If he is living in his own house, paying his own bills and providing for his own health care it is his life. If not, he is still a dependent child even if he is over 18.

Hmmm.... I agree - up to a point. He's struggling to stay employed. And frankly it's the illness that's doing it. He can't understand the training he's given at new jobs, and he can't remember the parts he does understand. So I'm giving him a home for now.

I don't think financial dependence which isn't his fault gives me the right to dictate how he manages his illness. I do think it gives me the right to insist that he manage it in some way. Since his medications are keeping the worst of his symptoms under control, I don't have any grounds to insist he do things my way. I can only advise.

If I were ill with bipolar, I'd add the following to the medications:

1. Lots of education - learning as much as I can about my illness and the meds used to control it.
2. Excellent self-care including diet, exercise, sleep, and stress-management techniques including meditation.
3. Finding a support group.
4. Cognitive behavioral therapy and dialectical behaviorial therapy.
5. Working on making financial plans to help me be independent.

J is only doing the last. He is going to school and talking to a vocational rehabilitation person. He is also applying for disability at my insistance.

J is an adult and as such has the right to make his own decisions as to his medical care - even if I don't agree with the decisions. If I were in his position and found myself dependent on a family member because I were disabled, I would hotly resent their trying to run my life.

As would you, Wifezilla. I know you.

I am sorry, I did not mean to imply that people can "get over it", or that it was not sad. Just that I have seen it happen that a person's life became much more liveable, and that someone who is having a very hard time right now, might find the right way to improve things.



I am sorry you went through those things.
I am glad you have a perspective that makes sense for you now.



I hope you get the experiences you want from life, I think this about people with physical health problems, mental health problems and psychological problems. I do not regard any one of these as less real or serious than any other.

hello, all! resurrecting this thread because i need help! my question is: could low-carbing make my depression worse? i'm feeling like maybe induction is causing a downward spiral for me, and i'm curious if maybe it's the lack of carbs?

i'm trying to get back on atkins after being diagnosed about 1.5 years ago with bipolar II. i was sick, REALLY SICK, for ~2 years before i was diagnosed, but i think i've had the disease all my life really. it was just easier to manage before.

i felt GREAT when i went on atkins the first time, but my mental health was in a good place before i started. i hadn't had a depressed episode for a long long time. and it worked really well for me, too. if i hadn't fallen off a cliff mental health-wise, i think i could have stayed on atkins forever. but, when you are suicidal, you don't worry much about how you are eating...

thanks in advance for any help you can provide. my heart goes out to all of you trying to manage this illness.

Hi curly: This question comes up periodically on this forum. All I know is that when I started low-carbing, I had an immediate improvement in my mood. I've never suffered from serious depression or bipolar, however, only a mild depression called dysthymia. Low-carbing also fixed my life-long insomnia - literally from day one. It's made me wonder if my so-called depression was merely sleep deprivation.

Anyway, I've seen other posts implicating the low-carb diet in making depression worse. It always surprises me because I feel so much better in every way on low carb. People differ, though. Maybe this isn't the best thing for you? If I were you, I'd probably give the diet a little more of a chance, keeping a close eye on my mood.

Good luck.

If you are low on vitamin D and EFA's, yeah, I could see it making you worse.

Start taking fish oil, get your vitamin D levels tested and look in to D3 supplements.

thanks, y'all! i'm working on the fish oil supplements. for some reason, i find it really hard to get it together and take them every day. i've got to get with the program on that.

i just moved up here, but when i get my new doc, i'll ask about vitamin d testing for sure.

I do take fish oil and Vitamin D3. I was taking the fish oil before I started low-carbing (added the D3 a month or so ago), so maybe that's the difference.

I wanted to put my two cents in as well and tell you what happened for me when I was following atkins religiously. I have been on antidepressants and anxiety drugs for years, also due to emotional eating I was very over weight. When I went on atkins the first time it was difficult for me, but after I followed induction and got my blood sugar etc under control I felt better-no high and low moods as often. After 6 months of atkins I was off all meds (not recommending that to anyone), was experiencing someting I never had before, I was happy. I also noticed that I had energy and a need to be active-walking, exercise etc. I did great whle following atkins..it wasn't until the carbs started creeping back into my diet, and then falling off the wagon, that the depression returned. I am now taking meds again, can't seem to get on the wagon with atkins, and am feeling horrible and down all the time. It difficult trying to get back on atkins when my depression and emotional eating keep popping up. If I can just get back onto the program like I had been I'd feel great.

Thanks for sharing your story, mainecyn. Keeping coming back to the forum for encouragement and inspiration. I hope you're back on the wagon and feeling better soon.

P.S. I love the choice of Eeyore for your avatar! Sounds like it may fit your personality. Just remember: Even though Eeyore seemed down a lot, he still had the capacity to get so much pleasure from the empty honey pot and the broken balloon Pooh and Piglet gave him for his b-day.

You guys might want to consider incorporating MCT Oil or Coconut oil into your diet. It looks like it is promising in treating brain diseases, maybe it'd help with your issues?

Here's a thread where it is being discussed: http://forum.lowcarber.org/showthread.php?t=386815

It can't hurt!

(And coconut milk is delicious...so any excuse...LOL)

I've been taking Fish Oil lately...was taking D3 prior to and the Fish Oil is making me feel a little more stable...a lot less empty headed feeling... Hopefully I will see further changes!

TJ

I should probably explain why MCT oil and coconut oil might help. They're converted very quickly into ketones. So if you think the ketogenic diet is doing you good, adding more ketones might be even better.

i have been a rapid cycling bipolar type1 since i was 14 ( im 26). I have been on every drug invented. i find i am a consistent med starter stopper. Currently my doctor decided to go old school on me with lithium.. since starting the atkins diet i have felt better than ever. i feel more control over my moods and i feel happy and energetic. maybe it is all in my "head" but i cant imagine ever going back.