Hello from London, UK

[jah]

I'm not sure how I encountered Stefan's videos on YouTube.  The chances are one was just randomly presented to me.  I'm glad I watched it though as I've since watched numerous videos and tend to agree with what Stefan says.  However, I do have some views on some things, born of personal experience and insight, which I think would help Stefan to understand the root causes of the ills which cause serious behavioural problems in people and result in the kind of issues he discusses in his videos.  When one understands the root causes of these aberrant behaviours one comes to realise that, in actual fact, they are caused by physical illness which, of course, no one chooses.  I speak of things like mental illness, addiction, criminality, violence, abuse and most, if not all, remaining deviant behaviours.

 

I come from a Scots/Irish family background.  Aunts, uncles, cousins on both sides of the family and my own father have suffered from serious addictions to alcohol and smoking.  Indeed, it could be said that a significant proportion successfully managed to drink or smoke, occasionally both, themselves to death.  It's also true to say that I was physically abused, i.e. beaten, by both parents too.  So I think my family background is probably similar to many who've discussed their issues on Stefan's show and perhaps even Stefan's himself.

 

I have actually suffered from ill-health to a greater or lesser extent my whole life, although I was a fairly successful sportsman as a teenager, managed to do well at school and finally went to university.  Unbeknownst to me, I was really quite seriously ill by my early twenties.  Without going into too much detail at this stage, I finally received a diagnosis and treatment but, unfortunately, it transpired that I was partially misdiagnosed, the real underlying cause of my illness wasn't discovered and the treatment I did receive simply covered it up and left it to worsen slowly over many years.

 

I finally got to the point in my mid-forties where things came to a head and I became so ill that I nearly died.  Thankfully, I managed to get some help, not from the mainstream medical world I might add, which saved my life and gave me the final insight into the root cause of my illness which was a simple vitamin deficiency.

 

Subsequently, I had genetic test done by 23andMe as a result of which I discovered that I had a particular genetic polymorphism which was at the heart of the problem with my processing of several vitamins.  Interestingly, this polymorphism is found in roughly 30% of Northern Irish men in one study and so I expect it's fairly common throughout Ireland and Scotland.

 

Throughout my life I have had behavioural problems, finally diagnosed as Adult ADHD, addiction issues and other health problems.  As a result of what I have learned I came to understand the issues my parents had too and that, essentially, their behavioural problems stemmed from the same genetic issues.  Naturally, I no longer hold grudges against them because, quite clearly, their problems were not of their making.  They could easily have had their physical illnesses, i.e. various nutritional problems, diagnosed and treated but they were let down by the medical profession in exactly the same way as I had been.  I've just been lucky and had the insight into my condition which saved my life and enabled me to understand, finally, after many years that the suffering I went through was not my fault.  In fact, the severity of my illness, which was much more severe than either parent, had been exacerbated by iatrogenic harm, i.e. medical treatment and drugs given to me as a young child.  Unfortunately, millions haven't been so lucky and paid the ultimate price.

 

Sorry for such a long introduction.  I would really like to discuss these issues with people in depth and, hopefully, enable as many people as possible to set off on a similar road to recovery as mine.  I know that many people in the past have claimed to have the cure for all our ills in magic potions, vitamins and who knows what else.  I am not claiming to have the answer for everyone.  However, the medical issue I've identified is extremely common and likely affects a very large percentage of the global population.  It is simple to diagnose and for many it is really easy to treat if caught early enough.  It is a form of anaemia or borderline anaemia known as dimorphic anaemia which means that people have deficiencies of B12, folate and iron.  There are dozens of genetic polymorphisms which affect how well a person can absorb and utilise B12 and folate and, hence, many more possible permutations which can cause illness.  This then affects a process known as methylation which is essential for producing active folate which is in turn essential for DNA synthesis, i.e. if you don't have enough active folate, your body will fail to create some of the new cells it needs to function properly.  The longer this goes on, the more the damage accumulates as the body fails to repair itself.  Eventually, it affects its ability to create neurotransmitters and it's easy to see how that, combined with a lack of oxygen from some degree of anaemia is unhelpful for brain function and hence, behaviour.

 

Ok, I've written way more than I meant to and I hope people manage to stick with it to the end and want to discuss this with me in more depth elsewhere in the forums.

 

Too much information?

 

[Danske]

'It is simple to diagnose and for many it is really easy to treat if caught early enough.'

Are you treating it in yourself? How is that working out?

Btw this would be better posted as a topic not in the introduction section.

[jah]

Hi Dankse,

 

Yes, I am treating myself these days.  I was treated for B12 deficiency for decades but doctors failed to diagnose my folate and iron deficiencies.  I finally got a doctor who gave me folic acid, B12, etc., and started to get better from there.  I had been so ill, however, that the sheer timescales over which I'd been anaemic caused so much damage and so many other problems that it has taken years to get to the bottom of everything.  I think I'm almost as well as I am going to get.  I'm doing pretty well.  Just sorting out the thyroid problem I have and once I'm stable on the thyroid medications (natural thyroid hormone) hopefully that will be me.

 

I've been looking for the right place to start a conversation.  If you've any suggestions that would be helpful.  I've seen some threads talking about nutrition which I might add to.  I'll probably also create my own when I'm ready.

 

I'm also very interested in the usual social and political issues too so I won't just be talking about health.