical link between sugar and depression. My own experience (which has lead me to read up on it), is that I gave up sugar and bad carbs for 3 weeks as part of a diet to lose weight. The consequence of it was that my depression almost dissapeared- I felt great and full of energy. Like another poster said though, it's hard to keep away from the addiction and after succumbing to my sugar cravings again for a week or so, I feel lower than ever. But this time I can see a distinct reason for it. I'm gonna cut it out again and see how I get along. If the low mood dissapears again I think I'll become a bit of an evangelisst.
  • PhilipDRiggs Jun 27, 2009 @ 7:34 am | delete
    I wholeheartedly agree with Omega-3. I've read some recent research to the benefits of Omega-3 for depression and it appears to really work. But (personally) I absolutely needed to get my blood sugar stabilized while adding the great benefits of Omega-3 to really beat my depression... and that only came by dumping sugar and white flour. Exercise is a different matter altogether. Let me tell you why from my own experience.

    If my therapist had told me to exercise when I was in the depths of depression and imagining suicide it would have been like putting the Wall of China in front of me... a barrier I never could have overcome. For many depressed people I think exercise is something they can pursue after beginning to feel better, not when in the middle of the illness. I heard too many people tell me I just needed to get out and get fresh air. Those people didn't understand the illness and how it doesn't leave you lethargic... it leaves you as debilitated as if locked in a jail cell.
  • lynn Jun 19, 2009 @ 2:57 pm | delete
    thank you for taking time to encourage others through your experience. I've been off sugar for 3 wks. but i fell off the wagon and now I'm feeling terrible again. I know the consequences of this drug but yet I can't keep my motivation. But now I have no choice! you have given me the strength I need. bless you on your journey cuz you have blessed me.
  • BookMama May 28, 2009 @ 11:47 am | delete
    Hi,

    I also found that dietary changes can affect depression. While I'm a big fan of Omega 3 in the diet, I agree with you that, what works for some may not work for all. But I want people to be aware of possible alternative, non-medication treatments for depression, so I created a lens on two natural treatments for depression -- Omega 3 and exercise. I hope you'll stop by.

    I'm so happy that you are doing so well and that your marriage survived. Sounds from VIctoria's comment above that you are already helping others through this lens. Nice job!
  • davidstillwagon May 22, 2009 @ 2:53 pm | delete
    that is an interesting concept about sugar and depression. I hadn't heard about it before. Of course it probably wouldn't work for everyone.
    Good lens I'll give it a 5
  • victoria May 16, 2009 @ 7:48 pm | delete
    I have been aware of sugar's effect on my mental state for a few years now, but I always seem to fall off the wagon. It starts with a special occasion and continues for the following weeks to come untill I have a mental meltdown with tears and lethargy. My husband graciously reminds me before I take that first bite then next thing I know he's telling the kids to give me a rest as he is closing the bedroom door behind him because I am completely overrun by sadness and anxiety. I truly beleive I could lead a happy productive life if I could just cut out the sugar. I am currently in a funk right now and in desparation have Googled "deprssion sugar" leading me here ..."How I beat depression". I too will one day be able to say that I beat depression...maybe it will be this time.

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PhilipDRiggs

People have commented on my ability to provide solutions to problems. Here are my solutions for positive focused living and optimal health. Enjoy!
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