"Patsy" - 44 yr old female who has been diagnosed as Manic Depressive/BiPolar

This week we are interviewing "Patsy" who is a 44-year-old female who has been diagnosed as Manic Depressive/BiPolar. Her physician presently has her on Lithium and Seroquel which seem to alleviate her symptoms when took on a daily basis. Unfortunately, "Patsy" finds it financially impossible to pay for this medication on a regular basis. Therefore, finds herself suffering from anxiety, depression, and severe mood swings. Partly due to these symptoms, she has presently found herself without a place to live and is relying on friends for shelter and support.

Her first marriage was a disaster and left her feeling guilty and depressed when her husband died of a drug overdose. Several years later, she entered into another relationship, and eventually married, which proved even worse since her new spouse was an alcoholic and physically abusive. This marriage ended in divorce and sent her, once again, into another state of anxiety and depression.

Individuals with severe anxiety and depression often fail to take care of themselves, neglect their appearance, and can forget how important good nutrition plays in helping them cope with any disease, either mental or physical. Anxiety and depression can also be a side effect of many medications taken for other existing conditions. Therefore, it is important for you to see your physician on a regular basis and make him or her aware of other prescribed medications. Keeping a food diary over a period of weeks could also help you to link food intake and sensitivity with mood swings. Eliminating certain foods from your diet could help stabilize your moods.

Certain antidepressant drugs such as Prozac, Zoloft, and Paxil can often lead to a slight but ongoing weight loss and you may need to make a special effort to maintain weight during treatment with these anxiety medications. Tricyclic antidepressants such as Tofranil, Elevil, and Pamelor can cause weight gain. If you have been prescribed with any of these medications and are overweight or gain weight while taking any of these drugs, you may want to ask your doctor for an alternative.

Besides medication, there are natural approaches to fighting anxiety, panic, and depression. One is to cut down on alcohol, which can be a depressant, and caffeine, which can interfere with sleep and mood. Try eating a diet with high grade proteins such as meat, dairy products, eggs, and fresh fish which can help in promoting good nervous system function. Also, never underestimate exercise in treating anxiety and depression. Just a daily walk can be a critical factor in the treatment process. Another natural approach to fighting anxiety and depression is to read. There are many good self-help books out there so please, go get one and read it!

We(myself and others) have suggested some of these alternative natural remedies for "Patsy" to use in conjunction with her prescribed medications and are hoping that these remedies may be of some help when she is financially unable to receive her prescribed medications.

"Patsy" is a real person. Her personal information, as well as her interview answers have been withheld by request.

"Patsy" needs to know there are others in the same situation with similar anxiety-depression disorders and that she is not alone or unique in her behavior. If you would be willing to share your specific anxieties with us and pass on any information on what has worked for you in overcoming these very real problems, we would be happy to relay this information in our future weekly reports.

We respect you, and your privacy. Any information we receive from you will be handled in the way you want it to be handled. No personally identifiable information will be used anywhere. We do not sell or rent your information to anyone, ever. Period.