“We’re Looking for Support.” - A Starting Point for Families Navigating Mental Health Challenges

By Dustin Strong, CHN, ACN

Recently I received an email from someone I had not heard from in years.

They reached out because their 17-year-old daughter had experienced an acute mental health crisis that resulted in a short hospital stay.

Thankfully she was now back home, and the family was trying to put the right support systems in place moving forward.

As a parent, you can feel the emotion in a message like that.

The uncertainty.

The fear.

The desire to help.

The hope that someone might offer a path forward.

And honestly, I receive messages like this far more often than people might realize.

Mental health challenges are touching nearly every family in some way right now.

Anxiety.

Depression.

Panic attacks.

ADHD.

Emotional dysregulation.

Burnout.

Hopelessness.

Overstimulation.

Behavioral changes.

Sleep disruption.

And while every situation is unique and deserves individualized support, one of the biggest things I want people to understand is this:

There are often far more options worth exploring than people have been made aware of.

Mental Health Is Not “Just in Your Head”

For the past decade, I have taught continuing education courses for healthcare professionals focused specifically on nutrition and mental health.

One of the first concepts I introduce is this:

If we accept the premise that neurotransmitters like serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine are low or imbalanced…

…then we should probably ask:

“What does the body require to build and regulate them properly?”

That question changes the entire conversation.

Because suddenly we are no longer only discussing symptoms.

We are discussing physiology.

Biochemistry.

Building blocks.

Support systems.

Nutrient status.

Digestion.

Inflammation.

Stress.

Sleep.

And the incredible complexity of the human body.

Start With the Foundations: Protein and Omega-3s

The very first place I often begin is with the macronutrients:

Protein and Omega-3 fatty acids.

Why?

Because neurotransmitters do not appear out of thin air.

Serotonin is built from tryptophan.

Dopamine and norepinephrine are built from tyrosine.

And those amino acids come from properly digested protein.

This means that if a person is:

• under-eating protein

• not digesting protein well

• highly stressed

• inflamed

• metabolically imbalanced

…then they may be struggling to even access the foundational building blocks needed for healthy neurotransmitter production.

Then there are Omega-3 fatty acids.

The amount of research connecting Omega-3 status to brain health and mental health outcomes is significant and continues to grow.

Studies have explored connections to depression, mood regulation, inflammation, cognitive health, and nervous system function. (pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov, pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)

And yet many people are still profoundly deficient.

So before we assume someone’s brain is “broken,” perhaps we should first ask whether it has access to the raw materials it needs.

The “Repeat Offenders” in Mental Health

Another major influence on my thinking has been the work of Dr. William Walsh and his book Nutrient Power.

Dr. Walsh and his team worked with tens of thousands of individuals with conditions ranging from:

• depression

• ADHD

• autism

• schizophrenia

• behavioral disorders

• Alzheimer’s disease

And over time, they identified what he referred to as “repeat offenders” - common biochemical imbalances that appeared repeatedly in mental health populations.

Some of the major ones included:

• Zinc deficiency

• Vitamin B6 deficiency

• Copper overload

• Folate/methylation imbalance

• Oxidative stress

• Amino acid imbalance

Now I understand this may suddenly sound complicated.

But that is exactly the point.

The human body is more complicated than a single-action medication.

That does not mean medications cannot help some people.

It means we should also investigate whether deeper imbalances exist simultaneously.

Zinc: One of the Most Overlooked Pieces

One finding from Dr. Walsh’s work that has always stayed with me was this:

“Zinc deficiency is by far the most frequently observed chemical imbalance in mental health populations.”

He further noted that over 90% of individuals diagnosed with depression, ADHD, autism, behavioral disorders, and schizophrenia demonstrated depleted plasma zinc levels.

That should get our attention.

This is one reason I use a zinc taste test with every client, regardless of what they initially come in for.

Not because zinc is “the answer” to everything…

…but because ruling out foundational deficiencies matters.

SSRIs, Folate, and Individual Differences

One of the most important things I have learned is that people do not all respond to medications the same way.

Dr. Walsh discusses a subtype he refers to as “low folate depression,” which he associates with poor tolerance to SSRI medications.

Again, this does not mean medications are “bad.”

It means biochemistry matters.

And perhaps nutritional status matters more than we once realized.

This is one reason I often encourage people to increase natural whole-food folate sources such as:

• beans

• lentils

• asparagus

• leafy greens

Especially if mood challenges are present.

Even Water May Matter More Than We Think

One of the more fascinating areas of research that has caught my attention over the years involves lithium levels naturally occurring in water supplies.

Some studies - including research conducted in Texas - have explored associations between naturally occurring lithium exposure and mental health outcomes.

This has encouraged me to pay closer attention to mineral-rich water sources and the possibility that trace minerals may play a larger role in mental resilience than most people realize.

Again:This is not about claiming one magic solution.

It is about expanding the conversation.

This Is Meant to Be a Starting Point

This list could be dramatically longer.

We have not even discussed:

• sleep quality

• gut health

• blood sugar regulation

• inflammation

• trauma

• nervous system regulation

• toxin exposure

• circadian rhythm

• movement

• connection

• purpose

• music

• breathing

• sunlight

The point of this blog is not to overwhelm people.

It is to give hope.

And to remind families that mental health challenges should not automatically end the conversation.

Sometimes they should begin a much larger one.

A conversation about:

• nourishment

• physiology

• resilience

• restoration

• support

• possibility

And perhaps most importantly…

A reminder that people struggling with mental health challenges are not broken human beings.

Often, they are overwhelmed human beings whose bodies and nervous systems may be asking for help in ways we are only beginning to understand.