I'm going to just point and nod at what WindSparrow said. And WindSparrow, I don't know if I've said it lately, but you are one of the kindest, most wise people I know. Also very eloquent.

Bears repeating.

The articles about the biological implications of anxiety and depression I've seen lately have been really interesting.

I know I'm just anecdotal, but after I was gluten-free for about a year, I was able to go off my anti-depressants after being on them for years. I suspect that stopping eating gluten healed my gut enough that it helped my depression.

Again, anecdotal.

It sounds like just cutting back a lot on the refined sugars could help, too. I think I need to start there; I've been bingeing on red velvet oreos.

To clarify, I didn't mean that going off gluten will help everyone with depression/anxiety issues; I am not one of those "it worked for me, so it must be good for EVERYONE!!!" evangelists.

But it was apparently a cause, for *me*, of gut issues, and fixing the gut issues seems to have had a beneficial effect on my depression. I think for people who don't have an issue with gluten, then cutting it out would do no good, because it's not causing any problems.

(I have a friend who's a recent Paleo convert, and he will not shut UP about it, and how everyone should eat that way, and it fixed XYZ for him, so everyone should do it, etc. And I just don't want to be That Guy, because That Guy is annoying. And also incorrect; just because something worked for one person doesn't mean it'll work for someone else.)

I remember someone (Billytea?) posting that far more of the cells in our body were bacterial than human, and that most of them were in the lower digestive tract. We're just starting to understand the relationship between bacteria and our bodies. While I've seen more about poop transplants affecting IBS and obesity, I'm not entirely surprised that there are other potential applications.

I did a lot of repressing and withdrawing today and I think my body is pissed off at me.

There was a guy there who was overcome with sorrow and doubled over sobbing and wailing during the funeral and I feel like if I let go I will be like that for two weeks straight.

Diane, my meds manager y person, briefly asked me about IBS symptoms (they often go with Interstistial Cystits) and I think she's going to want me to try gluten free at some point.

She did "prescribe" probiotics which I've been taking and I've noticed some small differences but nothing huge. Of course i've only been taking them for a little while.

At first when she mentioned the gluten free I mentally protested, my diet is restricted enough. But I thought about and realized that, you know, giving up food and feeling better is what I want more than to eat foods that make me feel bad. It might not work but I'd be willing to give it a try. And then Kristen (therapist) did remind me that if I took that route I could always make decisions to eat something knowing there'd be consequences. I do that with the IC.

I've been slipping a bit with comfort foods lately but I know there's going to be pain and I'm willing to accept that. And sometimes I think "I want chocolate/Diet Coke" and I decide the risk of pain isn't enough.

I also realized that Seroquel was giving me low level cravings for sweets that didn't register as cravings. But I couldn't be in a check out line and not grab a candy bar (or two depending on the speical) or some cookies and then eat everything. It didn't happen right away, but I gradually noticed that I would think "oh I want a Mars bar today" as I was going in the store or getting close to check out and the next thing I'd be in my car and not have bought anything. Not saying I never buy candy bars but it's a craving that I'm aware of rather than it being rote.

Thank you, Steph. Post marked. My sister had a lot of ear infections as a kid and was on a lot of antibiotics. She's had IBS and colitis and while she's in remission for that now, it could be worth exploring.

Nora, I'm equalling dreading/looking forward to some kind of cathartic breakdown. I'm so glad we were there together. I don't think I could have taken much on my own.

Thank you, Steph. Post marked. My sister had a lot of ear infections as a kid and was on a lot of antibiotics. She's had IBS and colitis and while she's in remission for that now, it could be worth exploring.

I hope it can help. I'll let you know if my cousin comes up with any other well-researched sources.