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Let’s avoid talk of ‘chemical imbalance’: it’s people in distress

psyche.co

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Re: Let’s avoid talk of ‘chemical imbalance’: it’s people in distress

#91

Post by aantix »

sva_ wrote: post #29
aantix wrote: post #7

Magnesium is used by the body to cope with stress. I've noticed in the past, that when I've been under a ton of stress, I drink coffee, soda, ruminate a ton, and things get worse, much worse. I've started taking magnesium l-threonate the past few months and it's literally made me a better person. Thoughts come and go. The rumination, the "voices" are much less. One scoop, three times a day during stressful periods (1…

Although it is probably not a cure in severe cases as that described in the article, I would also recommend paying attention to one's magnesium intake. However, I found that taking supplements is not necessary. Just find a mineral water that has a high magnesium content (100mg/L +), and it should get you covered as water has a pretty high bioavailability for Mg.

Interesting, I'll have to take a look.

I use to take a large dose of Magnesium Glycinate, which did improve my anxiety. And sleep.

And I've taken epsom salt baths as well. Which helped me relax and sleep better as well.

But none of those have approached the even keeled feeling that the mg l-threonate provides. Maybe it's because l-threonate crosses the blood-brain barrier? Placebo affect? Unsure.

Re: Let’s avoid talk of ‘chemical imbalance’: it’s people in distress

#92

Post by Supermancho »

Barrin92 wrote: post #62
css wrote: post #6

> to defeat this othering and reduce stigma, clinical practice needs to move away from biogenetic causal language This is a pretty big assertion that the piece casually drops without backing. The reasoning as to why "chemical imbalance" is a bad descriptor is apparent* from the study [0] the author cites, but there is nothing that backs up this statement, which seems to be the crux of the whole piece. *Even the study…

'Chemical imbalance' as a causal explanation seems to me almost useless because every severe change in behaviour pretty much by definition corresponds to change in the brain. How else is it supposed to be manifest? Is there supposed to be drastic change in psychology without change in the brain? There can be a company pouring lead into a river, psychological hazard during a civil war, and it will always manifest in t…

> How else is it supposed to be manifest? Is there supposed to be drastic change in psychology without change in the brain?

There is an implication inherent to "chemical imbalance" that assumes a normative range. Modern medicine is universally based on normative ranges. If you are outside this range, it is considered a problem. Chemical imbalance is a generic and apt descriptor.

Re: Let’s avoid talk of ‘chemical imbalance’: it’s people in distress

#93

Post by partyboat1586 »

realharo wrote: post #53
partyboat1586 wrote: post #36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Brains are not machines like your phone is a machine or your car is a machine. They are complex systems and the result of an emergent process rather than designed systems with discrete components. The analogy that brains are like machines is harmful because it makes it sound like there is some operating manual and simple cause effect relationships that are known. Our knowledge of the brain is in fact very little. It'…

I don't think calling it a machine is implying that we understand how it works internally (to a much greater extent than we actually do). Or even that we fully understand how it tends to behave in practice, out there in the "real world", as part of larger systems. But I guess if many people view it that way, then using slightly different language might be better. What I was getting at is the fact that there is no fun…

I agree that there is no fundamental difference between you doing it and your illness causing it. A person can identify with the results of a machine or a complex system.

My issue with the word machine is that in most people's minds that brings up ideas of cross sections, gears, cogs, repairs and so on. People aught to be thinking of a complex system instead like perhaps the ecosystem in the Amazon rainforest.

Re: Let’s avoid talk of ‘chemical imbalance’: it’s people in distress

#94

Post by aantix »

Trasmatta wrote: post #78
aantix wrote: post #7

Magnesium is used by the body to cope with stress. I've noticed in the past, that when I've been under a ton of stress, I drink coffee, soda, ruminate a ton, and things get worse, much worse. I've started taking magnesium l-threonate the past few months and it's literally made me a better person. Thoughts come and go. The rumination, the "voices" are much less. One scoop, three times a day during stressful periods (1…

If you're drinking lots of caffeine I'd also recommend taking l-theanine. It's a compound found in some teas and has a very calming effect that counteracts the anxiety and jitters of caffeine. It's really amazing at allowing me to have the concentration boost of caffeine while avoiding many of the negative side effects. You should do your own research on it first of course, but it's been shown to be very safe.

I have taken l-theanine as well and did like its calming abilities.

But it felt like I became acclimated to it quickly - did you experience this?

Same for CBD - I felt very calm, like my normal self, but also became acclimated after a while.

Re: Let’s avoid talk of ‘chemical imbalance’: it’s people in distress

#95

Post by xivzgrev »

A lot of people carry a fixed mindset, where we focus on what others think of us. The first girl had this image she had crafted for herself, and when reality split from that she came up with rationalizations that disconnected her from others and herself (and likely prevented her from getting treatment sooner, and may create resistance to “non-pill” treatments). I think it’s really normal to have this mindset because we live in relation with others, and we fear rejection. Others may reject us if we DONT maintain this image.

But the truth is we don’t have control over others so it’s a fool’s game to maintain an image. things can happen to “pop” it, and then you are crushed. Like the Michelin chef who committed suicide when he was in debt, felt washed up as culinary trends changed, and recently had a slight downgrade in his reviews (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bernard_Loiseau)

A better way I am learning (and far yet from fully realizing) is to anchor your self identify to things you can control. So rather than thinking of yourself as confident, normal woman, you might think of yourself as a woman who feels deeply and takes action. In this case, feeling depressed is not a threat to that identity - it becomes a challenge to rise up and meet, and focuses on what YOU can do, not what others think.

This all comes from the book “mindset” if you want more info.

Re: Let’s avoid talk of ‘chemical imbalance’: it’s people in distress

#96

Post by tcj_phx »

sva_ wrote: post #29
aantix wrote: post #7

Magnesium is used by the body to cope with stress. I've noticed in the past, that when I've been under a ton of stress, I drink coffee, soda, ruminate a ton, and things get worse, much worse. I've started taking magnesium l-threonate the past few months and it's literally made me a better person. Thoughts come and go. The rumination, the "voices" are much less. One scoop, three times a day during stressful periods (1…

Although it is probably not a cure in severe cases as that described in the article, I would also recommend paying attention to one's magnesium intake. However, I found that taking supplements is not necessary. Just find a mineral water that has a high magnesium content (100mg/L +), and it should get you covered as water has a pretty high bioavailability for Mg.

It's easy enough to make your own magnesium water, using magnesium hydroxide (as the laxative Milk of Magnesia) and carbonated water: http://www.afibbers.org/Wallerwater.pdf

Milk of Magnesia is in every grocery store. I buy from Fry's (Kroeger), because their version doesn't have any additives.

Re: Let’s avoid talk of ‘chemical imbalance’: it’s people in distress

#97

Post by cyberdrunk »

throwaway_kufu wrote: post #74
sillysaurusx wrote: post #13

they struggled against the dehumanising notion that their thoughts, feelings or behaviour were mechanistically caused. Finally, a thread where I can point out my own experiences. Around four years ago, it would be fair to call me slightly crazy. It was a harmless sort of crazy, but it was quite self-destructive. I used to wake up wishing to die, genuinely, and not knowing why. All of that changed after going on Proza…

> When you have a broken leg, everyone notices and can relate; when you have a broken mind, no one can see it, and so no one can feel sympathy, let alone empathy. This hits home and almost moved me to tears. I went through a trauma about 3 years ago, I was Kidnapped/abducted from a gas station at gun point and was forced to drive my attacker for nearly 30 minutes at gun point under threat of death before opening the…

I'm very sorry to hear about your ordeal, it sounds absolutely horrible. However, it's surprising to me that a commercial outlet in the US is basically responsible for keeping the bandits away. In my country I really doubt such thing claim have any chance in country, as public security is seen as a role of the police. I'm not 100% sure on the law, but I believe that, here in Poland, the security guards are there to protect the company's property and have no legal obligation to protect anyone else.

Re: Let’s avoid talk of ‘chemical imbalance’: it’s people in distress

#98

Post by Trasmatta »

aantix wrote: post #94
Trasmatta wrote: post #78

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If you're drinking lots of caffeine I'd also recommend taking l-theanine. It's a compound found in some teas and has a very calming effect that counteracts the anxiety and jitters of caffeine. It's really amazing at allowing me to have the concentration boost of caffeine while avoiding many of the negative side effects. You should do your own research on it first of course, but it's been shown to be very safe.

I have taken l-theanine as well and did like its calming abilities. But it felt like I became acclimated to it quickly - did you experience this? Same for CBD - I felt very calm, like my normal self, but also became acclimated after a while.

I haven't become acclimated to it yet, but I've only used it for a few months now. Maybe it'll lose its effectiveness for me after awhile? I have read that it generally doesn't build up tolerance though. I take it 2:1 l-theanine:caffeine.

Re: Let’s avoid talk of ‘chemical imbalance’: it’s people in distress

#99

Post by richardlblair »

sillysaurusx wrote: post #13

they struggled against the dehumanising notion that their thoughts, feelings or behaviour were mechanistically caused. Finally, a thread where I can point out my own experiences. Around four years ago, it would be fair to call me slightly crazy. It was a harmless sort of crazy, but it was quite self-destructive. I used to wake up wishing to die, genuinely, and not knowing why. All of that changed after going on Proza…

I'm glad it helped, and I think offering up stories from all angles is really beneficial, especially when it comes to mental health. The reality is, there is no one size fits all solution, so the more people talk the better off everyone is.

I took one of the offshoots of Prozac for three months and it took my suicidal thoughts to a whole new level. For me it's all about therapy. A lot of what I'm facing is less about hormones and more about emotional trauma, so these pills are trying to fix the wrong thing. It's like fixing your breaks when the engine doesn't start. Sure, they are both parts of a car, but they couldn't be doing more different jobs.

My experience with therapy has been really eye opening. I think everyone can benefit from some form of therapy. I think the world would be a much better place if people were able to feel their emotions, explore them with curiosity, and learn from them.

Lastly, take care of yourself, friends. If you're not feeling well, please talk to a professional. They can help you.

Re: Let’s avoid talk of ‘chemical imbalance’: it’s people in distress

#100

Post by voisin »

On this topic, I just finished reading “Lost Connections[0]” and would highly recommend it. Best book I’ve read on the causes of depression and how the “chemical imbalance” narrative was created by drug companies whose drugs are proven to have only a small, transitory impact. It describes how to resolve the “lost connections” that lead to depression.

[0] https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34921573

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