Hi all,

I am wondering about the link between mental illness and body toxins.
I have been diagnosed with "bipolar disorder", and generally I have
problems remembering, concentrating, feeling calm, enjoying things I
used to enjoy, feeling connected to the world... When I get overly
desperate, I get into "manic" states where I wander around and say and
do some pretty strange and outrageous things, my emotions get really
extreme, etc. I don't want to end up in the hospital again, and I'm
scared of psych drugs even though I might take them for a while... but
I'm looking for alternatives.

I went to see a "medical intuitive" in December, and she said that my
aura was all broken up like I was full of toxins. Then she gave me
over to this homeopath who is supposedly doing a "blood cleanse" with
these Ayurvedic herbs and tea and these homeopathic remedies. She
also suggested I get my mercury amalgams removed, but not because
they'd be a source of toxicity, but because they'd bother my teeth as
I aged.

I've felt worse and worse lately... My arms and legs ache and are
weak, I have trouble sleeping except with anti-anxiety pills, I am
confused a lot of the time, I can't seem to focus at all, I have
trouble urinating (though sometimes it's a bit better -- maybe the
homeopathy is helping -- who knows?).

I can't help thinking that I'm being taken in by quackery at the
moment, but I want to be able to realistically assess my toxin levels
and figure out what to do about them. I've posted on
adult-metal-chelation and some of them think my symptoms could be due
to mercury poisoning, but who knows? Someone suggested a doctor in
the US (I live in Canada) who has had experience detoxing from mercury
himself, but who knows if mercury is my problem?

In May, I am going to go to a place that does orthomolecular
psychiatry to see if some nutrition can't help me... but right now I
wnat to learn more about toxins and how I can figure out whether I
have a lot in my body, and what to do about them. I live in Winnipeg,
Canada, though, nowhere near major centers where this kind of work is
being done, from what I know...

Is there a connection between toxins and mental illness? Does anyone
have any advice from having followed this route? What steps could I
take without wasting a fortune? A check-list would be easiest for me
to follow, since I am so mentally impaired.

Thanks,
Sara