Food Allergies and Depression

Introduction

Welcome to this page...I hope it will be helpful to you if you are experiencing depression from your food allergies. As the founder of FAST, I think most people expect me to be the Rock of Gibraltar...strong and immune to feelings (at least, I'd rather think that than that people are trying to hurt my feelings with some of their feedback!)! But the truth is, I have feelings too...and I generally don't mind sharing them if I know that they may be of benefit to others. Thus I don't mind admitting that depression is something I struggle with from time to time, especially when reacting to an allergen.

Perhaps your story is much the same; perhaps it is different. Still, there are pressures that people with food allergies get bombarded with on a daily basis from being "different." I often think if I had a visual disability, rather than a hidden disability, people would be more understanding. Because I look so "normal" to the everyday person, I feel extra pressure to try to fit in and not make a spectacle of myself. At the same time, appearing normal is a disadvantage because no one understands by looking at me what physical struggles (though hidden) I go through on a daily basis.

Even though I am not like others, my uniqueness makes me special. I have so much to live for, that it's not worth it to leave earth before my time.

Those of us with food allergies get unfair treatment -- even from our family and friends. They don't understand how much they can hurt us and how much we go through. But it won't prove anything to them if we give in to tauntings and eat something we're allergic to (we'll be the only ones who pay for that). Sitting down and talking, telling our feelings, or writing a letter will be more effective.

In short, our emotional health is just as important as our physical health.
Melissa

Signs of Depression

Things that May Help

* If you can, get a pet -- even if all you can have are fish. (Be forewarned that an aquarium is more work than it looks...if you're not up to it, just get a large goldfish bowl and a goldfish). Pets are said to soothe people, make them less depressed, and even lower our blood pressure! If even one of these claims is true, it's more than enough reason to get a pet! An allergist can test you for many different animal allergies. Some animals are less allergenic than others (especially ones that do not shed dander or feathers).

* Find hobbies you love that help you express yourself. This might be photography, singing, painting, drawing, visiting museums, or getting together with people who make you feel good.

* Resist using drugs, alcohol, and binging on food to make you feel better. In the long run, they'll make you feel worse about yourself, and you may develop a dependency. (By the way, this does not mean to stop using prescription drugs that your doctor has you on!)

* If you're a fortunate person who gets complimented a lot from friends, you can keep a list of those compliments to read when you're feeling down. A list of beloved Bible verses may help in a similar way.

* Giving of yourself to others in need is a wonderful way to realize your true value and your importance in life. You could volunteer your time at a hospital, help tutor children, contribute to a special needs art group, or participate in other worthy efforts.

* Can you pin-point the specific problem that is causing your depression? For example, are you depressed due to a bad fight with a friend? Or maybe you have been eating something you're allergic to that is making you sick and depressed? Perhaps you can work on fixing the problem you're going through in order to alleviate the depression.

* Find helpful books or CDs on the topic. An example would be the CD Streams by Word, a compilation of songs to help people feel better who are currently depressed. It has famous singers on it such as Maire Brennan (Clannad; Enya's sister) and Sixpence None the Richer.

Bible Verses (NIV) and Quotes

"Your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be" (Psalms 139:16).
"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart..." (Jeremiah 1:5).
"O LORD, you have searched me and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways" (Psalm 139:1-3).
"Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows" (Matthew 10:29-31).
"...In all things God works for the good of those who love him..." (Romans 8:28).
The following quotes were arranged by Kelsey.
"Don't waste your life on if-onlys." taken from the book Cages
"He who laughs, lasts." Mary Pettibone Poole
"Remember though thy foes are strong and tried, the angels of Heaven on are thy side, and God is over all!" Adelaide A. Procter
"Enjoy your life without comparing it to that of others." Condorcet
"I may not be able to accomplish as much as some others, but I can be just as happy as any man can be." Charles Allen
"It is always wise to stop wishing for things long enough to enjoy the fragrance of those now flowering." Patrice Gifford
"It doesn't hurt to be optimistic. you can always cry later." Luccimar Santos de Lima
"The day will happen whether or not you get up." John Ciardi
"Being defeated is often a temporary condition. Giving up is what makes it permanent." Marilyn vos Savant
"Be glad of life because it gives you the chance to love and to work and to play and to look up at the stars." Henry van Dyke
"I am an idealist. I don't know where I"m going, but I'm on my way." Carl Sandburg
"The soul would have no rainbow had the eyes no tears." John Vance Cheney
"Never look back unless you want to go that way." Anonymous
"The same fence that shuts others out shuts you in." Bill Copeland
"Since the Lord is directing our steps, why try to understand everything that happens along the way?" Proverbs 20:24
"Pain nourishes courage. You can't be brave if you've only had wonderful things happen to you." Mary Tyler Moore
"Fall seven times, stand up eight." Japenese proverb
"I like living. I have sometimes been wildly, despairingly, acutely miserable, racked with sorrow, but through it all I still know quite certainly that just to BE alive is a grand thing." Agatha Cristie.
"Do not give up when you still have something to give. Nothing is really over until the moment you stop trying." Euripides
"It is never too late to be what you might have been." George Elliot
"Pain is deeper than all thought; laughter is higher than all pain." Elbert Hubbard
"If you can't change your fate, change you r attitude." Amy Tan
"I know God will not give me more than I can handle. I just wish he didn't trust me so much." Mother Teresa
"I thank God for my handicaps, for through them I have found myself, my work, and my God." Helen Keller
"Accept everything about yourself- I mean everything; you are you and that is the beginning and the end- no apologies, no regrets." Clark Moustakas
"You play the hand you're dealt. I think the game's worthwhile." Christopher Reeve
"Flowers grow out of dark moments." Corita Kent
"Thank God, I finally realized that pain may be mandatory, but suffering is optional..." Craig t. Nelson

"Never frown, even when you are sad, because you never know when someone is falling in love with your smile." Anonymous

Depression Links

Visit Yahoo's directory.

Links to Christian-Based Ministries

Joni and Friends -- Webpage of a ministry started by Joni Eareckson Tada. Her first book, entitled Joni, has sold millions of copies and is about how she overcame severe depression when she first became disabled (as a teenager she became a quadraplegic). Joni is an excellent book for people dealing with disabilities and depression.

Online book with how to deal with depression

Suffering.net

Free counseling line:1-800-759-0700 (Requests can also be e-mailed by following the link.)

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