Nutrition, Lifestyle, and Developmental Rhythms in Bipolar Disorder

Foundations of Bipolar Disorder and the Role of Parental Imprinting

  • The Six Foundation Principles: According to the speaker, the most significant positive impact on conditions like bipolar disorder and depression comes from adhering to the 66 foundation principles of health and lifestyle.
  • Parental Control and Imprinting: A consistent finding in clinical experience with bipolar individuals is the presence of unresolved parental control issues and deep-seated parental imprinting.
    • The Workaholic Archetype: When a child is raised by one or both parents who are "workaholics," they are imprinted with a "go-go-go" rhythm.
    • Tutelage of Usefulness: Under the tutelage of such parents, a child evolves to believe they are only useful or valuable if they are constantly doing something, neglecting the biological necessity for rest.
  • Parental Polarity and Personality Types:
    • It is common to see a polarity in the parents of bipolar individuals—for example, one parent might be a Type AA personality (highly excitable) while the other is a Type BB personality.
    • If both parents are highly wound up, prone to arguing, or unhappy, the child often adopts a strategy of isolation. This may manifest as hiding at school, obsessive involvement in sports, or retreating into introversion.
  • The Internalized Bipolar Swing:
    • The individual's inner rhythms eventually mirror these external polarities.
    • Excessive Expression: Often influenced by an excitable parent (e.g., the father).
    • Diminished Expression/Introversion: Often a response influenced by the other parent (e.g., the mother) or forced as a mechanism for self-recovery and self-protection.
    • This results in the characteristic pendulum swing of the individual's physical, mental, and emotional rhythms.

Clinical Presentation and Rhythmic Disruption

  • Symptomatic Volatility: A person with bipolar disorder may transition rapidly between states of high excitation, joy, or elation and states of deep depression.
    • Example: An individual may start a car ride in a depressive state, but after a stimulating activity like playing video games at an arcade, they might suddenly appear elated, almost as if they were a different person.
  • The Developmental Window: These rhythmic mental and emotional imprints are deeply rooted, typically emerging within the first 1212 years of a person's life.
  • Complexity of Treatment: Because these patterns are so deeply established, they represent some of the most challenging cases for psychologists and psychiatrists globally.

Indirect Therapeutic Strategies for Reestablishing Rhythm

  • Shifting Focus: The speaker advises against attacking the "bipolar disease" directly due to its deep roots. Instead, the focus should be on the indirect reestablishment of biological and daily rhythms.
  • Rhythmical Exercise Modalities: Utilizing activities that promote slow, cyclical, or rhythmical movement helps stabilize the system. Recommended exercises include:
    • Tai Chi
    • Qigong
    • Yoga
    • Zone exercises (specifically from the book How to Eat, Move and Be Healthy)
    • Slow rhythmical walking
    • Cyclical machines: Rowing machines (rower) or bicycles.
  • Circadian and Routine Consistency: Harmonizing the biology is the precursor to harmonizing the psychology. Recommended lifestyle adjustments include:
    • Sleep Hygiene: Going to bed at the exact same time every night and waking up at the same time every morning.
    • Meal Consistency: Establishing set meal times to counter the erratic patterns (skipping meals or overindulging) common in bipolar individuals.

Nutritional Habits and the Instinctual Mind

  • Solo Dining: Individuals are encouraged to eat alone to foster a connection with their food and themselves, rather than turning meal times into work or social stressors.
  • The Taoist Adage for Mastication: "Eat your water and drink your food."
    • Chewing Water: This means processing the liquid slowly in the mouth.
    • Drinking Food: This means chewing solids until they have reached a liquid consistency before swallowing.
  • Reprogramming the Instinctual Mind: By standardizing sleep, wake, and meal cycles, the therapist works at the level of the instinctual mind, reprogramming rhythms beneath the level of conscious awareness.

The Chakra System and Psychophysical Development

  • Interface of Realms: Chakras function as an interface between the "subtle" (mental/energetic) and the "gross" (physical/biological) realms.
  • Mental Dominance: The mind is the primary factor influencing the formation, maintenance, and expression of all biological systems.
  • Diagnostic Utility: Once a practitioner understands the dominant psychophysical themes of each chakra, they can identify where a client's energy is blocked or overly expressive by observing their speech and interactions.
  • Example: Root Chakra Dysfunction:
    • Under-expressive/Blocked: Overly concerned with saving money, accumulating wealth without the ability to enjoy it. This often stems from parents who were overly stingy or thrifty.
    • Overly Expressive: Reactive behavior where the individual spends money faster than they earn it, often using credit cards, as a rebellion against a childhood where they felt deprived of toys and experiences (e.g., never going to Disneyland).
  • Recommended Literary Resources:
    • Chakra Healing by Liz Simpson.
    • The various works of Cindy Dale, recognized for her expertise in the chakra system.
  • Holistic Lifestyle Coaching (HLC): The speaker's programs teach practitioners how to assess these imbalances and design programs to restore individuals to a balanced state, enabling them to reach their creative potential.

Questions & Discussion

  • Question from Keith: Can you offer advice in respect to nutrition and lifestyle factors that can help or contribute positively or negatively to bipolar disorder and depression? Are there things that can be looked at with respect to chakras and personal development?
  • Response: The speaker emphasizes the 66 foundation principles and the indirect approach of reestablishing rhythm. He confirms the relevance of chakras but notes the complexity of the system, recommending specific authors like Liz Simpson and Cindy Dale. He clarifies that the coach's role is to support necessary medical care while using assessment tools (like those in HLC) to restore balance.