How to Turn your Brain OFF to Sleep!

Natural Cures for Insomnia (Includes Excerpts from my book: Med Free Bipolar)

As a Dr Amen Certified Brain Health Coach, I would estimate that about 75% of my clients report this major sleep problem: they just can’t turn their brain OFF at night to go to sleep!

Did you know that your brain actually has neurotransmitters that function as ON and OFF switches? I used to have this same problem, and had to take Ambien to even get any sleep; that is not very congruous for an author who writes med free books!

My husband can say: “goodnight” and be snoring within 30 seconds! How does he do that?! I asked him one time how he does that and he replied, “I don’t know, I just tell my brain to turn off, and it does. It’s like an “off switch in my brain.” Ugh! I don’t have one of those I thought!

Nothing seems to mess your day worse than irregular sleep, and my sleep trouble started around age two with night terrors (I will later do a whole blog on how to stop these)!

I think it is important to find sleep aids from natural sources if you have trouble falling asleep on your own.  For me, I sometimes need to use several tactics, especially in the fall when I still get some mild hypomanic break-through symptoms (formerly diagnosed bipolar 1).

I understand that sleep is often difficult for the many people’s. There are things that can augment and compliment other natural therapies instead of throwing chemicals at a brain that may not tolerate them as well as a brain that is stabilized.

Look for Sleep combinations that contain GABA-

THIS IS THE MOTHER SHIP of HOW TO TURN YOUR BRAIN OFF!

GABA is the “OFF” switch to the brain (I seem to have been born without one)

These ones with GABA work great for me, and when I looked into why they might work, it made a lot of sense. It does not work for everyone, however, even those with racing thoughts.

GABA- Many natural sleep aids contain GABA (Gamma-amino butyric acid), which is produced by neurons in the brain. It is the primary inhibitory neurotransmitter in our central nervous system. I had finally found my brain’s “off switch.”  GABA can be an excitatory neurotransmitter in a developing brain, so it may have the opposite effect in children and thus is for adult use only. My favorite blend is called Theanine Serene with Relora (Amazon).

Theanine- Is an amino acid that comes from green tea and can cross the blood-brain barrier. It is known for its stress relieving properties. It can cross the blood-brain barrier. As an amino acid, Theanine helps you wind down before sleep, and then once asleep, can help you sleep more soundly through the night.

Many sleep blends also contains herbs and melatonin.

Common Sense Suggestions

Create a restful environment where you can sleep. My house is always cluttered, but I try to keep all of it out of the bedroom. A clean space can do wonders for peace of mind. I keep a bottle of lavender water next to my bed to spritz pillows with occasionally. My hubby loves it too. You can also try a lavender essential oil diffuser or a warm lavender bath.

Make sure you have a good mattress and pillow; the foundations are important.  We suffered with a queen mattress that was not very suitable to us, so I sold it on Craigslist to a new college student who loved it, and I was able to buy a king-sized mattress of even better quality for the same price that I had sold my old one.  Be creative in solving problems, as it does not always take extra money.

Have lights on a dimmer switch or use low wattage light bulbs. Low lighting can actually help trigger your body’s natural sleep cycle and induce melatonin. Turning on bright lights can interrupt the circadian rhythms.

Do not watch TV in the bedroom or work on the computer. Do not do stimulating activities such as exercise right before bed. Instead, try journaling, especially in a gratitude journal, listening to classical or soothing music or nature sounds, writing down what is on your mind, or reading a book that is not a page-turner.

Don’t drink alcohol or caffeine as both interfere with sleep patterns. Alcohol may seem to make you sleepy at first, but can disrupt sleep in the middle of the night or increase trips to the bathroom, which is obviously also disruptive.

Think of things that you are grateful for as you lie in bed. Gratitude can help combat some of the negative self-talk and other things that go along with what may be going on inside your head. Shifting to gratitude is a powerful tool.

Pray your way to sleep or use imagery to put yourself somewhere relaxing. I like to picture myself as a baby chick, wrapped in the shelter of His wings, and I do not think God minds if I fall asleep talking to Him in the middle of a prayer. Here are a few great ones:

• Psalm 4:8: I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for Thou, Lord, only makest me dwell in safety.
• Psalm 16:7: I will bless the Lord, Who hath given me counsel: my reins [heart] also instruct me in the night seasons.
• Psalm 29:11: The Lord will give strength unto His people; the Lord will bless His people with peace.
• Psalm 34:7: The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear Him, and delivereth them.
• Psalm 42:8: Yet the Lord will command His lovingkindness in the daytime, and in the night His song shall be with me, and my prayer unto the God of my life.
• Deuteronomy 33:12a: The beloved of the Lord shall dwell in safety by Him.
• 1 Kings 8:56a: Blessed be the Lord, that hath given rest unto His people.
• Job 11:18,19a: And thou shalt be secure, because there is hope; yea, thou shalt dig about thee, and thou shalt take thy rest in safety. 19 Also thou shalt lie down, and none shall make thee afraid.

Imagining a peaceful setting can be helpful. My dad kept an erratic sleep schedule for thirty years while working as a locomotive engineer for the Union Pacific Rail Road, and he said that imagining the waves lapping at the shore and then receding further and further back into the ocean really helped him fall asleep. I remember him telling me this over a dozen years ago, so it has probably helped me as well.

“He will cover you with his feathers. He will shelter you with his wings. His faithful promises are your armor and protection.” Psalm 91:4 (NIV)

GOT MILK?

Drinking about 8-16 oz. of milk at bedtime, preferably warm if you like, is not just an old wives tale.  My grandmother swears by it, but so does science. Milk contains tryptophan, which the body converts into melatonin, helping you fall asleep very naturally. It has never been quite enough for me to take it alone, but in conjunction with some of my other recommendations, it should help.  If you do not drink milk, a slice of cheese can work also, but if you do not consume dairy products, there are plenty of other natural remedies to try.

HERBAL SLEEP TEAS

Making a cup of tea about an hour before bedtime can have both relaxation and health benefits. Green tea has been found to be a high anti-oxidant and weight-loss booster, and there are thousands of herbs that are used medicinally around the world that can be as or more effective than prescription medications.  Herbs for sleep are no exception, and if you look at the ingredients in most over-the-counter sleep aids, you will find many of them are herb-based. Using these in teas is just another way to get dosing, and can be used in conjunction with most of the other recommendations.

Many herbs can contraindicate with medications however, so be sure to talk with your doctor if you are on other prescription medications.  Remember that many drugs are based on herbs, so just because it is natural does not mean that it cannot be powerful.

There are many herbs that can be used in teas to aid in sleep. Valerian is especially helpful in helping people fall asleep, may improve the quality of sleep, and can even help with anxiety. Valerian by itself does not make a very good-tasting tea, so it is best to mask it with something else, like lemon balm and hops.  According to Mark Tengler, N.D., in his book, The Natural Physician’s Healing Therapies, Valerian should not be taken in conjunction with tranquilizers or antidepressants.

OVER THE COUNTER SLEEP REMEDIES

It took me a long time to find ones that worked for me. Melatonin by itself did nothing, nor did Valerian. It took combining several tactics until I finally found a natural over-the-counter one that worked.

QSleep sublingual spray by QSciences: ( $15-$20 @ www.medfreechild.com)

I recommend this one the most, but I have had to take it with GABA (see above) to shut my busy brain up. The reason I recommend it is my naturopath, Dr. Daniel Nuzum, says the best herbs for the brain are valerian, hops, passionflower, and skullcap. This one has most of them in one absorbable spray form, along with 5HTP. I read an entire book on 5HTP, and it is amazing!

QSleep contains:

• 1mg of melatonin per serving. This specifically proportioned amount of melatonin is gentle enough to not raise melatonin levels in the body higher than are naturally produced when the pineal gland is functioning properly, but sufficient to aid in restful sleep.
• 0.75 mg of 5-HTP per serving. 5-HTP (5-Hydroxytryptophan) is a chemical by-product of the protein building block L-tryptophan. It works in the brain and central nervous system to increase the production of serotonin, which affects sleep.
• QSleep also contains a proprietary herbal extract to help a person stay asleep throughout the night. The proprietary extract includes the following:

o       Cramp bark: The chemicals in cramp bark seem to decrease muscle spasms.

o       Feverfew: The feverfew herb has many uses, but it seems to be effective for preventing migraine headaches, which can interfere with sleep

o       Ginkgo biloba: Ginkgo biloba leaves are generally used to make extracts that improve blood circulation, which might help the brain, eyes, ears, and legs function better.

o       Passionflower: The passionflower is a plant often used for insomnia, gastrointestinal (GI) upset related to anxiety or nervousness, generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), and relieving symptoms related to narcotic drug withdrawal. The chemicals in passionflower have been used for calming, sleep inducing, and muscle spasm relieving effects.

o       Peppermint: Studies have shown that the leaf and oil from the Peppermint plant provide numerous health benefits. It may aid in helping relieve muscle pain, nerve pain, digestive processes, upset stomach, and inflammation.

o       Skullcap: Most commonly, skullcap is used for trouble sleeping, anxiety, stroke, and spasms.

o       Valerian root: Valerian is an herb that has been used for centuries to help with anxiety and act as a sleep aid.

According to the Dr. Oz show on April 8, 2014: “Take a supplement that combines Valerian, Hops, and Passionflower to help you get a better night’s sleep. Dr. Low Dog shared a study that showed this combination to work as effectively as Ambien, but without the same side effects.”

Ambien used to be my sleep drug of choice, and it still amazes me that three little herbs can hold their own in medical research studies to a hypnotic drug that comes with scary side effects like sleepwalking and memory loss.

Homeopathic Calms Forte by HIGHLAND’S

This is a homeopathic sleep remedy that I found at Whole Foods market, but I personally did not find it to work for me.  I am including it, however, because mine is not the only bipolar brain out there, and it has worked great for some of my other friends who have bipolar.

Flower Essences: There are blends for sleep and dreaming (My only recommended source is Freedom Flowers, as how they are made is important. (http://www.freedom-flowers.com/about/)

Somnapure: Natural Sleep Aid by PEAK LIFE

This is a non-habit forming sleep aid that contains valerian root extract, lemon balm, L-Theanine, hops extract, chamomile flower extract, passion flower extract, and 3 mg of melatonin.  I found this one effective, but I thought that others were more effective but a lot less expensive.

AMINO ACIDS– An amino acid blend can help with sleep. My first experience with aminos I actually slept so deeply that I wet the bed. Yep, that happened. And I even slept through it!

5-HTP– is the precursor to melatonin production, and it worked a lot better for me than melatonin itself.

Reverse Psychology

This may seem too simple, but reverse psychology works even on yourself. Chant over and over: “I am not tired, I am not tired; I can’t fall asleep. I must stay awake.” There are other visualization tricks beyond counting sheep. You can find more good ideas at: http://www.sleepingtricks.com

Circadian Balancing

In approximately fifty percent of those who suffer from bipolar, the circadian system is unstable. Internal regulation of sleep patterns is weak. Our circadian system is what allows our body to maintain a consistent 24-hour cycle of activity: being able to sleep at night and alert during the day. At different times of the day we have increased or decreased activity of certain organs and hormones. These rhythms originate in our brain but are kept in check by external clues such as light and darkness, activities, meals, routines, etc. When these are working, we feel healthy, happy, and energized, but when they are out of balance a lot of problems can occur.

Things that can help balance the circadian system include:

• Using an alarm clock that simulates the sunrise.
• Using a light box for 30 minutes in the morning (note: bright light therapy should always be used with dark therapy to prevent switching to hypomania/mania.)
• Dark Therapy- dimming lights 2-3 hours before bed or using low-light glasses can help. Even just a few seconds of bright light can trigger alertness.
• Consistent routines. Eating, drinking, exercising, and other daily activities are best done at the same time everyday.

Summary Action Plan: APPLICATION:

For example: have a small but concentrated cup of tea (Chamomile, valerian, hops, passionflower, skullcap blend would be great!), then dim the lights around the house, play some relaxing music, drink a small glass of milk, brush your teeth, and take some GABA, then read for a while or pray before lights out. Spray the pillow with some lavender water. I usually need to also wear silicon earplugs and a sleep mask, as even a little light and noise are enough to re-stimulate my senses.  It has also been helpful to get my husband a z-quiet device that helps reduce his snoring. If you are the one who snores, be sure to eliminate any underlying causes like sleep apnea. As your eyes are closed and the room is dark, try some of the visualization tips and whisper some memorized scripture verses regarding sleep.

You have to apply as many of the best tips above for some of our “tougher to put to sleep” brains. Another day, perhaps I will tell you about how my sleep was miraculously healed in a prayer room, to where now I do not even have to use anything! WOW! There is no substitute for God’s Supernatural Psychiatry! 

Explore Life Without Medication!

I have been asked for a program that would help them beyond my book, Med Free Bipolar. A program to walk them through becoming med free and mind free. This program is the closest thing to the program that I would create myself. If one were to add in the Empowerplus™ Q96 brain vitamins on top of this 44-day Program, I believe extraordinary healing will occur in the brain! I highly encourage you to take advantage of this special offer Dr. Kelly Brogan is giving my readers: a Free eBook, a free chapter, a free Q&A session with her (9/16/16), and $100 off her program (only through 9/20/16!) Blessings & Med Free Health!  –Aspen Morrow

What would you give to feel whole again?

According to my friend, Dr. Kelly Brogan, this is all you really need to change your life:

Knowledge. Tools. Support. And a Reset.

Maybe you’ve been told that depression, anxiety and stress are an imbalance in your brain. That something in you is broken, and you can only “fix” yourself pills. That idea is a terrible myth. What is broken — and outdated — is our healthcare system.

These myths handed down by trusted authorities are keeping you sick and confused.

But with the right knowledge and tools — combined with the right support — you can hit the reset button and awaken the person you were meant to be. Naturally.

You can heal yourself.

Dr. Brogan, author of the best-selling book, A Mind of Your Own, sees patients in her practice in NYC as a holistic psychiatrist. She told me:

“I’ve seen women come to me drained of energy. Overwhelmed by anxiety. Sunken by depression. And I’ve seen those same women walk away feeling fully alive again. Healthy. Self-assured and in control. All without drugs.”

Now, Dr. Brogan has taken the very same knowledge and tools she uses with her patients, and combined it with an online support program called Vital Mind Reset. With this life-changing, step-by-step program, you can take the steps to a better life from your own home, and for a fraction of the cost her patients pay.

Here’s what one Vital Mind Resetter had to say about her experience:

I did the reset diet when A Mind of Your Own came out and felt fantastic. However the changes I’ve experienced while doing the Vital Mind Reset program have been dramatically more than I ever expected. This wasn’t just about diet. It was about changing my mindset and focusing on all of the components that the program addresses. Having the support of other people working to change their lives as well was also invaluable.

Vital Mind Reset is a 44-day program that will hold your hand and introduce you to a community of people just like you – all working to transform their lives and revive their power and joy.

This is the first time Dr. Brogan has opened up enrollment for Vital Mind Reset to my followers. So, for a limited time you can join the program at a steep discount.

Visit the Vital Mind Reset page to learn more.

You’re not crazy, just Hangry

Imagine a sweet little puppy: happy, playful, not a care in the world. Now, take his food away for three days, then set a big steak in front of him teasingly, then try to take it from him; he will bite your hand off and has turned MEAN. This is the case in about 80%+* of cases causing mental illness: the brain is just HANGRY. 

When a horse chews on a fence-post it is called “cribbing”, known to farmers as a sign of mineral deficiency or digestive distress. When humans act out, it is the same. Signs of micronutrient mineral deficiencies include: cutting/self-harm tendencies, hair-pulling, skin picking, autistic “stimming”, eating disorders, & most mental health disorders.

The brain requires about 20% of your entire nutritional needs, and just like a baby in the womb, it requires the first 20%! Most people aren’t psychiatric because they aren’t more than 80% depleted nutritionally. We are seeing more and more cases due to our depleted soils, processed food addiction, leaky gut, lack of probiotic  & healthy gut microbes that help assimilate nutrition, and genetic deficiencies that can actually be passed down. (i.e> folic acid and birth defects, potassium deficiency leads to moles & freckles)

I talk about this quite a bit in my book: Med Free Bipolar (Amazon), about Physical Ailments that can cause psychiatric symptoms, and HOW to fix them, step by step, with the med free method™ –

Here is a list of things that can look psychiatric, or cause people to be diagnosed:
· Hypoglycemia (including subclinical)
· Allergies and Sensitivities to Food, Inhalants, and Other Substances
· Dysbiosis (Overgrowth of unfriendly gut organisms, including Candida)
· Nutrient Deficiency
· Nutrient Overload
· Copper/Zinc Imbalance
· Poor Diet
· Mercury Toxicity
· Other Heavy Metals Toxicity
· Toxins (Carbon Monoxide, Pesticides, Aspartame©, etc.)
· Subclinical Hypothyroidism
· Adrenal Insufficiency
· Reproductive Hormone Imbalance
· Histamine Imbalance
· Pyroluria/ Over-Under Methylation/ MTHFR
· Lack of Exercise
· Lack of Sunlight
· Lack of Exposure to Greenery
· Suppressed Pain
· Musculo-Skeletal Misalignment
· Hearing Disorders
· Visual Disorders
· Sleeping Disorders
· Head Injury
· Sensory Integration Dysfunction
· Dental and Orthodontic Problems
· Parasites/ Urinary Tract Infections/ Antobiotics/ Leaky Gut/ Other microbiome issues
· Psychotropic Drugs, EMF/ELF

So, what if you could reverse some if not all of these issues through simple supplementation?! Some issues may require extensive gut-healing, dietary changes, and customized supplementation, but most can experience relief through a specific group of supplements. Here is a simplified version of my med free method™ that you can do immediately:

1. Himalayan Pink Salt (2 tsp/day) & Lots of Good, clean, filtered or Alkaline Water!
2. Empowerplus Q96 Brain Vitamin to feed the whole central nervous system (Backed by 20yrs clinical use, 28 medical studies, 44 researchers including Harvard, and $25 million in independent research. Few meds can top this proof. Nothing else can be substituted for this and work as well!) (Please order at www.medfreechild.com to save $ over Amazon or truehope) Research @ truehope.com/research
3. Probiotics (QBiotics or Primal Defense) + Digestive Enzymes or Bitters 
4. Essential Fatty Acids: Coconut Oil (eat it, put on skin), Omegas, Avocados, Grass-fed Butter, Ghee (My fist recommend for omega source is Green Pasture’s Blue Ice Royal Fermented Cod-liver with Butter Oil. It provides vitamin D & Vit K2) If you can’t tolerate it, then QOmega can be purchased with the Q96 and does not burp fish oil)

That’s it! Yes, this plan would run you about $120 per month, but because of this regime, I was able to live a normal life again. Work, get off public assistance, have healthy children and a marriage. I have been med free 13 years now, and a few days to a few weeks without my brain being fed the above nutrients, I return to bat-guano HANGRY. We have helped thousands now fully recover…. so please share this with anyone who might benefit.

Great Resources:

Safe Harbor (http://www.alternativementalhealth.com)

TrueHope.com/research 

www.medfreechild.com (My affiliate link discount passed on to you!) Select one item to cart and one item to auto-delivery for your own wholesale pricing! Even my retail pricing is cheaper than TrueHope or Amazon

Best-selling book: Med Free Bipolar 

Kelly Brogan, MD — Holistic Psychiatrist 

*TrueHope Nutritional Support, Canada (based on 28 research studies spanning 20 years)

Patty Duke Predicted the Future of Mental Health

I wish Patty Duke had been a Med Free Bipolar

I was born and raised in Idaho, and one year ago when Patty Duke spoke at a women’s conference in Boise, I was unaware that she also lived in Idaho. We had a Q&A session with her, and I raised my hand. When she called on me I jokingly stated that I thought I was the most famous bipolar person in Idaho, but she obviously trumps me and my little ‘ol book.

I do not even remember what I asked her, I wish I did. Afterwards I waited in line a long time, and she signed a couple of my books for gifts to other people, and I gave her a signed copy of mine.

But I do remember one profound statement she made, eerily prophetic more than even she knew at the time. She said, and I may slightly misquote: “I believe that a cure for Bipolar will be found, and I don’t think it will be medication.” She incessantly licked her lips as a side effect of years on lithium, and I saw a glimpse of myself in 30 years if I had not found an alternative to meds.

I wish we could have met years ago, before the lithium side effects took their toll on her, and she could have given me countless insight as well. Her prophetic words will forever be with me now, markedly even more pronounced by her death. There is an answer already to bipolar and all types of brain disorders. Like she alluded to…it is not medication, but rather addresses the root of the issue: severe brain deficiencies, carried over from generations of depletion. But the good news is that is is fixable, with 20 plus years of research behind it. I do not have the voice, or the pull, or the clout that Patty did, but she had the heart, like I do, and so even if not together now, I will find a way to give voice to the voiceless…hope to the hopeless…and will fight until that message is as famous as she was. Rest in peace Patty, and I am so sorry I did not try harder to share my message of recovery with you. You and your work and your fight for people like me will not be forgotten.

Aspen L. Morrow, Author of Med Free Bipolar

Don’t throw out the Lithium Bath Water for treatment of Bipolar just yet

A friend of mine shared this on my Facebook page, quirkily asking me what I would reply? I replied: I would say: “Where’s the tea bag for the tea cup so I can drink and relax while soaking in some lithium bath salts? Then I’ll “pull the plug”….which is not a good term for that doctor to have used. Cause a normal person wouldn’t pull the plug.

Anyway, the exchange got me thinking about the section in my book: Med Free Bipolar (on Amazon) about lithium, lithium hot springs, and natural lithium supplements. So I went hunting for more information since there seems to be so little, and I found this little interesting exchange of info: (http://bipolarworld.net/Phelps/ph_2005/ph1331.htm)

Q:  Bath Salts w/Lithium & Bipolar I am just starting down the road to working with the diagnosis of  cyclothymia, and dread trying out the usual meds because my body is HIGHLY sensitive to all inputs and have never easily tolerated ANY prescription drug. Antidepressants have crashed me into long periods of chronic fatigue. I’m thinking about trying out bath salts that contain lithium. Whenever I visited a hot springs I have visited in another state, I always felt much better, no matter how horrible I felt going in. I later saw the mineral composition of the water and noted it contained lithium. I’ve just found some bath salts that are modeled after natural springs, and contain lithium. It’s not being promoted for mental health, but I want to try it. So here’s the question: Have you heard of using bath salts containing lithium to treat cyclothymia or bipolar disorders? “Dear D’ — Haven’t heard of that. It does raise the interesting question: how much lithium might someone absorb from sitting in a tub with lithium? Surprisingly, there happens to be a study on that. Well, it’s from a company that I presume makes lithium cleaning agent for use in hot tubs, but it might shed a little light on this question.  They measured people’s lithium levels after sitting in a hot tub with 40 parts per million lithium ion, versus a tub with less than 1 part per million: think of it as a high lithium tub and a very low, almost zero lithium tub. No difference in the blood levels of those sitting in these tubs for 20 minutes a day, 4 days a week for two weeks.  This led me to wondering about the lithium concentration in “spa”-type hot springs. Searching Google (I love that tool): three “spas” had either no lithium at all or only a trace (less than 1 part per million). Looks like you’d get more lithium sitting in your neighbor’s pool, if he cleans it with lithium hypochlorite — but even that will lead to no appreciable lithium accumulation in your blood.   As for your own tub and lithium bath salts: amazingly, there’s an article on that too!  Dr. Halevy and colleagues tested a salt from the Dead Sea, which happens to contain more lithium than average table salt, as a bath treatment for psoriasis. They dumped in what looks to me like a whole lot of salt (could it really have been “5 kilograms per packet? Like, 10 pounds in each bath?) and still there was no difference in the lithium concentrations in the participants’ blood, before and after, or compared to the table salt bath group.  Looks like you’d have to use a really amazing amount of lithium in your bath salts to have any possible chance at affecting your lithium level.  We do think the level that matters is the one in your brain, not on the surface of your skin, right? So, the numbers here probably do answer your question: it almost certainly would have no impact at all.  On the other hand, I might feel better after a nice hot bath for 20 minutes every day, regardless of what was in the water!   Dr. Phelps June, 2005″

Ok, so even though the info is ten years old, it is still very applicable, and I think the question has still not been answered. So I am going to try and attempt to answer it, from my non-doctor, simply a fully-recovered BP 1 former psych patient viewpoint, if that’s ok with you? So why did “Dear D” claim that when she (or he) soaked in lithium-containing hot springs she/he felt better (as have MANY others, including myself), but the “scientific” evidence showed no difference in lithium amounts in the blood stream (“No difference in the blood levels of those sitting in these tubs for 20 minutes a day, 4 days a week for two weeks.”). Well, I think I know the answer why. Doctors always want to test and measure, to have analytical proof of something working or not working, but I want to know how those test subjects FELT. I know feelings are subjective, but sometimes they are all we have, and we want them to be better. Stable. Happy.  But from a scientific perspective, natural lithium in water and the lithium orotate that you can get over the counter from health food stores works on a cellular level, NOT in the blood, and it does NOT show up in blood tests. When natural (unlike prescription) lithium works in the cells instead of the blood, it takes a lot less amounts to achieve greater results!

It can be working without the kind of proof doctors are looking for in blood tests! 

Not sure yourself? Try it. You might like it, and so might your brain. 

But like the doc above said, the soak itself might be beneficial. Here is a great article on the benefits of salt soaking. http://www.saltworks.us/salt_info/si_Balneotherapy.asp

A few I liked from that site were:

• “Repeated hot springs bathing (especially over 3- to 4- week period) can help normalize the functions of the endocrine glands as well as the functioning of the body’s autonomic nervous system.
• Trace amounts of minerals such as carbon dioxide, sulfur, calcium, magnesium, and lithium are absorbed by the body and provide healing effects to various body organs and system. These healing effects can include stimulation of the immune system, leading to enhanced immunity; physical and mental relaxation; the production of endorphins; and normalized gland function.”

For a complete look at Lithium, see blog post: https://medfreebipolar.wordpress.com/?s=free+bipolar+lithium+ which is an excerpt from my book.

Have a Happy Life.

Aspen L. Morrow, CITRMS

Robin Williams brilliant manias will be missed

I am standing in Wal-Mart doing back-to-school shopping when my husband calls. “Didn’t you tell me once that Robin Williams had bipolar?” my husband asks. “Yes, why?” I say, catching something in his tone of voice. “Well, he killed himself today, I am so sorry.” He is sorry because Williams was one of my favorite actors. He is sorry because he knows how deeply personal it is to me each time we lose someone to this horrible condition called mental illness. Others may think that people who end their lives are weak somehow. Williams was brave to hold on this long.

I suffered from bipolar for twenty years, I have been free of it for over ten now. I do not think I could have survived even a couple more years as bad as things were before I found my med free method of treating it effectively. What is senseless to me is that hope is so close; I believe an answer has already been found to this horrific condition, but that so many drown with a life ring within grasp. If they only knew it was there.

I start crying on the phone with my husband, a pack of highlighters forgotten in my hand. I cry for his wife, for his son and daughters, fans and friends, and for all the lost talent this world will miss out on without him in it. So many have been taken by this horrible condition of the mind. ENOUGH!!!! I have had enough! I am tired of knowing what I know to help people and not being able to shout it to the world. I am tired of the senseless deaths, of the lost artists and musicians and some of the most gifted people of society. There is hope! There is healing! There is reprieve from the moods, madness, mayhem, highs and lows. I am sorry for the pain others experience yet relieved I am free of it finally. My husband holds me close when I get home, telling me that he is so glad I am healed of that dark and light disorder, bipolar. I lean into his chest and let him hold me.

Natural Lithium Orotate vs. Prescription Lithium: The Bipolar Relationship with SALT

Brain Boss

The Bipolar Relationship to Salt (Excerpt from Book: Med Free Bipolar on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00JMSQ1YK and Books a Million)

Don’t have a COW, get a SALT LICK INSTEAD.

Salt can relax muscles, calm nerves, smooth out anger, and tame RAGE.

Lithium Orotate versus Prescription Lithium Carbonate:

The bipolar link to salt deficiencies has been understood for centuries. Lithium is a salt compound. Lithium carbonate was approved by the FDA for the treatment of mania in 1970, but had long been in use prior to that. It was discovered as an element in 1817, and was used in the treatment of mania as early as 1871.

Naturally occurring lithium-rich mineral baths and springs attracted people for their numerous health benefits, even including the word “Lith” in their establishment name to allure the public. Lithium used to be considered a good thing and sought after for its health benefits. Now it holds a…

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Natural Lithium Orotate vs. Prescription Lithium: The Bipolar Relationship with SALT

The Bipolar Relationship to Salt (Excerpt from Book: Med Free Bipolar on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00JMSQ1YK and Books a Million)

Don’t have a COW, get a SALT LICK INSTEAD.

Salt can relax muscles, calm nerves, smooth out anger, and tame RAGE.

Lithium Orotate versus Prescription Lithium Carbonate:

The bipolar link to salt deficiencies has been understood for centuries. Lithium is a salt compound. Lithium carbonate was approved by the FDA for the treatment of mania in 1970, but had long been in use prior to that. It was discovered as an element in 1817, and was used in the treatment of mania as early as 1871.

Naturally occurring lithium-rich mineral baths and springs attracted people for their numerous health benefits, even including the word “Lith” in their establishment name to allure the public. Lithium used to be considered a good thing and sought after for its health benefits. Now it holds a stigma almost as strong as mental illness does.

Natural forms of lithium are less concentrated and are compounded differently than the prescription forms, so side effects are not as great an issue.

I am neither for nor against medications as a strict rule; I am however, very much for you knowing all of your options and alternatives. The doctors can let you know about all of the prescription options available to you, but they may not know about a safe, natural form of lithium.

Although this lithium, called lithium orotate, has not been clinically studied side by side with lithium in actual clinical trials that I am aware of, it has been tested by several of my peers with bipolar who did pretty well for years on lithium carbonate (by prescription), and then transitioned over to lithium orotate (found in health food stores). They found even greater health and stability without the side effects, prescription refills, blood tests, and fear of kidney failure.

If there were a safer, more effective form of lithium that you could get without a prescription, wouldn’t you want to know about it? I did, and even got righteously angry the more I learned. The very thought of doctors prescribing the prescription form of lithium makes me sick to my stomach since I discovered a healthy rather than toxic alternative!

NOTE: When using the Med Free Method™, it is important to follow water and salt recommendations. Too much water can dilute stomach acid and digestive enzymes, as well as flush out minerals and nutrients, while too little water will leave you with even bigger problems like constipation and dehydration, especially due to the increased salt intake.

Lithium Orotate (120mg), over the counter in health food stores

Most people don’t realize that lithium itself is not a drug, but a naturally occurring mineral salt, like potassium. It can be found in water, soil, and in fruits and vegetables. Lithium is vital for the proper functioning of every brain.

I often get asked how is lithium orotate different from lithium carbonate and lithium citrate (the ones prescribed)? Lithium orotate is in its natural mineral form, requiring less to affect more results. The body utilizes about 97%, whereas it takes large quantities of the pharmaceutical grade lithium, at near toxic levels, to be effective.

Dr. Hans Nieper of Germany discovered that lithium orotate or lithium aspartate penetrate cells more effectively than lithium carbonate. This means that smaller doses can be used to achieve therapeutic results, versus the higher doses of prescription lithium that borderline toxicity levels. The effective therapeutic window using prescription lithium is dangerously close to the toxicity level, which is why regular blood/toxicity levels need to be checked through doctor supervision.

Lithium orotate is a safe over-the-counter mineral supple-ment that can be safely used to augment symptoms of:

• Stress
• Bipolar Disorder I & II (formerly known as manic depression)
• ADHD and ADD, Depression
• Alcoholism, Aggression
• Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Alzheimer’s, and much more

It is said to be effective for 70-80 percent of individuals with bipolar who take it! I was scared of this natural remedy for quite a while. Even the name scared me into thinking it was like the prescription lithium, of which I had heard horror stories of kidney failure, blood lithium level checks, and other debilitating side effects similar to what I experienced while taking Depakote.

I encourage you to do your own research, but I have read quite extensively now on this natural salt. I have talked to chiropractors, health-food storeowners, and naturopaths about its safety and efficacy. I can see that it may be amazingly beneficial to many people without the harmful side effects.

For the “broke, busy, or lazy,” lithium orotate could be a first natural treatment protocol if desired, as it is quite inexpensive. It is more effective at much lower doses than prescription lithium because it goes directly into the blood stream and is more potent at low doses!

It can also be beneficial for every “normal” brain as well! It protects the brain in a number of important ways, and has recently been found that low doses can actually restore and increase the grey matter in the brain, which is said to be the source of intelligence. It preserves and even renews brain cells. Eight out of ten people given lithium orotate increased their grey matter by 3% in only four weeks! Nothing else so far has been shown to do this. Supplementing with small amounts of lithium orotate may also provide anti-aging benefits to the brain, as well as protecting it from toxins. Lithium can also:

• Block the damaging effects of excitotoxins like Monosodium Glutamate (MSG), aspartame (found in diet sodas), and other chemicals found in processed foods
• Help form new cells by enhancing DNA replication
• Help protect against brain cell death caused by anti-convulsant drugs
• May protect against damaging effects of illegal drugs, alcohol, tobacco, caffeine, and marijuana
• May repair the brain’s abnormally-functioning neural pathways
• Help chelate aluminum thought to cause Alzheimer’s disease (AD) so that it can be expelled from the body according to a 2001 abstract in Society for Neuroscience.

The most interesting thing that I found in my research of lithium was a case study where 27 Texas counties found that the incidences of homicide, rape, robbery, burglary, suicides, and arrests for drug possession were significantly higher in counties whose drinking water contained little or no lithium. Comparatively, places where water naturally contained higher amounts of lithium had lower crime rates, and fewer hospitalizations for mental illness, psychosis, neurosis, personality disorders, schizophrenia, and even eating disorders.

SQUIRREL POINT

James Howenstine, M.D. spent thirty-four years as an internal medicine specialist before becoming convinced that natural products are safer, more effective, and less expensive than pharmaceutical drugs. He is the author of A Physicians Guide to Natural Products that Work, and believes that lithium should be added directly to the water supply instead of fluoride, especially in counties where lithium levels are deficient. Doing so would reduce crime rates, increase longevity of brain function in seniors, and help curtail the staggering number of children who are diagnosed with learning disabilities. “Since placing lithium in our water could improve general health and decrease the need for pharmaceutical drugs, there is little possibility this will occur,” Howenstine said.
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ABC’s Black Box like watching a bad movie I could have starred in

ABC-TV launched a new program a few weeks ago called, “Black Box.” The series stars Kelly Reilly as Dr. Catherine Black, a neuroscientist who has Bipolar Disorder. It was how I found out about the show though that is burned into my memory. I was celebrating my 13th anniversary with my hubby at some hot springs. After some small talk, this girl started up about the show. A stranger in a pool started telling me my own life story, my deepest, darkest secrets as if it were the punch line to a joke, with a coy smirk on her face and a condescending tone in her voice. I felt paralyzed. She talked about mania and hypersexuality and how the fiancee didn’t really know her. It was like she had flipped through my autobiography which I will never write and had turned precisely to a horrible chapter in my life. This stranger could not have known that I had just reluctantly released my book: Med Free Bipolar, just two weeks prior, and was still not comfortable even telling the title to anyone. She could not have known that as she prattled on about this show, I felt like I had been stripped naked and could hardly hold back the tears that were choking me. I don’t know whether this show is a good thing or bad thing, a thing that will help people empathize or judge even more. I don’t know if it will help reduce stigma or make the problem worse, but I am curious as to what other people who suffer with bipolar think of the show. For me, it caused me tremendous grief at a time I should have experienced nothing but joy. I am med free bipolar, whole and healed. I finally watched the first two episodes tonight, and even though I am not sure what I think about the show, I do feel sorry for Dr. Black, that her only apparent options are a life of meds or a destroyed life unmedicated. There is another option, a natural remedy option, one that has allowed me to live med free and symptom free for eleven years. Perhaps they should make a show about someone who was “cured” from bipolar suffering, like the tens of thousands JUST LIKE me. It saddens me that they repeatedly said there is no cure…just not one that the masses can know about because the big pharm can’t profit from it. When I left the pool area, I cried in the shower and tried to explain to my husband why I had been hurt so by her simply retelling the plot of a TV show. It seems sometimes that no one can truly understand the pain that is this condition: not a character on a TV show, or an actor in a movie like Silver Linings Playbook, not ABC, not the viewers, not the reviewers, not the neurologists, psychiatrists, and especially not even myself.

Med Free Bipolar Safety Net Plan: “Playing What IF I were to get sick again”

Med Free Safety Net Plan:

Even a Med Free Bipolar should have a plan in place in case an episode were to rear its ugly head, although unlikely in my book. This is a treatment outline that you can go over with your support person, counselor, primary physician, or whomever you would like to be included if you were to ever have a serious episode or need of hospitalization. Just having this in place helps me feel like I know what we would do if I were to ever get sick again, however unlikely, and may make your family or physician more comfortable about you treating your bipolar naturally.

Some examples of things your plan might include:

 What I do to treat my bipolar that works for me:

 

• Drink plenty of water and get adequate salt intake
• Take four (eight if having bipolar symptoms) capsules of EMPower™ Q96 every day
• Take my probiotics
• Take my fish oil/cod liver oil
• Take my Vitamin D spray
• Eat healthily and regularly
• Get regular sleep

 

Things that can upset my treatment or affect my moods:

 

• Infections/illness
• Monthly hormones
• Digestive issues
• Excessive stress
• Extreme schedule changes
• Inability to sleep, over excitement/racing thoughts

 

What does it looks like when you are well? When I am well I can…

 

• Attend work regularly
• Keep up with house/yard work
• Socialize and network
• Be optimistic and excited about the future

 

How does the illness present for you? When I am manic I…

 

• Have difficulty concentrating/can’t stick to one thing
• Have racing or sped-up thoughts
• Feel impatient, agitated, irritable, argumentative
• Want to buy things, spend money

 

When I am depressed I…

 

• Don’t want to get out of bed, or work, or see people
• Have thoughts that my family would be better off without me
• Have feelings of guilt without cause or an impending sense of doom
• Feel incredibly sad about everything or anything
• Am paranoid, anxious and negative

 

My early warning signs are…

When I need help I will…

If you see me having symptoms you can help me by…

It is time to see a doctor when…

I will accept medications for temporary intervention when…

It is time to take me to the hospital when…

The number for my doctor(s) is (are):

Medications that have not worked for me before are…

Medications that did work for me before are…

Natural remedies have gotten me well and kept me stable. Please allow me to continue them

 

A personal statement: “I would like to have the option to have my micronutrients and other supplements with me in the hospital. Taking them every day, especially while in the hospital, is my best chance at getting well alongside the medication. It is what has worked for me in the past. I will comply with medication to get well again. I understand that medications may be necessary to bring me through this crisis, and I will adhere to the treatment protocols for as long as it is deemed necessary.”

 

After making this safety net outline, my husband and I felt like what we were doing for our family with my treatment was the best option on so many levels, but it gave us a sense of empowerment to know that we were not helpless to this disease. We also had options, choices that we used to know nothing about. I hope that it is helpful to you, your loved one, or patient.