Time to move on #foodandmood #anxietynotbipolar
September 23, 2012 4 Comments
When things get too painful it is time to make changes
From my time on psychiatric drugs I have suffered from bad abdominal pains.
It took a long time and a change of GP to have these pains taken seriously. It seems that most GP’s simply see us as ‘complex incurable mental illness patients, who should not be wasting resources that can be better used on those who are considered to be sane. (Is this unfair on the UK National Health Service?)
My new GP helped me in proving the pains were largely caused by too much wheat gluten/dairy produce/chicken eggs/onion. This combined with too much stress!
Better food choices helped but I was still working too much work and still saying ‘Yes’ to every opportunity that came along.
I was up most of last night with severe abdominal pain. I simply failed to read a food label. Now I know I need to make changes or I’ll end up in front of a psychiatrist again. The thought of more psychiatric treatment is frightening after a decade of relative wellness.
I am going to see a nutritionist privately. I am grateful for the help from the NHS (three appointments with a dietician and an endoscopy) while realising this is about the limit, for a disabling but non-life-threatening condition.
I am thinking now about how pain can help us to move on. Without ‘listening’ to our pains we would just keep doing the same things and get more and more unwell.
I am left wondering how many others have developed food intolerances after taking psychiatric drugs?
Please share your thoughts on how often there seems to be a link between drugs and long term digestive troubles.
Thank you
About Roger Smith (in the UK)
Roger Smith (in the UK)
Rethinking Bipolar 
Agree. Also cured! Wrong diagnosis (1993)? – probably! Must be thousands more out there. Any more prepared to join the conga line?
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Thank you for your support. Yes, there are a lot of us who have been in recovery from poor diagnosis. I am not sure if you will have seen this earlier post of mine… https://rethinkingbipolar.com/2012/04/24/when-a-diagnosis-is-not-diagnostic/
I believe that as more people speak out about no longer being bipolar it will increase hope for others who are wondering if they have been labelled incorrectly.
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Roger,thanks for your latest thoughts. You have successfully taken yourself off medication and I wonder if I could do the same.It’s just doing it rather than worrying what the reaction may be to the action if you like.
Still nervous about doing this-but maybe I think too much which stops me actually dipping my toe in to see what happens.
Kind regards
Ruth
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Hi Ruth,
When we discussed the possibility of you managing without psychiatric drugs before I suggested you keep your focus on how little medication you need rather than on coming off completely. I still think this is the best plan.
Like me, you have taken these drugs for a long time and your body is going to very used to having a daily dose. Two ideas…
1) talk to your doctor about taking say just 10% less of each drug just to see what he says
2) we could meet up in Watford when I am next down your way.
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