Raw food and suicide
Someone I know committed suicide at the weekend and it got me wondering. Is there something in the SAD diet that makes people do this. I just can't imagine a RAW foodist doing it. Is there any research out there linking diet to suicide/depression. This is 4th person I have known to take their own life. (And before Charles or anyone else gets in with jokes about it being because they knew me, they weren't that close for me to be to blame). How would you convince someone who was depressed to get RAW and avoid that outcome. Even if they did go RAW could anybody say 'Hey, that guy never committed suicide because he went RAW' because nobody really knew if they would have done it whether they were RAW or not. So if anyone has any information on the subject I would be delighted to hear from you.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Anabrese on -
Hello chris, first of all I am sorry to hear about your friend and I don't think anyone here would joke about such a serious thing as someone taking their own life. Gabriel Cousens has done much work in the area of psychology and the link between chemistry and the brain. Here is an overview from Amazon about his book 'Depression-free for life'.
Cousens, a psychiatrist and family therapist, and Mayell, former editor-in-chief of Natural Health magazine, offer a drug-free program for alleviating the symptoms of mild to chronic depression by treating the underlying physiological imbalances that are major factors in the disease. With a myriad of depression remedies on the market, from prescription drugs to herbs, and a rapidly increasing number of people seeking relief from depression, Cousens contends that his program incorporates the best of both conventional and holistic techniques. Cousens's five-step program aims to restore balance to disrupted biochemical processes by increasing the intake of mood-boosting amino acids, vitamin supplements and essential fatty acids and by creating a diet and lifestyle that promote physical and mental well-being. Cousens also discusses the reasons why women are more prone to depression, the limitations of antidepressants and how the suggestions in this book can help people break addictions, including alcoholism and related disorders (ADHD, eating disorders and post-traumatic stress disorder). Anyone who has struggled with depression and found little relief with prescription drugs (Cousens reports that some studies indicate that people who receive no treatment fare as well as those who receive counseling and drugs) will find a lot to consider in this far-reaching look at what remains a debilitating element of many lives. (Apr.)
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Permalink Reply by Chris Burt on -
Excellent. Thanks I just ordered the book.
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Permalink Reply by Alyssadyane on -
Well, I think a majority of people on a raw food diet really have a huge devotions to the quality and longevity of their lives. Treating your body so well is a great display of self-love - so it would be really bizarre to me to hear of a rawie committing suicide. But the SAD diet definitely does screw with your brain chemicals. My bf used to suffer from depression. He was on all kinds of meds - none of which helped, probobly propagated the situation more. Since switching to raw foods, his brain chemicals seemed to have righted themselves. It is fabulous. He actually goes and speaks in recovery homes and stuff now to people about healing yourself emotionally and mentally (and spiritually) through raw foods - and the natural choices people have to improve the quality of their lives.
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Permalink Reply by Chris Burt on
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So do you think it is the chemicals in food or cooking the food that causes the problem?
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Permalink Reply by Jef on -
I think it is the refined white foods, plus the lack of important minerals and vitamins, and uncooked fats /good fats --just all the stuff lacing in the SAD diet. Even just adding green smoothies every day helped me stay off antidepressants when I had gotten off them with the help of herbs.
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Permalink Reply by John Coleman on -
There are narcotics in many common "foods".
I have a good book by a Dr Stephen Gislason which discusses how certain foods unbalance peoples emotions.
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Permalink Reply by Luciananas on -
I don't know how to sum this up, but I'll try. Very interesting topic and in fact I have been thinking about the relation of food and suicide for some time. I've got a friend who is paralysed(after accident five years ago)and has got countless health problems non sttop. he tried to take his life year ago and me finding him was a very big shock to me. Since then I have been watching and observing everything I can in order to help him to get happier. His diet was never good, in fact- I think it is even worse now than it was before his accident. Here's an example of what he'll eat in a normal day: crunchy nuts&rice milk, two slices of white toasted bread with salted butter, cheescake, dorritos with cheese, salsa and soured cream, scrambled eggs on toast, about 8cups of tea, 2cups of coffee, tap water and ribena. No fruit no vegetable. When I offer him some of my salad, or fruit or whatever that could be beneficial to his health he doesn't want to know. (very occasionally he will drink freshly made juice with some blue green algae). I am convinced that if he ate better he would be healthier - which makes people happier! I as so many other people believe that what's happening inside our bodies is reflected on the outside. So if I eat SAD(unhealthy) food, my body is SAD(unhealthy) and that makes me realise that I'm unheathy(sad). Which is only going to lead into depression and in the worst case scenario suicide.
But the question that I've got in my mind - is how do you help someone who does not want to help himself?
I'm not sure weather to post this now...... hmmmmmmmmm
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Permalink Reply by Stephanie on -
The sad thing is that you cannot help someone who is not willing to change or who doesn't want your help.
It's very frustrating to witness people destroying their lives and not be able to do a thing about it. You can only plant a seed and hope for the best! Maybe one day, when they are ready, they will remember your words.
Often, people need to touch rock bottom before they decide to seek help or change their lives for the better. Those who are forced into therapy do not do very well.
I have witnessed people dying of cancer who were still not willing to change their eating habits and put all of their trust in the hands of doctors. Maybe it's fear, maybe it's an unwillingness to try something different...I don't know. I have learned to accept it...I have learned that sometimes death is their only choice.
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Permalink Reply by aishwarya on -
uh really!!!
...that comes as a shock
can you expand... i mean there is this psychological highness with raw.i deem there is also this entire sensitivity waking up with this lifestyleand the aversion for "most" normal things in life.mainly the pressure and propaganda and all the inane things. but of course changing certain things lead to a lot of reactions in our entire biological, psychological level. but this can still work on just a mere percentage of an entire person being. we always have so much work to do with ourselves. still would like to know about them...
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Permalink Reply by John Coleman on
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The raw food high is a joy, but sometimes it opens our mind to the dismal ignorance and stupidity around us.
I heard of a raw food guy that took his life, but he seemed a bit mental when I met him. Who knows what deficiencies people have and what problems they struggle wih in their private lives?
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Permalink Reply by Little Miss Sunshine on -
I don't know if this makes sense but the way I see it, someone who is that depressed and cares so little about their life, probably would never make the effort to extend and improve their life by going RAW in the first place. Therefore it's kind of a catch 22? Not a very scientific answer or anything but it's one way to look at it.
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