Hi,

The mental disorders are at times interchangeable, such as obsessive-compulsive disorder with depression. Any mental weakness has to do with the weakness of basic constitution, the constitution we are born with...but can change to one of more strength during life, if we find the key.

One can be born with a fairly weak/yin constitution due to the mothers eating habits, or mother and father both. If parents were prone to eating foods too yin on the SAD, Standard American Diet, inlcuding overconsumption of dairy foods...then this was your
legacy in your new life as a child. Thus, at 12 you already had obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Later on, the latent obsessive-compulsive disorder manifested as another behavior of mental weakness, depression. With the shock of life events that can cause circumstantial depression (break-up with a girlfriend/boyfriend, or other circumstantial reason for depression), often obsessive-compulsive disorder can manifest with that. Thus, both boys and girls, men and women, can be obsessed with a former partner after a break-up. Too often this leads to stalking, and over preoccupation with the partner in a former relationship, or worse (lots of celebrity examples of this, I won't name names).

You have made a step in the right direction by quitting medication (Paxil) and looking for answers with diet. Paxil is prescribed for insecurity dealing with people, basically fear and trepidation in the company of those not familiar, shyness etc. It is better to have courage, learn from life, and develop social skills by experience than to take a pill that masks your true feelings. "Feel the fear and do it anyway."

Often any medication that tweaks the brain to act differently than what is normal for you, can have side effects you don't want to have. You never know what might happen and you might not have control over it when it does. Go -au naturel-.

You can strengthen constitution by diet and in other ways like developing a strong body through sports. The Macrobiotic Way is the best I've ever found of developing a stronger constitution, by including the tools of yin and yang, which other ways do not.

Eating on the slightly more yang side of the scale will strengthen constitution, if you are too yin (sounds like you are). More salt in the diet, promotes activity and strength. People who are too yin, lay down a lot, are sedentary, preferring sedentary activities like movies, television, reading, computers, do not engage actively with other people, and avoid the outdoors. Finding how to eat right...the Macrobiotic Way teaches this...taking regular exercise outdoors everyday...walking on sand or soil at least 30 minutes every day...and developing the strength of your body by being outdoors is recommended. Keeping in tune with the seasons and changing weather patterns...and choosing sports activities with others (basketball, tennis, bike riding, going to a gym, etc.) to enhance body strength will make you a strong active person, enhance Endorphin levels, keep your brain stimulated by interacting with others, and thereby bringing up the level of Serotonin, which is the anti-depressive natural brain hormone.

To develop a strong bodily constitution I recommend feeling weather changes throughout the year...feel hot in Summer and do not negate this natural experience staying indoors in air conditioning...feel cold in Winter and engage in outdoor sports such as downhill skiing, cross country skiing, snowshoeing, tobagganing, etc. Do not hole up inside in central heating, never venturing outside. The Macrobiotic Way will strengthen immunity, character, spirituality, mind, emotions, productivity, blood quality, as will living in the natural world in any kind of outdoor weather and experiencing the natural stimulation of mingling with the people of the world.

Nancy