I'm currently on antidepressants. Do you think that eventually I will be able to get off of them by eating correctly? Does anyone else have a story to share?!

They ruined 13 years of my life. I've been off for almost two years now  and just starting to learn how to live.  They cause many health problems your doctor probably didn't tell you about.

To get off of them you need to taper very slowly, if you've been on them for any length of time. For help getting off of them you could visit paxilprogress.org.  It's a support forum for just that. They don't sell anything or allow any ads for drugs or supplements (or anything else).  

I just bought The Kind Diet Book and signed up on this website today. I hope I'm not breaking any forum rules! 

I'm trying to get off Lexapro.  It's horrid.  I was taking them for long-term pain relief but they did nothing and now I'm struggling to come off.

over 20 years ago I had major anxiety and other health problems - at the time, it wasn't so trendy to put everyone on anti-depressants, thank God - or they would have filled me up!  I was lucky in that I found a doctor who diagnosed me with (among other things) systemic candida.  He put me on a detox diet, took me off of anything processed, artificial, sugar, dairy, etc.....and it changed my LIFE!  The anxiety - which at times kept me from leaving the house - went away.

So yes, I truly believe what we eat has a huge influence on our psychological state.  There is more seratonin produced in our guts then our brains - how could it not?  But just going vegan in my mind isn't the fix, its about the sugar and the artificial crap - focus on that- read every label and find out every alias for sugar and steer clear!

There have been other people on this site that have gone off antidepressants/anxiety medication after becoming vegan and living a healthier lifestyle.  My husband was diagnosed bipolar (or just has biopolar tendencies) and has gone off of his medication recently.  He is also weaning himself off of Prozac.  He seems to be a lot better after being vegan for a few years.  Hopefully it will stay that way!  Good luck.

I have been on antidepressants twice in my life, Zoloft and Wellbutrin.  My depression was a side effect of the solumedrol infusions (corticosteroids) I was given to fix the blindness my MS was causing.  Very scary chapters in my life.  Well, the side effect of the steroids was to leave me with paralyzing depression that took 6 months to subside, even with the antidepressants.  I have been treated for the last 6 years by an integrative Medicine MD who checks my blood levels and prescribes supplements to fill the gaps.  With her help I got off the antidepressants.  I have been vegan since February and my MD approves.  The other day I was folding clothes and smiling, and I realized in that moment I am more balanced and at peace than I have ever been.  I believe the junk we put/allow others to put into our bodies is the cause of many of our health problems.  That is only my experience, and I would caution that there may be folks who do need the prescription meds.  Life is too precious, it is hard to trust doctors, but it is worth finding one you can trust, even if insurance doesn't cover it.  My insurance doesn't cover the good MD -- she's not in the network.  Still, she's so important to my well-being, so she is worth the out-of-pocket.  Blessings . . .

cheryl - I am glad you mentioned that - the MD who I credit with saving my life through a more alternative is out of pocket too!  And he is two hours away!  I feel the same way - my health and sanity is worth the money and the effort it takes to get there and I can cut back in other areas!  we spend more time shopping around for a new dvd player than for our doctors!

Ok let me see if I'm reading what you guys are writing correctly ~  If I stay vegan I MIGHT be able to get off of my bipolar meds?!  If so this is very exciting news!!!!  My dr told me I would be on them for the rest of my life. 

Yes, it is possible, many have done so, but you need to be oh so careful.....these ladies were in the care of forward thinking doctors.  If an individual wants to treat a serious condition naturally, they really have to stick to the program.  Going off meds and eating superhero is needed, but they can't afford to sneak that sugar, alcohol, caffeine......and they would need include the supplementation and exercise and non toxic products into their everyday life.  I absolutely hate that I can afford a bottle of antidepressants but not the wholistic treatments that insurance does not cover.  I'm sorry if I sound negative, but I have seen people go off chemo or antidepressants or other doc prescribed treatments in the name of wholistic healing only to see them sneaking an ice cream cone or going to a restaurant and "treating themselves".  It is a serious matter, especially something as sensitive as mental health.  You could find yourself in a serious crises.  That being said, I have asked my doc to prescribe half the dose of wellbutrin I have taken for two years and I feel a million times better.  I am going to wean very slowly as I figure out what I need in my diet for balance.  

It is also difficult with biopolar disorder because people with this are KNOWN to think that they don't need medication anymore, so it definitely needs to be done with a doctor's supervision and they need to be weaned off slowly.  Many times I had to talk my husband out of just stopping all at once because he felt better.  They have slowly weaned him off and will continue to watch.  He also never had severe depressive episodes (they were slight), but mostly was in the manic stages. 

i was on lexapro for 6 months and couldn't stand how i felt.  I got off of them before i became vegan and honest to god, i had no idea how horrible they were making my life.  I honestly felt more depressed on them then off of them!!  I was always groggy and tired and everything just seemed so slow.  For about a solid three weeks while my body was adjusting to me not taking them anymore it felt like i was getting shocked every 10 minutes. IT was horrible!  About a year after I got off them I became an overnight vegan and have never felt better, happier or more fulfilled in my life.  It's the best choice i've ever made.  I will never take medicine again!  I also used to get cramps to the point that I would have to call a day off work whenever I started my cycle.  I am now heading into month two of veganism and I had no idea when my period started.  I had not one single cramp.  It's so amazing how great your body functions when you're treating it the way it deserves!  Get off those meds and you'll never regret it!  Best of luck to you!

Thank you for the info.  IF I choose to go off meds I will for sure do it with the dr AND wait a couple more years or so to make sure that I am stable enough.  I have learned SO much just by reading the forums!

Hello everyone!  I would encourage any of you that are struggling with depression to start adding Maca root powder into your diet daily! It is a  natural hormone balancer, and very good for the endocrine system. While I have never personally had depression or been on meds for it, I have helped a handful of people I know greatly reduce their anti depressants by adding it in (they have cut them in half in a short amount of time!) it  is an all natural mood lifter and anit depresssant.   I personlly add it in to my smoothies all the time, and I love it, and have used it for several years for the nutritional benefits!! Start with about 1/2 Tbsp. and after a few weeks, work your way up to about 1 Tbps. No need to ever have more than that in a day though. Of course,   i am not claiming this to be a "fix all", but ir anything, it is just a great supplement  to add into smoothies. Its Very good for you! 

Of course, as with any medication, if ever you are planning on weaning yourself off of anti depressants, make SURE you let your doctor know FIRST and do it under doctor supervision to be safe....

You can order maca root here  for a great price...

http://www.iherb.com/Navitas-Naturals-Maca-Power-Raw-Maca-Powder-16-oz-454-g/8260?at=0

Interesting, I've never heard of Maca root.  I've been on Zoloft for several years with good results, but lately have been feeling super stressed and depressed.  I was thinking maybe I needed to increase my dosage, but that really goes against the idea of being able to heal yourself naturally.  I've also been thinking about seeing a Naturalpathic doctor.  

I know that this is not the intent but I feel I have to say this.  I am bipolar and without my meds I have no real life, kind or otherwise.  Please be careful when saying to someone that they will be able to someday come off of their meds if only they follow certain dietary steps and lifestyle choices.  In some cases that may be true.  But people with mental illness struggle already with the stigma attached that it is a sickness within our control.  So what if someone becomes a superhero and STILL can't stop the meds?  There are those of us whose chemical imbalance will not be fixed in that way.  Imagine the blame this sick person now feels.  I've been there.  "I guess I'm not doing enough."  

And that is where that stigma comes from.  So try everything you can to make yourself as healthy as you can, and try to keep your meds to a minimum.  But never beat yourself up for needing a medication.