My Kryptonite. The root causes of mental illness

Quick catch up for those of you who don't know what Kryptonite is. Superman is a super hero (hence the name) who came to Earth from another planet as a baby. As he grew, it became clear that he had super human abilities - flying, x-ray vision and so on. Anyway, this was all ok unless he was exposed to Kryptonite. Once the Kryptonite came near him, he was not just human, he was sick. All caught up? So now the question I'm sure you're asking - what on Earth does this have to do with mental illness?

Sitting in front of the psychiatrist who, many years ago, diagnosed me with depression, anxiety and panic disorders, I asked a simple question "How did this happen?" He looked me straight in the eye and told me "You were just made that way". Beyond that, he really didn't know.

I don't blame him. Firstly, this was several years ago and we've come a long way in understanding the physiology and psychology of mental illness. Secondly, he was trained in a medical model that isn't really helpful in defining how illness comes about. And thirdly, he really didn't know. He wasn't malicious or uneducated, he just hadn't found the root cause of my unique problem - my kryptonite.

The modern medical system is stellar at diagnosis. With thorough testing and accurate case histories, medicine can name just about anything. Diagnosis falls into categories - psychiatric, neurological, gastroenterological for example. The naming isn't always particularly helpful though, as it doesn't necessarily tell you what is wrong or what to fix.

Beneath the label of the diagnosis is an imbalance, usually it's more than just one. So where do these imbalances come from? Most of the time, the imbalance is feedback about the environment - something right now isn't working for you and you need to change it. Here's a very basic run through of how it works.

The body takes the information from its environment and processes it through it's unique genetic makeup. This information can be about food quality or quantity, nutrients available, microorganisms or viruses, stress, exercise, toxins or any factor that might need to be managed by you to survive the environment you're in. For example, if you have a bacterial infection you want your body to respond appropriately. Enter the internal systems.

The body takes the information and then decides how to best run its internal systems. These systems cover an amazing number of biochemical processes. They control a vast network of events covering energy production, hormones, neurotransmitters, digestion and absorption, inflammation, immune function and detoxification (to name a few). The amazing thing is that for the most part, the amazing choregraphy works. Just think of the complex way in which the body attacks an invading bacteria. Even in illness, a lot of the time the body is trying to do the right thing by you.

Take depression, for example. On suggestion is that the aggressive feelings that come about from very low serotonin are there to psych you up to hunt, kill an animal and get more meat which is more tryptophan which gives you more serotonin - and this is just one way in which evolution could be using a disease to help you out. Sometimes, it may be helping the species out (which is a real bummer if you draw the short straw). Here is another theory - mental illness may be in part the result of the human development of mental abilities such as creativity or intelligence. Hence it's association with some of the brightest and most gifted individuals around - both now and throughout history.

This is why it can be so hard trying to answer "How did this happen?" The truth is that answering this question involves working out not only what is out of balance and how to rebalance it, but also what threw YOU out of balance in the first place. It means that you have to identify YOUR OWN Kryptonite (or Kryptonite's as the case may be.) This isn't necessarily easy, as mental illness has been associated with viruses, bacteria, nutritional deficiencies, allergies, intolerances, genetic anomalies, psychological factors, autoimmune disease, social stressors and on and on and on. That's why there is no single answer - there is no single cause!

This is where a functional and natural approach can be so helpful - it can help identify kryptonite (root causes) as well as managing imbalances. It can be used very successfully in conjunction with many other therapies. Physiology and psychology both need to be addressed.

It also means that the psychiatrist was right - I was made to respond to specific signals in the environment with mental signs and symptoms to tell me something was wrong. Eventually, my body created mental illness. For someone else, they may have gone down a path that created cancer or gastrointestinal diseases. But the flip side is that for most people who are mentally ill, there is also the capability of being your own level of Superman (or Superwoman if linguistics require it) - talented, creative and productive.

If I go crazy, will you still call me Superman? Of course I will, because most mental illness is really just a special case of Kryptonite :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eu4QLu2ppsc

What is mental illness?

Bipolar disorder, Schizophrenia, Major Depressive disorder and Anorexia Nervosa. These conditions represent a small number of the diagnosable mental illnesses that are recognized in the modern world. But this abstract list of names doesn't really help if you are wondering whether you or someone you love has a mental illness. To start with, we really need to answer the question "What is a mental illness?"

The National Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (2007) defined mental illness as "a clinically diagnosable disorder that significantly interferes with an individuals cognitive, emotional or social abilities." In plain English, it means that the way a person thinks or mentally processes information, manages their emotions or manages social interactions is negatively impacting their life and is far enough outside the norm that they fit into a diagnostic criteria as assessed by a doctor or psychiatrist.

The great difficulty with mental illness is that a diagnosis needs someone to present to a doctor in the first place - a huge challenge when you aren't thinking straight. Diagnosis also relies on the doctor getting all the relevant information from someone who is mentally struggling and unaware of what's relevant and what's not. (Not to mention the fact that some of the thoughts experienced by those with mental illness are scary enough to the sufferer that they don't really want to share). The doctor then has to find the clinical diagnosis. There is no blood test or brain scan that can confirm these conditions. In this amazingly challenging situation, we are left with room for misdiagnosis, missed diagnosis, unnecessary diagnosis and totally wrong diagnosis. I'm not suggesting this is malicious, it is more to do with the nature of the beast.

So mental illness is technically all about that diagnosis. For family members and sufferers alike, a diagnosis can give a sense of closure - there is something wrong. When I was diagnosed with Major Depression and Anxiety and Panic Disorders in my youth, I found myself thinking a strange paradoxical little thought - "I'm not losing my mind, I actually am losing my mind"- a small cryptic nod to the fact that something was biochemically wrong instead of me just thinking wrong.

But the journey from mental health to mental illness is not a single step, its a slope - for some more slippery than others. While the idea of a specific diagnosis does have its merits, waiting to fit into some pre defined criteria so that you can start receiving help is not at all necessary. Nutritional and lifestyle interventions can help prevent the slide to disorder and may bring a return to happiness and health. Not only that, nutritional and lifestyle interventions can help at all stages and can be used in conjunction with medications.

If you or someone you love is struggling, whether it's with something diagnosable like depression or simply with a bit of brain fog, don't wait for someone outside to give you the go ahead to choose health. There are any number of qualified therapists who can help you get to where you want to be - no matter where you find yourself.

Mental illness is, in the end, all about a diagnosis given by someone outside of yourself when you finally reach a threshold. Do you really need to wait for that? If you or someone you love is struggling with clear thinking, emotional stability or the ability to handle social life to the point that it is negatively impacting on their life, don't wait for a magic label. Seek help from caring professionals in a field that feels right for you - whether it's nutritional medicine, herbalism, psychology or counselling. Lao-tzu, a Chinese philosopher, once said that "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step". If you feel you may be starting to struggle, why not take that first step before mental health really feels a thousand miles away?

Finally, what if you already have a diagnosis? What then? Then the first step has been taken for you - the problem has a name. Time to take the next step for yourself.

What do you mean you're stressed?

I have had a wicked case of writers block this week. Not because I have run out of things to say - an impossibility many who know me might suggest - but simply because I have had a bit of a stressful few days. It is so amazing that such a basic physiological reaction can have such a far reaching impact. If you are an adolescent though, stress has a completely different meaning both physically and emotionally.

Why would this be? Well, it could have something to do with emmigration. Emmigration is a nice way of saying that back in the day once you hit adolescence you were out the door! It was time to brave the world and seek new tribes, new hunting grounds and new experiences. While this can be easily related to risk taking in adolescence, the flip side is that you also had to be prepared for new threats. Say hello to a heightened stress response.

Adrenarche is the fancy term for the maturing of the adrenal gland and it occurs during adolescence. At the same time, the HPA or stress axis (which includes the adrenal gland) becomes more responsive compared to childhood. Part of this extra responsive stress reaction is geared towards social interactions which makes sense when you realise that if you emmigrate, you have to find a whole new social group. However, our stress system can also be triggered by other physical and social factors. And stress is totally personal - what triggers off a physical response in one person might have no observable affect in another.

One aspect of adolescent life that is often dismissed as being a bit silly is the social structure - who is on top and who is not. Social hierarchies have been shown to be important in the stress response - whether you are a baboon, a monkey or a public servant, where you are in the social schema can cause you to be more or less stressed. And the top is definitely the spot to be.

So lets consider this from the point of view of an adolescents world. What are some of the best places to experience social stress and social hierarchies? How about school, exams, sports and work? Great, someone really thought that all the way through. Add into that heightened emotional responses to girlfriends or boyfriends and poor eating habits, and you have a bit of a stressful environment both emotionally and physically.

So what are some of the signs that you aren't handling stress?
*Sugar or salt cravings can be a sign
*Loss of appetite
*Difficulty sleeping
*Brain fog and lack of concentration
*Headaches, stomach aches or general muscle tension
*Random crying or the feeling of wanting to cry
*Feeling on edge or generally anxious
*Not wanting to do the things you always enjoyed or stepping back from friends


How can you help to manage stress during adolescence naturally? Once again, the same common sense rules apply.
1) Watch the stimulating drinks - caffeine, gurana and soft drinks can all add to the stress on the body
2)Eat good food regularly. If you can't identify the ingredients or if the top ingredient is sugar, it's not your friend.
3) Make sure you get enough sleep (see our previous post)
4)Exercise regularly (Castle Hill is calling)
5) Take time out for fun and socialising
6) Cut back the extra curricular activities if you feel you need to
7)Learn a relaxation technique (deep breathing will serve you well your whole life and is a great serotonin boost)
8)"This too shall pass" - no matter how big it is, it will eventually be over. Still, give yourself some time to deal.

There is a great story about two friends who wake up while camping to find a lion about to eat them. One of the friends bends down to put on his shoes. The second friend says "What are you doing? You can't outrun that lion". The first one says "I don't have to outrun it, I just have to outrun you". So you see, it makes sense to have someone else help you when you're feeling stressed. Because you never know just how helpful and lifesaving it could be - for you ;)