1. Look on our directory to see if you can find a doctor near you who
will offer you drug-free alternatives.
2. If no luck, you can call doctors from www.acam.org
to see if they can help you. You may need to call a few or ask the
ones you reach if they know of a doctor who uses alternative treatments
for mental health.
3. Visit www.byepolar.com
- the website dedicated to natural treatment of bipolar
disorder.
4. Harvard did a study that found fish oil to be as effective as
drugs in treating bipolar. This is discussed in numerous places on the
net. You can try www.mhsource.com/pt/p991211.html
5. The Synergy Group of Canada works with a
nutritional supplement that they claim more thatn 70% success
rate of relieving bipolar symptoms and allowing people to
discontinue medications. They are at http://www.truehope.com
or at 888-878-3467.
The same, or a very similar product, is available at Evince
International at http://www.equilib.us
or at 800-361-1370 or 866-438-4623.
6. Serenity is reported to be an all-natural,
highly effective and completely safe mood stabilizer and
alternative to anti-depressants. It reportedly does not lower energy levels
and has no side effects. It is reported to be effective
for Unwanted
mood swings, Migraine
or frequent headaches, Depression,
Side
effects from prescription anti-depressants, Alcoholism,
Bipolar
disorder, Menopause
or PMS, Anorexia,
and Mental
lows in life. Full info is at www.serenitynow.com
7. The following are common causes of "bipolar disorder":
A. Hypoglycemia. We have more on this in an article called Conquering
Anxiety, Depression and Fatigue Without Drugs - the Role of Hypoglycemia.
There's tons of info on the net on hypoglycemia and it is very
easy to fix. You don't even need to test for it: A person can try
a hypoglycemia diet for 2 weeks to see if they feel better.
B. Allergies. These can be food allergies, mold or almost anything.
Seasonal allergies like pollen could cause a roller coaster effect like
bipolar. Food allergies can be somewhat tested for by eliminating one
food at a time from the diet for 2 week or so. If you feel better, that
food could be a problem for you. Wheat and milk are the most common
allergic foods. Also you can be tested for allergies - see greatplainslaboratory.com.
Other laboratories test as well.
C. Caffeine, alcohol, and tobacco sensitivities can contribute. A
very recent study shows that smokers tend to have more mental problems.
You might try cutting out caffeine to see if that helps - do so slowly
as quitting abruptly can give headaches. If you drink alcohol daily or
almost daily, you could try removing that for a while and see how you
feel.
D. B6 deficiencies are a possibility. One doctor recommends bipolars
take extra B complex, which includes B6, and we saw one mother's story of
how her son recovered just from this.
E. Candida is a possibility. In the article on our site on
Candida,
it mentions it causing manic depression. Candida can be tested for at
Great Plains Laboratory at greatplainslaboratory.com
and possibly other laboratories. If you can't afford that you can get a
book on it at the library ("The Yeast Connection" or the
"Yeast
Connection Handbook") and try the candida self-treatment mentioned.
F. PMS (premenstrual syndrome) is a possibility.
G. Thyroid problems are a common cause, either too high or too low
thyroid. That can be tested for by a doctor. Also a self test can be
done for high or low thyroid. Dr. Broda Barnes wrote a book on low
thyroid called Hypothyroidism: The Unsuspected Illness in which he
recommends a simple temperature test to see if the person is getting
enough thyroid hormone. You take an old-fashioned mercury-type
thermometer and shake it down and put it on the nightstand before going
to bed (if you're going to do it on yourself - on someone else just
shake it down below 95 degrees before you take the temp). In the morning
on awakening, before arising or moving around, the person puts the
thermometer snugly in his armpit for 10 minutes by the clock. If the
temp is below 97.8, the person likely needs thyroid or, if they're on
thyroid, they need more thyroid. The temp should be between 97.8-98.2.
Dr. Barnes recommended Armour Thyroid which is natural. Most doctors
don't use this test but alternative doctors do. You can get a list of
them who will prescribe thyroid based on this test at the Broda Barnes
Foundation at 203 261-2101.
H. Copper imbalance could be a problem. Too much copper or an
improper zinc/copper ratio. You can ask your doctor/nutritionist about
this or you can try calling the Pfeiffer Treatment Center in Illinois
and ask them how to test for this. They are at 630 505 0300.
I. A condition called pyroluria could exist. There's info on this in
our article 29 Medical Causes of
Schizophrenia.
Donate
and help us reach others with this information!
Send
this article to a friend
