I have some introductory remarks here, but below them is a video that explains the difference between gluten sensitivity, gluten intolerance and Celiac disease. There is also a listing of diseases and health issues gluten can cause. If people have any of these issues at play eliminating gluten can be a very good thing for their over all health and well-being.
I’ve heard people “poo-poo” the importance of diet for mental health issues and they use the argument that if psycho-social programs like Soteria and Open Dialogue can heal those with “schizophrenia” it’s not very credible that diet has much to do with it. I find this argument rather lacking since, first of all, we don’t see a 100% recovery rate even in these programs. 15 to 20% remain unwell. What if diet were changed in these folks in addition to offering psycho-social supports? Also, being that we’re holistic beings, more than one thing can be causing dis-ease in our body/mind/spirit. We might find that attending to something psycho-socially gets us back on our feet and functioning, but we don’t feel REALLY good until we attend to diet and exercise etc. The incidence of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS – which is a clear indicator of gut and dietary issues) is very high among those with psychiatric labels. One cannot remain healthy long, in body or mind, if one doesn’t properly absorb the nutrients in food. That fact alone is good reason to look deeper into the holistic nature of all these ills. Black and white thinking doesn’t serve anyone here.
I’ve discovered that eliminating gluten has been critical in my care. I am still ruling out celiac disease. The hyper-sensitivity caused by the withdrawal syndrome, however may be what has made me radically sensitive to gluten at least for the time being. Much hyper-sensitivity caused by withdrawal syndromes actually clears up in time for most people. So if it is caused by the withdrawal syndrome it may indeed lighten up in time. Still, while one is actively hyper-sensitive, cleaning up the diet and healing the gut is imperative. I am currently grain-free. (all grains, as this video suggests is a good idea)
For some with a variety of psychiatric diagnosis it’s worth ruling out issues with gluten and often other foods too: Studies show gluten sensitivity in those labeled with schizophrenia and bipolar (and how gluten can affect a lot of us regardless of dx)
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For more information this is where I found this video: Gluten Free Society
Below is a list of some of the common symptoms and diseases associated with gluten also from Gluten Free Society:
● Asthma
● ADD/ADHD
● Autism
● Rheumatoid arthritis and other autoimmune conditions that cause joint pain
● IBS (irritable bowel syndrome)
● Neuropathy
● Vertigo
● Constipation, gas, bloating, and stomach pain
● Eczema
● Fatigue
● unexplained weight loss
● weight gain and obesity
I recently wrote another post on gluten in mental health issues too: Studies show gluten sensitivity in those labeled with schizophrenia and bipolar (and how gluten can effect a lot of us regardless of dx)
I also discuss the importance of healing the gut and proper nutrition here: Nutrition and Gut Health