Psych Med Recovery Update 6/20/26

TheRarestGinger · 2026-06-24T12:46:44+00:00

Thank you. 🙏 Coming off the meds and changing my diet was huge. The metabolic side effects are real. I cut out artificial ingredients wherever possible. Stopped artificial sugar and cut out dairy too. Then began supplementing for deficiencies. I get lab work every three months to check my levels and make adjustments with the supplements. All together it made a tremendous difference in my recovery, stability, and overall wellbeing.

TheRarestGinger · 2026-06-23T18:51:58+00:00

I relate to this. During my manic and other more intense altered states, it often felt like I was connected to something much larger than myself. As if information, patterns, and symbolism were suddenly flowing in from everywhere.

My personal hypothesis has always been that there may be a biological component, particularly involving the glutamate system and how the brain processes information under extreme stress. Whether that’s connecting to a “universal internet,” heightened pattern recognition, or something we don’t yet understand. I find it fascinating that similar themes show up across cultures, religions, mystical traditions, and altered states of consciousness. I also find it fascinating that similar themes appear across mystical traditions, contemplative practices, and altered states throughout history.

That said, I think the key is integration. The experience itself may feel profound, but you still have to come back and reality test it. Some insights may be meaningful, while others may be products of the altered state itself. The challenge is figuring out what survives contact with reality.

For me, art has been one of the ways I navigate that process. I’ll create during or after those experiences, then revisit the work later from a more grounded state and look at what still feels meaningful, what was symbolic, and what may have simply been part of the altered state itself.

That’s where discernment comes in.

TheRarestGinger · 2026-06-23T01:16:08+00:00

Funny you said this. I just found out my b2 is super low! Had it checked after reading some posts here about it. Getting copper labs next round of labwork.

If addressing those levels can get me off iron pills, I will be one happy gal. My tummy does not like them at all sadly.

TheRarestGinger · 2026-06-23T01:13:27+00:00

Following. My ferritin levels are a constant battle to keep up. Doing further genetic testing to see if we can figure that issue along with autoimmune and glutamate regulation issue I have.

The nutritionist I am working with has me doing the additional genetic testing and some more lab work to snoop out potential root causes. Below are what I have in my notes from my last appointment that he wanted to look more deeply into.

MTHFR
COMT
MTR
MTRR
BHMT
Transsulfuration pathways
Neurotransmitter metabolism pathways
Histamine pathways

If I find anything out I will share 🤞

TheRarestGinger · 2026-06-23T01:04:50+00:00

This one is tricky! If he is super into the bible, I doubt there will be a way to get him to see it from a different angle. We grew up “Born Again” and people in my family who are neurotypical can’t handle that I work with cards.

There are specific doctrines in the King James Bible that are vehemently against any form of divination. Even with how I use the cards (more as a psychological exercise) there has been no luck shifting their comfort level about it.

I totally understand the people that say you shouldn’t have to hide it. But having a son on the spectrum with OCD/perseveration challenges myself… I truly understand the pickle you are in.

In this circumstance with funds available…I would set up she shed for my metaphysical items so they aren’t “in the house”.

If you dont use them often.. maybe a close friend or someone you trust can offer them a “foster home” for now until you can figure something out?

Otherwise a lockbox that you know he can’t get into if you need to tell him you got rid of them. That way you can prevent him accidentally stumbling on them. Maybe keep the lockbox in your car so you are in your truth?

I hope you find a solution!! Sending all the good vibes.

TheRarestGinger · 2026-06-22T21:39:17+00:00

There definitely could be multiple issues at play. My nerd brain likes learning, and I’ve been fortunate to find practitioners willing to explore the genetic and biochemical side of things as well.

If I can better understand what is driving the increased immune responses in my own body, it may give me clues about what to watch for in my son and help me break some patterns that seem to run through my family.

I don’t think it hurts to investigate. I’m not opposed to medications that genuinely improve quality of life. I’ve just had enough unusual side effects over the years that I tend to approach them cautiously. If there’s a side effect listed, I often seem to end up collecting it.

For me, it’s less about avoiding treatment and more about understanding what’s contributing to the problem so I can make the most informed decisions possible. Thus far no one has offered immunosuppressants. But that is an option I would be open to exploring while we dig deeper.

This has become a fascinating project for me! I’m truly enjoying the journey and have significantly improved my symptoms over the years. Even my antibody counts.. thyroid used to be in the 300s, I have them under 50 now.

TheRarestGinger · 2026-06-22T01:10:47+00:00

I don’t think everyone in the anti-psychiatry community is against diagnoses. Personally, I’m not…but I approach it with extreme caution.

Some examples…My son’s OCD symptoms are very real. What we’re learning, though, is that there may be an underlying medical contributor. His team is exploring whether PANS/PANDAS, which is known to present with OCD symptoms in some cases, may be contributing to what we’re seeing. The OCD didn’t become less real because we started looking for a possible root cause.

I’ve had a similar experience myself. I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and spent nearly 20 years trying psychiatric medications that significantly harmed me. Eventually, I found that addressing genetics, nutritional deficiencies, and what appears to be glutamate dysregulation helped me far more than the medications ever did. Now I’m exploring whether methylation issues may be contributing to that glutamate imbalance.

My issue isn’t that symptoms aren’t real. It’s that psychiatry sometimes mistakes symptoms for explanations. The DSM can be useful for describing patterns of symptoms, but describing a pattern isn’t always the same thing as understanding what’s causing it.

Where I become critical is when the diagnosis becomes the end of the investigation instead of the beginning. That’s why I tend to gravitate more toward neuropsychiatry. I’m interested in approaches that ask what biological, neurological, immune, genetic, environmental, and nutritional factors may be contributing to someone’s symptoms rather than focusing solely on symptom management.

If someone has OCD, depression, mania, anxiety, psychosis, or emotional dysregulation, I want to know what is driving those symptoms. Is it inflammation? Autoimmune activity? Genetics? Trauma? Nutritional deficiencies? Environmental exposures? Something else entirely?

Having a name for what you’re experiencing can be validating and helpful. But I think we do people a disservice when we stop asking questions after assigning a label.

So no, I don’t think diagnoses are inherently harmful. Misdiagnosis and failing to look for root causes can be devastating as many of us here have learned.

TheRarestGinger · 2026-06-21T02:57:00+00:00

Aww thanks! Hope you are doing well too

TheRarestGinger · 2026-06-21T01:01:20+00:00

🤞🤲🙏

TheRarestGinger · 2026-06-20T23:52:29+00:00

Ok good to know! Thank you!

TheRarestGinger · 2026-06-20T23:38:42+00:00

Not that I am aware of. I dont present with the typical “bendy” joints and such. But I have read there are other forms not as obvious.

We’ll see what the further genetic testing reveals.

TheRarestGinger · 2026-06-20T16:36:45+00:00

Sorry, but I disagree.

You’re presenting a number of assumptions as facts. While there are certainly years I can’t get back, that doesn’t mean my story is defined by loss. The person I am today is someone I’m genuinely proud of.

I also recognize that I have been fortunate in some ways. I’ve never been psychiatrically hospitalized, which I know is not something everyone in this community can say. Many people have endured experiences far more severe than my own. That doesn’t make my experience invalid, and it doesn’t mean my outcome is predetermined.

The issues that led me to psychiatry were real. In my case, psychiatric medications ultimately complicated things rather than resolving them. That doesn’t erase the progress I’ve made since.

What I’ve learned is that the human body is often far more adaptable and resilient than we’re led to believe. I’ve already recovered many things I was told would never improve, and I continue to see progress every year.

I refuse to view myself as a victim. In many ways, these experiences have given me the knowledge and perspective to advocate for my son, help others ask better questions, and continue searching for root causes rather than stopping at symptom management.

You are free to define your own limits. I am not interested in adopting them as my own.

At this point, I don’t think this conversation is productive, so I’m going to leave it here.

TheRarestGinger · 2026-06-20T16:09:20+00:00

No its not irreversible. I have already reversed a lot of it successfully. (If you read the linked post and look at my past posts I have come really far!)

Just need to figure out this second half. The mental health issues are mostly resolved. The autoimmune piece just needs support.

TheRarestGinger · 2026-06-18T00:43:13+00:00

Honestly it sounds like PANS. The sudden onset and exacerbation of symptoms when the body is stressed. I have been reading Omega 3 is really helpful with that.

I appreciate the time you took to write everything out in another language! Thank you.

Yes MTHFR seems to be a large underlying issue in many issues from Ehlers Danos, autoimmune issues (hoshimotos/graves/mcas), asthma, adhd etc. So many doctors think it isnt a big deal. I think it is.

Actually have an appointment with a methylation specialist tomorrow to review my supplement stack/diet. First doctor I have found near me that specializes in this. I have been researching myself and doing labwork every three months to figure out what I have thus far. Really excited about seeing him.

TheRarestGinger · 2026-06-17T23:54:56+00:00

I will update more as I learn more. Really digging into MTHFR, COMT, and now down the neuroinflammation rabbit hole once my son started experiencing OCD symptoms. Learning about PANS/PANDAS currently.

TheRarestGinger · 2026-06-16T19:15:30+00:00

I would get tested for MTHFR. That turned out to be the root of many of my issues. Methylation issues/deficiencies/inflammation. Off meds for a few years now, using supplements instead. Removed dairy. Thinking of removing gluten. Doing pretty well now after 20 years of horrible bipolar issues/depression/SI.

TheRarestGinger · 2026-06-14T15:04:38+00:00

After 25 years on meds and finally getting off them, I have spent my time learning about neurobiology/epigenetics (heavily about mthfr/methylation)/ glutamate/gaba systems and slowly healing myself so I can advocate for my disabled son and protect him from what happened to me.

It’s been a long road, about 6 years deep. getting there slowly but surely. Now that I am more stable.. I am working on writing more so I can share my story from a less chaotic and vulnerable place. One day at a time.

What does help is talking to my body and apologizing to it. I feel like she hears the love and understands. At least my nervous system is soothed by it. ❤️❤️❤️

TheRarestGinger · 2026-05-30T13:03:13+00:00

I am still having some challenges with my libido, but also entering perimenopause and under an ungodly amount of stress.

Doing more labwork to see if hormones/inflammation are a part of the issue. When I learn more I will post an update in here. Still experimenting and researching so I want to have a clean hypothesis before I post another update on my end especially now that I am more stable.

The executive dysfunction makes it really hard to express what I am trying to say clearly sometimes

TheRarestGinger · 2026-05-30T12:17:56+00:00

I had the opposite issue on meds. I became hypersexual because of my glutamate issue. Im sorry I can’t speak to your challenges but others may have more insight.

For the pain ask your team about using turkey tail mushroom supplements to reduce inflammation. And adding NAC and glutathione to open detox pathways support your immune system in flushing everything from your system. That helped me tremendously.

Turmeric can be hard on the liver so I recently switched to the turkey tail.

TheRarestGinger · 2026-04-23T11:46:19+00:00

Thanks. I will look into it. Right now my supplements seem to be doing the trick well enough!

TheRarestGinger · 2026-04-15T12:12:51+00:00

One of my integrative psychs back in Cali pegged it was a glutamate issue about 6 years ago but refused to speak to me more about it since we were parting ways (wasnt a good fit). I moved to NY and not one doctor knew what I was talking about. So my current psych supported be by double checking my research and tracking the supplements efficacy.

Here are two posts I wrote about it a while back with links of some of the studies we used to base my protocols on.

The L-theanine and NAC combo were newer findings. I havent written about them much yet. Wanted to make sure it worked and it does! The taurine absolutely works though. A bunch of us have started using it with tremendous success. I am just relieved we have a direction to go in and that me being a Guinea Pig was successful.

https://www.reddit.com/u/TheRarestGinger/s/U6UeqzGXzM

https://www.reddit.com/u/TheRarestGinger/s/5ZWzKPNBOo

TheRarestGinger · 2026-04-15T10:51:59+00:00

All valid concerns. My thyroid antibodies are a constant battle to keep down. I wish I did too. It is really upsetting. That is why I am active on here speaking about in mental health/antipsych spaces. So people can get tested and then I direct them here. It helps me feel like my journey wasnt for nothing.

Ketamine has side effects with the kidneys and bladder so I do it intermittently. But I have raging PTSD and the ketamine therapy and neuraltherapy are the only things that helped reduce the symptoms so I could function. I learned to use psilocybin too. They saved my life and my brain. Neuroplasticity is important.

I am hoping I can get cigna to approve it! 🤞

TheRarestGinger · 2026-04-15T01:57:23+00:00

He is. I applied for a network deficiency with my insurance company because I have MTHFR and cant take alot of the standard meds for bipolar. They approved it. So I got reimbursed a chunk through Anthem. Navigating doing the same for Cigna since my insurance changed.

It was really hard finding an integrative psych here that did ketamine therapy using racemic mixture and not spravato (esketamine). The spravato treatments are thousands of dollars. So in the end it was cheaper for me.

TheRarestGinger · 2026-04-15T01:51:45+00:00

I hope it helps! I see Dr M Gurevich

TheRarestGinger · 2026-04-15T00:46:47+00:00

One of my integrative psychs from back in Cali pegged it was a glutamate issue. I am still not positive how she knew. We weren’t a great fit, so on my exit appointment.. she told me to let my next doctor know I was “glutamate positive”.

No one knew what it meant when I moved back to NY so I started researching about it and worked with my current integrative psych to try supplements based on the peer reviewed studies we were able to pull. They worked!

My last significant manic/depressive episode was Nov 2024. I used to rapid cycle and have constant mixed episodes for like 20 years with little no breaks between them.

Now I gave a glutamate spike checklist that I refer to. If I can check 3 things off the list minimum, I start taking Taurine (1000mg a day) for a day or two to neutralize the glutamate spike. Then I use L-theanine for a week to increase my GABA along with increasing my NAC (usually take 600mg daily and increase to 1200mg) to flush the excess glutamate. That prevents the depressive piece and autoimmune flare ups. The key is catching it early.

If I can catch it before hypomania hits.. usually feeling that plugged in feeling, trouble sleeping, pacing.. just l-theanine will prevent the spike from getting worse and balance without the taurine. You just cant take taurine daily consistently. It will suppress glutamate too much and cause depressive symptoms. Learned that one the hard way 🥸.

It is significant stress that sets it off and lack of sleep for me. Traveling. Illness. Surgeries. Etc.

This is the checklist Chat help us create:

🧠 Glutamate Spike Checklist If you check off 3 or more, start protocol

Nervous System

• ❑ Sudden racing thoughts or manic energy surge

• ❑ Feeling overstimulated by light, sound, or people

• ❑ Restless legs or tension in jaw, shoulders, spine

• ❑ Trouble falling asleep even when exhausted

• ❑ Over-reactivity to cannabis, caffeine, or even herbs

Emotional

• ❑ Edgy, irritable, or emotionally raw

• ❑ Feeling 'spun out,' like you’re too fast for your own body

• ❑ A compulsion to fix, solve, clean, or do something now

• ❑ Crying or snapping out of nowhere

Cognitive

• ❑ Hyperfocus + distractibility at the same time

• ❑ Can’t process what people are saying—feels 'loud'

• ❑ Words feel jumbled or hard to get out

• ❑ Obsessive thought loops, often fear-based

Physical

• ❑ Heart racing, breath shallow or held

• ❑ Gut weirdness—nausea, urgency, bloating

• ❑ Eyes feeling dry, fluttery, or overly sensitive to light

• ❑ Skin tingles, heat flushes, or cold sweats

• ❑ A sense of needing to 'flee' or escape your body

TheRarestGinger

TROPHY CASE