Have to take my son to swim lessons...I will write more later...yes I had some considerations during the fast...but instead of depression..it was euphoria. Will tell you more. I also have suffered from major Depression for over 20 year.

Talk to you later tonight.
Lynne

during my first Water Fast my Depression was broken. It was so severe I could not work for 60 days. I am not suggesting this will happen for anyone else. During the fast itself my Depression was just as bad or worse. It wasn't until after the fast that it was gone. BTW, in those days I knew very little and when I returned to a lousy diet the Depression returned as well as the severe sciatic and arthritic pain that had disappeared.
I had to repeat the fasts and correct my diet for lasting improvement.
Mike

About 2 years ago, after my first (of 2) stints in a mental health facility, and after I had been released with a barrage of new medicines, I entered into the deepest and darkest Depression I had ever encountered. And this was with their “medicines”. I had prescriptions all through the years of various medicines which I would eventually stop taking as they seemed to do no good whatever. And always the psychiatrists would say something like...."well, we need to find the right balance", or "perhaps we should eliminate this pill and try this one", and yada yada yada. I just don't buy it, not for me at any rate. I never did any better on the medicines. I hope that doesnt offend anyone and that is certainly not my intention. I know there may be a place for these therapies, but personally, I have seen little or no benefit in my own life. I always always always did better when I took proper care of myself - physically, emotionally and spiritually. I've just never had the self-discipline to maintain that critical, life and health-saving balance in my life.

This Depression was by far the worst I have ever been in, it was the mother of all depressions for me and I told no one about my misery. I decided to give up the medicines cold turkey…and slowly, I recovered to a point where I could see hope again. I read Bill Phillips "Body for Life" and the entire first half of the book dealt with serving others.....'come on man, give me the goods...what is the diet and exercise program' , 'how can I lose this weight by bathing suit season?' that is what I was thinking. But as I read his humble, sincere thoughts, I felt hope and purpose rise in my heart.....a beginning of a true concern for my health and that of my family. And then, the Lord lifted me to a place of joy and peace and as He showered me with love and wisdom. I knew once and for all that I was loved by Him, He had a beautiful plan for me, a plan to lift me up not tear me down. I had heard those words before...but I just had to come to the point in my life where they took on a more real and urgent meaning for me. I decided I would rather be fat than depressed, and I would rather be both fat and depressed than live my life outside His presense. I guess it was what Dr. Phil or Oprah would call a 'lightbulb' moment. My brain fog of Depression was lifted overnight and I have not gone back. This is the longest I have been depression free and the joys just keep coming....even in the midst of a broken marriage (not giving up on that either). I'm looking into taking nutrition classes that is how excited I am about the things I have learned in the past 4 months.

My depression was basically spiritual in nature, not that it doesn’t turn into a physiological one with my brain chemistry being disturbed and distorted. But the root cause is not my brain chemistry….it’s my thoughts and my heart. And that is good news because the remedy is so quick, painless and God-breathed. My depression is a ‘vanity” depression. I just cannot put out of my mind and my heart my lifelong obsession with my body and what I see in the mirror. My poor body image has ruled my life. I constantly look at other women and compare myself to the young, slim beautiful models to the point where I obsessively yearn to have that ‘perfect’ body for myself. That is the passion that has ruled and poisoned all other aspects of my life. And it gives me no pleasure to admit such shallow thinking but I rest assured that somewhere there are others who have sabotaged their lives with the same or similar vain pursuits. And the root of this lies farther back in my youth where somehow I was ingrained with the idea that you had to look a certain 'wonderful, slim' way to be accepted.

It feels good to talk about these things a bit, even if it is somewhat embarassing, and you probably cannot identify with this type of depression. I won't be too hard on myself anymore though...I know the roots, however vain they may appear, go deep into my broken self image. And I just praise the Lord that He lifted me from that dark and lonely place.

I can't imagine how it must be for someone who experiences a more justified depression...for real pain and such. Or perhaps it is not that different after all. My pain was real to me too. And my precious family was all lost to me at an early age....that has been a heavy grief for me to bear.

Anyhow, on the question of how it affected my fasting. Even during the Master-Cleanse and especially during the water fast, I felt no depression...and actually felt a euphoria and spiritual growth/awakening each time. I need to watch even those attitudes as I have problems sometimes....'coming down' and my mood can alter from slight euphoria to racing thoughts and irrational behaviors. In the past these 'higher' times have always been followed by a low depression but as I said, God has spared me these last 2 years and I have been totally depression free.

Oh dear, i am rambling now and should have done this post in the depression forum lol. I had wanted to share some of this with Yemena on that forum.

I think your idea to eat properly first is the best way to go. Perhaps your depression on the Master-Cleanse came from your physical pain and illness. I wish you could feel only the exhilaration I felt but perhaps you will only experience that after you have thoroughly healed. Don't be afraid of the water fast. I think ultimately (after day 4 for me) it is easier than the Master-Cleanse and Water Fasting is well-supported by many cutting edge healers. It's a giant step in reversing and curing diseases of all types. Fuhrman's 'Fasting and Eating for Health' is an excellent book on Water Fasting and curing diseases. Reading up on the subject will help ease your concerns. Do you have someone to help you, a medical type person or natural doctor or whatever they call it lol? I need to find one of those.

Please keep me posted, I treasure your companionship. Good hope to you in this journey.

Lynne

p.s. You want to know what type of woman I now find attractive? Not the young, slim Victoria Secrets gals...but rather, the mature woman who is attractive enough, takes good care of herself physically, but beyond that, she is a woman who has had some tough knocks, she has taken a few bites out of life and vice versa. She has a warmth and compassion for children and all people. She has cringed at the sight of the man in bed next to her....and still she rises from the ashes to a glorious new beginning. She's the one....she is the one.