Discussion Does anyone else weirdly have good self-esteem despite their depression?

[qualityOV3Rquantity]

I don't hate myself, and I don't think I'm a particularly bad or incompetent person (although of course I've made mistakes). I think I look good, I regard myself as smart. Most of my emotional pain comes not from my failings, but from imagining the difference between me now, and what I could have been if it wasn't for my chronic illness. I see myself as so much wasted potential, largely through no fault of my own.

 

[Arahant]

My understanding of self-esteem is, it's possible to have different localized and general self-esteem.
An example could be if I was good at playing the violin, I may esteem my self as a musician, while perhaps feeling myself as a bad person in general because of unhealed trauma.

May I ask what your chronic illness is?
You never know what kind of bright people lurk around, or if they may have input that can provide you a game changing new opportunity.

 

[Aergia]

Most of my emotional pain comes not from my failings, but from imagining the difference between me now, and what I could have been if it wasn't for my chronic illness

I feel very similarly, especially with regard to this bit, though I haven't been diagnosed with any chronic illnesses. I don't think I'm more stupid/incompetent than the average person; I'm just so much worse than I was before the onset of my cognitive and mental health problems, and I often mourn the potential I used to have, too. (As far as looks go, I know I'm less attractive than the average person, but it hasn't really influenced my self-esteem.) I don't have a high self-esteem, but I don't have a low one like many depressed people do, and I don't hate myself either.

 

[qualityOV3Rquantity]

My understanding of self-esteem is, it's possible to have different localized and general self-esteem.
An example could be if I was good at playing the violin, I may esteem my self as a musician, while perhaps feeling myself as a bad person in general because of unhealed trauma.

May I ask what your chronic illness is?
You never know what kind of bright people lurk around, or if they may have input that can provide you a game changing new opportunity.

It's irritable bowel syndrome. I know it's not that bad as far as chronic illnesses go, but it's still something that causes me pain and nausea every day, and something which has negatively affected every aspect of my life.

 

[Arahant]

It's irritable bowel syndrome. I know it's not that bad as far as chronic illnesses go,

Let's be honest, it can be (or progress into) utter hell and ruin a persons life.
I feel for you, my friend. You don't deserve that.

I happen to have friends who have fully reversed their IBS.
I know many in here are depressed, and feel irritated at having normies with toxic positivity try and throw solutions at them, so I want to ask politely:
Would you like a suggestion that I know to have worked for other people, enabling them to achieve full remission to zero symptoms?
No problem if you don't care, I know what that's like.
Just tag my name once more if you do want to know.

 

[qualityOV3Rquantity]

Let's be honest, it can be (or progress into) utter hell and ruin a persons life.
I feel for you, my friend. You don't deserve that.

I happen to have friends who have fully reversed their IBS.
I know many in here are depressed, and feel irritated at having normies with toxic positivity try and throw solutions at them, so I want to ask politely:
Would you like a suggestion that I know to have worked for other people, enabling them to achieve full remission to zero symptoms?
No problem if you don't care, I know what that's like.
Just tag my name once more if you do want to know.

Yes, I'd appreciate any advice you may have for how to deal with it! At this point I've given up on 'curing' it, but I still have hope that I can find ways to better manage it and reduce my symptoms.

 

[Arahant]

Yes, I'd appreciate any advice you may have for how to deal with it! At this point I've given up on 'curing' it, but I still have hope that I can find ways to better manage it and reduce my symptoms.

I warn you, this will sound far out and maybe you will be mad at me for even suggesting it, but I would never ever betray your trust or lie to you on such an important matter as this.

Either a carnivore (lion diet) or a ketogenic, elimination, elemental diet can 100% reverse it in almost all cases.
I would recommend the lion diet over elemental, as it is sustainable and something humans evolved to eat.
Lion diet: Red meat from ruminant animals with lots of fat, salt to taste and drink water. Nothing else at all goes into your mouth.
Takes some getting used to, but can truly work miracles.

I don't blame you if you don't believe this at first. I didn't either. I am doing it for depression and seeing good results.

Besides the subreddit r/carnivorediet, a lot of personal testimonials can be found on youtube from real people who have nothing to gain from sharing their story.
In particular Kent Carnivore comes to mind. Dude had IBS so bad his whole damn colon got removed, and still manages to thrive on it today.
Have known many more through personal conversation, and only once have I seen it not offer a complete resolution.

If you are like me, you might be furious that it could be that simple, after everything you have been through, but I urge you to consider a full 90 day trial of it. I promise you it wont endanger your health.
Adaptation symptoms can be unpleasant the first 14 days, but after that it gets better quickly.

 

[qualityOV3Rquantity]

I warn you, this will sound far out and maybe you will be mad at me for even suggesting it, but I would never ever betray your trust or lie to you on such an important matter as this.

Either a carnivore (lion diet) or a ketogenic, elimination, elemental diet can 100% reverse it in almost all cases.
I would recommend the lion diet over elemental, as it is sustainable and something humans evolved to eat.
Lion diet: Red meat from ruminant animals with lots of fat, salt to taste and drink water. Nothing else at all goes into your mouth.
Takes some getting used to, but can truly work miracles.

I don't blame you if you don't believe this at first. I didn't either. I am doing it for depression and seeing good results.

Besides the subreddit r/carnivorediet, a lot of personal testimonials can be found on youtube from real people who have nothing to gain from sharing their story.
In particular Kent Carnivore comes to mind. Dude had IBS so bad his whole damn colon got removed, and still manages to thrive on it today.
Have known many more through personal conversation, and only once have I seen it not offer a complete resolution.

If you are like me, you might be furious that it could be that simple, after everything you have been through, but I urge you to consider a full 90 day trial of it. I promise you it wont endanger your health.
Adaptation symptoms can be unpleasant the first 14 days, but after that it gets better quickly.

That's very interesting. I've come across this suggestion before, but never tried it as it sounded too extreme. But I suppose if I'm considering suicide then I don't really have anything to lose, so I may as well try it. But my question is, is this something people do for life? I can see the value of doing it as a temporary elimination diet, but I've come across people who say that carnivore is the ideal human diet and that just sounds crazy to me.

 

[Arahant]

That's very interesting. I've come across this suggestion before, but never tried it as it sounded too extreme. But I suppose if I'm considering suicide then I don't really have anything to lose, so I may as well try it. But my question is, is this something people do for life? I can see the value of doing it as a temporary elimination diet, but I've come across people who say that carnivore is the ideal human diet and that just sounds crazy to me.

I know it sounds crazy, but we are all blackbelts in crazy around here, arent we? ;)

I fully expect it to take some time for you to warm up to and perhaps give a full try.
When I first heard it, I thought it was crazy too. Now to answer your questions...

Is it for life? It is for some, and not for others. Some can heal their digestive system completely, others can not.
Rumor from the fasting community is very long (21-40 days) fasting can also (sometimes) provide a lasting cure.
Don't know if I can recommend that tho, as I have not done it, and fasting poses very real dangers if done haphazardly.

On the other hand there are people who have done it for most of their life, with great success.
Rick Rodriguez (·@chargermopar on youtube) is a 40 year carnivore. Dude looks 30 in his fifties!
Maggie the Rancher is a 65 year carnivore. In her 80s, and still working 14 hour days on her ranch.
Mikhaila Peterson and the Peterson family have also done it +5 years.
Many more such stories in the communities that don't necessarily advertise their stories.

It's worth noting these people thoroughly enjoy what they are eating, and suffer no deprivation.
Once you eat meat only for a few months, ordinary food tastes like garbage.
I used to be a soda freak and now it just tastes like acid and chemicals.

Now is it the ideal human diet for everyone? I don't know. When you factor in placebo and nocebo effects, it becomes hard to know for everyone. A clinical nutritionist with actual skill and deep knowledge has quipped he has seen people who absolutely need carbohydrates to thrive, but they are rare and often have absurd diseases like mast cell activation syndrome.

What I can say is, it is the primary nutrition humans evolved on for at least 300.000 years.
We know this from Paleo Anthropology - they can analyze fossilized bones and remains from prehistoric humans, with something called stable nitrogen isotope analysis, and determine what their diet was like.
In short, it was overwhelmingly meat, 80-100% of total calories from meat. The remainder looks like it was starvation foods consumed when hunting failed.

By all means do your research before committing to a full trial, and realize you will need 90 strict days to know for certain if it helps you.
Some find relief in a few days, but bear the long term in mind too.

I am happy to answer any and all questions you have, because I know how much this can change the game, and I love this stuff.

What if it works, man?
That would potentially shift your entire self esteem and life trajectory.

May everyone enjoy brilliant, lifelong health.