curing mental illness

[limerence (OP)]

I just want to say, i had terrible bipolar 2 with some full on manic eps. When I started taking NAC and ALCAR, my bipolar went away over night, also started taking fish oil and eating well/raw eggs/etc

often bipolar or depression, anxiety, is caused by PARASITES, INFECTIONS...(that was the case for me and kurt cobain!) so strengthen your IMMUNE SYSTEM, learn about and take herbal cleanses + supplements, eat RAW EGGS. HEAVY METALS is also a cause, look up andy cutler chelation to safely cure heavy metal toxicity

after curing my infections and heavy metal toxicity, i dont even need to take NAC and ALCAR, totally cured of bipolar disorder

[MoeMentim]

what's NAC and ALCAR?  which was the case with you parasites or infections, (or both)?  I'm skeptical about cures, pretty sure my difficuties (depression w/ a side of anxiety, not bipolar really, sometimes I'm ok but never manic) is a result of my life experiences & my choice patterns.  exercise & nutrition helps, as do my psych meds but still missing something key in the equation.  Would you consider a demon a parasite?  if so, maybe...

[Fentfiend420]

I'm a metal head, so heavy metal toxicity flows through my veins!!!!

Sorry but I had to do it...

[Lolleedee]

I'm curious what type of infection you had?  Was it actually diagnosed with a reliable lab test and treated with a known curative antibiotic?  I am skeptical about things like this but am open to learning more about the possible connection!

[dizzle]

You're saying manic episodes were caused by parasites?!?!?

I mean, the only way I see that being possible is if the parasites were literally in your brain, in which case there'd be a lot more wrong with you then bipolar.

Are you ABSOLUTELY POSITIVE it isn't a case of you wanting it to work, believing it will work, and committing yourself to it, and therefore it worked? The mind is a pretty powerful thing especially when it comes to our bodies.

I'm not saying it has NOTHJNG to do with what you eat as that does influence how we feel but to the degree you're saying, I am inclined to believe it was a psychosomatic effect.


Also, I'm not trying to kill your buzz but if anything is giving you parasites it's the raw eggs broski.

[Zoops]

I think NAC is N-acetyl cysteine, an amino acid derivative that is the body's main precursor to make glutathione, a substance that the liver users to detoxify certain xenobiotic substances and eliminate them from the body. In cases of acetaminophen overdose, NAC is given intravenously to prevent the massive liver damage that causes death in that situation.

It's a liver nutrient, and has nothing to do with psychiatric symptoms, AFAIK.

ALCAR is acetyl-l-carnitine, another metabolilc nutrient, which doesn't have anything to do with the brain's function, AFAIK.

Yet, there are many reports of NAC+ALCAR+fish oil leading to remission or "cure" of bipolar in different folks.
It has been reported to be beneficial for depression as well.

It seems that the thinking is that NAC and ALCAR help the body to detoxify itself, thus making all the bad toxins go away and leaving a healthy brain behind.

Fish oil is a supplement that most people should be taking anyway, for its many eulipidemic effects. +HDL, -trig., among others. It also acts as a joint "lubricant" which eases symptoms of arthritis and other complaints.

[candy]

I have heard of NAC-N-acetyl cysteine being used to psychiatric disorders and with addiction as well, especially with methamphetamine/cocaine.  I don't remember the specific articles to site and exactly what they stated, but I do remember something about NAC altering the cysteine levels which then helps to regulate neuro-transmitter pathways and altering dopamine release, among other things.

Something to look into. We used it with our cystic fibrosis patients when I worked in Pediatrics.
It is certainly a good supplement to add to you daily diet.
NAC is also great for H. Pylori(Helicobacter pylori) a bacteria found in the gut which can cause ulcers.
ALCAR is a good amino acid as well, but I think it's use in treating depression is still being studied. It can't hurt to take it though.

I don't know about eating raw eggs and raw foods. Food borne parasites and infections are a risk, but that is a choice you must make.
 Careful with herbal cleanses. Not all are the same. Read what they contain before you take them, especially if you are on certain medications. You never know how they might interact with a medication you are on and as you know, most herbal cleanses, if not all, are not regulated by the FDA or any agencies at all for their overall benefits or risks. Know what you are putting in your body before you do.

Parasites can cause a great deal of havoc in the body, especially in the brain, and can lead depression, hallucinations, and even death.
Infections can have the same effect and should be treated by a physician, the same as parasites. 
If you think you have a parasite/infection you need to seek medical treatment as both can be life threatening. Taking supplements after treatment is great, but supplements are not enough once you have been infected with parasites or a bacterial infection.

@limerence, I am really glad you have been able to get relief from you bipolar depression. Eating well, and taking good care of yourself, especially the health of your body, can have a great affect on the mind as well.

[FreedomOrBust]

He could be on to something.  Also, you have to consider early traumas as a contributor.

I can't remember most of my childhood, as in, no recall, so I suspect I've pushed most of it back into my subconscious.  I think the effects of whatever happened continue, even though I have no memory of them.  I believe this is why I have GAD, panic attacks, and bouts of paranoia and mania (and I don't do stims, so that can't be it).

Maybe traumas set up an imbalance in the immunity system that allows metals and parasites to accumulate?  Sort of makes sense.  If this is the case, strengthening the immune system is going to bring near immediate relief, but probably won't make you entirely whole.

[limerence (OP)]

I think NAC is N-acetyl cysteine, an amino acid derivative that is the body's main precursor to make glutathione, a substance that the liver users to detoxify certain xenobiotic substances and eliminate them from the body. In cases of acetaminophen overdose, NAC is given intravenously to prevent the massive liver damage that causes death in that situation.

It's a liver nutrient, and has nothing to do with psychiatric symptoms, AFAIK.

ALCAR is acetyl-l-carnitine, another metabolilc nutrient, which doesn't have anything to do with the brain's function, AFAIK.

Yet, there are many reports of NAC+ALCAR+fish oil leading to remission or "cure" of bipolar in different folks.
It has been reported to be beneficial for depression as well.

It seems that the thinking is that NAC and ALCAR help the body to detoxify itself, thus making all the bad toxins go away and leaving a healthy brain behind.

Fish oil is a supplement that most people should be taking anyway, for its many eulipidemic effects. +HDL, -trig., among others. It also acts as a joint "lubricant" which eases symptoms of arthritis and other complaints.

As you mention, NAC "naturally" increases glutathione levels, which help eliminate toxins. I believe most, if not all cases of bipolar, are caused by a build up of toxins. Essentially, bipolar individuals are getting "high" off the same toxins over and over. Their sick bodies create more toxins than they can excrete. NAC helps detox and remedies this. NAC alone can ease bipolar suffering, but will not stop it. I'm not exactly sure why ALCAR is needed and what it does. It balances some brain chemicals, like acetylcholine, GABA, and again glutathione. One study states "These results, suggest that ALCar may be useful in treating symptoms of neuronal dysfunction related to accumulation of metabolic waste" (emphasis mine). It also seems to affect NMDA and nerve growth. To me, it appears to reset a bunch of switches that have been thrown out of wack by disease.
Genetics might play a part where two people with different genetics but near similar gut biome/infections/parasites, genetically, the side effect/disease from gut biome/infections/parasites might express as symptoms we call bipolar disorder in one person. The other person might just experience more typical depression, ocd, anxeity etc. This is only a guess, based on the mainstream idea that bipolar is just a genetic mutation or evolution, and has no other genesis.

Fish oil is good, however much is contaminated with heavy metals, like for all long term supplement use, one should thoroughly research what brands are contaminate free.

He could be on to something.  Also, you have to consider early traumas as a contributor.

I can't remember most of my childhood, as in, no recall, so I suspect I've pushed most of it back into my subconscious.  I think the effects of whatever happened continue, even though I have no memory of them.  I believe this is why I have GAD, panic attacks, and bouts of paranoia and mania (and I don't do stims, so that can't be it).

Maybe traumas set up an imbalance in the immunity system that allows metals and parasites to accumulate?  Sort of makes sense.  If this is the case, strengthening the immune system is going to bring near immediate relief, but probably won't make you entirely whole.

Trauma, emotional abuse, isolation/neglect, etc are all considerably bad for your health. It is surprisingly stark how much trauma can weaken your immune system. Conversely, having a "happy", emotionally positive, self actualized, and satisfying life can greatly strengthen ones immune system. Acute trauma can practically shut off your defenses, allowing bacteria and parasites to spread and fester in new parts of your body. Everybody carries tons of infections with no symptoms because their immune system keeps them in check.

I don't know about eating raw eggs and raw foods. Food borne parasites and infections are a risk, but that is a choice you must make.
 Careful with herbal cleanses. Not all are the same. Read what they contain before you take them, especially if you are on certain medications. You never know how they might interact with a medication you are on and as you know, most herbal cleanses, if not all, are not regulated by the FDA or any agencies at all for their overall benefits or risks. Know what you are putting in your body before you do.

Parasites can cause a great deal of havoc in the body, especially in the brain, and can lead depression, hallucinations, and even death.
Infections can have the same effect and should be treated by a physician, the same as parasites. 
If you think you have a parasite/infection you need to seek medical treatment as both can be life threatening. Taking supplements after treatment is great, but supplements are not enough once you have been infected with parasites or a bacterial infection.

Raw eggs are actually very safe. Eating raw cookie dough, you're far more likely to get sick from the uncooked flour. When a sick chicken is found, they kill it and thousands of other chickens that could be contaminated. Salmonella and similar egg recalls are very rare. Almost 3 years of raw eggs, so far so great. The shells are also high bio-available calcium that is very similar to our teeth and bones, most calcium is hard to absorb. I have seen many anecdotal reports (pictures) of cavities healing from proper diet like shells, supplements/herbs and toothpaste. Almost every dentist would have you believe cavities cannot regrow at all, but people do not give the body's ability to regenerate enough credit.

Most "herbal cleanses" are a joke or even dangerous. It's very sad that snake oil salesmen have given "alternative medicine" a poor reputation (though i'm sure big pharma has spent $$$ to help create that rep). I've noticed many people believe they are not smart enough to learn a little bit about health and science. They see a wordy study and look for an easier way, like some well marketed cure-all cleanse. Though, I'm sure they could learn if only they believed in themselves, lol.

Parasites and bacterial infection should definitely be treated by doctor. Sadly, most clinics and hospitals do not treat most infections and parasites. When I was very sick, I went to at least 5 different clinics and offices saying I have many parasites and infections like Lyme, Babesia, Bartonella, Mycoplasma, etc. Every time they say, "uhh we dont do that stuff here." Ok, can you refer me to someone who does, "no, sorry". I was <100lbs, bedridden, doctors and nurses told me how sick I looked and acted. Each clinic would run maybe a dozen difference blood tests or physical exams for the most common illnesses, from hpylori to lupus. H.pylori was the only infection about a dozen different doctors and NPs could find. Eventually one diagnosed me with fibro. The last straw was when a doctor asked me if I wanted to be diagnosed with MS. I don't know, I want to heal... Then I had to spend all day every day for a year or so learning about health, biology, herbs, nutrition, disease to diagnose and cure myself. I know if I could afford $2000 per appointment, I would have been able to find a doctor to treat me. Unfortunately, poor people, the majority of the US, will never be able to see a doctor that will be willing to cure them of their infections.
In my opinion fibro and MS, in most if not all cases, are caused by infection and or heavy metal. Same with most mental disorders, or even some personality disorders (formed trying to overcompensate for disease that wouldn't allow them to be who/do what they wanted). Even people without obvious chronic health issues, have significant infections and disease from metal toxicity.

Hear about Plum Island, off the coast of Long Island, New York, where the govt supposedly created Lyme disease? It somehow escaped the building and spread downwind to mainland of Lyme, Connecticut, where the first documented cases appeared. You probably don't know about militarized Mycoplasma. Mycoplasma are a bacteria without cell wall so abx are not effective, something like 40,000 can infect one cell. Almost everyone, at least in USA, has Mycoplasma to some degree. Its one of the leading causes of chronic fatigue syndrome, or just general malaise and fatigue that plague so many. It can remain inactive for years, but then something like trauma, will activate. So, if everybody has all these infections, why isn't everyone disabled? Brucella is a toxin produced by Mycoplasma bacteria. It was isolated for bio-warfare study. "Brucella is a disease agent that doesn't kill people; it disables them. But, according to Dr Donald MacArthur of the Pentagon, appearing before a congressional committee in 1969,4 researchers found that if they had mycoplasma at a certain strength--actually, 10 to the 10th power (10^10)--it would develop into AIDS, and the person would die from it within a reasonable period of time because it could bypass the natural human defences. If the strength was 10^8, the person would manifest with chronic fatigue syndrome or fibromyalgia. If it was 10^7, they would present as wasting; they wouldn't die and they wouldn't be disabled, but they would not be very interested in life; they would waste away." So, everyone has AIDS to a certain degree. (youtube.com/watch?v=zqjI-YiNliQ If you dont know about why HIV has no cure despite the billions and worldwide research effort.) Most (but not all) of what we call aging, is just diseases progressing. Why do some 70 year olds look like 30 year olds with some wrinkles and grey hair? They probably take many herbs (or at one point got very healthy and stayed healthy) and are relatively disease free.

Do you think you deserve to feel better? Do you not want your mental disorder any more? If you truly believe yes, you can make it happen. Too many people dont think they deserve to feel "good," or they deserve to feel however poor they do, or their personality and reality is based around having some mental disorder and they cant imagine being any different so they never try to or even think they could cure themselves proper. There are many thousands of studies on herbs, supplements and nutrition. To be honest, if everyone tried the herbs that Dr Stephen Buhner recommends, people would be much happier, positive and competent, and the medical industry would go bankrupt. The number one reason why healthcare should not be socialized or free, is that it is bad quality. It could be setup to affordably treat the population and significantly increase quality and length of life. Its this way on purpose. We are poisoned and not cured as population control. For one, the earth is overpopulated already. Two, there has always been a rich and poor, plebs and pats, health is wealth and while not all rich folk have impeccable health and a cabinet full of herbs, the majority of the population is kept poor of health on purpose. I guess if one has not given the subject much thought, this must sound conspiratorial and paranoid. This is a drug/opioid forum, so I guess most of us here because at one point we thought we deserved to feel better (so we got high). It seems most long term addicts get set in their ways, they know what some black or white will do for them, and have figured how to make do with their reality, so they would be shy to try something life changing like herbs or safe metal detox.

You're saying manic episodes were caused by parasites?!?!?

I mean, the only way I see that being possible is if the parasites were literally in your brain, in which case there'd be a lot more wrong with you then bipolar.

Are you ABSOLUTELY POSITIVE it isn't a case of you wanting it to work, believing it will work, and committing yourself to it, and therefore it worked? The mind is a pretty powerful thing especially when it comes to our bodies.

I'm not saying it has NOTHJNG to do with what you eat as that does influence how we feel but to the degree you're saying, I am inclined to believe it was a psychosomatic effect.


Also, I'm not trying to kill your buzz but if anything is giving you parasites it's the raw eggs broski.

My case of bipolar was years of suicidal agony after a childhood of poor health, I had tried many things to stop it. I don't think randomly this time I had the willpower to mind over matter it away. ALCAR+NAC have helped a handful of bipolar I've met irl and online, so I know its not just a freak accident. You would be surprised how many people have bad bacteria and parasites(even worms) in their head, or sinuses alone. A more common one, Toxoplasmosis, like >95% of France citizens have Toxoplasmosis. Something like a 1/3 to 1/2 of US has an active Toxo infection, not counting carriers. That is just one very well known and studied bug thats in brains. Lotta folks will see a TV show or Youtube clip about Top 10 Spooky Parasites!! and think, "haha glad I don't have parasites." Well....

what's NAC and ALCAR?  which was the case with you parasites or infections, (or both)?  I'm skeptical about cures, pretty sure my difficuties (depression w/ a side of anxiety, not bipolar really, sometimes I'm ok but never manic) is a result of my life experiences & my choice patterns.  exercise & nutrition helps, as do my psych meds but still missing something key in the equation.  Would you consider a demon a parasite?  if so, maybe...

What do you mean by life experiences and choices? Like you regret some decisions and if you choose differently, you wouldn't be depressed at wherever you would be instead? Demon, you have to say more. Very likely many who feel demons are just experiencing side effect of infection or toxicity like metals or environmental chemicals (DDT, etc.). Though, I do believe in the supernatural to some degree.

I'm curious what type of infection you had?

As I stated earlier, unless you can afford very expensive doctors, the average person will never be tested for few hundred most common infections. Also, there is no accurate test for Lyme disease because of the dumb vaccine they tried to make. Test for other infections are also very expensive or worthless as well. If you have almost every symptom to a tee and the herbs for that disease reduce the symptoms, you have such infection. If you have chronic lyme disease, and read other people's anecdotal accounts, you will relate. The problem is people who only have relatively mild Lyme or infections, it is not easy to diagnose this way. It's more of a guessing game if you do not have obvious tell symptoms. However, most antiparasitic antibacterial type herbs (almost all herbs are such, but only few are very potent and useful) will treat a wide range of infections. Just like abx will treat many different infections. There are countless possible infections, so many we probably have never documented. The reason some like Lyme and Mycoplasma stand out, is they are systemic infections, meaning they can infect many different parts of the body, including hard to reach places. Other than abx resistant strains, antibiotics are limited in use because they cannot get into some places of the body. To effectively treat Lyme (which is a relatively easy infection to cure with the proper herbs, other infections can be much much worse) with abx, it requires several different abx drugs cycled on and off taken in very high doses, and it doesn't even work for many people. Herbs are the perfect tool because they are specialized healers created by nature. Plant gets sick of all the bacteria in the ground and water, so it evolves some specialized drugs to take care of them. Many things kill Lyme bacteria, even stevia, the diet soda fake sugar. Difference between stevia and say something like japanese knotweed, is how deep it can get in your body to kill bacteria. Stevia is good in a petri dish, but not for killing bacteria living in joint fluid or fat that protects nerves. An herb like Japaneses Knotweed can get to those places.

It comes down to dx self so you have an idea with what herbs to start with
take herbs to clear up infections
safely detox metals, hair test read by competent doctor can help
nutrition and lifestyle to build up and keep strong immune system

I'm sure there is a lot more I should have said on certain topics. It is a very uncommon subject that not many people think about, many people roll their eyes; accepting the idea most people are diseased and could be given a greater quality of life with herbs, is blocked out by our cultures divine faith in the medical industry. People whose religion is science and respect doctors like high priests, do not like what I have to say because science is perfect and effective, never puts humanity and morality second to money, no siree. "If herbs worked like you say they do, why don't hospitals and doctors use them?" They do not know the unsung power of bureaucracy: like how HIV research can clearly be a wild goose chase, curing disease no longer the goal of medical complex because they lose a customer, how easy it is to fake studies or data and change public opinion, etc... Despite thousands of very positive studies on these herbs, they remain far away from mainstream medicine in North America.

[LadyKalma]

Very interesting. Can you reccomend me some books or websites that helped you learn about this stuff so i can read more?

[limerence (OP)]

I learned mostly from facebook groups (fake account, f social media..) and well educated people I met from them. Dr Stephen Buhners website has a ton of info, his books even more. You can usually check out ebook copies from your local library for free. I think most of the herbs he talks about are chinese medicinal herbs, most of them are surprisingly well studied, which is shocking for how little attention they get. For metals, i highly recommend Andy Cutler chelation, facebook group is probably the best source, and a NIR sauna, which anyone can make for <$100, no need to buy the $2000 walk in ones, they all use $10 light bulbs... NIR saunas are phenomenal for health in general. There are lots of facebook groups, most of them are bad, paranoid, ignorant (ie people believing all their problems are from mthfr genetic mutation that half the population has, or "fibro", instead of the root cause of their diseases, which is probably infection/poor immune system (body environment)/toxins like metals, infection and contaminated food+water). You dont catch a disease, disease occurs where the environment is right.

You pretty much need to learn to decide what is good and bad info for you. Take Buhner for instance, he says almost nothing about metals. So many people will try so hard to cure their "Lyme" when they really just have mercury toxicity, and become frustrated or disillusioned, as I mentioned before, ignorance in these groups. Or they will not follow one step or the right doses of a protocol correctly etc... There's also stuff like where people recommend iodine (from micrograms to 100+mg doses) which can be very useful, but very dangerous if you're not getting RDA of selenium. "Vitamin" D3, one of the few mainstream recommended supplements, except its not useful for much more than curing rickets. Relief people feel from high doses is it turning down immune system which is constantly fighting hard against infection and taxing body, except that gives the infection time to get worse. Despite millions of dollars of advertising and doctor recommendations for this billion dollar supplement, its based on the idea that low d3 levels=poor health, so high d3 must = good health. It's true that chronically ill people very often have low d3. However taking d3 wont fix that. It is usually caused by malnutrition/poor absorption and or damaged/infected vit d receptors. Generously taking rosemary and some other herbs will repair the vdr...that should be the #1 protocol for low d3. Not to mention no one checks, or even knows about other analogs like 1,25 d levels. 
So before trying anything, one should thoroughly research all the pro and con arguments against a product. Understand biases, like Mercola has a lot of great information, but also a lot of garbage, so he can sell overpriced supplements. Another dr i like is http://drlwilson.com/. He has some brilliant concepts, like heavy metal personalities (ie metals significantly affect personality. why are cigarette smokers the way they are? Cadmium personality. etc) and yin disease that is so perversely pervasive in modern society (reverse osmosis/filtered water is very yin, while tap water is yang). Yin is destruction and yang is balance/stability, more or less. Herb tinctures are very yin, powdered herbs less, cooking with herbs far less. Most drugs are very yin as well, iv morphine very yin, raw opium, relatively yang... Alcohol, only drug that is somewhat yang. Then again, there is a lot of stuff that dr Wilson recommends that is imo bad advice. Doctors seem to be very arrogant in regards to their opinions. Andy Cutler, who created safest (by far) metal chelation protocol, recently died. Like if you look to Buhner resources, they will tell you that you have Lyme and or similar infections. If you ask Cutler, its from metals. I believe if Andy took herbs, he would not have died from heart failure. I believe one reason many people die from heart failure (or from cocaine/amph abuse their younger body could handle) is from progressive infections/toxins in the heart. What our culture considers old age heart pains, is from infections or metals or something in the heart or related area getting worse over time. Disease, something that causes dis (negative) ease (normal function), dis-ease.

Again worth mentioning, raw eggs. Celtic sea salt and cell salts, have a headache, put some good salt under your tongue, so many people laugh and humor me by trying it, but are surprised when it really works. Liposomal C and colostrum if you can afford them. NAC saved my life and i think it could help a lot of people. Magnesium malate/glycinate + rda of potassium goes a long way as well.