Has anyone hear cured themselves of a psychological/mental disorder/illness?

[andrew112]

Has anyone here ever cured themselves of a psychological disorder? I currently have one and have been trying to cure myself for a while, but am still not completely cured. If anyone knows how to cure oneself, any input would be great.

[andrew112]

Whoops, spelled "here" in the title wrong.

[James81]

I cured myself of depression by deciding never again to label myself as depressed.

[andrew112]

That's a good strategy, maybe I should try that one.

[Foggy]

I cured myself of depression by deciding that I loved myself and that the things in my life that I was making big deals about weren't actually that big a deal. =) Also, I stopped allowing self pity so that I every time I start feeling bad for myself I give myself a mental slap on the wrist and think about ways to improve my situation.

Right now I'm trying to cure myself ADD through mindfulness meditation and habitually paying attention to where my focus is.

[andrew112]

My situation is pretty complicated; I have atleast three disorders, one of which is Asperger's Syndrome. The symptoms for Asperger's only show up in certain situations though and at certain times. I do not know any affective known stratgey for curing oneself of Asperger's. Once I get rid of this disorder though, the other two will be all the easier to get rid of. Does/has anyone else here have/had Asperger's Syndrome? I really want to get rid of this disorder because it is probably the worst of the three, and is extremely disabling and aggravating. It is like being in an "android"/"robotic" kind of state.

[James81]

Originally Posted by andrew112

That's a good strategy, maybe I should try that one.

I was actually shocked that something so simple has worked well for me, really.

I've had bouts since then where I felt it coming on, but I refused to let myself label myself in that way. And as a result the bouts have went away quickly.

[James81]

Originally Posted by andrew112

My situation is pretty complicated; I have atleast three disorders, one of which is Asperger's Syndrome. The symptoms for Asperger's only show up in certain situations though and at certain times. I do not know any affective known stratgey for curing oneself of Asperger's. Once I get rid of this disorder though, the other two will be all the easier to get rid of. Does/has anyone else here have/had Asperger's Syndrome? I really want to get rid of this disorder because it is probably the worst of the three, and is extremely disabling and aggravating. It is like being in an "android"/"robotic" kind of state.

I've suspected my son of having Asperger's, but never had any official diagnosis.

I would start with the labeling issue. Instead of saying "I have Asperger's" and defining part of yourself in that way, instead, locate the symptoms of your Asperger's and learn to cope with them.

[andrew112]

Good idea.

[Dreamline]

I cured myself of depression twice. The first time, when I was 18/19 years old, was the worst but the solution was easy. Unfortunately, I can't say what I did but it was a medical procedure that was overdue and quitting a college program I didn't like and getting a decent job. It wasn't only the medical issue but that was like the straw that turned me into a depressed nuge. I never left my room, didn't want to see light. It was my own fault. The cause was that I just had no proactive skills on how to face choices in life and felt like no one wanted to help me. My whole life, I have felt like an alien who landed here on Earth with no guide. Most of the time, my ability to be extraordinarily observant and practically psychic, intuition-wise, along with good skills in my ability to wing it kept me seeming normal from the outside, if not nervous and confused on the inside. But when it came time to leave the nest and start making my own raw ideas and forge my own path, I freaked out. I couldn't do it. I was paralyzed.

The second time, I'm not entirely sure what the issue was. I even considered it may have been issues with the new house I bought. Like bad vibes, spirits or leftover entities. But it's not an issue anymore and I don't even remember what changed. Timing-wise, it was probably related to learning about LOA in turbo mode. My friend who does numerology says I have a "six" house which promotes laziness/depression. I also was struggling at the time with being that magic age of deciding should I start a family or plan for retirement. Half my friends were getting pregnant and the other half were picking out their retirement communities. Nature answered the question for me and gave me three miscarriages instead of kids. So that probably contributed.

But I never saw anyone for this. Never needed drugs. I just eventually recognized a door out. But I took steps. I didn't stop seeing friends or abandon my social life. I wasn't wallowing in depression and wearing it like a badge like most people do. It was inside me. I kept striving to be normal even if I didn't feel normal and that made all the difference, I think.

Most everyone, if tested, would end up with some kind of "disorder" diagnosis, one way or the other. As Jack Canfield in The Secret says: "That's like 'so what?'" People create greatness with worse issues that that. The way I treated myself during these bad times was basically "get over yourself, Jen" which I did.

Jennifer

[Angela]

I agree about the labeling (and also cured myself of depression with deliberate thought, diet, and exercise). Telling yourself you have a disorder is bad hypnosis -- it's a problem focus. I would focus on solution -- what you want: perhaps for you it would sound something like:

I am becoming more and more emotionally responsive

I am a generous listener

I am learning more and more how to gracefully and joyfully engage with people

I enjoy non-verbal, symbolic, and poetic communication.

.... or whatever it is for you.

[aggie]

jennifer i can so relate to your experience...i went thru something very similar...i think tho' never officially diagnosed it was a combination of depression and severe ocd disorders.

i became literally hermit like for years...then i just made up mind i did not want to be like that as uncomfortable as it was at times...i consciously and physically fought it.

i was also painfully shy and socially inept...it was a long haul and years and years later, even with some professional help and meds, there have been some residual feelings and minor setbacks but i will never go back there.

self "cure" can be accomplished with a combination of knowing you deserve better, forcing yourself to see the reality of the situation, what i would call kind of "cold turkey" endurance of an uncomfortable choice or situation and seeing that you can survive it, some kind of spiritual faith and guidance if you are so inclined, a new found awareness of yourself and realizing it is the outside world and its influence with expectations and labels that probably had a hand in the problem to begin with.

good luck.

[Mogget]

Originally Posted by andrew112

Has anyone here ever cured themselves of a psychological disorder? I currently have one and have been trying to cure myself for a while, but am still not completely cured. If anyone knows how to cure oneself, any input would be great.

I have had, and worked through the following mental issues:

Agoraphobia (house bound for over a year)
Anorexia
Bulimia
Compulsive Overeating
Self Mutilation
Social Anxiety Disorder
PainKiller addiction

(yes I was very very messed up)

I have since deliberately used the sdame approach that worked for me in combination with NLP to help other people with the same issues (with excellent succes).

If you have good insight and are having success with tackling your issues I do think learning NLP might give you some additional useful tools to try out.

(edited to add)

Actually learningand practicing how to build rapport through NLP would probably be very useful for interacting with people if your Asperger's makes that difficult... I have never worked with Aspergers myself but a colleague of mine worked extensively with kids with Asperger's and had a lot of good breakthroughs using NLP)

[Dreamline]

Good for you guys...

...it's nice to come out of it with a clear head. With the drugs, you will never have that option. In fact, with their side-effects you could be literally jumping from the frying pan into the fire. No matter how depressed I was, I always had good judgement about such things.

My choice always was: This is my mess and my head is going to fix it.

Jennifer

[Pegasus]

Hey andrew112,

I just finished reading a very comprehensive book on treating autism -- I am sure much of it can apply to Asperger's, ADD, ADHD, etc.

[rawxstasy]

Lots of good responses here:

I had
social anxiety disorder
Panic disorder
Post traumatic stress disorder
depersonalization disorder
depression

I agree with not labeling yourself. I am still dealing with some remants of social anxiety, but the rest are long gone. The main thing is I tried different things and didn't give up. (I was on Zoloft for a year but that just covered up the symptoms and didn't deal with the root of the problem) I went to therapy for seven years which really didn't do all that much for me. What worked best for me was facing my thoughts and feelings and accepting my emotions instead of trying to deny them. Also did many different kinds of alternative therapies - craniosacral therapy, past life regression therapy, NLP and I want to do Reiki therapy next. I've been working at this for 10 years and it's only in the last three years that I really made progress. If I think of how I was 10 years ago - I can't believe how far I've come.

[WordKeeper]

I have dealt with and overcome debilitating depression and debilitating anxiety. I was once diagnosed as Bi-polar. I am still convinced that it was a misdiagnosis and I am certain that the pharmaceuticals made my life significantly worse.

I use magnesium glycinate. It is helping me significantly and it helps my 8 year old with his extreme hyperactivity (ADHD). In fact, he began school yesterday and is no longer on medication - magnesium and coromega only.

Are you taking any form of Omega 3s?

Your brain needs the fish oils.

Here are a couple of links:
Depression Treatment: A Cure for Depression using Magnesium?
Coromega

be patient and do not give up - you are on the right road and you WILL get there.

[funchy]

Depends why you're feeling mentally ill. If it's truly a brain chemistry imbalance, all the happy thoughts in the world isn't going to fix it.

Daily exercise is very beneficial to mood. Take care of your body and eat right.

Be aware common foods may be affecting your mood. Some people for example are more affected by caffeine then they realize, which in turn keeps them from deep sleep, and then the next day they're not functioning happy and efficiently.

Changing how you think & see the world can prevent negative thought patterns. A good "talk" or "cognitive" therapist will work with you and teach you new coping strategies.

Managing daily stress can also go a long way to keeping a mental illness under control. Stress is a well known trigger for anxiety attacks, depression, bipolar swings, and other common mental problems. Our culture tries to force us into a pattern of overwork, overconsumption, buying things to give us self-worth, valuing money over familiy, and general isolation. Reject the message your TV and radio are telling you and change your lifestyle to slower-pace & lower-stress.

Part of it may also be accepting this is you. Adjust your career and social goals to fit your limitations. Struggling against it and always trying to be someone else is just going to create more stress and unpleasant feelings. If X situation makes you really anxious, you just cant work in a job that will put you into X situation. It's not worth it for a paycheck.

Recognize that some things such as grief or a major traumatic incident will cause anyone to react. It doesn't mean you're mentally ill if, for example, you feel sad after losing someone close to you. You'll just have to work through and deal with the different layers of emotions associated with the event.

Do still work with your mental health professionals. You don't necessarily need prescription drugs, but he/she will help guide you to developing a better outlook and more stability.

[StephanieFrank]

Originally Posted by Mogget

I have had, and worked through the following mental issues:

Agoraphobia (house bound for over a year)
Anorexia
Bulimia
Compulsive Overeating
Self Mutilation
Social Anxiety Disorder
PainKiller addiction

(yes I was very very messed up)

I have since deliberately used the sdame approach that worked for me in combination with NLP to help other people with the same issues (with excellent succes).

If you have good insight and are having success with tackling your issues I do think learning NLP might give you some additional useful tools to try out.

(edited to add)

Actually learningand practicing how to build rapport through NLP would probably be very useful for interacting with people if your Asperger's makes that difficult... I have never worked with Aspergers myself but a colleague of mine worked extensively with kids with Asperger's and had a lot of good breakthroughs using NLP)

Totally agree with using NLP to change these big life challenges into manageable/disappearing traits. Definately stop using labels to define yourself - it's too limiting.

(hope this comes through okay, it's my first post here)

[wachusettgirl]

Originally Posted by funchy

Depends why you're feeling mentally ill. If it's truly a brain chemistry imbalance, all the happy thoughts in the world isn't going to fix it.

Daily exercise is very beneficial to mood. Take care of your body and eat right.

Be aware common foods may be affecting your mood. Some people for example are more affected by caffeine then they realize, which in turn keeps them from deep sleep, and then the next day they're not functioning happy and efficiently.

Changing how you think & see the world can prevent negative thought patterns. A good "talk" or "cognitive" therapist will work with you and teach you new coping strategies.

Managing daily stress can also go a long way to keeping a mental illness under control. Stress is a well known trigger for anxiety attacks, depression, bipolar swings, and other common mental problems. Our culture tries to force us into a pattern of overwork, overconsumption, buying things to give us self-worth, valuing money over familiy, and general isolation. Reject the message your TV and radio are telling you and change your lifestyle to slower-pace & lower-stress.

Part of it may also be accepting this is you. Adjust your career and social goals to fit your limitations. Struggling against it and always trying to be someone else is just going to create more stress and unpleasant feelings. If X situation makes you really anxious, you just cant work in a job that will put you into X situation. It's not worth it for a paycheck.

Recognize that some things such as grief or a major traumatic incident will cause anyone to react. It doesn't mean you're mentally ill if, for example, you feel sad after losing someone close to you. You'll just have to work through and deal with the different layers of emotions associated with the event.

Do still work with your mental health professionals. You don't necessarily need prescription drugs, but he/she will help guide you to developing a better outlook and more stability.

I agree with 90% of this post, and think that it is valuable, however I don't necessarily agree with the idea of immediately running to a "mental health professional". These may be exactly the people who put those labels/diagnosis on you that say thay you are bipolar, obsessed, addicted, depressed... On the other hand, I don't want to discourage someone from going to a psycologist or psychiatrist if that is what they really need.

I'm also not agreeing with the part about self-limiting beliefs. You don't have to limit yourself to a lesser job or life than you want just because it's easier. Yes, it's true that we should all go for less stress, and I think that this naturally comes when we are more attuned to our higher selves... but we each have to get there in our own time and in our own way.

[dulaney0330]

I have struggled with 3 major things in my life:

Insecurity, anxiety, depression

I have made major strides with all 3 but I do not think I will be "cured." I believe I can live most of my days with peace and joy. But, those 3 sore spots will always be a challenge for me.

I strongly believe that something struggled in childhood will never fully go away (at least in my case, for others it may be different).

[Dogs]

I nuked depression, suicide, and uncontrolled anger all in one whack.

I did this by pushing the limits of my minds ability to want to destroy itself by constantly reinforcing the meme, "I will die".

I wanted to know how deep the rabbit hole of mental hell actually went, and I was surprised at how deep it actually was, but not infinite..

Knowing that one exists, and the concept of each action having an equal and opposite reaction, that another must also exist.

Here it is.

"I am not what you are, I am what I am, and what I am is infinite."

[Mark4Change]

Hi I have had bad anxiety for the past three years but recently it has stareted to really fade away. The reason for this is that I started listening to Eckhart Tolles A new earth and other spirtitual texts like the 7 spiritual laws of success. These will sort you out and diminish the ego in you that keeps your 'conditon' going.

[James81]

Originally Posted by dulaney0330

I have struggled with 3 major things in my life:

Insecurity, anxiety, depression

I have made major strides with all 3 but I do not think I will be "cured." I believe I can live most of my days with peace and joy. But, those 3 sore spots will always be a challenge for me.

I strongly believe that something struggled in childhood will never fully go away (at least in my case, for others it may be different).

Well, as long as you think that, then it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Think about it. If you tell yourself that you can't get over this, then what makes you think that you will get over it? You are at cause for 100% of your emotions (whether you realize that or not). So long as you reinforce the idea that you'll never overcome those things, you'll always have them.

Why don't you try something for me? For the next, say, 3 months, make a conscious decision not to use those terms to describe your emotions.

When you are feeling insecure, don't say "I am insecure." Pick another word, with a little less intensity. Say something like "I feel a tad out of place." When you have what you think is anxiety, instead of labelling it as anxiety, try labelling as "I'm feeling a bit flush". Instead of depression, say you are "feeling a tad out of sorts at the moment". (notice also that not only did I change the words, I changed the label...you are NOT depressed. At the very worst, you FEEL depressed. See what I'm saying? Stop defining yourself as an emotion.)

You have to consciously make that choice, but this challenge isn't really THAT tough is it? all you are doing is rewording and redescribing how you feel. Then record your results and see if you don't feel a lot better.

[dulaney0330]

Originally Posted by James81

Well, as long as you think that, then it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Think about it. If you tell yourself that you can't get over this, then what makes you think that you will get over it? You are at cause for 100% of your emotions (whether you realize that or not). So long as you reinforce the idea that you'll never overcome those things, you'll always have them.

Why don't you try something for me? For the next, say, 3 months, make a conscious decision not to use those terms to describe your emotions.

When you are feeling insecure, don't say "I am insecure." Pick another word, with a little less intensity. Say something like "I feel a tad out of place." When you have what you think is anxiety, instead of labelling it as anxiety, try labelling as "I'm feeling a bit flush". Instead of depression, say you are "feeling a tad out of sorts at the moment". (notice also that not only did I change the words, I changed the label...you are NOT depressed. At the very worst, you FEEL depressed. See what I'm saying? Stop defining yourself as an emotion.)

You have to consciously make that choice, but this challenge isn't really THAT tough is it? all you are doing is rewording and redescribing how you feel. Then record your results and see if you don't feel a lot better.

Thanks James for your post.

I have actually did that method (forget which book I read it in), but I do have mixed feelings about it. If I say, I feel insecure, its not labeling at all. When I identify the emotion, I will then say to myself "how does this situation relate to your past?" More often than not, my insecurity is related to ridicule from peers or rejection from family. It puts my current emotions into perspective and allows me to view them more objectively.

As far as anxiety and depression go, I tend to feel both of those mildly-moderately during my menstrual cycle.

I will always have a tendency toward insecurity, anxiety, depression but I may not necessarily struggle with them on a daily basis.

To be rid of those 3, I would be perfect (well almost)

[FazK]

Well i depends what you are suffering from. I use to have terrible fear and anxiety and even had a nervous breakdown. I was hospitalized but managed to make a full recovery and today am better than ever. So it is possible

[Angela]

Originally Posted by dulaney0330

But, those 3 sore spots will always be a challenge for me.

You are living out what I call classic "suffering." That is, carrying around old, outdated pain with you that doesn't serve a useful purpose, and only limits and burdens you. Owch!

The first time something happened and you felt insecure/depressed/anxious, you made a decision about yourself and you've been practicing believing that decision ever since. A decision in a tiny girl's mind has been running you. The second time something happened and you felt bad, you didn't just feel the badness of that incident, but piled it up on top of the first badness. And the third time piled it up even more, and so on throughout your life. Each of these incidents of pain is strung together like a string of pearls, and by now, it is a huge mountain of piled up pain pearls, running the choices you make and taking a real toll on your body.

Wouldn't it be nice to just let that mountain of pain go forever, easily and effortlessly?

Using TIME Techniques, you go to the root cause of your negative emotion and disconnect the pain, which pulls out the string that holds all of that pain together and it just falls away. Ahhhhh. You can still feel appropriate sadness, anger, whatever, going forward, but that old stored-up gunk is just gone now. You keep the message from all the incidents that you need to protect and serve you, and the message continues to live on in you in a way that you can access easily -- it's a real inner resource now, rather than a murky burden. You transform the scary ghosts of the past into fun, light tools in your belt, ready to whip out and use at a moment's notice, and then tuck them back in when you're done.

The whole process takes about two hours, it's done in a light trance, and it feels really, really good. It can even be done over the phone. You don't have to go back and re-live old painful incidents. Most people laugh when they see their old pain from this new perspective of powerful inner resource.

It's a great way to offload your old suffering succotash. I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to feel good on purpose.

[Andrew Brunelle]

I'm sure people have and a healthy diet free of toxins and processed food will get anyone on the path to recovering from a mental illness, especially depression. Sun exposure and a diet rich in good fats can cure most depression. As for bipolar and schizophrenia, I really am no expert on the subject, but I'm sure eating a better diet may help clear up some of the issues associated with almost any mental illness. It's better than receiving a monthly shot of Haldol or Risperdal Consta, and it may be worth a shot.

[andrew112]

Originally Posted by Andrew Brunelle

I'm sure people have and a healthy diet free of toxins and processed food will get anyone on the path to recovering from a mental illness, especially depression. Sun exposure and a diet rich in good fats can cure most depression. As for bipolar and schizophrenia, I really am no expert on the subject, but I'm sure eating a better diet may help clear up some of the issues associated with almost any mental illness. It's better than receiving a monthly shot of Haldol or Risperdal Consta, and it may be worth a shot.

What about autism/aspergers? Would a healthy diet cure those disorders? I am currently on a strict diet and have been on it for about a year and I am still not completely cured. I removed the foods that are likely to cause the aspergers, but after of year of going without those foods, I still have aspergers. I also removed anything that is processed in addition to removing the other foods (the other foods are dairy, gluten and sugar btw), and I have been eating vegetables, fruits, nuts and seeds, whole grains (brown rice and oat bran, which are both gluten free), beans, and for a while I was consuming spirulina seaweed as an alternative to beans. Any tips on how I can further improve my diet to heal myself would be great (tips regarding crucial aspects to a healthy diet for someone with aspergers would be great).

[st33med]

andrew112, I have Asperger's Syndrome as well. However, in my teens, I started to change back to 'normal'... As normal as I could be

Usually, if you are in social situations that people make fun of you, or you have no grasp on the conversation, observe how they interact. If they do not liked to be watched, just sit and keep quiet. It's how I 'changed', however, it probably had close to no foothold on my mental change.

You see, Aspergers is caused by a malformed gene that codes your brain. Sometimes, at puberty, DNA methylation causes the genes in brain cells to go back to normal, however, no scientists know if that is actually what happens, or what would cause it.

Even so, if you are stuck with Aspergers for life, do not fret. All the aspies I have met have some gifts. There must be something you are really good at. Mine is noticing detail, being (annoyingly) smart, and having really good short term memory.