"Leave your drugs in the chemist’s pot if you can heal the patient with food." Hippocrates.

My stepdaughter has bipolar disorder. She's 5 years old. No, that is not a typo. In the 2 years since her diagnosis, we've tried several 'traditional' psych meds typically prescribed for childhood onset bipolar disorder with poor results. Each time her psychiatrist prescribes a new med, we go through the same pattern. We get a 2 or 3 weeks - a month if we're really lucky of calm, really with it behavior followed by a total and complete meltdown. As her body begins to adjust to the meds it seems to over compensate and the results are not good. When we take her off the meds, she seems to even out and go back to her 'typical' bipolar pattern. A few months later, her psychiatrist wants to try a different med and we start the whole process over again.

We've decided to take her off the medication treadmill and treat her bipolar disorder with supplements and herbs if at all possible. So, I'm doing a lot of research on the topic and I thought I'd share what I'm learning here, in the hopes it will help on of my readers.

Several medical studies have shown that people who take 50 mg of Vitamin B1 or Thiamine experience improved moods, less depression, and faster reaction time than those whose intake is at or below the FDA for this vitamin.

Vitamins B12 and B9, or folate, have proven equally important when treating depression and other mood disorders.  B12 deficiencies impair the body's ability to clear out the amino acid homocysteine. High amounts of this amino acid have been shown to cause depression. Insufficient amounts of folate in the system cause symptoms of depression. In addition, low folate reduces the effectiveness of standard SSRI depression medications.

Serotonin production is dependent upon Vitamin B6. Inadequate amounts of B6 in the blood and brain result in the body not being able to produce this important brain chemical.

Selenium in amounts of appoximately 100 mcg per day helps relieve depression, anxiety and fatigue.

According to Psychology Today, several studies have found that chromium can effectively treat mild to severe depression. And a study at Duke University revealed that depression symptoms are reduced by taking 600mcg of chromium picolinate daily. Chromium is found naturally in liver, mushrooms brewer's yeast, and whole grains.

Calcium, Omega 3 and zinc levels also seem to play a part in mood stability.

On theory is that those with bipolar disorder and other forms of mental illness may process and metabolize certain vitamins and minerals differently than those without mental illness. The difference in metabolic rate may cause deficiencies in the minerals and vitamins which regulate mood and stability.

I'm not a doctor, and everyone coping with mental illness should make treatment decisions in cooperation with their medical professional. A nutritionist or holistic doctor can help patients determine which vitamins and minerals they may be lacking, and can help the patient determine the best course of action to treat their illness in  the most natural way possible

Most people would think I'm nuts for being excited about burning myself, but well.. when you have MS little things mean a lot, right? 

 I lost the ability to feel hot and cold in my hands when I was 17 or 18...I'm 37 now. . My left side has had the most sensation deterioration. I feel pressure, but not pain in all 3 fingers and the thumb on my left hand. My left pinky-finger has been mostly numb for years. I know when something is touching my pinky, but beyond that.. nothing.    I'm famous for pulling hot things off the stove or from the oven sans oven mitt or potholder because I forget that I shouldn't do that... it doesn't hurt and so, I don't think about it.

But, yesterday afternoon, as I pulled cheese crisps off the baking sheet for my kids' lunch, I burned my left thumb. The thumb isn't blistered, or even red, but man did it hurt enough that I dropped the cheese crisp and yelped. I've noticed that today my left pinky-finger tingles, too. Like when an arm or leg falls asleep and wakes back up. Sure it hurts every time I use that finger to type.. but yesterday I had no sensation in it at all... So.. that's progress.

These little thing show me that my treatment methods for the MS are working. I started a new treatment last weekend, and I think it's the new method that is giving me sensation back. I interviewed a brain researcher and hypnotherapist this weekend for a book series I'm writing, and while we were on the phone she asked if it was okay for her to work with me a bit on the stuttering so she could better demonstrate what it is that she does.

I agreed and she lead me through an exercise surrounding the stuttering.   I've not stuttered ONCE since. But more importantly, she and I talked about the Spiritual nature of disease and how spiritual, emotional and physical health are interrelated. During that discussion, I told her of how I quit smoking by simply deciding I was done with it. No cravings, no temptation.. nothing. She made the comment that if I could do THAT, then I can overcome asthma and MS the same way.

Somehow I had forgotten that I  used meditation, Spiritual Law, and paying attention to my thoughts to greatly improve almost fatal asthma 13 years ago. The asthma was so serious I was on daily steroid therapy and could not do a lot of things. Then I landed on a respirator and it scared the hell out of me. My pulmo told me "if the asthma doesn't  kill you in the next 5 years, the meds WILL"  I came home from the hospital and studied herbal and spiritual medicine. A year later, I was completely off the meds and doing well.

I told her what I had experienced with asthma, and although she didn't voice it, the unspoken comment was obvious... -- why haven't I used that knowledge in regards to the MS? --

Good question. So for the past week I've been using the techniques I used during the interview, along with the techniques I learned years ago to track down and eliminate the roots of the illness. It has been an interesting week. I've gone off the LDN and the supplements so that I can see if what I'm doing has any real effect on the symptoms. I am still following the gluten free, meat free, and processed food free diet.. our entire family  eats that way to help treat mental illness and autism in my step kids.

so.. have I seen any real differences over the past week? I think I have. I've completely stopped stuttering, my balance is good, my thinking clear, even though I've been off the LDN for a week, and I have pins and needles in my left pinky finger even though it's been numb for several years. Of course, it's very possible that the changes I'm seeing are still residual effects from the LDN. I've had wonderful symptom reversal with LDN.  I guess only time will tell. 

If symptoms return, I will go back on the LDN