BIPOLAR – NOT A LIFE SENTENCE

By Dr. Miriam Adahan

Chaim* was admired in yeshiva for his incredible diligence. His days were consumed
with learning and he could be found in the Beis Midrash almost 24/7. For him, sleep was a waste
of time.Great things were forecast for his future until neighbors found him lying in the middle of
the street in Geula, hallucinating that he was Moshiach. Medications stopped his racing mind
but made him feel like a zombie. He became depressed and shell of his former self. His parents
thought they were acting responsibly when they had him hospitalized and then put in a hostel.

Rivki*, a lively high school senior, was flattered when she was chosen to lead fifty girls
on a two-week, end of the year outing. It was exciting, but between planning the next day’s
activities and studying for her final exams, Rivki barely had time to sleep or eat. In fact, she
discovered that she needed no sleep at all. By the end of the two weeks, she began to
hallucinate and ended up in the emergency room. Despite a six-month stay in a psychiatric
facility, where she received shock treatments and a variety of drugs, Rivki’s condition
deteriorated over the next three years. Her mother heard about me and was willing to try a
different approach. When I first met Rivki, she was overweight, lifeless and depressed.
Eventually, during the three month sit took to wean her off the meds, she adopted a healthy
diet, went to aerobics classes and took the natural mood-stabilizers I recommended. She soon
lost weight, regained the spark in her eyes and enrolled in college. She told me recently, “I feel
like I’m alive again, having emerged from a three-year nightmare during which I completely lost
my sense of self.”

While I do not hesitate to recommend drugs for the severely disturbed or for a short-
term crisis, I believe the vast majority of people can improve by learning to overcome negative
thoughts and self-harming habits, and especially by getting adequate sleep and propernutrition.
Telling people they must be on meds forever is like saying that we must take antibiotics forever
due to one infection. This is especially true during the turbulent teen years or during a single
crisis, when it is normal to suffer from intense emotions, fears and identity issues.

I know this because I went through one such experience myself forty years ago, at
the age of thirty. Like many emotional and sensitive types, I loved the excitement which came
with creative endeavors. So, as I was writing my doctoral dissertation in psychology, I gave full
expression to the impulse. With ideas flooding my mind,I easily skipped breakfast and then
lunch; I was on a high which filled me like no food possibly could. I felt no need for food or
sleep. I wrote day and night, only stopping to take care of my daughter until she went to gan or
returned. This continued for three weeks during which time I did not lose weight; I wassustained
by a delicious divine energy. I thought I had reached such a high level of spirituality that I no
longer had physical needs! But then, at the end of three weeks, I began to hallucinate, thinking
that I had G-dly powers and secret information to reveal to the world. A relative took me to
Dr. L., chief psychiatrist of a prestigious hospital who, after reviewing my history, looked grimly

at my family memberand said, “She will need to be medicated for the rest of her life and will
probably need frequent hospitalizations.” He handed me a list of prescriptions and ushered me
briskly out.

Thankfully, this relative took me to a n alternative healer who had helped her in the
past. He gave me a shot of vitamins, as well as various supplementsto help me calm down. He
told me about the importance of sleep and good nutrition, which no one had ever mentioned
before. Since then, I have never relapsed, although I still take natural supplements, avoid junk
foods and gluten, and make sure toget adequate sleep. I share this in a public forum because Big
Pharma and its advertisers have teamed up to convince people that they cannot be sane
without psychiatric meds. They minimize the fact that, in addition to the “minor” side-effects,
such as dry mouth, stomach upset and loss of libido, these drugs accelerate Alzheimer’s,
diabetes, Parkinson’s, internal bleeding and osteoporosis. True, some people want to be put
out of their misery quickly with drugs, but they must be informed of the consequences. If this
article gives people hope to heal without drugs, then it is worth facing the ridicule and censure
which is bound to come from people who are threatened by the concept of self-healing
techniques.

There are three main reasons why a perfectly functional and responsible person might
have a breakdown.

LACK OF SLEEP: Few people are informed about the importance of sleep; in fact,
we are constantly surrounded by the opposite message. We praise gedolim who sleep only 2-3
hours. We praisecommunity activists who say, “You can call me 24/7.” Manypeople see sleep as
a waste of time. Young men in yeshivaare proud of their ability to outdo even the gedolim by
not sleeping at all! Some creative artists enjoy the flow of energy which accompanies and
inspires their work. Writers often welcome the nighttime “high,” when ordinary mortals are
asleep and they can use the peace and quiet to create. A new mother may find it impossible to
sleep because the baby keeps waking up. She may think, “It’s not worth going to sleep, since I’ll
only be woken up anyway.” New mothers may also suffer post-partum depression due to lack of
sleep; if and when their babies do sleep, they use the time to work.Teachers often tell me that
they sleep only three-four hours a night. Young people are not told that almost any person who
goes without sleep for three or more nights will start to hallucinate. While 1% of the population
needs between 4-5 hours of sleep, ordinary people need between 6-8 hours. Less than that
causes the body to produce cortisol and other stress hormones which can cause high blood
pressure, diabetes and cardio-vascular disease. During sleep, the body performs numerous
rejuvenating activities which it cannot do when we are awake, such as consolidating learned
information and cleansing the cells of toxins.

LACK OF NUTRITION: Few people, especially in the frum world, want to hear about
proper nutrition. People associate sugar withlove and comfort. A good hostess makes people
happy and “proves” her love by making rich desserts, regardless of future illness. Most people
imbibe junk foods mindlessly, accepting obesity, diabetes and other illnesses as normal and

unavoidable. Those who warn others about the dangers of junk foods are often ridiculed. Here
are the facts: Every nerve cell in the body is protected by a myelin sheath, which is composed
mainly of vitamin B. Without adequate B, people become agitated, depressed and fatigued. B
is lowered each time we use drugs or eat white flour and sugar, which also cause iron levels
to fall. Ironically, a major sign of low B is a craving for sugar, which sets up a deadly cycle. Diet
substitutes (except stevia) are even worse! Few schools teach good nutrition --yeshiva and
seminary food is notoriously lacking in B vitamins, because nutritious foods are costly. Many
young people detest the taste of whole wheat bread and never eat fruits or vegetables. Such
a diet is almost guaranteed to induce mental disorders due to the lack of essential minerals
and vitamins. Yet most traditional doctors claim that nutrition has no connection to mental or
physical health!

ABSENCE OF LOVING FAMILY OR FULFILLINGACTIVITIES: In this busy world, there is very
little time to express love. Parents race off to work and return exhausted. Dysfunction, abuse
and addictions abound. Without love, depression and fear flourish. People also get depressed
when they are pressured to please others rather than engage in the activities which provide
personal fulfillment.

If you have intense mood swings or have had a psychotic episode, many will urge you to
take psychiatric medication. It is very tempting to do so, but psychiatric meds will not provide
love for the lonely or meaning for the unfulfilled. Nor will meds teach you how to be self-
disciplined, loving or full of faith. To avoid meds, we must learn not to be a victim of our moods.
Togain “mood mastery,” you need:

1. Regular sleep. Don’t count on your moods to tell you what to eat or when to sleep.
Keep to a schedule despite the temptation to stay on the computer or engage in
exciting activities! Make sure you get to sleep by 12 a.m. Sleep at least seven hours
during a high mood, but not more than nine during a low. L-theanine (100-200 mg.)
induces deeper and better quality sleep. Occasional melatonin can help, especially
from the age of 50. You can also try hops, passiflora, uzrad and valerian to calm you
occasionally.Turn your cell off at night, and do not tell anyone that you are available
24/7.
2. Regular meals. Have healthy meals at around the same time each day, whether you
are in the mood or not. When you are out, keep cheese, walnuts, almonds, and
whole wheat or rice crackers with you so that you do not get hungry or suffer from
hypoglycemia. The main ingredient in most psychiatric medication is serotonin, 95%
of which is produced in the digestive system. Your gut cannot function properly if
it is filled with junk foods and medication, which is why so many people need an
artificial source of serotonin.
3. Hormonal stabilizers. Women who suffer from monthly ups and downs need gamma
linoleic acid (GLA) in the form of borage or evening primrose oil (500 mg. every day
and 1000 mg. ten days before the period). GLA is reduced after ovulation, which is
why so many women have distressing pre-menstrual symptoms.
Chasteberry is also a natural hormonal stabilizer.
4. See a naturopath, who will prescribe a vitamin B supplement for stability. For manic
thoughts, add 1000 mg. no-flush niacin and 1000mg.niacinamide (B3). You might
also need extra B5 or B6 and natural mood stabilizers, such as choline-inositol (500-
1000 mg. twice daily). L-tryptophan creates serotonin and is calming. L-tyrosine and
L-phenylalanine are natural anti-depressants. [These can be adjusted daily according
to mood.]
5. Check your thyroid functioning. Lack of sleep and lack of iodine can cause thyroid
problems and mood disorders.
6. Learn E.F.T., C.B.T. or other methods which teach you to downplay your moods and
reprogram your mind with healthy thoughts.
7. Exercise. Join a club with regular classes and go whether you are in the mood or not.
8. Spot the symptoms and take action before things spin out of control. During “down”
times, imagine yourself lost in a snow storm. If you stop moving, which is very
tempting, you will freeze to death. Stick to your healthy schedule and do not let
yourself lay in bed all day. Volunteer, orfind meaningful work. During “up” times,
force yourself to shut out the internal excitement and relax with calming activities.

I realize that many people will be outraged by these suggestions, especially those whose
livelihood is threatened by self-healing methods. I have gotten hostile calls from conventional
doctors who accuse me of being irresponsible and ignorant, and putting lives at risk by providing
alternatives to psych meds. They repeat the refrain, “There are no side effects to psychiatric
meds! Medication is the only way to deal with emotional problems.” However,I have fifty
years of experience which has shown me that people who were functional before a psychotic
episodecan heal by adopting a disciplined lifestyle, learning to think securely and eat correctly.
Teens, in particular, need to learn these skills so that they do not feel like passive victims of
their moods, but develop the confidence to help them to ride out the emotional storms with
positivethoughts and actions.

For further information, write to [email protected]. In Israel, call 02-5868201. My
American line is 718-705-8404.