★★★★★
I have a diagnosis of Dysthymia, Bipolar 2, Cyclothymia and Depression. (From different psychiatrists). I have been battling chronic sadness for years, and long ago I took antidepressants. They made me hypomanic, so I took prescription-strength Lithium, 900 mgs./Day, which brought me back to how I was. For years I stopped all drugs, and I have t tried many things to cure my mood disorder. Recently I found over-the-counter low-dose Lithium, and it is working excellently so far. My mood is better. My chronic depression lifts. Below I wrote some of the forms of OTC Lithium. I've been taking the first two. The Amazon reviews for the OROTATE form are also stellar. I would avoid Lithium Aspartate because the Aspartate part is not good for neurons. It's excitatory. Micronized IONIC form is available on Amazon, and ionic minerals are reputed to be the best absorbed. Lithium is also helping my sleep. It is reported to increase serotonin. I've been taking one dose at night and one dose in the late afternoon, when my mood begins to slip. I take both ionic Lithium concentrate and Li-zyme, as needed. (See below, with the forms.) A DNA test I took showed a higher-than-normal risk for Manic Depression. So I assume this mood disorder has genetic etiology. The ionic form I take is liquid, so I take it sublingually, and that way I need less, since none is being lost in digestion. You can see from the forms of OTC Lithium (below) how low the doses are. I don't even take one milligram per day. Amazingly, Lithium is effective at these low doses. Studies show that Lithium may also help to heal from STROKE, because it encourages Neurogenesis.
THREE MORE NOTES ON DEPRESSION:
1. Mine is also alleviated by cutting out foods I am sensitive to. The big ones for me are Gluten, all Dairy (yes even the fermented forms), and Night Shades, especially potatoes. If you have depression, it is IMPERATIVE to find out if some foods may be causing your problems. When I cut out gluten, I got a whole new life. I was in graduate school, and before I cut out gluten, ALL of my term papers were late, and I labored over them. After a gluten-free diet, NONE of my term papers were late, I whizzed through them and started taking more classes at the same time. My brain was cleared. Most people think nightshades only cause arthritis in sensitive people. Well depression goes along with the achey joints. (For me, potatoes are the main culprit.) So find out what foods you are sensitive to. JJ Virgin's book THE VIRGIN DIET is a good place to start to find out about food sensitiviy. If you are sensitive to a food, it can ruin your day, not to mention your life.
2. Eat fermented foods--best before meals, but anytime is fine. Your gut has more to do with your brain than you know! Get your good bacteria and you will be smiling. I said before meals because on an empty stomach you will get most benefit. You can go to culturesforhealth.com or wildfermentation.com and learn to make these great foods. It's a cinch. Probiotic powders, capsules, etc. are fine. However, you get FAR more of the good bacteria in the fermented foods, and eating them with food also prevents stomach acids from destroying them.
3. You can also try sleeping grounded. It helps me a little. Look up "earthing" online and you will learn a lot. You can also walk around barefoot--on MOIST ground is most effective. If the earth is dry, take a spray bottle and spray your feet with water or better, salt water for best conductivity. OTHER THINGS: I don't have to tell you what you already know: cut out sugar, take omega 3, cut out omega 6 oils (they are inflammatory and block omega 3), exercise, do not expose yourself to computer-screen or other bright lights at night (the blue waves in light block melatonin and disrupt sleep), get some sun and Vitamin D, etc. I'm trying to concentrate here on what isn't so well known. Eat an anti-inflammatory diet: people are not aware that inflammation can also cause depression. Some people have a genetic defect which makes it helpful to cut out foods with high sulfur. You can get your entire genome by 23andMe. It will cost $99.00. Then you plug in your genome to sites that will interpret it for you. Some people need more dopamine: you can take Tyrosine (be careful not to take it with any other protein), or try the herb Mucuna Pruriens, which has natural dopamine. If you need more serotonin, try Tryptophan or 5HTP, without taking any protein within an hour or so of them. (Or try OTC Lithium--see above.) Low barometric pressure, as before or during rain or storm, can also bring on the blues in susceptible people. (I'm one of them). FORMS OF OVER-THE-COUNTER LITHIUM "Ionic Lithium Concentrate" (Lithium Chloride) I bought from New Beginnings Nutritionals. Liquid. 10 drops = 500 mcg. www.nbnus.com (see also micronized ionic) "Li-Zyme" or "Li-Zyme Forte" Biotics Research Corporation . Widely available on Amazon, and the nutritional-supplement companies. I bought mine from ProfessionalSupplementCenter.com or Pureformulas.com. 1 tablet = 50 mcg or 1 tablet Forte =150 mcg. "Lithium Orotate" Available at all the above places. many manufactures put it out. It's usually sold in 5 milligrams. New Beginnings, above, has 10 milligrams. AVOID LITHIUM ASPARTATE
