Have you ever heard of a psychosomatic illness?


Here's some interesting reading for you.

Http://www.Psychosomaticmedicine.Org/cgi/r eprint/19/3/182.Pdf

Did you receive my pm? There is a good chance this is hypoglycemia, contact me and i'll tell you how you can figure it out and what you need to eat since i've been there.

No I havn't my computer wont let me check my email, something to do with the cookies. Just send me information through this. Is this hypoglycemia common? Does it mean I am going crazy? Just get back to me please , thanks

You don't need email, it's on this site above you'll see "private messages" and it should say you have one. Doctors aren't sure how common it is because there's still a current struggle in the medical community over the status of this illness. I can tell you it exists because I have it, but many doctors think it's whack, mainly because there was a fad of diagnosing it about forty years ago and after this doctors shunned it because people started to think they had it without getting tested. Thus, not many know about it, but a few do. Essentially, it's the opposite of diabetes, but it can't be treated by eating sugar, like many people think. At any rate, some doctors estimate half of the world's population may have this condition, others about 40% of the population or 30%. Hard to say, but it's obvious it's there. Very rarely will you come across someone who's "mentally ill" and eating right. Nutrition and your mind just go hand in hand. For hypoglycemia, basically what happens is that your body releases too much insulin in the presence of simple sugars and high carbohydrate loads (complex even). As the sugar drops, it drops too fast for the brain to adjust, which can only run off of glucose. It can run off of ketones, but you'd be pretty sluggish if you tried that. As the sugar drops too low for it to handle, it begins to shut parts of itself down to make sure the main supplies are going to the most important areas of the body. Typically, the first symptoms that are noticed are depression and anxiety because your brain is trying to get you to eat. It thus doesn't mean you're going crazy, it means your brain needs glucose. The only way to correct this problem is to start eating right and over a span of weeks, months or sometimes over a year you'll be normal again. Depends on the severity of the condition and how often your sugar drops. I have some questions first. 1. Do you notice any differences when you eat and based on what you eat? 2. If you drink caffeine or alcohol what happens to you? 3. Do you notice that your symptoms are not there all the time and come and go? Even if you don't have this I can tell you you're not schizo, because you wouldn't be questioning the fact if you were. I suggest you have a sugar problem because reading what you say, you seem to follow the typical pattern. Panic usually appears first, lasting a few months, and then is accompanied by depression, obsessions and some seriously weird a s s thoughts. It's just the brain shutting down areas it doesn't need to keep you alive, that's all. Anyway, answer my questions and we can get started.

I eat 60% organic food, but the last couple of months I have been eating a bit unhealthy. I do take all my vitamins and there all natural and herbs to try and relax my mind. I don't eat much sugar at all becasue I figure its bad for me. I don't drink coffee becasue its a stupid thing to get addicted to. I used to drink alot of alcohol, every weekend, but for the last three months I havn't becasue of how I am feeling. Yah sometimes I do have good days but other days are full of fear and worry. But I have alot more bad then good days, it all depends on how I think when I wake up in the morning and through out the day. I have read many books on how your diet affects your mind and I do eat healthier then the average person. I have experimented with some bad drugs and I feel a shamed of and very giulty but that is the past. I don't take no pharmaceutical drugs I know how horrible they are. I have a feeling its my unconscious mind thats giving me the wrong message but I will take your advise, im willing to try anything at this piont, and thanks alot for taking time to help me out I really appreciate it.

That's not what I mean. You could be eating organic, but still eating the wrong things. For example, you could eat some organic whole wheat crackers. Fine, but let's say they have something in it like "turbinado." that's just sugar. In spite of the fact that many organics are healthy in terms of their content, it's essentially ruined just like other processed foods because they have to use sugar too to make their food taste good so people buy it. It's everywhere. Read my diet on the hypoglycemia section of these health forums, I outline everything there. I actually don't believe in the unconscious, so don't let that get to you. There's really only so much your mind can do to you, if it does more it's because there's something wrong with your body that's making it happen. What you have to try to do is eat more often, eating smaller meals at about 2-3 hour intervals. Eat no less than five meals a day, or three meals with snacks if you like. Restrict carbohydrates to 100g a day to see what happens. You'll know in about two weeks if you have it because you should notice a change from how you were feeling before. By the way, any physical symptoms? One more thing too, even a number of herbs that are good for most people are terrible for hypoglycemics because they lower blood sugar. You're probably eating stuff you shouldn't and just don't know it. In fact, post your typical diet, listing everything you tend to eat and i'll tell you what you're doing wrong. Won't hurt to try, a healthy diet can't hurt you.

So u want me to raise my carbohydrates? Its very hard to explain what I eat becasue I eat something differn't ewvery day but I will try to tell you, meats- beef, buffalo, chicken, fish -- vegies- pretty much everything ---friuts- bananas, kewee, oranges, and a bit of everything, I drink alot of friut jiuces. I eat pretty much everything as long as its not from a major company. Its really hard to remember everything I eat. My physicle syptoms are: very tense neck, head aches my head feels strang lots, eyes are jittery I see little dots or outlines(shadows) of things easily or I will see like flashes, its really hard to explain but it scares me sometimes. Im always eating , I just eat when im hungry and im always hungry. Im not overweight im pretty light. I just have to tell you that I had a great day I was doing well untill I read an article in the news paper about mental illnesses and after that I felt horrible. Everytime I read something about mental illneses and if I have a few symptoms it will scare me and ruin my day or week. Its only when I go in that fear state of mind I will think im seeing little things or I will think im hearing little things. Im just sort of a nervess wreck.

No, decrease! Here's my answers to your diet:

1. Generally all meat is fine, organic is preferred if possible.

2. For vegetables, to give you an example, things like potatoes, beets, carrots or corn must be avoided for quite awhile.

3. Oranges aren't the best and bananas are assumed to be one of the worst things a hypoglycemic can eat. In more severe cases most hypoglycemics cannot handle more than one half of a banana per week. I'm serious.

4. All fruit juice must be avoided entirely, it raises the blood sugar too quickly and will make you quite sick.

Your symptoms are all very common, and one big one you just said. There are a number of strange mental symptoms, well maybe more reactions I suppose, that i've heard time and time again. The one you mentioned is one of them. I myself, before I knew what I had, and worked in mental health, I started to look at books about schizophrenia because I was obsessing I had it. When i'd feel okay, i'd pick the book up to read to "make sure I was okay" and then the slightest thought of it would drive me into depression and the worst anxiety ever. It's very common for hypoglycemics to do this and I don't know why. I guess it has to do something with obsessions, but nearly every hypoglycemic will have fears about going crazy because it feels like you are. Sounds just like me man, when I read that I was like yeah if he doesn't have hypoglycemia i'll be surprised. Anyway, find my diet on the hypoglycemia section of the health forums and start reading. You'll learn everything there, won't hurt to try the diet to see what it does for you.

Hey I went to my local health food store and bought some chromium picolinate and some brewers yeast. I will stay away from all the foods you posted. How long will it take for me to start feeling abit more normal? Im 5'8 140ibs if body mass matters. So panic disorder and having low blood sugar is the same pretty much? Im not sure witch one to read you have lots of them there. Can low blood sugar turn people to go crazy? Today I feel really strange. Im just trying to get as much information on this condision as possible, if im going overboard with questions let me know.

I have had a bad past, a few horrible deaths in my family if that will change anything, or maybe thats why im feeling the way I do

I have read your diets and its a bit confusing, if you can just give me a list on what to eat for breakfast, lunch, and dinner and snacks through out the day I will follow it.

I'm sure stress plays a part, because stressful situations mess with blood sugar to begin with. But it's not the only thing. I've never tried straight chormium, though I use the brewer's yeast regularly and it works great. Panic disorder, real panic disorder, is not the same thing as low blood sugar, but there's not way to diagnose it unless every possible physical cause has been ruled out, which unfortunately doctors rarely do. If you look in the dsm-iv, the canonical guide to mental illness, for every single illness it always states something like "the above criteria have been met (talking about the symptoms) and the patient is not experiencing any physical disorders or disease." if these things aren't ruled out, it's impossible to call something panic disorder. In your case it sounds like something is clearly physically wrong, it may not be sugar, though i'm pretty sure it is. Yes, low blood sugar can make people essentially nuts. Find stories about people on the internet, you'll be amazed. I know this one guy who was institutionalized for 10 years of his life as schizophrenic, given electro-shock and all that and eventually said screw it, read about blood sugar and ate right and was better within 2 years. He sued the hospital and won. Hard to overcome that many years of torment, though. First I need you to answer a few questions for me.

1. How often do you need to seem to eat? When do you feel your worst after eating (typically)?
2. Are you looking to eat three large meals and snacks or just small meals?
3. Do you seem to be able to handle complex carbohydrates with not too much of a problem?

1-i eat alot im hungry all the time, if I finish a huge meal I will be hunggry 40 minits later. I don't really notice if I feel worse after I eat, I know if I eat crapy food I ill feel tires after.

2-i am looking to eat three regular sized meals and alot of snacks.

3-like I siad I don't really notice things after I eat, it proabably does affect me but I just always feel the same.

I went to check my blood surgar today and the results came in fine, I had a normal blood sugar level, but I ate a peice of sugargum before I took the test so they told me that might have affected the tests. Im going in tommorow and doing it again.

If its not low blood sugar I give up, i've tried every thing, i've spent over a thousand dallars and nothing is working, I am just very very angry, why won't anything work

The test you took will show nothing. The hypoglycemia test lasts about six hours and I don't recommend it because it's pretty agonizing. It's much easier to try it on your own instead of paying for it, but then again it is nice to have the paperwork proving your sugar is screwed up. It's called the glucose tolerance test. Normally they use it for diabetes and pregnant women, but it is used for hypoglycemia. Four hour tests, which are common, are not as accurate unless you have saw-tooth curve reactive hypoglycemia, like me. It sounds like you may have that if you're getting tired so quickly, but it's hard to tell without the test for certain. It's really not necessary unless you really, really need to know for certain if something is wrong and you want paperwork to prove it. At any rate, taking the blood test you did after eating proves nothing. If you used a glucose monitor or something like that used for diabetes, it's entirely inaccurate. Those monitors and tests like that are not sensitive enough to pick up low levels of sugar akin to hypoglycemia, they're only truly accurate for high levels. The six hour test is the only way to go because they take samples of your blood every half hour or hour and then make a curve showing how your sugar was effecting by the 100g of crap juice drink they give you. If you're getting hungry that soon after eating, it's highly likely this is your only problem. I will tell you this from the outset, this diet is not easy and you may hate it and curse me for days before you notice any change at all. Some people don't show significant progress for six months. Some over a year. Usually you'll notice a change within two weeks showing something is happening, but it depends on previous diet, type of hypoglycemia and so forth. Just telling you now, don't be upset if it gets worse at first, because it may, it may even get doubly worse. Read that sentence a few times and burn it into your memory. Don't forget it, because you probably will want to if you feel bad because of this. You may be lucky and just feel great right off the bat, but don't be surprised or concerned about the diet if you don't. If you feel like you can handle complex carbohydrates like whole grains, then fine, but be careful because it sounds like your body is already uber sensitive and it may not take a liking to what you're about to do. Which is the following:

do not eat any of the following items at any time.

Alcohol (all varieties, no exceptions)
amaranth
artificial sweetener (all varieties)
aspartame
bananas
beans (all varieties)
beets
black beans
black-eyed peas
bread (all varieties)
buckwheat
butter
butter beans
cheese (all varieties)
carrots
cashews (all products)
cayenne pepper (any products containing or by itself)
celery (not bad really, just hardly any nutrional value)
chard
chick peas
chlorinated water
cinnamon (any products containing or by itself)
coffee (if containing caffeine)
corn (all products)
corn syrup
crackers (all varieties)
cumin (any products containing or by itself)
dextrose
eggs (organic/cage-free is fine, if not, don't eat it!)
fish (in large quantities to avoid mercury, avoid farm raised entirely)
fruit (1-2 servings is okay per day as long as it's an allowed type)
ginger (ground may be okay, raw seems to cause problems in some)
grapes
high-fructose corn syrup
honey
iodized salt
juice (all varieties)
kale
kefir
kidney beans
lentils (all varieties)
lima beans
meat (if not organic, organic is fine)
milk (all varieties)
milk products
millet
molasses
navy beans
nut butter (all varieties)
nuts (only if cooked, if eaten raw/organic, perfectly fine, see diet)
oats
onions
peanuts (all products)
peas
pinto beans
pork (all products)
potatoes
powdered sugar
processed food (everything you can think, even some organics are)
quinoa
radishes
rice
rutabegas
saccahrin
shellfish (all kinds)
soda
soy (all products)
sucralose
sucrose
sugar
sweet potatoes
tea (if containing caffeine, generally all herbal tea is fine)
tomatoes (in large quantities, 1-2 a day is fine)
tumeric (any product containing or by itself)
turbinado
whole grains (all varieties)
yams
yogurt

bet you have been eating some things on that list. Now, in your case you may be fine eating some grains, but I only recommend oats, brown rice (no white!!!!!!!!!!!) or buckwheat. You may be okay with bread too or whole grain pasta. If it says whole grain it must say 100% whole grain or it's not! Some of the vegetables on there, well the root vegetables, may be okay too but have a lot of carbohydrates. Here's your plan.

1. Start by eating no more than 100g of carbohydrates per day. Count up carbohydrates from everything you eat, vegetables, apples, whatever. Count it all! If you need more carbs, we'll worry about that in two weeks.

2. Eat no longer than one hour after waking. Eat half an avocado, two eggs (prepared how you like, maybe in omellete form with some bell peppers), a tablespoon of brewer's yeast (i eat this right when I get up, one half hour before the rest of the food), some fruit (some berries or two apple slices, no more!), and some cheese if you like (not necessary) or about two large spoonfuls of plain sheep's milk yogurt (if you can find it, I do not recommend any other kind). If you think you can handle grains, have about 1/2 cup of oats or one half a slice of bread. Have a small handful of nuts too, in your case I suggest only raw walnuts, you'll see why.

3. For snacks have some walnuts whenever you feel hungry.

4. Every other meal should consist of some protein (deer, fresh caught fish, lamb, whatever), a nice helping of leafy greens, fat (olive oil, butter, etc.), a nice serving of some kind of vegetable, a small bit of fruit (if you had two apple slices, eat one), a bit of yogurt if you want and that's it.

5. Drink about half a liter of water with each meal and snack, more if you feel it's necessary.

6. Avoid all milk.

7. Essentially, figure out your entire daily intake of food and even it out for these meals. You should be looking to eat around 1g of protein per two pounds of body weight per day. If you're 160 pounds, that's 80g. You may need to eat some more, but that's a good starting level. Figure out your carbohydrates, and spread them out. Count everything!

Let me know if you have any questions. I also recommend a good, vegan vitamin to take in the morning, but we can always talk about adding that later. If you opt to avoid millk products entirely you'll need to find a good calcium tablet.

You know sometimes I don't understand how eating the right foods can change my thinking pattern? Lately I have been having a hard time dealing with reality, reality doesn't seem real. I find my self thinking "is this acually happening right now" "how am I able to see" it just seems wierd that the right foods can make eliminate very strange thoughts, if you can explain abit so I can have full understanding why I am thinking the way I do that would probably make me feel abit more comfortable about reality...........Like I said I will try anything. I have posted all of the "bad foods" on my fridge. There's a few concerns like what kind of bread do I eat, and if I make toast what do I put on it. Its going to be very hard to not use butter. What do I put on my pans when I fry foods? I do like to eat alot of meat is that fine, like buffalo, beef, chicken? Is there certain types of veggies I should buy that will help me rocover faster. I used to love to drink, and I still want to go out with my buddies and get drunk you know what I mean, I just graduated 4 months ago im 18 all my buddies drink, im finding that my friends rarley call me because I stoped going out with them and having fun and getting a bit drunk. But if drinking is very criticle then I will stop, its health before friends I guess in my situation. I will let you know that I take 5htp and gaba and it has been helping alot. Its all a seritonin balancer. Would u recomend a cleanse? And one more thing, how do u know soooo much about all of this I mean I want to trust you and I do I just wonder how you have so much knowledge on this? I know you have been writting alot for me and I sort of feel like I should be paying you or something, if I do get better from following your diets I will pay you , and i'm serius... The main thing is I want to be able to live my life normally , im going to uvic, which is a very nice school and it just sucks to know that im not going to enjoy it because of my condition.

It can and it will. It's simple, i'll say it again. The brain only runs on glucose, when it's too low it will start to shut down, just like a car low on gas. That's all there is to it. It will effect every possible function your brain has. You definitely have it man, you just said another big one, one of the biggest of all. What you just mentioned "feeling like nothing is real" is called depersonalization/derealization. It's a very big symptom with hypoglycemia for some reason, apparently it's one of the parts of the brain that is least necessary so it tends to shut down a lot. The thoughts themselves are hard to get used to, but I can tell you they will go away in time. I used to feel almost like I was a robot, aware of reading while reading and thus unable to read. Or i'd wake up and have to go to class and be like, wait a minute, I don't really have to go, I choose to go, woooooooaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah. Basically the only kind of bread you can eat is going to be found at a health food store. Some supermarkets, though, will carry some nice, 100% whole grain breads. Organic is preferred, but that's not entirely necessary. Just as long as it's nice, purely made bread with no added sugars. They'll toss honey in there a lot. If you have a whole foods nearby, sprouted grain breads are good. You could put cheese on the toast with some cultured butter! Sounds good to me, make a cheese sandwich. When I was in russia I used to love some russian butter on a slice of bread with some meat or cheese on top of it. On your pans you can get this special spray canola oil by spectrum naturals. Not easy to find, and a bit expensive (usually around 11 dollars), but it will last about 6 months or so. You could also use high heat olive oil or butter. With olive oil, be careful that it's organic, don't get anything else. They use kerosene or something weird to extract it in nonorganic varieties, needs to be cold pressed. All that meat is fine, try not to go over 100g per day though, unless you do an assload of bodybuilding. For veggies, to recover faster, I recommend all varieties of green beans, they're supposed to have some sort of sugar that goes straight to the brain but doesn't affect the pancreas. Avocados, which are techincally vegetables I think, are good for this too because they have a sugar that supresses insulin production. Yeah, sorry to say, no alcohol at all for a long, long time. Make some herbal tea maybe? That's the best I can suggest. If you want to try juice, cut it with over half water per glass. I don't know if i'd try a cleanse, likely those pills for it have something in it you shouldn't be eating. I don't take anything like those gaba pills either. I know so much about it because I had to figure it out on my own, no doctors could help and I didn't have anyone to talk to who had a clue about it. So, I read on my own, tried this, tried that and otherwise experimented to torture myself so other people don't have to. It's all free man, I don't want any money, I like to help people with this because I didn't have anyone when I was sick and I know how awful that is.