Last night I got a call from and old friend, a dear friend who has helped me in so many ways she will never know. We got caught up on each others families and news then she asked me about my diet and specifically what symptoms I had that prompted such a radical change? This question really got me pondering the last few years, where I have been and where I am now. It is easy to talk about the hair loss, arthritis, etc. (Here is a post I wrote one year after going gluten free), but the real catalyst was the depression and that has not been easy for me to talk about.I struggle with it and have since I started digestion issues over 14 years ago. I have never been on medication for it, at one point I think I should have been, it did get better after going gluten free but the real change came after starting the Specific Carbohydrate Diet it has come slowly and with time but this last Winter I had only a few days I struggled with depression, compared to a few days I didn't. It is like coming out of a dreary sad life into a bright shiny one, it has happened so slowly I didn't realize how much I have changed until talking with my friend brought back the feelings and thoughts of the past.
I am hoping that more people will share their experiences with depression and diet, and what works for them. I know it is directly related for me and I hope if you are struggling with it you will find what works for you too. Please share your comments!
Wow..this brings back some memories. Before going GF and learning about Hypoglycemia, I too had depression, mood swings,massive brain fog. When you add these issues onto the dire pain of celiac disease...I wonder how one survives it all. Thank the heavens we come through it, and can then share our experience with others who may be struggling through it too! It is a gradual change, subtle, but at the same time incredibly real. Thanks for sharing your story Karen, Ina
ReplyDeleteJust wanted to post a quick comment that it definitely has made a difference for me as well. I have several autoimmune disorders and everyone in my family (both sides!) has at least one autoimmune disease (to varying degrees). We all also share the common link of depression (again, to varying degrees). I'm glad you pointed this out because I think it's a significant common denominator for those of us with these multi-system issues. We can't compartmentalize ourselves into the mind, the digestive system, the cardiovascular system, the skin, etc. ... these are all unified in the whole of who we are, working together (against or for us!). When I am getting too careless with the diet, it makes a HUGE impact on my depression. Thanks for pointing this out for others!
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comments Ina and Anonymous? Wish I knew your name. Anyway I thought you said it so well, our bodies are either working for us or against us as a whole....beautiful!
ReplyDeleteI went gluten free first simply because I wanted to support my daughter in going gluten free. I was amazed at what happened - among other things, depression, anxiety and migraines all improved. When I went casein free 8 months later, depression and migraines improved even more. The migraine intensity and frequency fell to such a level that I now need my migraine meds infrequently.
ReplyDeleteI never, ever would have believed this could happen if I didn't experience it. And now I'll never go back to a mainstream diet. I feel so much better than I ever have...all due to a simple diet change. Amazing.
You are right- It is easy to talk about hair loss, arthritis and hair loss diseases but finding the real cause and solution is very difficult. I think depression may be a primary causes of hair loss and other body ailments. Anyway I found your article informative and useful.
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