An NKM2! Interview
by Marco Pantoliano

"In terms of the stigma...if people have a problem with my eccentricities, then it's their problem, not mine." - Margot Kidder

I recently had the pleasure of speaking with actress, and mental health advocate, Margot Kidder. She shared her views, of the wide, wild world of brain dis-ease, the stigma, and the psychiatric industry. Margot, who prefers not to label her mental state, has had her battles with bain dis-ease in the past. For some time now, she has been able to harness the power of her mind, by nourishing her brain with a routine of natural remedies.

After years of struggling with her own personal brain dis-ease, "Lois Lane", has found a way to be the master of her kryptonite.

What are the main differences between how you dealt with your condition earlier in life, and how you deal with it now?

Well, earlier in life I went to psychiatrists and took all their medications, which was not helpful in my case at all; I think I developed more problems because of the medications than I did after I stopped seeing psychiatrists. So, you would have to pay me a million bucks to go to a shrink at this point. I deal with my ups and downs for the most part.  Although I'm not anti-medication, I'm anti the abuse of medications, which psychiatrists seem to be all too willing to engage in.  I deal with my stuff with diet, with a lot of nutrients, and with amino acids and minerals, and periodic de-toxing of my body. I also follow a sort of program of taking my emotional barometer so to speak each morning, and being hyper-aware of where I am, and if I start to get a bit manic, doing the things I know I need to do, to keep that in check. Or, for example, if I get depressed, I tend to inject a lot of vitamin B12, which really helps with my depression.

In your opinion, what are the most effective forms of treatment for a brain dis-ease?

I believe strongly that each person is different, and I believe that if you’re someone that the drugs help, take the drugs, whatever gets you through the night. This is not a moral issue, it's a health issue. But what helps me is something called "Orthomolecular Psychiatry," which basically takes the toxins out of your system and replenishes the nutrients you're deficient in.

What advice would you give anyone struggling with their current treatment regimen?

You have to go do your homework, google orthomolecular psychiatry, get a book called "The Teachings of Buddha;" there's a wonderful book called "Healing The Brain The Natural Way."  There's another one on depression called "The Way Up From Down." And, if you have a doctor that's treating you with less than 100% respect, than you need to get another doctor...right away. Talk to people you trust and love, and work slowly. But whatever you do, do not abruptly stop taking medication.  That's a recipe for disaster.  An absolute recipe for disaster.  You have to slowly come off it.

Do you think that personal research on brain dis-ease and brain function is important for recovery?

I think it's necessary for recovery because each person, once they come to an understanding of what their specific challenges are, will be better equipped to overcome them. Because those of us dealing with mental conditions are all different and don't necessarily fit into the classifications used by the psychiatric industry,  we each have a personal responsibility, to know as much as possible about the issues we're facing.

How important do you think general nutrition and exercise is for the health of the brain?

Exercise is huge! I think that it's been proven that most SSRI's are as useful as a good workout; you can get the same effect with a good workout.

Have you felt the stigma as a result of being open with your condition?

Well, I'm 60 now.  I'm an old grandmother, and one of the great things about getting to be an old broad is you become less concerned with that sort of thing. I'm aware of it where if I have any heightened emotions, people immediately worry that I'm going crazy again and that becomes very tiresome. In terms of the stigma...if people have a problem with my eccentricities, then it's their problem, not mine.

What would you say to someone who is embarrassed about having a brain dis-ease?

I would say that they're probably wise to be cautious because society has not caught up with science and thus has not yet realized that we're not in the dark ages and that having emotional difficulty or a thought difficulty does not mean you're inhabited by the devil. People tend to look at mental illness and deal with it as if it were a moral issue. So, it's normal to be a bit cautious, but don't be too embarrassed to go get help.  Help is available in many different forms. Not getting help and keeping everything secret inside is one sure way to drive yourself right around the bend. Our society has a lot of catching up to do, there's a lot of educating to be done.

How do you think we can remove the stigma?

I think one of the first ways to get rid of the stigma, is to get rid of the notion that there is this thing called "mental illness," as apposed to just an "illness." So the notion that there's mental illness and then there's physical illness, needs to be done away with. We're all just people, floundering around, trying to make this thing called life, work. And some people have a harder time than others and there are many different ways to make it easier for themselves. The end of the stigma is in our hands as individuals.

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