No, I'm not an alcoholic; I have been given alcohol on occasion by so-called friends and did not respond to it well and didn't like the after-effects.

If you want to know what pushed me into lifestyle changes, read an article by Ruth Whalen called "Caffeine Allergy". It's posted on the website http://DoctorYourself.com Go down the column on the left-hand side until you see the article "caffeine allergy". Ms. Whalen has the most comprehensive knowledge about how a chemical can affect the brain of those sensitive to caffeine (IMHO).

If caffeine can do that, bipolar illness may be, in part, a cerebral allergy. I've removed caffeine from my diet along with tea (containing it in some brands, though tea is more noted for theophylline than caffeine) and made some changes in my diet, moving more to an alkaline diet than one that leaves an acidic ash. Two websites http://alkalinefoods.com and http://acid-reactingfoods.com are helpful for you to learn which foods are best for your system.

Yes, I have a strong religious faith that sustains my emotional balance, along with a small dosage (10mg) of an antidepressant and a food medication called "Deplin" (a concentrated form of Vitamin B9, folic acid).

70% of depressed persons are lacking (genetically) in the enzymes that metabolize folic acid into folate which can cross the blood-brain barrier. Folate acts to increase the serotonin and dopamine neurotransmitters and is a miracle drug (almost) for anyone who cannot metabolize folic acid properly. Only genetic testing can determine that, but my doctor prescribed it without genetic testing on the assumption that, if it worked, I had probably inherited an inability to assimilate folic acid correctly. It worked!

That's how I do it, Thought bubble.

Now it's your turn to do some investigating for your health and happiness.

Best wishes,

Genetic