Sorry, I got a little hot and bothered there. Having re-read your post, I think the tone seems to suggest that you are discouraged because maybe you have tried many alternative therapies yourself, and found they have not helped you. Is that the case?

As hard as it must be to hear this when you feel you've tried everything, you must keep trying. It helps to find an expert who knows what they are doing. I belong to a list where people go to come off psychotropic drugs. They do this successfully and go on to live their lives free of the problems they are diagnosed with -- bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, depression, etc. This is done through diet and nutrition, and the advice is given by an expert who has been helping people in this vein for over 20 years. She knows how to tweak someone's supplement regime in order to help them succeed in their healing. This is where people like you and me miss out, when we are left guessing on our own. It can be really hard to get it right.

When I've felt discouraged, I've reminded myself of all the successes on that list. Some of those people have been to psych wards several times and were on cocktails of drugs for years. Their healing is real.

Some of us have to look a little deeper for the healing we need. I believe my depression is at least partially caused by my life circumstances, which are taking a long time for me to be able to change. The best diet and supplements in the world won't lift it until I address those issues. In this sense you're right, people should not come here and immediately jump to the conclusion that getting their amalgams out will solve all their problems -- though this is a possibility, as Russ and Laura and others here can attest.

Just because the roots of the problem are elusive, doesn't mean we should give up looking for them. And a lot can be learned during the search. If you feel stuck, why not ask for some advice here and see what people say. Or find yourself a really good doctor who also has knowledge of nutritional and environmental medicine.

Don't give up <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Linda.