What is Gluten Mad?

Gluten MAD was formally known as Serva Me (www.servame.com).

I have gluten psychosis. I develop bipolar disorder and paranoid psychosis bordering on schizophrenia when I eat anything made from wheat. Even the smallest amount can make me unwell for days. This blog is my way of sharing how I healed myself and how a gluten free diet, while vital for recovery, may not be enough to heal once a severe mental illness has established itself.

This blog was formally known as Serva Me. Serva me translates from Latin as 'save me' or 'help me'. It is a quote from The Satyricon by Gaius Petronius Arbiter, a Roman courtier who lived during the time of Emperor Nero from 27 - 66AD. The full quote is 'serva me, servabo te' - 'save me, and I will save you'.

The older owl above is holding two books, one of which is titled 'Servabo Te' – ‘I will help you’. The other reads 'Noli Timere' which translates as ‘do not be afraid’. These were the poet Seamus Heaney's last words to his wife.

These are poignant quotes for someone who has suffered with terrible health problems such as me. ‘Help me’ is the first thing that I thought as I walked into my psychiatrist’s clinic for the first time. All I wanted was for the doctor to reply, ‘do not be afraid, I will save you’. But he said nothing like this and the help I received was hollow and ineffective.

This blog is dedicated to all those who suffer health problems that modern medicine cannot treat. By advocating for my own health, I found a path to a treatment that finally worked and didn’t require drugs or doctors. I tell you my story through this blog in the hope that others who suffer like me can also find better health. Until autoimmunity and mental health are better understood we are on our own; no one is coming to save us.