This article talks about how a decent Mediterranean diet can really help stave off or recover from depression using studies to prove it:
"Psychiatrists and therapists don’t often ask this question. But a growing body of research over the past decade shows that a healthy diet—high in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, fish and unprocessed lean red meat—can prevent depression. And an unhealthy diet—high in processed and refined foods—increases the risk for the disease in everyone, including children and teens.
Now recent studies show that a healthy diet may not only prevent depression, but could effectively treat it once it’s started."
What goes up must come down. Can sugar, excessive exercise, drugs etc cause mania? Then when the crash comes its not just a chance event but a neccesary one. I don’t think changing diet will solve all your problems in a day but honestly Im schizoaffective and am barely ever manic anymore since I started eating balanced, exercising balanced, quit drugs etc
Some people have a natural disposition to be kind of revolutionary and cause change in society, but I think bad health can exasperate that into being something unhealthy
@Genbu has a point in that countless studies saying a healthy diet cures all ills without dealing with external causes is tiring.
Comfort eating when you are depressed can give a temporary boost for a few moments, like a sugar rush for example and you are right excessive anything will always have a opposite low.
Eating well is always going to improve the depressed person, but the call to binge out will always be there somewhere if the cause isn’t dealt with at the source. Like me and weed and booze, even though I haven’t smoked in over 18 years; I still have the urge to because I have had a terrible life and until they are all worked through I’ll always want to escape reality.
Hmm I think you have a point. Its not all about food and exercise although those are pillars of health. I would add to that medicine (natural and manmade)
I think diet def helps depression to an extent. In my case yes. Not all the way though. May be cos my depression is due to the meds and I’d still be taking them.
I mean I’m not going to disagree with the idea that improving physical health can improve energy and mood but…
If people don’t get real about internal issues then they could use diet and medicines as a means of avoiding that.
I myself find I can have good mood and energy even when I’m tired. Not necessarily in a manic way.
On the flip side I get down and don’t want to do anything because I just feel that way based on some prevailing form of thought.
I think I take notions about diet personally because it feels too much like an emotionally disconnected approach. Which reminds me too much of certain interactions in life where people feel like they’re pushing you away because you’re “bad” or “needy” or something…
I’ve seen men stand up when they were otherwise paralyzed or walk when they had bad knees (a study of faked knee surgery) and depression can feel like this some days.
Ugh… I feel like I could rant forever.
Just for me I tend to take it too personal when I hear stuff like this.
It’s like, “I’m human damnit! And sometimes life and the circumstances are just… crap!”
I think serotonin is more related to genuine happinessand a “sense of wellbeing”. While dopamine is relrelated to a more short term excitement or pleasure.