Kolbe’s Story
I would like to tell you a little bit about our family struggle with mental illness, specifically with my eighth child, Kolbe. Mental health issues run in our family and extended family. My husband and I have nine children and Kolbe has by far been our most…
I would like to tell you a little bit about our family struggle with mental illness, specifically with my eighth child, Kolbe. Mental health issues run in our family and extended family. My husband and I have nine children and Kolbe has by far been our most difficult challenge up to this point.
When Kolbe was first born, he was very, very fussy. He was colicky and cried virtually all the time. By the time he could stand, he often stood screaming and slapping his thighs. He hardly smiled during his first year of life, only laughing out loud a couple of times during that entire year. By 18 months, he had tantrums that could last up to 3 hours. These were extremely violent in nature, with him constantly banging his head on the wall and slapping his thighs until they were bright red. He was able to pick up furniture, tables and chairs and throw them across the room with great strength. Other than crying and screaming, he was nonverbal, indicating a speech delay. Kolbe’s aggressive behavior escalated as months passed.
Shortly before his 3rd birthday, he developed grand mal seizures, which led to hospitalization. Kolbe’s doctor placed him on Dilantin, to which he had an allergic reaction and was soon placed on Depakote, which controlled the seizures and helped him with his mood. The rages were shortened in duration and not quite as violent. At age 3, he began to see a counselor and a psychiatrist for behavior management and diagnosis. Kolbe’s diagnoses were Anxiety Disorder, ADHD, OCD, Bipolar (not otherwise specified) and ODD.
Over the next 4 years, Kolbe’s psychiatrist treated him with 24 different psychotropic drugs to treat these various diagnoses, none of which really kept him under control. At age 7, he was doing poorly in school and had developed tremors and ticks. His symptoms got worse with no help from the meds, and it was so severe that he was physically hurting himself, scratching himself and drawing blood. Even adults had difficulty trying to restrain him during his violent rages, due to his incredible strength. He was constantly breaking furniture and toys. People trying to restrain him were injured by his kicking, clawing, and hitting or by something he threw at them. When placed in his room, he often broke his toys and furniture. Once he shredded his door into hundreds of pieces of wood with his bare hands and feet.
After that episode, he was hospitalized at the state psychiatric hospital for children, where he was kept for 10 days, then released with med changes. A few weeks later, he returned to the hospital for a second time. He stayed only a few days, and then returned home. At home, he remained very violent to himself, to others, and to property. Kolbe acted so unsafe and out of control in the car one time that he was brought directly to the emergency room. A male doctor, male nurse and female nurse were unable to restrain him. They had to give him Haldol in order to keep from being injured and to calm him. This led to his third admission to the psychiatric hospital where he stayed for 3 weeks. He returned home and his behavior was somewhat better, but he was still a very sick boy. School started soon after he returned home but he had a very difficult time. For the first time ever, Kolbe’s school staff started seeing signs of his violence and anger. One of the teachers could not handle teaching him anymore so he was then home schooled for the rest of the school year.
In May of 2008, we were introduced to a nutritional supplement for people with mental health issues sold by a company called Truehope. This supplement was EMPowerplus. After much consultation, apprehension, and prayer, we decided to switch Kolbe from his current medications to this amazing natural supplement. Support personnel were available by phone daily, whenever needed, to help us through the transition in weaning him from the psychotropic meds to the natural supplements. We completely weaned Kolbe off all his meds within 3 weeks, which, if weaned without the supplement, would have taken months. This rapid weaning is possible because the human brain responds quickly and positively to this natural nutrient supplement. It is so effective that the brain heals very rapidly and the psychotropic med dosages must drop quickly to keep the patient from feeling as if he/she is overdosing. There are different theories as to why this supplement works so well. One is that scientists believe there is a genetic need for more nutrients in the brain due to genetic mutations, which result in nutrient deficiencies and can lead to brain cell shrinkage or brain cell death. People just cannot get enough through their diets or regular over the counter vitamins. You can learn more about these products by going to the truehope.com website.
Within Kolbe’s first 2 weeks of being weaned off his meds and starting the supplement, we noticed a big difference in his behavior. We charted his mood and behavior symptoms online through Truehope. A support person at the company whom we spoke with daily monitored these charts regularly. Within 6 weeks, Kolbe was virtually a normal little boy! His side effects were gone, he had no more ticks, no more tremors, and he was alert, focused and clear. He was joyful and happy most of the time. He very rarely had mood swings, became irritable or angry and hardly ever cried. We seldom saw any loss of his temper. Other challenging symptoms that greatly diminished were his impulsivity, his demanding nature, his poor judgment, his irrationality, his self-hatred, his racing thoughts, and his obsessive thoughts. Most people who knew Kolbe before he switched to this amazing supplement and saw him after the change were amazed. They said he was like a completely different person.
Remember, this supplement is not a cure. At one time Kolbe was sick for a few days and could not take the supplement. Within a few days, his symptoms came back. This is a normal reaction. If he takes an antibiotic, it may affect the absorption of the supplement and he may need to take extra of the supplement to maintain its full effectiveness. If he has anything that will keep him from consuming his normal diet, it is important to be aware of the need for extra supplements.
I want to state here that Truehope’s EMPowerplus was none other than a miracle, a blessing from God for Kolbe and our family. Kolbe has been taking EMPowerplus for almost three years now. Our family is so much more functional and we can now leave Kolbe with a babysitter. We no longer worry when it comes to leaving Kolbe at a friend’s house. He is doing great in academics, sports, extracurricular activities and family life.
I would highly recommend this supplement to anyone who suffers from any type of mental health issue, especially depression, bipolar, anxiety, or schizophrenia. It may take one a great deal of courage to get to the point where he /she is ready to take this step. To be apprehensive about this is quite understandable. One needs a tremendous amount of support. It is such a great blessing to have the Truehope support team available to help each person every step of the way!
EMPowerplus is so natural and safe. Personally, we have never been big into natural health remedies. We were familiar only with conventional medicine. Natural health was a big unknown to us. Considering the switch from prescription medications to natural supplements filled us with insecurity and fear. It was very difficult to consider anything outside of the medical realm, but it got to the point where we were out of options. We had to do something to help our son. We had exhausted the list of psychotropic drugs. It was time for us to take a leap in faith and to trust that Kolbe would be the next one on the list of the many Truehope success stories! It was time to trust in God!
I recommend that you remain open-minded, study the research, listen to the stories, and give Truehope a chance. My closed-mindedness was out of fear, but for some it may be other worries and concerns. Thankfully, Kolbe’s pediatrician and psychiatrist were with us on this. They were supportive and willing to go forward with us. For some, taking this huge step will be more difficult because they will not have the support from their doctors or their families. Those who suffer this challenge should try to remember that the support staff at Truehope is there for them.
To all those involved with or suffering with mental health challenges: I encourage you to be open to the miracle that might be out there waiting for you, whether you are a medical professional, psychiatrist, adult, parent, or child.
– Susan B. (Kolbe’s mom)
Juan Luis’s Story
“My name is Juan Luis Martin. I’m 46 years old, married with two children, and I want to share my story so that people who suffer from some type of mental disorder may see a ray of hope in their painful illness. My story begins, 13 years ago, when I…
My name is Juan Luis Martin. I’m 46 years old, married with two children, and I want to share my story so that people who suffer from some type of mental disorder may see a ray of hope in their painful illness.
My story begins, 13 years ago, when I was 33 years old and a professional soldier. I began to show a series of symptoms which seemed to have no explanation. Above all, I was psychosomatic and experienced mental hyper-sensitivity. Two years later, my father died. Two months after his death, while I was sleeping, I suffered my first anxiety attack and had to be admitted to the hospital. At that time, I fell into a deep state of anxiety and depression that destroyed my life completely. I will not explain all the symptoms of my illness. Those who have the misfortune of being familiar with mental illness will know what they are. However, I will emphasize among all the symptoms the tremendous mental suffering, the anxiety, the sadness and recurrent thoughts of suicide. Due to the gravity of my condition, working became impossible. After being on medication for two years I received a disability leave, but even this did not resolve the problem. My illness transformed me into the living dead. I took every type of psychiatric medication, each successively stronger and more toxic but also more useless. Still, my vitality and function stayed below 30%.
I do not wish to over-generalize about psychotropic medications, but for me these types of substances did not relieve me of my illness. They could be useful, perhaps, in the days immediately following a traumatic attack, but in the long run, they do not cure. Furthermore, they only seem to eternalize the illness. I was blocked – incapable of facing my life, and deprived of a myriad of emotions. That’s how it was for the eleven years since my first anxiety attack. And still what was the medical diagnosis? Chronic Depression. Finally, combining 225 mg of Venlafaxine (Effexor), 800 mg of Lithium, and 2 mg of Clonazepam per day I experienced days where I felt I had recovered up to 40% of my vitality. Exasperated, my doctor proposed electroshock as a last resort.
Then the miracle occurred. While casually surfing the internet, I came across Truehope mentioned by a famous American doctor as a bipolar treatment on a psychiatrics page. In my desperation, this non-conventional treatment intrigued me, and without hesitation I contacted the company.
I must say that I was skeptical, but my desperation won out. I asked myself which was worse, take vitamins and minerals or submit to electric shock. In view of the results, it is obvious which is better! I faithfully followed the support staff in instructions given by Julio, reducing my medications as I increased the use of Truehope products. Within a month, I began to notice important changes in my symptoms and an increase of vitality. After 6 months, I was taking absolutely ZERO psychotropic medications! Yes, that’s right – NONE – even though it seems unbelievable.
I am still taking the EMPowerplus and Total Amino Solutions. I suppose I will take this product in some quantity for the rest of my life as I don’t want my illness to return. I like to use approximated percentages to explain my illness instead of absolute cures. My vitality is stabilized between 85-90%. I feel positive emotions again and a zest for life. I don’t want to imply that this product is miraculous, but it provides the strength necessary to fight this type of terrible ailment and gives hope for recovery. It provides independence to walk the path of healing, as you become responsible for your own health. Everyone should launch into a new life beginning with the introduction of these vitamins.
Now I simply have the continued process of recovery before me with the help of EMPowerplus and Total Amino Solutions. Who knows if I will feel a vitality of 110% six months from now? Regardless, when I compare my current state with where I was 8 months ago, I am satisfied.
I would encourage everyone who is ill to try EMPowerplus. I am familiar with the product. You have nothing to lose and so much to gain. I suppose the results vary from person to person, but I promise you that vitality you feel will double. Much the better if you are also freed from the side-effects of medications. Guaranteed, you will be significantly strengthened to face life head on.
I have returned to work. I practice natural medicine and I monitor student transportation. However, the greatest benefit is that I have renewed feelings and emotions, I enjoy life, and neither I nor my family has been destroyed. I have to emphasize that this is not a magic remedy, but it is extremely effective, and dramatically surpasses the results of the psychiatric medications alone. At least this has been my experience after 11 years on medications. Each person should make their own choice and then follow the tried therapeutic protocol to ensure you don’t abandon the treatment for reasons of poor application.
I hope that my testimony will lighten someone’s life and give them the hope that EMPowerplus can restore many lives that have been destroyed by mental illness.
– Juan Luis Martin
Joleen’s Story
Joleen’s depression set in during grade 8. In grade 10 she contracted an infection that left her chronically ill and unable to complete her high school education. The darkness of depression and chronic illness took her to a state of utter desperation. When…
Suzanne’s Story
I’m a daughter, a sister, a wife and a mother. I’m a worker, taxpayer, a student, a friend and I’m bi-polar. If you were to see me on the street you would not know that I have struggled with a very real and devastating disease.
Sabine’s Story
I suffered many years before my illnesses were diagnosed in the early 1990’s. But my suffering would not end there. My illnesses went on to take the precious time of Medical and Psychiatric Doctors and countless visitations for treatment. I was diagnosed…
I suffered many years before my illnesses were diagnosed in the early 1990’s. But my suffering would not end there. My illnesses went on to take the precious time of Medical and Psychiatric Doctors and countless visitations for treatment. I was diagnosed with rapid cycling manic depressive disorder (bipolar depression), obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), borderline personality disorder, and fibromyalgia – the list of symptoms for these illnesses is much too long to list here. The prescribed treatment included aggressive drug cocktails that included Effexor, Haldol, Risperidal, Lamictal, Prozac, Serzone, Neurontin, Seroquel, Olanzapine, Oxazepam, Cogentin, Ativan, Diazepam, Amitriptyline, and others.
My life was not a life in this condition. I was either in the hospital or bed-ridden at home, and in such a drugged state that I was up only a couple of hours per day and had extremely limited ability. For many of those years I have little or no memory other than pain, both mental and physical – no memory of time with my three children or time with my husband since there was precious little of that in my state. The aggressive drug ‘therapy’ brought no relief and was at best only sufficient to keep me out of the hospital and confined to my bed. On top of it all, the drugs brought about severe and unwanted side effects. Years went by in this state, with prescribed variations in dangerous drug cocktails.
Prescription costs were enormous with many months averaging well over $1,200 per month. I knew I could not live much longer in this state, nor did I want to anymore. Then, in the spring of 2001, I began taking Empowerplus vitamin and mineral supplement while at the same time keeping my medical and psychiatric doctors informed. With supervision, I weaned off of the drug-cocktail over several months and by continuing with the Empowerplus supplement my mental and physical health improved rapidly and beyond belief. Empowerplus has given me back my health and life and has allowed me to become a wife and mother.
– Sabine
Albert’s Story
We would like you to know how EMPowerplus has helped our son Albert. We as parents noticed signs early (pre K) that our son had attention span problems. He was professionally diagnosed with ADHD before the start of first grade (year 2001). It was “highly…
We would like you to know how EMPowerplus has helped our son Albert. We as parents noticed signs early (pre K) that our son had attention span problems. He was professionally diagnosed with ADHD before the start of first grade (year 2001). It was “highly suggested” that we medicate our son, or risk our son being held back. Reluctantly, and with much hesitation we put our son on Adderall with the start of first grade. At first there seemed to be improvement, but within three months there seemed to be nothing but bad effects on our son. Soon the doctor prescribed an antidepressant to counteract the effects of the Adderall. Nobody at this young age should need antidepressants. Our son was just so sad all of the time. It was as if he forgot how to be happy.
Through the next year and a half our son was put on Adderall XL, Remeron, Wellbutrin, Wellbutrin SR, and last but not least Strattera. We were happy to hear that Strattera was not a stimulant, but the side effects were worse than any of the other meds put together. Our son would scream that the TV always had to be on, and that was the only way he would sleep. He started stabbing himself in the hand with his pencil when he was unable to do a task at school. Through all this time we had many conferences with the school and the “team” that was designed to help our son. It was always agreed during these meetings that it was clear that Al was a very bright boy, but with no way of channeling his intelligence.
Then one day while watching the Discovery Channel his dad saw a program on EMPowerplus. He made the necessary phone calls and thought this might help our son. We started the EMPowerplus during Christmas break of his third grade. By New Years we saw improvement. Now that the end of the school term is here, we thought you would like to know about his success thus far:
a) First and foremost, our son is HAPPY. It has been so long since we’ve seen him happy. This truly is one of the many great benefits of EMPowerplus.
b) Al took what could only be described as a poor report card to one of A’s and B’s.
c) He PLAYS with other kids. In the past he felt so bad about himself he would not participate in any school or playground games. Now he goes out almost every day and tries very hard to make new friends.
d) For the first time since he started school, we finally had a good teacher conference in April 2004. All of his teachers commented on how happy he is, and how well he is doing.
e) As with all children he faces the normal difficulties. But unlike before, when he fails at a task he gets mad, but then he gets over it.
f) We have seen so much improvement in our son over the last six months that it is hard to tell of each and every success. But you should know that Al was picked as Student of the Month for May for the student that demonstrated the most improvement.
g) He now reads and writes stories on his own. This is a task that would have been out of the question before EMPowerplus.
There are so many ways in which EMPowerplus has helped our son. We now tell anyone and everyone about our success.
With much appreciation,
– Al and Lynda Powell
Gayle’s Story
My name is Gayle and I live in Pennsylvania USA. I have been struggling with Bipolar Disorder for over 20 years. For years my symptoms were managed by Lithium and Risperdal. This kept me from repeated trips to the hospital. For most of those years, although…
My name is Gayle and I live in Pennsylvania USA. I have been struggling with Bipolar Disorder for over 20 years. For years my symptoms were managed by Lithium and Risperdal. This kept me from repeated trips to the hospital. For most of those years, although on the previously stated medications, I struggled with deep depression, hallucinations and rages which was very destructive to myself and my family. The medications I took for mania didn’t control the depression. My moods seemed to be influenced significantly by stress, diet and the amount of sleep I would get. I was never sure when my next trip to the hospital would be, nor would I know when the rages and hallucinations would sweep over me.
I have been taking Empowerplus since Oct. 2000, and within a week of beginning the program I began to feel totally different. Within three weeks I was able to stop taking Lithium and Risperdal. I have since been totally free of any, and all, other medications for the treatment of Bipolar. No longer will I have to concern myself with the long term side effects of using such drugs.
I now have a foundation of reality and wholeness of my mind that I never knew existed. In fact, after stabilizing on the supplements, I actually went through a grieving process for all that I lost due to my illness. I was able to recognize and comprehend all the years of detachment and fear that I experienced. I was able to own, for the first time, all the destruction that I had caused my loved ones from my disorder. Until getting on this program, I did not have a reality that remained rooted. My reality was wrapped around my bipolar thinking and was, of course, abstract. Now, my thoughts are structured and level. I no longer experience the rapid confused thought patterns, hallucinations and random rages that made my life so unpredictable and difficult. I do not experience any symptoms related to Bipolar Disorder, and have not since starting Empowerplus. Your product has given me back my life.
– Gayle
Baby Anna’s Story
Some would say I am a miracle others would just call me cute. My name is Anna and I came into this world on February 12, 2005. I was 9lbs 12oz and had an apgar score of 10. Now you might think it funny that I would be so proud to mention my apgar score but…
Some would say I am a miracle others would just call me cute. My name is Anna and I came into this world on February 12, 2005. I was 9lbs 12oz and had an apgar score of 10. Now you might think it funny that I would be so proud to mention my apgar score but then if you knew my mother you would know why.
Just a little over 3 years ago my mother was on a 5 drug cocktail which not only had her swinging all over the place but hospitalized for months on end as a suicide risk. Doctors warned her never to get pregnant as she would make her illness not only unmanageable but put her baby at risk of severe deformation or even death, due to all the drugs she was taking. No matter how many drugs they tried nothing worked. Then she found Truehope.
I am so grateful my mother learned about Truehope and took a natural approach to her illness. She has been on EMP ever since. It has allowed her to learn and grow as an individual, making positive changes in her life not to mention allowing her to give birth to 2 healthy children. My brother who is now 2 and a half, was born healthy just one year after my mom started EMP. I know my mother often marvels at what is and shudders to think what might have been when she looks at I my brother and I.
Thanks Truehope for a healthy start on life.
– Baby Anna
Andy’s Story
This is the story of a miracle – my miracle: Ever since I was young I always knew I was different than my friends and family. How was I different? I had absolutely no patience, didn’t like myself, and felt extremely insecure. I would get depressed even…
This is the story of a miracle – my miracle
Ever since I was young I always knew I was different than my friends and family. How was I different? I had absolutely no patience, didn’t like myself, and felt extremely insecure. I would get depressed even when things were going great. I had anger problems which got me into many fights and the list goes on and on. I thought I was just weak-minded or too sensitive about things. All of this yet I had the most wonderful family so there was no reason for me to feel this way.
I went on with life and dug down deep and started to create a life in a sleepy little town. I was working and doing well, had a special person in my life and things seemed great. But little did I know everything was about to be turned upside down. At about 19 years-old I found it hard to sleep and concentrate on work or anything else. This went on for a long time and I was literally hanging on by a thread. My relationship failed and my life fell apart in the worst way. It wasn’t until I was about 22 that I was diagnosed with Bipolar and tried on every drug imaginable to level me out. I finally did get leveled out somewhat and things got better but I developed many side-effects from the drugs and was always getting infections and building up tolerances to the medications. I was in a total of 5 different mental health hospitals to try and get me on something that would work right. While in one, my parents were told, “Prepare yourself. He may never leave the hospital.” I couldn’t believe the lack of belief in me by this doctor. Well, I did leave the hospital and went on with my life as best I could. In the course of the next 9 years I completely lost my personality due to the drugs I had to be on. I was just a shell of a person who lived only from my past experiences. I was so miserable.
Things went on this way until I found Truehope and started EMPowerplus. Now after almost two years of being on the program and being completely off medications, my life is being turned right side up. I feel better now than I ever have in my entire life. For the first time, I know who I am as a person and I’m finding that I’m not the person I thought I was. I actually love the person I am. I have a ton of compassion, understanding, love, and forgiveness for myself and for others. My life actually has a positive affect on the people around me now. I have such a feeling of joy in me that I realize this is what it is like to actually live!
I am now living happier than ever and have nothing but excitement for my future. Things just get better every month on the EMPowerplus program. I would never have been in this place in my life had it not been for Truehope and all the very special people there who have nothing but love in their heart and a relentless desire to see me get well. They never gave up on me. How do you thank someone for such a selfless act? I guess beyond a sincere thank you, the best way is to make my life count and be the best person I can be. Thank you so much Truehope. Thank you for giving me the chance to pull my life out of the darkness.
God bless you!
– Andy Chandler
Anne’s Story
For most of my life, I have been a stable and happy person. Even though I have dealt with alcohol addiction, an intensely physical and emotionally abusive relationship, infertility, and other stressful life events, I have been able to stay focused on my…
For most of my life, I have been a stable and happy person. Even though I have dealt with alcohol addiction, an intensely physical and emotionally abusive relationship, infertility, and other stressful life events, I have been able to stay focused on my goals and priorities and maintain a happy, fulfilling professional and personal life.
It all changed in the summer of 2000. There was an extremely difficult and fear-filled event in my family that caused my stress level to explode and my lung to collapse for the first of ten times. The experience mimicked a heart attack accompanied by severe panic. I lay in the emergency room trying to tell the doctors how stressed out I was. I am sure my eyes were practically bulging out of my head. They seemed not to understand the correlation between the stress and my physical condition.
Thus began the beginning of my severe depression and anxiety disorder. For the next few years I tried both Lexapro and Effexor, and then Xanax. The anti-depressants helped for a very short time. After about six months on each medication, I felt desperately hopeless and suicidal. I cried myself to sleep at night and woke crying in the middle of the night. I had never experienced anything like this and was incredibly frightened. The panic attacks were coming more and more frequently. They made me feel jittery and intensely uncomfortable. I began to dread them. I could not sleep and woke often sweating and having night terrors. My entire body would malfunction. I felt so totally out of control. I could not stand it.
I tried Xanax which helped relax me. I ended up taking it three times a day in order to stay ahead of the attacks. Once again, after a few months, I had another break down feeling lost, desperate, and hopeless. I decided to stop all medications. I realized they just were not good for me.
At the same time, a friend toI tried Xanax which helped relax me. I ended up taking it three times a day in order to stay ahead of the attacks.
Once again, after a few months, I had another break down feeling lost, desperate, and hopeless. I decided to stop all medications. I realized they just were not good for me.
At the same time, a friend told me about Truehope and how it had helped him with his severe schizophrenia. I decided to try it after reading all the literature and talking to my physician, therapist, and husband. I called Truehope after submitting my history. The support person was so friendly and sympathetic. She seemed to know my situation so well and was so confident that Truehope could help. So, I placed my order for EMPower Plus and began the healing journey April, 2007. used, fluttery, shaky, insecure, manic, teary, agitated, dizzy, afraid, sad, anti-social, foggy-brained and a tightness in my chest are just a few symptoms from that time.
Today, after 17 months on Truehope, I feel incredible, fortunate and blessed to have found a natural way to heal my emotional and physical life. I have regained my sense of humor. I feel calm and centered. My world is once again stable and whole. My future seems bright and I love life again.
– Anne Klein
Nichole’s Story
For the first time in my life I feel in control of my mind. The way I felt before can be compared to a person running to catch up to a car, trying to control it from a distance, but it’s always out of reach and doing things independent of me before I can…
For the first time in my life I feel in control of my mind. The way I felt before can be compared to a person running to catch up to a car, trying to control it from a distance, but it’s always out of reach and doing things independent of me before I can catch up to it to stop it. That car was my mind.
Now I feel like I and the car are one, I am driving and in control. I am not speeding out of control, or broken down and smoking from the hood, but just driving at a normal pace. If I speed up to get something done, I don’t run myself ragged and feel pushed and pressured from behind with a panicky feeling.
That is the first and most profound difference I’ve noticed. Panic is gone. I had my first panic attack as a child, but my Dad and I assumed it was because of the pressure of enrolling in a new school. In the middle of enrolling, I rushed out to the parking lot crying. We sat in his car as he tried to talk to me. All I knew was I had to get out of there. As an adult, I would have that same sensation to varying degrees every day.
I also am not obsessing over thoughts. I used to have constant music playing in my head, a song, or a jingle or a movie theme. I know it’s good to have a song in your heart but this was ridiculous and aggravating to me. Antidepressants magnified it times ten. I also had white patches on my arms from them, and a lot of hair loss, so I decided to quit taking them. Now I am not losing nearly the amount of hair that I used to. I still notice the music every now and then, but the difference is it’s not there all the time and it’s not constantly repeating itself and drowning out my other thoughts. I can concentrate.
I used to feel noticeably uncomfortable sitting with people. I would shift around and look nervous. I hated going out to eat because it was hard to sit still and have a conversation. Also my thoughts would constantly shift. I couldn’t clean the house because I would be in one room then go to another and get distracted and work on something else when before I knew it I got hardly anything done except for a lot of grumbling. I had an excuse for every one of these behaviors. I rationalized all of them, and just called myself unique or quirky.
I felt like a severe outcast anywhere I went, and paranoid. My only relief from this while growing up was athletics.
My personality didn’t stay the same for longer than a couple months at a time and I was constantly trying to reinvent myself, throwing out clothes and once cherished items, redecorating the house. I know these are normal in moderation, but I took it to extremes. I didn’t seem to want to hold onto anything that reminded me of me.
At times I complained about everything in my life, from the heat in the summer to my neighborhood to the news to God knows what. I couldn’t control it. I wonder how everyone felt being around me when I was like that. My husband and my mother got the worst end of it.
I was either elated or depressed, and I wished for death at times. Sometimes I put the thought out of my mind but other times my mood sunk lower because of it. I put on a happy face for my little daughter. Growing up and as an adult I used to rage. At certain times I would rage in my mind all day long. I said horrible things to my mother. The feeling of aggravation was overwhelming. The littlest thing would send me into a fit of frustration where I felt like I was going to crawl out of my skin. My hair felt like it was standing up at the roots. Nothing I tried to do to calm myself worked. I just had to wait for it to pass and it sometimes took days. I had to take a sedative, and had little memory of my life while on it.
Before I would constantly check the clock, and felt too rushed to even stop and eat. Other times stress would wipe out my appetite. I was thinner than I wanted to be. Now when I feel hunger I don’t ignore it, I eat and the thought of food doesn’t make me nauseous.
I always had a suspicion that something was really wrong. I tried with all my power to live a normal, simple happy life, but all these behaviors would rear up again and tear my efforts back down. Each time I would rebuild and ‘get on track’, I’d tear it all down again. I hurt my loved ones with anger and criticism, rambling on and running over them much like I was being run over within myself.
Ever since I’ve been taking the nutritional supplements, those behaviors have gone away. Everything else I’ve tried from exercise to antidepressants to willpower didn’t help me maintain a healthy mind and body. Something is working for me in this supplement. I am so thankful that the developers took the time and effort to make this available after it showed promise within their family.
Thank you.
– Nichole
The T’s Story
Dear Truehope, I thought that I would like to send you a picture of the three T’s from Nevada. These are my beautiful children: Giselle (6) Keiran (5) and Addison (2). I had the opportunity to be introduced to EmpowerPlus just before I became pregnant…
Sarah’s Story
I’m the youngest of three, with two older brothers. I don’t remember much of my youth but I do recall my mother’s breakdowns—sobbing in a heap on the floor. It was very sad for us to see her like that, and I didn’t understand what was going on. One day we…
I’m the youngest of three, with two older brothers. I don’t remember much of my youth but I do recall my mother’s breakdowns—sobbing in a heap on the floor. It was very sad for us to see her like that, and I didn’t understand what was going on. One day we woke up and found that she had overdosed on pills and had left us behind. That’s where my story really begins.
It was June of 1967. No one understood why our mother took her own life. She was young, beautiful, living the American dream in the sixties—a big house in the suburbs, 3 kids, a doctor husband, a dog and a nice car. But, to this day, no one will discuss it with us, including our own father. What followed her death, for me and my brothers, were years of being kept in dark, years of mystery and years of pain. We were not allowed to grieve; we were not allowed to discuss what happened with anyone, not even each other. It was kept quiet and I myself didn’t know she had committed suicide until I put the puzzle pieces together when I was about 13 years old. I didn’t realize what mental torture she suffered until I found myself in her shoes much later in my life.
Our devastated father wasn’t able to raise us so we found our own way, and made every mistake in the book—including drug use, running away from home, run-ins with the law, you name it. Somehow I managed to make it through high school and actually graduated, but my brothers both dropped out. I was barely functioning and deeply depressed and by the time I reached my teens I was abusing every drug I could get my hands on, latching on to acquaintances, friends and boyfriends for love and support. I broke windows out in anger and lashed out at my father who had lost all control of me. In my twenties I completely stopped using drugs but switched to alcohol and cigarettes; I was lucky I never became physically addicted. I became involved with someone that was even less stable than I was, and we married and had our first child, a girl. Struggling with post-partum depression, I started cutting myself when the baby was young and had a difficult time coping with it all, yet I was the breadwinner and tried to hold myself together to be a good mother to our child. After a suicidal episode where I had locked myself in my bedroom with a gun, I tried to pull myself together and managed to do so for a good while. But the marriage was a disaster and ended very badly. It was extremely stressful. Somehow I made it through a terrible divorce, requiring years of restraining orders against my ex-husband.
At 30 years old, I moved away with our daughter and started a relationship with someone new in another state. Things were very good for the three of us, and we had a daughter together three years later. We built a house and were planning on having another child but something was wrong with me—it started with another round of post-partum depression after my second daughter was born. I was falling deeper and deeper into such a severe depression that I couldn’t make my way out of it. I put our youngest daughter (then 2 ½) in preschool and stayed home all day, sleeping. I hid my depression from everyone. The depression eventually became cyclical with bouts of hypomanic behavior. I began spending money out of control, destroying our marriage, and having fits of anger that scared everyone in the house. I broke things, I screamed, and I fell to my knees and fell to pieces. My appetite was gone and I washed down to 85 pounds. I just got worse and worse and I began hurting myself—punching things (furniture), driving recklessly (totaling our car), behaving promiscuously and cheating on my husband.
I finally got to the point where I was cycling between depression and mania in the same day sometimes. I went to see a therapist and a psychiatrist who diagnosed me as bipolar. I was prescribed anti-depressants, mood stabilizers, tranquilizers and sleep medications. I was a walking pillbox. This went on for years but I was still in a deep depression—they changed my medication cocktail and switched things around, tried different meds, but nothing worked. After a stay in the psych ward and no luck with any of the meds, I gave them up. I stuck with a doctor that would prescribe me Klonopin and Ambien. It was all downhill from there; I had gotten involved in a very sick co-dependent relationship outside of my marriage, with someone that was cruel and verbally abusive, and encouraged my already deep self-hatred. In February of 2003 I took a full bottle of Ambien and a full bottle of Klonopin. Somehow during the stupor I was falling into, I called a couple of people and told them what I had done. I wasn’t unconscious but would be soon. One of these friends rushed over and took me to the hospital. After stabilizing me in the hospital, they sent me to the psych ward again, for a week.
Once again, I was back to the cocktails of medications; for nearly two years I attempted to pull my life together on the meds. I struggled to be a good parent and repair the damage I had done to my marriage and to my children, and to regain their trust. But I remained deeply depressed and deeply ill. Some of the worst characteristics of my illness were obsessive cyclical thinking, and self-loathing, which the meds did nothing for. The medications were so strong, though, that I lost all sense of myself. I had no interest and no emotions, except a deep and excruciating pain in my center that wouldn’t cease. It always felt like a hole in my middle—always empty but filled with pain. I tried to work but barely functioned; I couldn’t think straight.
Desperate to find relief, I searched the internet for solutions and alternatives. In late fall of 2004, I discovered Truehope and decided to give the program a try. I told myself I’d give it three months to see if it would really work. I filled out the daily self evaluation forms online, I spoke to support twice a week, and reduced the dosage of my medications gradually. I took the supplements like clockwork, in the recommended amount. Within TWO WEEKS my symptoms began to gradually disappear—I was stabilizing!! I started to feel human again. It took 8 months to get off of all my medications completely. Now, after more than 3 years on EMPowerplus I’m stable—I’m a functioning human being, I have regained my husband’s trust and respect, I have a professional position with a good company and a decent salary, and I’m paying off all the debt I accumulated when I was ill. Most importantly, I am a good mother to my children. I have worked hard and regained their trust and faith and they count on me. My husband has his wife back; my children have their mom back.
Through all these years, I have had it in me to be successful, to rise above the tragedies of my youth, to be a happy person, to be a good mom and have a healthy marital relationship. EMPowerplus has enabled me to finally realize the person I am, the one I had the potential to be all my life. I lived through what my mother couldn’t make it through—she died at 38 and I’m now 48. I never believed I would live longer than she had.
In closing, I wanted to share that my oldest daughter was diagnosed as bipolar after she left for college. She has been on EMPowerplus for a while too, but hasn’t taken it regularly until the past few months. She is finally taking it regularly and is dedicated to her wellness so that she can finish her degree and also be free of depression and mental anguish. Today she’s doing very well and is another success story!!
Bipolar illness has run in my family now for three generations. EMPowerplus wasn’t available to my mother in the sixties, but I know she’d be happy to see that her daughter and her granddaughter have found a solution to this disease and are living well and have productive lives.
Life is good! Each day I’m thankful to feel the sun on my face, to feel the warm embrace of my children and my loving husband, and I am so grateful to Truehope for making this possible for me. Thank you so much Truehope for your wonderful product and for your great support. You really saved my life.
– Sarah C.
Amber’s Story
Hi, my name is Amber and this is my “Truehope Story”: When I was four years of age, I was diagnosed with ADHD and was prescribed Ritalin. I spent my whole childhood, youth and young adult life on medications. I was told that I would always be on some…
Lu’s Story
Lu was diagnosed as a teenager with Manic Depressive Disorder (now called Bipolar Disorder). She experienced a lot of destructive behavior that affected her ability to work and her ability to provide basic needs for herself and her children.
Lu was diagnosed as a teenager with Manic Depressive Disorder (now called Bipolar Disorder). She experienced a lot of destructive behavior that affected her ability to work and her ability to provide basic needs for herself and her children.
Through the years of her illness, family doctors and psychiatrists prescribed various medications. “They would give me all different kinds of pills,” Lu says, “and they would work for awhile, but then they would just stop working…” After awhile, Lu decided that she had had enough, and she went off of all her medications and decided she wasn’t going to live anymore.
Some friends who had read about EMPowerplus in the Edmonton Journal approached Truehope on Lu’s behalf. Lu says the only reason she even agreed to start taking EMPowerplus was to get her friends off of her back. Her attitude at that time was, “I [will] take it for six weeks and when it [doesn’t] work, they can leave me alone and I [can] finish doing what I [am] going to do [end my life].”
At the end of the six week period, Lu said, “I could feel something different in my life… I wasn’t quite so hopeless… I was still not willing to admit, though, that this stuff was helping… [but] I decided I was going to just try it just a little bit longer…”
The healing came gradually for Lu. She says, “The healing just seemed to kind of flow in… I wished that it would have just happened over night, but it didn’t, it made me appreciate it more… When I started to feel healthy, I couldn’t believe that I could actually feel that way…that it was real for me—like that I could feel like I was normal, like I could function, like I could take care of myself, I could take care of my family, I could work without a problem.”
For a time after Lu’s recovery, she stopped taking EMPowerplus and some of her symptoms returned. Lu says, “I got back on the vitamins and within a month / month and a half I was feeling fantastic again… I can’t imagine life without [EMPowerplus] now… There is no existence for me without [it], none.”
Mario Leon’s Story
“My name is Mario Leon and I am from San Jose, Costa Rica. I was medicated from 13 to 27 years of age with all kinds of psychiatric medications. I went through a long list of psychiatrists, each recommending a different drug or set of drugs for a…
Hugh’s Story
I would like to tell you a little bit about our family struggle with mental illness, specifically with my eighth child, Kolbe. Mental health issues run in our family and extended family. My husband and I have nine children and Kolbe has by far been our most…
Since 1979, Hugh L. has suffered from what for him has been “a real nuisance”. Hugh was diagnosed with Trigeminal Neuralgia (TN), a condition where nerves in his face and jaw would “fire” randomly, causing him periodic discomfort and sometimes extreme pain. He said sometimes it was like he was “holding onto a hot sparkplug wire.” Hugh’s aviation medical doctor told him that if he tried to treat his TN with medications he would no longer be able to fly as a pilot. So, Hugh decided to just live with the pain and discomfort. But after reading about Truehope in the Discover magazine, Hugh was interested in the research conducted on EMPowerplus. He started taking EMPowerplus and his TN slowly began to show signs of improvement. But he wasn’t sure if the EMPowerplus was causing the change, or if some other factor was putting his TN into remission, so he reduced his dose. Almost immediately his symptoms returned. So, of course, he increased the dose and decided to stick with it. Hugh now says, “I’ve been happy with [EMPowerplus] because it has given me the relief without a bunch of side effects.”
– Hugh
Terrie’s Story
Dear everyone at Truehope: Today is my Truehope ten month anniversary. My new life began June 28, 2008 when I took my first dose of EMPowerplus. It has been tough at times, due to protracted withdrawal and Candida issues, but compared to the…
Jose’s Story
I’d start this off with “once upon a time,” but this is no fairy tale. This is a little story, a true story, about someone who is back on track, and you could be too. I’ve been dealing with mental illness as far back as I remember. It started with my…
Kim Newton’s Story
This is my amazing story of recovery using nutritional support: Sometimes it’s hard to relate to the person I was 4 years ago.
This is my amazing story of recovery using nutritional support.
Sometimes it’s hard to relate to the person I was 4 years ago.
April 2008
HEALTH, HEALING AND HOPE
I am a 44 year old woman who for 23 years has suffered with chronic low grade depression. For 15 of these years I spent “hiding in the house”, only going out for basics and walks. I socially isolated myself for this time and I would often not answer the phone or door for days on end. My symptoms included lying on the bed often for parts of the day in a trance, unable to move because I did not have the energy, and I would have to lean on the basin or sink because I did not have the energy to stand when doing the washing up. I was confused and had extremely high anxiety or stress levels, and my mind would race everywhere. I often felt “unreal” like I was not grounded. I was very tired all the time.
I was a very miserable person; I walked around with my mouth turned down at the corners for all these years.
At one stage my skin was grey, I often ate very little and did not have enough sleep, and this wears you down after years. I had other symptoms such as aggression, obsessiveness and at times paranoia. I chose not to go on conventional medicines after the last antidepressant I tried gave me a bad reaction; I just lived with my symptoms and plodded along day after day. I knew I had to do something to help myself, so 5 years ago I went to a health food shop and was quite taken when they showed me a book linking depression with diet. It talked about eating natural whole foods and taking nutritional supplements. At the time my diet was high in animal protein and processed foods such as red meat, cheese, milk, bacon, butter, white pasta and rice and about 2 liters of coco cola a day in the summer.
I went and bought cans of fish, chicken, nuts, seeds, wholemeal bread, brown rice, wholegrain oats,fruit and vegetables, olive oil, and soya milk .I started to eat like this overnight and suddenly felt more “alive” in my brain and colors seemed a lot brighter. I now know this was from all the nutrients hitting my brain cells. I also started to drink water starting off with 2 glasses and increasing this to 8 a day, this was a shock to my taste buds after all that coco-cola. I now have modified my diet to more vegetarian foods such as lentils and beans and feel so much healthier and as much organic food as I can afford. All the toxins from my unhealthy diet of 20 years where then excreted through the pores of my face skin for 6 months. This was horrible as it seeped out of me as pus, thankfully this finally stopped. At the health shop they had a free in store naturopath that day who gave me some little tests , including iridology, and she said that I was lacking in all the B vitamins, Magnesium, Omega 3, Coenzyme Q 10 and I had a sluggish liver, which is not surprising considering my diet. Another added bonus was that I lost 40 kilos of weight over a year; this just melted off and although the weight lost made me psychologically happier I was still chronically depressed.
So I went to a practicing naturopath for a quote for treatment which included having my hair analyzed for vitamin and mineral deficiencies , toxic overload, food allergies and any supplements I might need alas W.I.N.Z were not prepared to pay for this, luckily they where prepared to pay for a supplement from Canada called Empower. This was because of the scientific research behind the intensive vitamin and mineral micronutrient treatment Empower, they have been published in 5 psychiatric journals with very promising results. See http://www.truehope.com I did not have my health back then, so I researched all of the information I could on this subject. There are over 600 references in scientific journals linking mental illness with nutritional deficiencies. In June 2004, with a Disability Allowance from W.I.N.Z of $52 a week, I started taking 3 Empower a day and quickly building up within a week to the then recommended 18 pills a day.
To be honest I did not think the Empower was working, but then a couple of months later I noticed small subtle changes. I did not seem to be so confused or tired anymore. How I really realized that Empower was working with me was with my periods. Before Empower, I had spent 5 days in bed, because I had no energy to move, and I had such terrible “brain fog” and I was so depressed, that I wanted to be on my own. Every month taking these nutrients I slowly became better, and I am certainly not in bed anymore! I have had NO SIDE EFFECTS EVER IN THE NEARLY 4 YEARS I have taken this “natural medicine”. I need to have nutritional support for the rest of my life otherwise my symptoms will return , I know this for a fact, because about 15 months ago I cut down to 10 pills a day from my usual 15 as I was feeling so well. I was fine for a few weeks, and then my period came, I had no reserves and I felt strange and depressed and so exhausted again. I upped my dose and within a month I was feeling well again. This gave me a big scare, because I realized how unwell I really was without my nutrients, but it also reminded of how much I relied on them otherwise my symptoms would return and I would feel like I did years ago. I am now nearly symptom free, I just feel I need a couple more months to totally heal. About 2 and a 1/2 years ago I felt whole, happy and complete for the first time in 23 years. I walk daily, jog, cycle and dance regularly. I also help run a “Food and Mood” workshop and I look after my partner who suffers with schizophrenia which is pretty stressful. I feel I am full of energy and vitality and I feel I can take on the world where I once hid from life. I feel that nutritional support has not changed my life, but “saved my life”. About 10 months ago I started taking Coenzyme Q10 which really finely tuned me, and Omega 3s which I know are essential for mental health. I now sleep 8 hours a night and eat regularly and I function through the day.
– Kim Newton
Kim R’s Story
When I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder seven years ago, I never imagined how devastating it would be. I trusted that if I just took my meds, did what service providers told me and approached my treatment with a healthy attitude, I would be okay.I…
When I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder seven years ago, I never imagined how devastating it would be.
I trusted that if I just took my meds, did what service providers told me and approached my treatment with a healthy attitude, I would be okay.I did not know that I would be forced to choose between dealing with the symptoms of my illness or dealing with the sometimes embarrassing or disruptive side effects from psychotropic medications. I did not know that I would have to give up many of my hopes, dreams, and goals.
I did not know that a stigma would be cast upon me for having a chemical imbalance and that I would feel such shame and isolation as a result.After spending years ruining my life, I spent many years rebuilding. I was able to attain a certain level of stability on meds, but I still retained symptoms and most days felt like a struggle. Meds enabled me to keep a job, but meds were far from restorative. Meds were a big compromise.
I started on the Truehope program 21 months ago. The symptoms of the illness are gone, there are no side-effects to deal with, and I feel physically healthy and strong. I am amazed every day how easily I do things.o many everyday activities that I used to struggle with, that now come so easily. I can keep a clean house; I can maintain friendships; I can plant a garden; I can maintain an exercise routine; I have hobbies.
Simple things, but they are the stuff of life. I am so excited about my life now. I feel whole. I can actually set a goal now, and I might actually achieve it. This gives me a lot of hope for my future tha of by my illness.
I am incredibly grateful for everything that I am now able to do, from the small things to the bigger things. It is no exaggeration to say that I have rediscovered myself and my life.
Thank you Truehope for restoring my life.
– Kim R.
Damon’s Story
(My wife) Shannon was prescribed, and struggled for years, on medications, which are typically just given to patients by psychiatrists, psychologists, and therapists alike, who are trying to help those with bipolar disorder, like Shannon… then I found the…
(My wife) Shannon was prescribed, and struggled for years, on medications, which are typically just given to patients by psychiatrists, psychologists, and therapists alike, who are trying to help those with bipolar disorder, like Shannon… then I found the Truehope website.
I began to read the story of the product development for EMPowerplus, as well as the success stories, and just thoroughly engulfed myself in the website and the product. I made the call, told them about Shannon, and a couple of days later, Shannon was on the phone with Truehope Support. We ordered the product, the product came, and between the introduction of the new product to her body, and cleansing and removing the build-up of prescribed meds from so many years of abuse, within days, I started to notice a change – mood, attitude, energy. It was almost as if I had remarried, without going through the divorce, and finding a new woman or, maybe it was, that the Shannon that everyone was suppose to have known, all the years she had abused the prescribed meds, was finally coming out.
Now, almost four years of taking EMPowerplus (and three of our children take it too – as they seemed to, in succession, started showing signs of moodiness, depression and anxiety – rather than take a chance we had them start taking it too – we didn’t want them going down that same road as Shannon) Shannon is finally enjoying life, having fun, getting out and doing things. Don’t get me wrong, she, as we all do – even those of us that aren’t bipolar has her bad days, but they are nowhere near the bad days she had when she was taking the prescription meds, where on occasion she would pass out, or just be barely functioning and walking around in a cloud. Now, with EMPowerplus she is focused, clear headed, goal oriented, and on most days vivacious and energetic – for the most part loving, living, and enjoying life again.
– Damon T.
Allicia’s Story
Allicia had a reaction to medicine when she was nine months old and again at 15 months. We also think she has a form of Autism called “Kanners”. At any rate, Allicia has a hard time sequencing and displayed many learning disabilities as she tried to gain…
Peter’s Story
I’ve been taking EMPowerplus for a little over a year. Since then I have had no manic and no depressive episodes, and have discontinued all psychiatric medication including lithium and sleeping medications. And I keep feeling better and better, particularly…
I’ve been taking EMPowerplus for a little over a year. Since then I have had no manic and no depressive episodes, and have discontinued all psychiatric medication including lithium and sleeping medications. And I keep feeling better and better, particularly more and more relaxed. I do not know anyone else who takes EMPowerplus but I have to think an awful lot of people should give it a try, especially since there’s nothing on the label that makes it sound risky, and it seems that bipolar disorder is practically epidemic these days.
I have an extensive background in mental health, with graduate degrees from Harvard and U.C. Berkeley. I spent 25 years as a clinical social worker and never saw any results with bipolar clients like the results I have had from EMPowerplus. Moreover, I really appreciate the people at Truehope who phone me regularly to check on how I’m doing and to make suggestions.
– Peter Silverman
Kristy’s Story
My name is Kristy R., and this is my story of “True Hope”. I am 30 years old, and I have been taking EMPowerplus since the age of 24, when, after years of struggling to survive the misery of mental illness, I had run out of options for treatment.
Vicki’s Story
I want to let others know there is hope from the pit of despair, which is where I came from. My name is Vicki, 35 yrs old, married for 11 years, with two children. I am a Radiological Technologist , but currently I am a domestic goddess. My husband and I…
I want to let others know there is hope from the pit of despair, which is where I came from. My name is Vicki, 35 yrs old, married for 11 years, with two children. I am a Radiological Technologist , but currently I am a domestic goddess. My husband and I have a son, 20 yrs old, and a daughter, seven yrs old. I have only given birth once, to our daughter, but I do have two beautiful children.
My story begins seven years ago after giving birth. I experienced the “baby blues” or what was assumed as, immediately after coming home from the hospital. My symptoms progressed into depression, crying for no reason, and sadness that came from nowhere. About three months after giving birth I was diagnosed with postpartum depression and placed on medication. I do want to stress that I never, ever at any time thought about harming my baby, EVER. My harmful thoughts were always concerning myself.
By this time, I was unable to take care of anything. The only physical contact I had with my baby was while breastfeeding and taking naps with her. My mom came to live with us to help my husband and I take care of my baby and myself. I was unable to be left alone, never knowing what I might do or if I would take off and drive off a cliff. I was in my own “nightmare” colorless, dark world. I was always afraid, terrified of “something or someone” behind me trying to get me. My mom or husband had to come help me off the couch to go the bathroom, and they had to put me to bed every night. The fear crippled me. About six months after delivery, I was diagnosed with severe postpartum psychosis. I had lost touch with reality. My family was in their own nightmare having to watch me being swallowed up and consumed by the depression, but they never left my side, no matter how out of control I had become.
(Over the next) six years, I had been hospitalized three times, underwent ECT (electroconvulsive therapy) treatments, mutilated myself with knifes, my nails, anything sharp I could get my hands on, attempted suicide and had the thoughts daily, and lost touch on everything in my life. And I was a woman who, prior to this point in my life, had never experienced any mental problems or issues. At this point, I was in the blackest, deepest hole I could have ever imagined and I just wanted my pain, not to mention my family’s pain, to end.
In May of 2006, my sister-in-law, Kimberly, found the Truehope website and asked me to read about it. I did, but did not think it was for me. In July, she had three bottles of EMPowerplus sent to me to try. I never imagined that it would help me, but I tried it anyway for her because she was so persistent. And within one month I noticed a difference in my thinking and how I felt. I was off all my medications by October, and I was taking six to seven meds a day. I have now been taking the vitamins for about a year and nine months, and I feel awesome. The second best thing that could happen to me, besides Truehope, is to know that my story could help someone that is going through what I went through. I wish I could have found out about this sooner. Please don’t waste any more valuable time, like I did, thinking this will not work for you, because trust me it does. And the best part is, I am able to take care of my family and myself. I love to cook and experiment with recipes again, that is such an enjoyment for me.
My little girl is my best friend, I missed out on so much, I now treasure our moments together. I am enjoying life, my life and the people in it, once again. My mom and my husband will never know the extreme appreciation I feel towards them for always being there for me. My family and I believe Kimberly is my Angel for thinking of me in the way she did. I am blessed to be here with my loved ones and I am thankful for that everyday.
Truehope is amazing! It is hope for someone who doesn’t see color, light, or hope in their life. Truehope gave me back the ability to see the color in my life.
Thank you!
– Vicki
Nikki’s Story
Since February 28th, 2006, the day which my six-year-old son Caden started the EMPowerplus vitamins from Truehope, our lives have changed in ways that are unimaginable. Caden was diagnosed at the age of three with Early Onset Bipolar Disorder, ADHD, OCD and…
Chuck’s Story
My name is Chuck. I was an Engineer and my life-long hobby was weight lifting. The fact that I passed the test for the US Navel Academy was an exciting moment in my life. I received a Letter of Commendation from the Army for the work I did on the Bradley…
Deborah’s Story
After 49 years of continuous depression, anxiety, panic attacks, obsessive thoughts and actions, social phobia and escalating mania, interrupted by severe depressive episodes, I finally faced the possibility that I must have bipolar disorder. I knew nothing…
Cara’s Story
My name is Cara and I was first introduced to EMPowerplus about eight years ago. At that time we had three small children and I was a full-time mom. All mothers struggle in raising little children and the things I had struggled with daily since the…
My name is Cara and I was first introduced to EMPowerplus about eight years ago. At that time we had three small children and I was a full-time mom.
All mothers struggle in raising little children and the things I had struggled with daily since the birth of our first child were no different than anyone else’s struggles. Or so I thought. Some days I felt I could cope and be a great mom, other days I wondered why no one had told me that this was what it was REALLY like to have children. I tried hard to appear as though I had things all under control, but in reality, things were getting more and more out of my control. My patience level fluctuated greatly, I found myself yelling at my kids, uncontrollably at times (something I had vowed I would never do), many days I would wake up very angry at everyone and everything, and I blamed my poor husband for pretty much everything. I was unable to cope well with struggles we were having, and continually blew things out of proportion. I became a walking bomb, keeping my anger all wrapped up inside until I couldn’t handle things at all. And then I would blow up. Of course I felt very justified in my major mood swings, anger, and blame, but as things got progressively worse, I knew I needed help.
I was told about the vitamins and minerals but wasn’t convinced that they would help ME. I decided to try the vitamins, and after a month of taking them, decided that it wasn’t doing me any good. It wasn’t until I stopped taking the EMPowerplus that I noticed myself changing, not for the better, but back to how I had been. I noticed my patience level diminishing, I started yelling at my kids again, little things that shouldn’t really matter, did matter – a lot, and I could feel the anger coming back. It wasn’t until I recognized that things were slipping back again that I acknowledged that I really had improved. I began taking the EMPowerplus again and gradually got better and better. It was exciting to me, as I started to really enjoy being a mom for the first time.
We had our fourth child, and although I felt a lot better, I still felt like my health wasn’t quite where it should be. We talked about having another child, but six months after the birth of our fourth child, I became very sick. I was tired beyond exhaustion. I developed food intolerances, and began to lose a lot of weight, quickly. Initially I was excited for the weight loss, but when I continued to lose more and more weight I became frightened. After being told by my doctor that there was nothing medically wrong with me according to my blood work and his assessments, I knew I had to take my health into my own hands.
After doing a lot of research, and talking with my sister who was treating systemic Candida, I started treating myself for Candida. I upped my EMPowerplus, and started taking Three Lac (probiotic), as well as Olive Leaf Extract (OLE). My energy levels returned, my food intolerances went away, I stopped losing weight, and I started to feel better than I ever had.
I felt strongly that I needed to get my health in check before having another child, and for me, the combination of the EMPowerplus, Three Lac, and OLE, helped me to get there.
We have now welcomed a new little addition into our home. Ethan is a content baby who loves to smile and interact with his siblings. He eats and sleeps well and has been very alert and focused on his surroundings, even right after his birth. I have no doubt that my being healthy gave Ethan a head start for his own health.
I am still taking EMPowerplus every day to keep myself healthy and to give Ethan what he needs as I nurse him. I also continue to take Truehope’s Three Lac, and OLE. I feel better than I have after any of my other pregnancies and I can truly say that I am loving being a mom. I am A LOT more patient with my kids, the anger is gone, my mood swings are minimal, and I can better keep things in perspective.
I used to wonder what it felt like to be truly happy. Now I know. Thank-you Truehope for helping me become the kind of mom I’ve always wanted to be.
– Cara R.
Bronwyn’s Story
Joseph and I are pleased to announce the birth of our first child. Stefanie Kiara was born June 17 weighing 6 lbs, 14 oz. Her Apgar score was 10. From the beginning she has always been very alert and focused, a calm baby that doesn’t fuss and sleeps most of…
Joseph and I are pleased to announce the birth of our first child. Stefanie Kiara was born June 17 weighing 6 lbs, 14 oz. Her Apgar score was 10. From the beginning she has always been very alert and focused, a calm baby that doesn’t fuss and sleeps most of the night. Joe and I were both bipolar once. We consider Stefanie to be our miracle baby. To have such a well and healthy child when both parents have a history of mental illness is a rare thing. Vitamins and minerals are small and simple things, but they work. While pregnant, I took EMPowerplus capsules, Truehope BMD tablets (which also eased morning sickness), and fish oils every day. I am taking full doses while nursing. The micronutrient treatment will then be added to the baby’s soft foods. When keeping to the full dose on a regular basis, there are no signs of postpartum depression.
– Bronwyn S.
Meredith’s Story
The best gift that I could give my child was a future with a healthy mom. I’m the mother of two beautiful girls, Kya who is almost three and Kathryn (Kate) who is three and a half months. When I was 19, I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. Shortly…
The best gift that I could give my child was a future with a healthy mom. I’m the mother of two beautiful girls, Kya who is almost three and Kathryn (Kate) who is three and a half months.
When I was 19, I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. Shortly after this discovery I can remember crying to a close friend of mine that I didn’t want to pass this “thing” onto my children – when or if I decided to have any. My biggest fear was that they would end up scared and lost like I was. I went through the cocktail of medications that doctors prescribe to mask the disorder.
It wasn’t long after I quit taking my prescribed Effexor that I became pregnant with Kya. My doctor was concerned about me taking medication while being pregnant so I went un-medicated for my entire pregnancy and nine months of nursing. I became unstable after I finished nursing and restarted the Effexor. I couldn’t stand the feeling of numbness that the medicine evoked.
When I was ready to quit and try another course of treatment, I found EMPowerplus. I couldn’t believe the amazing transformation in my life. I felt like a whole person able to care for my child and hold down a full-time job. I started Kya on the micronutrient treatments shortly after her first birthday. I wanted to safeguard her from the effects of being bipolar, whether or not she develops the disorder.
After we had Kya, and I experienced my set back, my husband and I were nervous about having another child. It was decided that since I could maintain my stability on EMPowerplus and there were no side effects to the child from the micronutrient treatment, we would try for another baby. Kathryn Lillian was born on June 15. She was beautiful and perfect in everyway, more so because we didn’t know whether she would come to be with me being bipolar. I am truly blessed to have her in my life. Kate has been off the chart since in the womb. My doctor was impressed with my blood work during pregnancy.
When I was pregnant with Kya, I was extremely anaemic (deficient in iron). I had to take numerous iron supplements to maintain a healthy level. Being pregnant and on EMPowerplus my levels were excellent. Kate was calm and alert from the moment she took her first breath. I cannot get over how attentive and verbal she is for someone so young. She has slept through the night since she was five weeks old and plays with her sister and me most of the day.
To say that she is amazing is an understatement in this proud parent’s eyes. I plan to continue giving Kate the micronutrient treatment like her sister after I finish nursing. She deserves the best chance out there of conquering the effects of this disease. The quality of life that EMPowerplus has granted my family cannot be adequately expressed in words.
I am grateful for my children, but more so I am grateful that I can care for them and be a healthy, happy, functioning mom.
– Meredith S.
Ms. Tachuk’s Story
I was a teacher, fifth grade, for four years before I accepted a corporate job out of my native state. My new job was highly stressful and I had a panic attack. I was rushed to the ER, as I nearly passed out. The doctor there told me that I was fine, that…
I was a teacher, fifth grade, for four years before I accepted a corporate job out of my native state. My new job was highly stressful and I had a panic attack. I was rushed to the ER, as I nearly passed out. The doctor there told me that I was fine, that this was a typical panic attack and gave me Xanax. Little did I know that while in withdraw from this powerful benzodiazepine that my life would be turned upside down.
Over the following weeks I was misdiagnosed with every disorder under the sun. I was put on many more medications including Klonopin, Lexapro, Lithium, Seroquel, Ativan…just to name a few. The pain still continued. I was suicidal.
It was at this time that my mother found out about Truehope. I started on EMPowerplus and I immediately began to eliminate many of my medications. When we reached the point of eliminating Ativan, I ran into a very rough patch in the process. I would run through the house at night lying down on chairs, the floor, outside on the porch, and would hope for a few minutes sleep. Sometimes it came, most of the time it did not. When I started to cut the Ativan my pain level skyrocketed. For the first time I began to howl in shrieks of pain. I did not know if I was going to make it through the horrible withdraw from yet another benzodiazepine.
With my Truehope mentor and the strength of the vitamins I was able to become totally medication free. I am now med-free and am feeling more and more like my old self. I am able to drive again and have recently been volunteering back in the classroom. I have high hopes that I will soon be able to teach again. My sleeping patterns have returned and I am convinced that I would have been another statistic without EMPowerplus. These wonderful vitamins have repaired the damage that was done to my CNS (central nervous system) by the awful drugs especially benzos, that I was on. I cannot ever thank Truehope and their wonderful support staff enough for all that they have done for me.
Thanks to this program I am getting my life back.
– Ms. Tachuk
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