Meditation won’t cure bipolar disorder, but practicing meditation can help stabilize your mood and help ease symptoms.
Bipolar disorder, also known as manic-depressive disorder, is one of the most common mental disorders. It is characterized by two opposing emotional states, depression and mania. There will be times when the patient feels depressed, hopeless, loses all joy in most activities, but there will be times when the mood changes in the opposite direction, the patient is extremely excited and full of energy.
Continuous mood swings from low to high emotional levels can bring many difficulties in life for patients, even they find it very difficult to achieve success in school or work. Not only that, this situation also causes personal relationships to become strained.
Most current bipolar disorder treatments aim to help people manage their moods by keeping it balanced and minimizing the frequency of mood swings. Meditation is one of the forms of exercise that can help treat this condition. How does meditation help people with bipolar disorder? Please join easyhealthylive.com to continue watching the sharing below to get the answer.
What is meditation?
When it comes to meditation, almost everyone thinks that this is a method of cultivation in Buddhism. However, in fact, this method existed before Shakyamuni Buddha was born and is said to have originated in Indian philosophy.
There are many definitions of meditation, but in essence, meditation is a method of training the mind to focus on an object or thinking an event, a certain problem. From there, the disturbances in your mind will calm down, you will better understand your inner self and find peace in your soul.
Meditation can help relax your mind to deal with stress and give you a clearer outlook on life. There are many ways to practice meditation but the main focus is on:
- Posture
- Control your breath
- Attention
- Relax
How does meditation help with bipolar disorder?
Meditation does not cure bipolar disorder, but practicing meditation during treatment can help stabilize your mood. Stress is something that people with bipolar disorder often experience. Meditation can reduce stress and this can help with mood control.
Mindfulness meditation is an extremely helpful meditation practice for people with bipolar disorder. This is a meditation method that has grown in popularity in recent years. This type of meditation requires you to be aware of what you are thinking, without judgment or criticism. This will make you more aware of negative emotions, from which it will be easier for you to get rid of these thoughts.
Mindfulness meditation is an extremely helpful meditation practice for people with bipolar disorder.
Mindfulness meditation is now being incorporated into treatments for bipolar disorder, and it has brought many positive results. A 2017 study found that after 2 years of mindfulness meditation combined with adherence to treatments, people with bipolar disorder reported experiencing a vastly improved quality of life and frequency of relapses. Depression also decreased.
Overall, while meditation isn’t immediately effective, it can help over time. One study found that medication can help people with bipolar disorder in the short term, and meditation can help balance mood in the long run.
How to practice meditation?
Meditation can strengthen the mind-body connection. This is a simple, easy-to-practice form of strength training that can be practiced at clubs or at home with professional yoga teachers. Meditation also has different levels, suitable for both beginners and those who have practiced for a long time.
The simplest way to meditate is to sit quietly and focus on the natural rhythm of your breath as you inhale slowly and then exhale. Alternatively, you can also try the following methods:
- Focus on thinking about an enjoyable moment, then try to recall it in your mind
- Repeat a gentle mantra, such as “om”
- Slowly focus on different parts of the body for different sensations, such as heat, tightness, or pain.
- Walk and focus on the feeling of walking
The simplest way to meditate is to sit quietly and focus on the natural rhythm of your breath
If you are unable to practice on your own, you can opt for guided meditation. You can practice this meditation in class or with a easyhealthylive.com teacher. In addition, you can also practice meditation at home according to the guided meditation videos on the website or application of easyhealthylive.com.
Meditation cannot replace therapies for bipolar disorder, so consult your doctor about other treatments you may need, such as medication or psychotherapy, and stick to it. Follow the regimen prescribed by your doctor. During treatment, you can combine meditation practice to relax, reduce stress, get rid of negative thoughts and better control your mood.
Reference source
How Meditation Can Help You Manage Bipolar Disorder https://www.healthline.com/health/bipolar-disorder/meditation Access date: September 24, 2020
John Alen was born in 1971 and is a doctor in the healthcare and psychology fields with many years of experience. He is currently working at easyhealthylive.com, a leading health and psychology blog. Having studied at Y1 National Medical University named after IM Sechenov, John Alen is using his knowledge and experience to help improve the physical and mental health of people in the United States.
