Depression and Bipolar

Written by Daniel Mark Norris Newton Davis

Last Updated: 11-22-08

My own toxic mold exposure brought chronic depression and what I would consider some level of bipolar disorder. I have since found out depression always accompanies the serious health problems which result from serious toxic mold exposures.

Your body is being dehydrated, as the mold fungi suck the water (H2O) out of your body for their own use. The mycotoxins are damaging the brain and central nervous system. The immune complexes are interrupting the circulatory system, preventing oxygenated blood from getting to the cells and tissues. These actions of dehydration and the immune complexes interrupting the flow rate of oxygenated blood degenerate and kill the cells and tissues.

Depression was a summary report communication of the very serious physiological problems my body was suffering from on a multisystemic level. When I reduced the level of toxic mold fungi, and the mycotoxins they produce, to a level the cleaning systems of my body could manage I no longer suffered from depression or bipolar disorder.

I had previously experienced temporary depression from an event such as someone dying or a girlfriend breaking up with me. But, the chronic depression I suffered as a result of the physiologically harmful effects of my toxic mold exposure was very different. It would come out of nowhere, with no apparent reason.

I remember a time during my toxic mold exposure when I was sitting in my living room and just started crying for no reason. It didn't make any sense. My daughter asked me what was wrong. All I could say was "I don't know". I didn't know then. The toxic mold and their mycotoxins were devastating the physiological condition of my body. Depression was a communication about that condition from my subconscious information/communication network.

Our bodies have an amazing autonomic information/communication network which keeps our heart beating, our lungs breathing, our fight or flight response reacting, and our immune system protecting us. There are millions of sensory cells and mechanisms throughout every part of our body sending a continual stream of information regarding every aspect of our physiological condition to network hubs or nodes located strategically around our body. Some are located in the brain, heart and base of the neck. All this happens without conscious thought. This autonomic network has facilitated survival of the human race for thousands of years.

We have an electrical communication network of synapses and neurons signaling information and responses. There is also a chemical communication network of ligands, receptors, cells, molecules, and hormone neurotransmitters. They all work autonomically on the subconscious level, without our conscious thought.

On our conscious level we make the decisions of what to eat and drink, what to breathe into our lungs, what drugs to allow into our bodies, whether to go to what kind of doctor, and what life styles we chose to live. These decisions made by us on the conscious level determine how long our autonomic system can manage to keep our human body in a generative state, a degenerative state, or alive in any state at all.

We have this huge gap between the incredible subconscious information/communication network which knows everything about every part of our body, and the conscious thought processes with which we make all of our life decisions. Human beings are the most advanced species on Earth. Yet most of us use only 10-15% of our brains. And we have barely begun to understand our minds and the incredible Mind/Body connection. Here I differentiate between our physical brain and our minds which include every physical part of our body, our subconscious information/communication network, and our connection to all the various forms of energy in the universe.

We have the potential to access incredible amounts of information about our own bodies from our subconscious information/communication network. Yet, most people do not evolve the ability to access it. Or, perhaps a more accurate way to put it would be to say most people do not allow it to evolve. They ignore the continual attempts by our subconscious information/communication network to communicate information to our conscious decision making process. These attempts at communication come in many forms. Premonitions, intuitions, feelings and emotions, and health symptoms.

Communications from the subconscious information/communication network come in many forms. They can come as thoughts that are all of a sudden there, thoughts that are there when you wake up, dreams, feelings that someone you are close to is in trouble or hurt, or you think of a person you know 20-30 seconds before they call you on the phone (about the time they were thinking of your number to dial, sending energy your way). The communications also come in the form of emotions.

Health symptoms are attempts to communicate underlying physiological problems. When you feel pain it is a communication of a physiological problem of some kind. If you feel pressure it is due to pressure building up against something physiologically. The symptom of depression in many cases is a communication that there are some serious physiological problems going on inside your body. And if your conscious decisions fail to correct them there are dire consequences on the horizon.

Premonitions, intuitions, feelings, emotions, sensations are contiually being used by our subconscious information/communication network in attempts to communicate information to our conscious decision making mind. But, most people ignore most of these communications. We live a hurried up lifestyle where we don't take enough time to listen to our wives, husbands, children, our bodies, or our minds. The network connections between the subconscious information/communication network and our conscious decision making mind is still in the pony express/telegragh stage of the Mind/Body evolution.

When we start answering the phones that are ringing off the hook, when we start completing the attempted connections, when we listen to all the information attempting to be communicated to us, we will then start to evolve the Mind/Body connection into the communication matrix that will facilitate the full human potential we were created to achieve. Then we can consciously direct our body to self heal and who knows what else.

This is what I have experienced. Once I reduced and/or eliminated the serious physiological problems, the depression and bipolar disorders were reduced and/or eliminated in direct correlation. It was then that I became convinced the serious physiological problems had caused the depression. Some of the doctors I saw during the period of health problems caused by my toxic mold exposure tried to say the depression caused the physiological problems. They tried to put the cart in front of the horse.

Not to say your thoughts can not have a significant effect on your physiological condition. They certainly can, due to the strong Mind/Body connection. Since, prayers, meditation, and your very thoughts can actually change the crystal structure of water, they certainly can affect the physiological condition of your body, which is 70-90% water.

Serotonin

Sunlight provides our bodies with serotonin, an important neurotransmitter hormone which plays a significant role in our feeling of well being. Lack of sunlight, and the serotonin sunlight provides, can contribute to hormone imbalance and the depression which results. Some antidepressants alter the reuptake action of serotonin to produce more serotonin.

During the winter months when there is less sunlight we receive less serotonin. In areas like Alaska and Siberia there is very little sunlight each day during those winter months. This plays a role in SAD, Seasonal Affective Disorder. Sunlight is lacking, serotonin is decreased, depression sets in.

Often alcohol is used to temporarily self medicate away the symptoms. But, like most drugs it harms you in the long run. Alcohol is produced by aging, fermenting, molding grains and fruits. Basically you are drinking a glass of mold to achieve the desired affect. Alcohol is a known depressant. There are many parallels between the effects of alcohol and toxic mold exposures.

Carbohydrates

People suffering from depression and/or bipolar disorders often crave carbohydrates. The conditions of depression and bipolar disorders are often caused by the harmful effects of toxic molds on the human body. Since mold and other fungi consume carbohydrates, depleting their levels within the body, it makes sense that the body would crave that which has been depleted. Due to our body's autonomic systems which have facilitated human survival for thousands of years our bodies usually know what they need. We just need to become better at listening and understanding what our bodies are trying to communicate to us.

Creative Genius/Mental Illness Paradox

There has long been a paradox which scientists are still debating. An unusually high number of creative geniuses throughout history have suffered from depression and/or bipolar disorders. The paradox is how can you have creative genius and mental illness at the same time? But then, if depression and bipolar were not really mental illness, if they were actually communications of underlying physiological problems, there would be no paradox.

I had chronic depression and some bipolar problems during the period of time when my health was devastated by toxic mold and their mycotoxins. Depression and bipolar symptoms disappeared from my life once the effects of the toxic mold exposure no longer was devastating my health. So, at least some unknown percentage of the cases of depression and bipolar disorders are directly a result of physiological problems.

As I thought about the creative genius/mental illness paradox I recalled how an unusually high number of creative geniuses also suffered serious health problems. How many other creative geniuses suffered unknown subtle physiological ailments which could have triggered creative elements of the brain will never be known. It is not that unusual for people who have had near death experiences or serious illnesses to end up with some enhanced mental ability. How many others ended up with but, never evolved those abilities will never be known.

I believe the immune system holds the keys to armories of special weapons it can access in our minds when they are needed. Serious illness and serious situations can trigger access to these special weapons. Once they have done their job we have a choice of just sending them back where they came from. Or, we can use this gateway to those parts of our minds to access and evolve the Mind/Body connection to a higher level.

Perhaps in many cases of creative genius their physiological conditions triggered those enhanced intuitions and perceptions. And if they could have corrected the physiological conditions which were making them so ill they would not have died prematurely, while keeping open their access to enhanced abilities.

Significant Articles

Washington Post.com:

"Despite a dramatic increase in the psychiatric treatment of emotional disorders over the past decade, there has been no decrease in the rate of suicidal thoughts and behavior among adults, according to a highly respected federal survey."

"Many antidepressants suppress REM sleep. Heavy smokers often sleep very lightly and have reduced amounts of REM sleep. They also tend to wake up after 3 or 4 hours of sleep due to nicotine withdrawal. Many people who suffer from insomnia try to solve the problem with alcohol the so-called night cap. While alcohol does help people fall into light sleep, it also robs them of REM and the deeper, more restorative stages of sleep. Instead, it keeps them in the lighter stages of sleep, from which they can be awakened easily."

"Sleep appears necessary for our nervous systems to work properly. Too little sleep leaves us drowsy and unable to concentrate the next day. It also leads to impaired memory and physical performance and reduced ability to carry out math calculations. If sleep deprivation continues, hallucinations and mood swings may develop. Some experts believe sleep gives neurons used while we are awake a chance to shut down and repair themselves. Without sleep, neurons may become so depleted in energy or so polluted with byproducts of normal cellular activities that they begin to malfunction. Sleep also may give the brain a chance to exercise important neuronal connections that might otherwise deteriorate from lack of activity."

Sleep and Circadian Rhythms- "Shift workers have an increased risk of heart problems, digestive disturbances, and emotional and mental problems, all of which may be related to their sleeping problems. The number and severity of workplace accidents also tend to increase during the night shift. Major industrial accidents attributed partly to errors made by fatigued night-shift workers include the Exxon Valdez oil spill and the Three Mile Island and Chernobyl nuclear power plant accidents."

"REM sleep seems to help prevent seizures that begin in one part of the brain from spreading to other brain regions, while deep sleep may promote the spread of these seizures. Sleep deprivation also triggers seizures in people with some types of epilepsy.

Neurons that control sleep interact closely with the immune system. As anyone who has had the flu knows, infectious diseases tend to make us feel sleepy. This probably happens because cytokines, chemicals our immune systems produce while fighting an infection, are powerful sleep-inducing chemicals. Sleep may help the body conserve energy and other resources that the immune system needs to mount an attack.

Sleeping problems occur in almost all people with mental disorders, including those with depression and schizophrenia. People with depression, for example, often awaken in the early hours of the morning and find themselves unable to get back to sleep. The amount of sleep a person gets also strongly influences the symptoms of mental disorders. Sleep deprivation is an effective therapy for people with certain types of depression, while it can actually cause depression in other people. Extreme sleep deprivation can lead to a seemingly psychotic state of paranoia and hallucinations in otherwise healthy people, and disrupted sleep can trigger episodes of mania (agitation and hyperactivity) in people with manic depression."

MSN Health and Fitness - Bipolar Disorder: A Mistaken Diagnoses

http://health.msn.com/centers/bipolar/articlepage.aspx?cp-documentid=100164609

The above link is to an article which describes bipolar disorder from the current viewpoint of the western medical establishment.

What I find interesting is that the very symptoms described collectively on the manic and depression sides of bipolar disorder are some of the very symptoms suffered as a result of a toxic mold exposure. And they are also some of the symptoms which disappear when the mold spores and their mycotoxins are cleansed from the human body. The above article listed the following symptoms for bipolar disorder:

"What to Look For

In the Height of Mania:

1. Increased energy and restlessness
2. Excessively euphoric mood
3. Extreme irritability
4. Fast thinking
5. Inability to concentrate
6. Difficulty sleeping
7. Poor judgment
8. Increased sex drive
9. Abuse of drugs
10. Aggressive behavior
11. Denial that anything is wrong

In the Depths of Depression:

1. Feeling sad, empty, hopeless, guilty
2. High levels of anxiety
3. Loss of interest in activities once enjoyed
4. Decreased energy; feeling lethargic and fatigued
5. Difficulty concentrating and making decisions
6. Change in appetite
7. Unexplained aches and pains
8. Thoughts of death or suicide"

Toxic mold exposures are occurring throughout the general population to various degrees. Their effects on those populations also varies depending on the species of the toxic mold, concentration level, length of exposure, genetic susceptibility and the level of mold spores and their mycotoxins already accumulated inside a person's body.

In some homes, schools or workplaces the toxic mold problem is very strong due to the species of the micro-organism, and/or the shear numbers of toxic mold and their mycotoxins concentrated inside the home or building. Living or working inside these homes and buildings, where the mycotoxins from toxic molds reach concentrated levels, can have a very profound effect on the health of those people within a relatively short period of time.

Living or working in a home, school or workplace where there is less of a toxic mold problem, resulting in a lower level of mold and their mycotoxins, can still have a profound effect on the health of those people living or working there. The exposure to the mycotoxins is just more gradual, taking longer for the mycotoxins to accumulate inside the person's body. The human body has difficulty ridding the mold spores and their mycotoxins from the mucous membranes. So, when the volume exceeds the human body's capacity to clean them from the the body the mold spores and their mycotoxins accumulate to higher and higher levels.

When the level of toxic mold exposure is lower, and the accumulation of mold spores and their mycotoxins inside the human body is more gradual, the health effects manifesting themselves are more subtle. With the health problems being more subtle and gradual in manifesting themselves, the correlation to the health problems being related to an exposure to toxic mold is usually not realized by either a person or, their doctor.

This is further exasperated by most doctors having had very little training in mycology. This leaves them with a usually admited lack of knowledge on how toxic mold exposures affect the human body. Unfortunately, this often leads to a failure to identify exposure to toxic mold and their mycotoxins as the causation of a person's health problems. This is especially true when that exposure is at a low level with a gradual accumulation of mold spores and their mycotoxins, leading to subtle health symptoms.

As the above article articulates, "One of biggest difficulties concerning bipolar disorder is the thorny issue of mistaken identity". They also state "Now that physicians are thoroughly befuddled, they go forth by prescribing antidepressants that only make matters way worse. A recent study led by psychiatrist Gary Sachs, of Massachusetts General Hospital, found that antidepressants, in conjunction with the standard treatment of mood stabilizers such as lithium, rarely help patients with bipolar disorder. While Sach's study showed that antidepressants do not provoke manic episodes, many researchers argue that they do. They also argue that antidepressants cause other ill effects such as inducing rapid cycling between depressed and manic states, as well as increasing suicidal thoughts. ".

I suggest that some significant percentage of the people, both those diagnosed as being bipolar and those not diagnosed as being bipolar, are manifesting those health symptoms as a direct result of their exposure to toxic molds and their mycotoxins. In most cases their exposure to toxic molds and their mycotoxins is not identified as the underlying causation of their health problems by either themselves or their doctors. This is especially true where the mold is inside the walls, ceiling or floor where it is not visible and evident.

As a result of the underlying causation not being identified, the people continue their exposure and accumulation of mold spores and mycotoxins for an even longer period of time. The health problems get worse until they are so pronounced the symptoms match those of a disease, ailment or disorder. Drugs are prescribed to deal with the symptoms, often causing side effects which require another drug. Since the 1970s prescribed drugs have targeted the symptoms rather than the underlying causation. This is like shooting the symtom messenger. With the underlying causation continuing to feed the degeneration of the human body and it's operating systems, the overall progression is one of deterioration.

Meanwhile, the autonomic communication network of sensory mechanisms throughout the human body identifies the serious nature of the physiological problems. It attempts to communicate a description of the current physiological situation to your conscious mind using symptoms and emotional feelings, such as depression. But, most people have lost their ability to listen to what their bodies are trying to tell them, in favor of drugs which cater to our instant gratification society. Take away the communication symptom of pain or inflammation, and take it away as fast as possible. Messenger shot. Underlying causation still actively making it worse. Overall progression is a downward spiral.

At the same time, the autonomic systems, which have enabled the survival of the human race for thousands of years, are in a life or death battle for both pysiological and mental control of the human body. The mind and the body are intertwined like the ying and the yang. Both have great influence over the other in ways humankind is only starting to understand. We only use a very small percentage of our mind's potential.

The mind holds keys to abilities which usually lay dormant from lack of use. When serious disease or injury require special weapons, the mind is known to open up areas of the mind where these special abilities are stored untill needed. These connections into areas of special abilities, or perhaps a higher consciousness, often linger and become more pronounced after they no longer are burdened with the serious illness or injury.

Now you get into a catch-22, merry-go-round situation. You have an underlying causation degenerating the human body. The autonomic communication system attempts to communicate the physiological problems using various physiological symptoms, including the chemical communication network of emotions. Instead of correcting the underlying causation, drugs are given to the patient to kill the uncomfortable or painful communication of the symptoms.

The autonomic systems are on their own to battle for the very existence of your carbon unit. They call in every weapon they have at their disposal. Their success waxes and wanes. When they get the upper hand there is a feeling of euphoria. When they are losing ground the communication of depression tells you so.

And with the very important mind/body connection strongly influencing each other, it becomes very difficult to decipher which influenced which, in what way. There is a strong potential for negative thoughts to command negative chemical reactions within the human body. While the autonomic communication network of our mind is attempting to tell us what we need to know, our prayers, meditation, and our very thoughts influence what happens inside our bodies in ways we are only beginning to understand by studying the chemical communication network of ligands and receptors.

**** Brown University: Brown Study Finds Link Between Depression And Household Mold

Dr. James Howenstine: The Overlooked Relationship Between Infectious Diseases and Mental Symptoms

MedicineNet.com: Foods That Fight Winter Depression

MedicineNet.com: Depression

MedicineNet.com: Postpartum Depression

MedicineNet.com: Definition of Serotonin

Vanderbilt Kennedy Center for Research on Human Development: Expanding Perspectives of Young Scientists

sitemason.vanderbilt.edu: Odd behavior and creativity may go hand-in-hand, new research finds

MDF the Bipolar Organisation: Bipolar

Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance: Depression

msnbc.msn.com: Popular antidepressant (Effexor) linked to overdoses

Bipolar Aware.co.uk: True Facts Page

Child and Adolescent Bipolar Foundation: About Pediatic Bipolar Disorder

LiveScience.: Fine Line Revealed Between Creativity and Insanity

Patient Health International: What is Depression?

Patient Health International: The Mad Genius - Fact or Fiction?

Serendip: Myth or Madness? Mania and the Creative Genius

talentdevelope.com: Depression and Creative Expression

Andy Behrman- Electroboy: Fighting Depression and Bipolar Disorder

NAMI National Alliance on Mental Illness: People with Mental Illness Enrich Our Lives

St. Judes Children's Research Hospital: Synaptic connections need nurturing to retain their structure and keep outsiders at bay

WFCR.org: The Wild Child: Coping with a Bipolar Youth

WHO World Health Organization: World Mental Health Day 2006:'Building Awareness-Reducing Risks: Suicide and Mental Illness'

Dr. Mercola.com: Many articles on Depression

The Bleeping Herald: Vedic Architecture-the power of life-giving principles

CNN.com: Are you Suffering from Brain Mold?