Many people have experienced partial or total withdrawal of symptoms like anxiety, anhedonia, brain fog, even schizophrenia and serious mental illness after removing industrially processed foods from their diet.

Some people benefit going on Macrobiotic diet, other benefit starting with raw food diet or vegetarian diet ... generally avoiding alcohol, sugar, vine vinegar, margarine, taste enhancing substances like MSG, strong spices and strong herbs like black pepper, red meat, chicken, milk products etc ...

As people are different, it is different diets that work for different people. You may try Rotation-Elimination Diet to figure out what you react on, and then you avoid those foods.

You should know that it may take months to pint out most of the foods that affect your mood.

Some people react on fruits, on berries, on melons, on root vegetables... etc.

People are different, so if some diet helped a friend of mine, it may not help you, but you have to start observing your own diet, and you should start with Rotation-Elimination Diet to eliminate foods that you may react on.

Some people react on nuts. Or almost all oils, so they replace oils in cooking with butter. Everyone is different.

But most people react on sugar, alcohol, vine vinegar, MSG, Margarine, food additives so it is a safe bet to first remove those from your diet.

White Shark

In response to your question, "Were anyone else's mental problems helped by going on SCD/GAPS diet",

Yes, yes, and yes. But everyone is different, so you may have to tweak. There IS a brain-bowel connection and a healthy gut helps a healthy liver and a healthy brain/mind. When those things are in order, you'll be more alive, energetic, alert, positive, and grow self-esteem and confidence a lot quicker.

Keep working at it and keep fighting. "Restricted" diets really aren't restricted at all, There are TONS of foods you can eat while avoiding others.

If you want, the SAD is more "restricted" - they just avoid all raw/pure/organic vegetables, leafy greens, whole-food sources.

Cut out the crap, but for you, that might mean something different. I was all about Primal a couple weeks ago (trying to heal my own digestive troubles and correlated emotional turmoil) but I'm already vacillating to a more asian/vegetarian approach. We're all learning. If you're finding Atkins doesn't work for you, by all means, try something else. Keep reading......

My! you sure do have a heavy range of problems that seriously affects your life. You may not believe this, but I have a very simple answer for all problems. Drinking a lot of water.

I have suffered Depression ever since I was a teenager, I am now in my late 30s. I did the meds, shrinks, I was told I had to be on the Meds. permanently. I went to group meetings. Nothing, Nothing helped. I hated the idea of taking meds everyday for the rest of my life. I was so frustrated and ended up at a chapters book store one day. A book literally fell into my hands that would change my life. "autobiography of a yogi" by Paramahansa yogananda. That book introduce me to something called 'meditation'..I began to read books on yoga and meditation. Then I learned about the Yogic Diet..'Sattvic Diet' I was so fascinated. I tried it, it's basically vegan diet. I did yoga for 1 hour each session 3-4 x a week, And I learned the meditation, practiced it daily. I went back to my Phych. months later and He was amazed to see how well I was doing. I told him, that would be my last visit and I never took the meds all this time. I am still a vegan today, i don't practice the yoga and meditation as often as I should be, but it has become a part of my daily living. Also breathing exercises are very helpful also. I wanted to heal myself naturally and I really 'believed' that it can happen....and it did. The very first thing before I tried the diet..I eased into it. I eliminated certain meats, eventually then eggs and milk..etc..I added more fresh fruits and veggies to my diet. Along with that I was doing a cleansing, started with colon cleansing..After that I fasted 3 days a week on water and juice. 15 lbs of waste prod. came out of me. Then after that I adapted to the vegan diet, and have been ever since then. It has been 9 years..and I have never been depressed again as I used to be.

If you are on a low carb, have you considered adding coconut oil to your diet?
Our bodies need carbs. Body builders will use cocnut oil for energy and for mental clarity.
Out brains also need carbs. The atkins diet showed that without carbs, there are ill effects. Anxiety, depression, brain fog etc...

I would cut all junk and all processed foods. If you can, use only fresh, organis fruits and vegetables. Lean organic meat. No Red Meat.
Juicing is also great for overall health and feeling good.

I wish you well.

http://www.coconut-oil-in-a-nutshell.com

There have been reports of people who were helped by fasting. Please consult your doctor before embarking on fasts of any kind.