Can meditation be useful for those who have a tendency to feel depressed? And can those whose depression is caused by chemical imbalances (e.g. those who live with bipolar disorder or manic-depression) usefully meditate?
I am convinced that meditation can be very helpful for depression, whether the depression is situational (caused by external events) or organic (caused by chemical imbalances in the brain). Research has also shown that learning to meditate can dramatically reduce the chances of relapse into depression for those who have suffered repeated bouts.
I am not a mental health professional, and make no claims for any expertise in the field of mental health in general, or with depression in particular. However, I know meditators who have struggled with depression, and they have found their practice to be a great support. I’ve also experienced periods of depression myself, and mindfulness has been an invaluable tool for emerging from that state.
There may be some kinds of meditation which are not of benefit to those who have a tendency to experience depression, and I will mention those in this section. The Mindfulness of Breathing and Metta Bhavana practices however, are certainly useful for anyone to practice.
In fact the Metta Bhavana (development of lovingkindness) practice is highly recommended for those who experience depression.
However there may also be times when it’s best for those who are depressed not to meditate — for example when experiencing an extreme bout of depression it is probably not a good idea to try to meditate. One reason for this are that learning to meditate is a challenging experience, and because when one is very depressed one has few inner resources to fall back on, any difficulties experienced while learning meditation are likely to be taken too seriously and interpreted as a sign of personal failure. Another reason is that when we’re depressed we tend to over-indulge in what’s called “rumination,” or the endless turning over in the mind of thoughts about what’s wrong with our lives. Because meditation is an inward-turned activity it may actually give people who are experiencing depression yet another opportunity to ruminate.
In cases of milder depression it’s quite possible to meditate effectively, building on whatever inner resources one has in order to lift oneself into a more positive frame of mind.
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My wife is 1000% into this meditation thing lately. She wants to use meditation to energy heal people in her acupuncture practice.
She is up every morning at 5AM doing meditation. I think she does meditation several hours a day now. I'm at work so am not sure exactly.
Should I encourage/discourage her to continue or stay on the sidelines?
Regards,
Jimmy
Hi, Jimmy.
If you wife seems happy, balanced, and sane, then I'd say encourage her. The only times I've known meditation to be unhelpful are where the person has had a mental illness, in which case meditating can intensify the disconnect from external reality.
All the best,
Bodhipaksa
Hi,
i have been suffering from depression.i used 2 hav these depressive thoughts,not major though since i was 14.but i was okay then.i'm 19 now nd since past 4 months it has got way too intense-insomnia,pulsating headaches,emotionally sensitive and hardcore pessimism,poor vocabulary ,aloofness,instable appetite,fear of socializing,inability to control thoughts etc.just 5 days back i consultated a psychologist who has prescribed medicine nd said wud take a month to show effect.
I'm nt convinced it would bring back me to totally normal state.i hav immence pressure in terms of my studies and attending lectures which i can't because of social fear and almost no ability to concentrate.i suddenly break down in tears and my physical and mental health is getting worst.
Keeping little faith in medication can you advice me 'meditaion tips' for keeping me at peace and regaining my mental health?
Hi Varun, from what you write, it is good you have sought out a professional. You mention seeing a psychologist. Perhaps you mean a psychiatrist.... it is usually psychiatrists who prescribe medications. You should follow-up with that person if you are feeling distress. You are more important than just email. That person can see you individually, or refer you to an additional source of care and support.
Hi, Varun.
I'm sorry to hear about the distress you're experiencing. Donald is right in saying that you should follow up with your psychiatrist if you have worries about your medication. You should also talk to him/her about meditation as well. If he/she thinks this a good idea, then I'd suggest starting with mindfulness of breathing. In theory, the development of lovingkindness would be beneficial too, but this can be a challenging meditation for people who are depressed and anxious. I'd stick with mindfulness of breathing for a while, at least.
All the best,
Bodhipaksa
Experiencing emotions and feelings are a very normal, human experience. When we get to the point where our bodies start to react physically, like insomnia or breaking down in tears we know we need to support ourselves somehow.
Our nervous systems are very complex - under stress and long term hardship cortisol takes it's toll. Cortisol is responsible for our fight or flight responses - a natural stress hormone secreted by the adrenal gland. Cortisol can affect how we sleep (which in turn encourages more cortisol release) it can affect our immunity, short term memory and the capacity to talk.
Some people try to deal with stress purely from an emotional or mind over matter focus. Granted it can work in some instances, tackling core sources of conflict (internal and external), understanding our reactions to stressful situations and people, supporting ourselves and helping ourselves to improve our lives are important also.
If under stress our bodies use up reserves of vital nutrients - some vitamins and minerals cannot be stored (unlike fat) in our bodies and so our bodies may have increased requirements at certain times. A mega vitamin B complex can help to increase energy levels, support the nervous system in times of stress. There may be many other natural products which can be taken to help us deal with the effect of stress more efficiently (to support our body perspective). In reality, information can be empowering.
Ways to decrease cortisol levels include massage (my favourite), of course meditation (my chosen line relates to spiritual connection to higher power), music (vibrational therapy is one line of thought - soul music is what I like), dancing... etc.
Try not to be so hard on yourself, always look to learn from our experiences and forgive yourself if you make mistakes.
I thought I would share several pages from my book of life. I hope this helps.
Link to cortisol information follows: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cortisol
Link to my website follows. https://heartlandprc.vpweb.com.au/
I am a massage therapist but also work with Spirit (psychic - which is a label to describe an experience - not the only label by far). This could be described as meditation or self hypnosis which I use for guidance and healing purposes. Everyone has the ability to tap into source. Anyway, I'm jabberin on...
By leaving no stone unturned you may suddenly find a gem of most beauty.
Meditation can be a big help for depression. It helps me recognize the crazy thoughts that run through my head for what they are, just thoughts, and get back on track.
Here's a somewhat humorous description of what happens when I meditate...
https://www.herbietown.com/blog/2012/01/26/sometimes-my-brain-attacks-me/
That's quite a ride! Kudos to you for sticking with your practice.
Hi - i'm 58 and have suffered from anxiety and some form of depression for many decades, though not always as bad. I don't recall a time when I felt OK about myself as a child. When we had our children I was focused on family almost completely, (though I did teach part time and co authored a book) esp as our younger daughter had serious health issues and an undiagnosed congenital syndrome. She has serious mental health problems herself, and has self harmed and made several suicide attempts despite our constant attempts to help her to feel loved, cherished and valued (the world seemed to act otherwise).
Now she is doing much better, has a lovely and loving partner and is working at building her career in freelance journalism. Our elder daughter also lives with a long term partner and has just got her Ph D.
What upsets me is that I feel by now I ought to have sorted myself out. At a time in my life when I should be able to anjoy a more relaxed life with my recently retired husband, I am struggling with worsening depression and anxiety. I feel so guilty that others have hard lives and yet cope better and feel happier than I do. I feel constantly inferior and inadequate. I find it hard to feel happy for others' good fortune and that makes me feel worse as I feel sub human because of it. I have tried various self help procedures including meditation but I don't think I was doing it properly - I can't have been otherwise it would have helped me, right? I've had psychotherapy (useless) and CBT(ditto) and just long to feel OK in my own skin. I don't ask for delirious happiness, just to feel OK and grateful for what I have already and instead I am a selfish and ungrateful monster or a human being.
I am constantly struggling to provemyself to others and myself and fail almost all the time. I started learning Russian because it sounded impressive and I thought my father would be pleased, but I am finding it a struggle. I booked into other courses when I felt better, only to find now that I dread them and don't feel I can cope. In the last week or so my depression has worsened. I often wake feeling either low or very anxious and recently I've found myself even more exhausted and have to force myself to get up. Antidepressant meds aren't helping and they might be contributing to my morning tiredness which I have had for ages but it's only recently it's got so much more marked.
I know this sounds a very big ask, but is there any mileage in me re-starting mindfulness meditation? It's the only thing which made any sense to me in the past and I was upset to read that you thought it might be harmful if you're suffering from depression - I thought it was meant to help you deal with it. I do have a tendency to judge myself (constantly) but I don't know how I can change that. I would like to be able to function better and feel a part of the world rather than an inadequate alien. Any advice welcome! xxxx
Hi, Jude.
I'm sorry to hear about your depression, and to hear that it's getting worse again.
It's possible that meditating -- mindfulness and lovingkindness practice -- could be helpful, but you'd really have to work under close supervision with someone who was very experienced, otherwise it's just another opportunity for you to beat yourself up. You might want to look into finding a Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Depression, program, although they tend only to work with people who are between episodes of depression.
I think there's one key thing you have to do before any therapy or program will be useful for you, however, and that's to let go of the on/off thinking you seem to do. I had a bipolar friend who I lived with at one time, and it was very interesting being with him in a car. When it was too warm he'd turn the heat right off. Then when it got too cold he'd turn the heat up full. There was no in-between. It was similar with speed. He'd slow to a crawl going around bends in the road, annoying all the drivers behind us, and then when he got to a straight bit of road he'd floor the accelerator (inadvertently preventing those annoyed drivers from passing). He was either "on" or "off."
So I don't believe that psychotherapy or CBT were "useless" for example. I think you wanted something that was going to switch your happiness "on" and when it didn't do that you put those approaches in the "useless" category and turned off your efforts. I suspect that if you look at your experience of those therapies you'll find that there were things that you learned about yourself, and that there were small changes in your level of wellbeing. But -- and this is a very common thing with people who are depressed -- a small change in the happiness setting doesn't match your expectations, and so it registers as no change. And so you stop trying. We've all been there, one way or another.
Similarly with your self-view. I have an uncle who used to lock his young daughters in a closet for days at a time, siting in their own shit, with no food or water. His children were forced to watch him systematically breaking the ribs of their stepmother. I'd say he was a "monster." If you do that kind of thing, then feel free to call yourself a monster. If you don't do that kind of thing, then drop the over-lay dramatic labeling. You're just a normal human being with normal failings, who happens to be in the habit of giving herself a harder than normal time over those failings.
When I notice my own judgements (which are more often about others than they are about myself) I say "Thanks for your input, Heinrich. I'll get back to you on that." (Heinrich is my pet name for my inner critic.) You might want to pick a pet name for your inner critic and give that a go.
If you want to feel more appreciative, then say "thank you." Say it out loud. Look around at what you have, and say "thank you." You're in a house. Look at it and say "thank you." (There are many people who don't have houses.) You have electricity? "Thank you." You have gas? "Thank you." You have internet access? "Thank you." Furniture? "Thank you." (It doesn't matter who you're thanking. It's just an attitude of thankfulness that you're cultivating.) Your arms and legs work? "Thank you." Your eyes work? "Thank you." Your ears? "Thank you." Your heart is beating? "Thank you." Your lungs are functioning? "Thank you." And so on, and so, on.
Try that for a while. It doesn't matter if you don't feel gratitude. Just do the practice. It doesn't matter if you (or your equivalent of Heinrich) tells you it's "useless." Just do the practice.
Small steps.
Small steps can take us a long way.
Hello,
I hope this message finds you well. I am writing to ask if the Vipassana 10 days retreat can harm me negative if I am not in the best moment in my life :)
I have always been a very sensible person and taken thing too seriously and personally. Also, I tend to stress, but I have learnt to control it and calm myself and put things into perspective.
In the last couple of months my job was terminated, it was a big adventure and risk, so I am disappointed, but that was an option. And I am positive I have other options waiting for me. Also, one week ago my boyfriend seeing that I was too negative and down, decided to take some time appart and make his ideas clear... So I left... He practiced meditation Vipassana before in one of these 10 days retreats... So i am reading now that probably i was too negative to be around, I dont know... Anyway, I am ok, but a bit disappointed about losind my job and my boyfriend and some dreams in a couple of months... So I am joining a friend who is travelling in India, taking some holiday time to put things in perspective and relax before going back to life decision making and work and rutine life... And I was reading about Vipassana and sounds very interesting... But some people tell me it is hard and maybe after my life events I will not be able to handle it... I am a very strong person, hardworking and commited. And though I feel sad for all that happened, I just want to understand, accept and move on.. I had been thinking for some time now that I wanted to find some way to organize my thoughts, calm down and think better... I am not religious, so Vipassana sounds like something that could work for me... I just want to find my inner peace and take things easier...
But I wonder, I really would like to try the Vipassana 10 day retreat, in India or Thailand ( I move freely around Asia for 8 years now) but I fear maybe I will have too many expectations? Or maybe the feeling sad for a breakup will affect me and will not be able to concentrate? I feel ok usually, sad sometimes, but I know life goes on and if we were not meant to be, we were not and if we were, we will...
But I really feel like the Vipassana can be a path I can use to learn to think better and be happier... I have never done meditation before though.... I use breathing to relax my self, but I have never done meditation and I would like to learn....
What do you think? Should I do for a 10 day retreat?
Any advice of opinion is appreciated :)
Thank you very much in advance and take care.
eli
If you're not severely depressed you should be fine, although you can expect to go through some tearfulness during the retreat. But it's best to discuss these concerns with the retreat organizers...
Thank you, I will make sure I mention my mind state.
Take care,
eli