Hello, Jessme, and welcome to the Bipolar Forum.
Unfortunately, there are no magic bullets to remove anxiety, post traumatic stress disorder, bipolar illness, anxiety, or weight loss.
There are some things that we can do, however, that help us become less dependent on psychotropic medications and use of other drugs.
I would like to ask you to read an article by Ruth Whalen listed on the internet called http://www.ruthwhalen.com/caffeine which might give you some startling insight into how things affect us that we use in our diets or as medications.
One of the things she suggests is that it has been known since the 1870's (I think, she said) that bipolar illness was a toxic condition of the brain. Dealing with that is like cleansing an
open wound. We must remove certain things from our diet (at least that's what my psychiatrist says) and that includes:
1. alcohol-do not drink alcohol; it makes bipolar illness worse.
2. caffeine-do not eat or drink anything containing caffeine in it; it
makes bipolar illness worse. (That means no chocolate, coffee, tea,
or any other thing containing caffeine.)
3. Take prescribed medications and
4. Get a regular sleep schedule and try to adhere to it.
Drinking purified water is a profoundly effective way of helping to cleanse the brain of toxins--so is the use of unrefined salt. (That, also, is discussed and available via the internet at sites related to such ones as www.valueofunrefinedsalt.com.
Military experience is something that I'm not familiar with, but I have an idea that it plays a large part in your post traumatic stress syndrome. I don't know whether it's ever able to remove that trauma or even to reduce it to non-bothersome levels without psychotherapy. The Veterans Administration should be providing counseling for you in regard to that.
Losing weight is for many of us largely the result of addiction to carbohydrates. The best way to start is to eliminate anything with sugar in it because that is addictive, causes highs and lows reminiscent of bipolar illness and creates cravings for more. Grains are, too.
We should all have a large salad each day with a light dressing. Our meats should be broiled or baked, or grilled--never fried. But, of course, you know all of that because you have already managed to lose an admirable amount of weight. My only thought on that is to do what you are doing now because it's working; so keep it up. Plateaus will come and then fade. Continuing to hold the reins on what you eat is the key.
The use of illegal drugs is not permitted on the forum as a topic of discussion, but I am aware of the big push by many in the United States to legalize the one you describe. I am one who opposes that because when it was first recognized as a drug it was thought that it altered genetic or dna in people who used it. And it was thought to lead to more strongly addictive substances. So we don't discuss those things.
Take care and keep posting as you wish. Everyone here has respect for you as a former United States Military member. You folks have been asked to serve far beyond the ability of many, many people to endure what you have been put through.
I wish to goodness that we did not have such a military-minded intent in our government. But that's a subject for another day.
Take care.
It's Genetic
Post Edited (It's Genetic) : 4/28/2012 2:03:24 PM (GMT-6)