Depersonalization and Derealization and Whole30

[strawberryfields]

Hello everyone!

I have questions regarding anxiety disorders such as depersonalization and derealization disorders and if there is any improvement during the Whole30. I am suffering so much from anxiety that I want to a safer alternative to medication and I just want to know if anyone who has completed or is on the process of completing their whole30 if they have had any positive progress. Usually my symtoms get worse during my menstrual cycle and sometimes even a week before it. Will whole30 work to manage my hormones and help me feel a little less anxious during these times? I appreciate any information that can help me on this matter as I am very sad right now.

[Tom Denham]

Many people report an improvement in mood from eating a Whole30-style diet. Some report feeling less anxious and a few report feeling "normal" for the first time in their life. Results vary.

The food is great, but worrying about the rules is a problem for some. Some people become more anxious while doing a Whole30 as a result of obsessing about following the guidelines correctly. This anxiety has nothing to do with eating meat and veggies and removing grains, dairy, sugar, legumes, and alcohol from the diet.

[kiwihoney]

My anxiety has decreased so much since starting the Whole30. I still have fears but they aren't nearly as debilitating as they were before. Good luck to you!

[AmyS]

I found that my medication and my body worked better together on Whole30. That is to say, I really was able to feel the benefits the medication offered, because I was eating clean.

As Tom said, it can be challenging to deal with the rules of Whole30. In case this idea helps you, when I did my first Whole30 I actually minimized what information I reached out for. Basically I followed the guideline to eat three meals a day composed of meat, veggies, and fat, with some good oils and nuts. It worked better for me to just think about it as a one-sentence eating plan than to get very detailed about the rules.

Getting off of medication is not necessarily something that Whole30 promises, though many of us have been able, over time (not within the thirty days for most of us) to reduce medications or replace them with others that work better.

I do wish you the best as you decide if Whole30 is for you.

[Javagal78]

I just finished my first Whole 30 and found the decrease in my anxiety by the end to be remarkable. I can't remember the last time I felt so good without meds. If you're nervous, maybe you could try a Whole 10, 15, or 20 and see how it goes.

[praxisproject]

Try and get lots of sleep, eat foods rich in serotonin and don't stop taking any medication without discussing it with your doctor, some need to be tapered off, you don't want to make yourself sick.

 

http://www.marksdailyapple.com/serotonin-boosters/

 

Eat as clean as you can, but don't stress about the detail, think positive

[megmac]

And don't expect the change to happen overnight!  I have mild anxiety that got worse for the first week before it got much, much better.  It felt very physical-like my body was suffering from anxiety more than my brain was.  But by the end of the first week I felt great.

[strawberryfields]

Thank you so much everyone for replying! When my anxiety gets bad I start to get very scary out of body sensations or sometimes everything looks super sharp and unrealistic and I freak out every single time I get it no matter how many times I get it, it feels like the first time each time. I can never convince my mind that this is just anxiety and that it will pass. This happens mostly before and during my period and it is getting to the point that I am having trouble working and at danger of losing my job because I called out so many times. I just hope the Whole30 can atleast help me lessen these horrible anxiety attacks.

 

I hope your answers will help those who are also going through the things I am going through and who are desperately searching for help.