Today we are going to talk about “alternative” solutions, Complementary to medications for stabilizing. Indeed, we are going to discuss the themes of meditation And of thewriting.
Les Well done of meditation are no longer in need of proof and essential for stability.
Between concentration, relaxation, slowing down of thoughts, better self-confidence (etc.), meditation is recommended for everyone.
However, we are going to look at it in more detail and in particular on the consequences it can have on the person suffering from bipolarity disorder.
It is a mental practice which consists of focusing one's attention on a specific “object” such as thoughts, emotions, or the body. For some, this practice is very spiritual And aim for a realization Of yourself or a Personal awakening.
Meditation is at the heart of spiritual or religious practices such as Buddhism, Hinduism, Yoga, Islam or Christianity. It is sometimes the subject of sectarian drift such as transcendental meditation.
Its aim is to find a certain Inner peace, a mental appeasement or simply a state of relaxation.
A bipolar person sports different phases in his life. Very often, these phases are traumatizing and going up the hill can be tough in the medium or long term.
Bipolar people's thoughts have a strong tendency toScattering, at thequickening And at the drifting During the Hypomanic phase.
En depressive period, they are more likely to stagnate and slow down. These thoughts then tend particularly to the side. negative of life.
Meditation is a great tool to refocus on yourself and to reconnect with the reality. Effective, it is an exercise that shows its benefits on the medium and longterm. Thus, meditating once every two weeks will not have many effects except that of relaxing in the moment.
“Meditation and writing have changed my life and maybe it will change yours.”
In view of the characteristics of the hypomanic and depressive phases, meditation has several benefits to bring to the person with bipolarity disorders.
The daily practice of meditation can thus provide a slowing Thoughts are needed during a Hypomanic phase.
Indeed, the restlessness, which is a characteristic of the beginning of the hypomanic phase, can be delayed or even canceled due to the need for this practice to stop and refocus.
In addition, the search for a observation without judgment Thoughts bring a natural sense of calm. Thus, the person with bipolarity disorders can also be aware of their current condition.
During a depressive phase, a meditation practice makes it possible to establish a routine. However, a routine allows a person with bipolar disorder to tend towards stability.
In addition, in a similar way as during a phase of hypomania, meditation allows a” Back to reality ”.
Indeed, observing your thoughts without judgment allows you to Take a step back about yourself and about these same thoughts. This way, the bipolar person's thoughts will be more in line with reality. Less negative.
In a period of remission, The regular practice Meditation allows you to consolidate The stabilizing.
Over time, it also promotes reinstatement of the person with bipolar disorder.
Indeed, this practice is one of the activities that make it possible to find concentration, memory, Inner energy and appeasement.
These same characteristics that gradually declined during the course of the disease.
We have therefore been able to see that the practice of meditation is a real asset in the search for stabilizing. Its assets are numerous. However, it should be noted that practicing meditation requires a Small apprenticeship.
In order to practice properly, it seems essential to me to start with the most important thing: the pleasure.
Indeed, doing an activity simply because we were advised to do so, without taking pleasure, has no real interest.
I put a lot of emphasis on this point.
Try several times but if you don't succeed pleasure, stop. Maybe you'll come back to it later. There is no point in being disgusted forever.
Côté hardware, you won't need much. One sieges, a armchair Or a comfortable cushion placed on the floor will do the trick.
Then we go to the side technique of the thing.
At this level, I advise you to follow your intuition.
So yeah, you sit down normallyT, at the bottom of your chair.
Well, you sit in tailor Or in Lotus position according to your level. Or you lie down.
Try not to fall asleep all the same 😉
Then all you have to do is yourself focus On a” object ” that you have previously chosen.
For example, you can choose to watch your thoughts go through your head without trying to hold on to them or hold on to them.
You can also focus on your respiration.
So counting one, two for each inhale and exhale will keep you focused. Go to ten and do it again two to three times.
Try yourself untie as much of your thoughts as possible.
You don't have to join it. Even more so if they are negative.
Feel the air pass through your nose, down the back of your throat to your lungs. Then, enjoy feeling that air coming out of your body.
You can also imagine that you are inspiring the Inner peace, theappeasement And the happiness. And that you bring out all the negativity and the excesses.
As you can see, there is no one right way to practice meditation. So I advise you to go take a look on the internet or YouTube to find THE technique that Corresponds to you.
Now let's take a closer look at the question ofwriting essential for stability.
Your psychiatrist or doctor may have advised it for a variety of reasons. We are going to see together these different reasons as well as the profits that it brings.
First, let's look at what it is possible to write
— Your thoughts
Quite simply. Write down anything that comes to mind.
Indeed, writing down all your thoughts on paper allows you to unload of a weight.
Yes, keeping too many thoughts for too long drawsenergy. In particular, this draws the energy for Get better.
So if you don't know what to write, great, because all you have to do is write what you think. Quite simply.
— Your emotions
It has been proven in several studies, writing down your emotions allows you to vacate.
So, write black on white your anger at this person at work who annoys you, look back on the joy it gave you to see this friend again, describe this anxiety that you have had in your heart for years.
Our emotional range is broad.
Unfortunately, we have too much of a tendency to keep them in ourselves.
Let go of everything on paper and if necessary crumple your paper, burn it, tear it off, cry or have a good laugh at the end of the writing session. Because yes, writing will get you new emotions.
— Your projects and your dreams
As with meditation, writing should be practiced with pleasure.
So, think about your projects and write them all down on one sheet.
It has been proven that marking your projects on paper will greatly increase the chances of carrying them out.
So write down all of your projects.
Do the same with your dreams.
And, no hesitation, put the tutti. From the smallest to the biggest.
Indeed, it is by going through the smallest that we can reach the largest. All of them are important.
— Scheduling
Setting up schedules increases the chances of succeeding in your projects.
It also increases the productivity because for each task completed, you check it off on your schedule and move on to the next one. So you will be more organized and your trust in you will grow.
Yes, by doing more things more efficiently, you accumulate the small ones victories and you will be more proud of yourself.
— Your mood
Writing your mood allows you to Report from where we are.
It also allows you to take recoil on this state of affairs.
I think you will have understood it, the writing is great helps for the person with bipolarity disorder.
Indeed, whether it is to keep a mood journal, to unload certain thoughts or for a creative project, writing is a great way toexternalize And ofMove forward.
Thus, writing will allowidentify the phase in which we are.
So that's going to reflect its current state.
Writing can then make it possible to trigger alert mechanisms in order to prevent the upcoming phase or to make the right choices.
It is also a helps to Move forward and resume Self-confidence during the relapse into the depressive phase. Indeed, due to the development of creativity And the side organizational of certain exercises (mood journal, planning etc...), the person accumulates successes Who the will value.
Thus, it will be able to avoid the phase by implementing the actions previously defined in the event of a relapse.
Likewise, during a rise in hypomania, writing allows you to Report of his condition.
In addition, writing will allow slowing the rhythm of the person.
Indeed, the constraint of slow writing makes it possible toflatten mood. So writing tends to “reduce” agitated mood.
Psychiatrists advise holding a Thought journal and Of the mood in order to be able to observe the trends depending on the events. It also makes it possible to identify recurring ideas associated with each of the phases.
So we were able to see the benefits of meditation and writing in the life of the person with bipolar disorder. Now I am going to share my personal experience with you.
I am not going to go through four paths, personally, I meditate and write every day.
I am developing.
My day starts with writing.
Indeed, I keep a journal in which I write every day.
Really ALL the days.
Well, I admit, from time to time I can't.
I'm saying I can't.
I can tell you, I've become a fan of writing.
So, in my journal, I realize different things.
The most classical thing, I write my thoughts there. They are of all kinds, they go right and left and pass from rooster to donkey. But regardless, at least I get rid of it.
Although sometimes, often even, there are good ideas. Like this article for example.
I also use my journal as an emotional vacuum.
I completely unload myself on it, without censorship.
So yes, there are insults and bad words. In fact, it's not for nothing that it's called a personal diary.
Nobody but you are supposed to read it. And that's good.
I also write daily about the gratitude I feel in my life.
It allows me to focus on the positive and stay positive. As someone who has a depressive tendency, I can tell you that it helps me enormously.
So, I thank the universe for the life I have, the support that my family has given me in certain trials etc...
In addition to all this, I write a daily schedule for each day with each of the tasks to be completed. I also got a flipchart.
It allows me to make mental maps of projects and dreams that I would like to realize.
As you can see, I am a fan of writing.
However, it was not won.
For a long time I rejected this type of activity, which I considered too intellectual. However, once the prejudice was overcome, I started to enjoy it. Especially since I actually write everything I want and what feels good to write.
So for writing, I say yes, yes and yes again. So buy yourself a nice newspaper and get your pens!
When it comes to meditation, I practice five to ten minutes every morning, just before breakfast.
To be honest, it's not easy every day.
However, given the benefits mentioned above that I feel on a daily basis, I stick to it.
In addition, I mostly enjoy it.
There are days, contrary to writing, during which I don't want to meditate. So I force myself.
And what do you know?
Each time, I am proud to have done it.
It is a practice that is more restrictive and requires self-discipline. But it is a practice that has proven itself and will continue to do so.
So, I recommend it without hesitation.
Afterwards, I think that it is a practice that suits you or that does not correspond to you.
It is up to you to choose.
Be aware, however, that it is a practice that accepts many adjustments.
So you can practice with your eyes closed, open or closed, in the morning, at noon or in the evening. And why not all three?
Personally, I practice it sometimes sitting down, sometimes cross-legged depending on the mood. I then lean against the back of the chair.
Comfortably seated, I close my eyes and count one, two on each inhale and exhale. It lasts five to ten minutes.
I want to remind you that these two practices are complementary to the rest of the treatment.
In no way do they replace or replace medications. Adherence (monitoring) when taking medication is the key element for those who want to be stable.
If you want to be accompanied by an expert coach on bipolarity, I am delighted to announce that the first session is free.
To book your session with Julien Duplouy
Meditation helps me a lot on a daily basis to stabilize my mood. It's free, easy to access, let me tell you why try it?
Recent scientific studies demonstrate the benefits of meditation. Bipolar people also benefit from these virtues to achieve stability.
“When I was very depressed, painful thoughts became obsessions,” a 66-year-old woman, Emma, recently told research psychologists at Lancashire Care NHS Trust in England, a division of the National Health Service that provides mental health services to over 1 million people in Lancashire (a department in North West England). She now finds it “easier to sit back and relax,” to focus calmly on her breathing, and to realize that “it's today and right now that everything is fine.”
We would all like to find a way to push away troubling thoughts, especially those of us who suffer from bipolar or other mood disorders. New evidence suggests that meditation may be the ideal solution.
Emma, whose name was changed to protect her privacy, was one of 30 volunteers who participated in a study in 2006 to test whether meditation can alleviate recurrent depression. For eight weeks, volunteers participated in weekly two-hour sessions on mindfulness meditation, a technique that uses meditation and breathing exercises to help people relax and spend time “being” rather than “doing.” Two weeks after the end of the course, 48% of participants said meditation was “extremely useful” and a “major benefit” for their lives. The remaining 41 percent described themselves as “significantly happier.” Only 11% do not report change.
But what most surprised clinical psychologist and lead researcher Alastair Smith, Doctorate, and colleagues was this: When they returned a year later, even more participants were singing the praises of meditation. At that point, over 61% of them said that what they had learned was extremely useful and was a major benefit to their lives.
Meditation has been used for many centuries to calm the mind and refresh the soul, from Buddhist meditation and yoga to modern relaxation techniques. The modern reincarnation of Buddhist meditation is mindfulness meditation, which was started in the late 1980s by Jon Kabat-Zinn, a doctoral student, now an emeritus professor of medicine and a researcher at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. This technique combines stress-reducing techniques such as breathing exercises with cognitive behavioral therapies, which help people recognize and avoid thoughts that lead to negative feelings or thought patterns.
It is well known that meditation has health benefits. A 2005 study by the Institute of Natural Medicine and Preventive Health at Maharishi University in Fairfield, Iowa, United States, revealed that two 20-minute meditation sessions a day (which is hard to start, but 5 minutes once a day is a good start) helped lower blood pressure in a group of 150 African American volunteers, who were studied because the risk of hypertension is particularly high in this population..
There are new reasons to think that meditation may also help with mood disorders. Psychologists from San Diego State University (United States) recently tested mindfulness meditation in a group of 23 volunteers suffering from depression. Participants who took an eight-week meditation course later found that they focused much less on negative thoughts.
In a study published in 2007, researchers from the Department of Psychiatry at Weill Cornell Medical College in New York gave 11 men and women with generalized anxiety disorders a mindfulness-based meditation course. The meditation group experienced a significant reduction in anxiety and depression symptoms. Diane Koszycki, PhD, who heads the Stress and Anxiety Clinical Research Unit at the University of Ottawa, recently compared cognitive behavioural therapy to mindfulness-based meditation in a group of people with social phobia. “Both groups reduced symptoms of depression and improved quality of life,” explains Ms. Koszycki.
Researchers still don't fully understand how meditation affects the brain. A study carried out in 2007 by researchers at the “Boston University School of Medicine” revealed that the sessions of Yoga Asana, which combines deep breathing and yoga postures, increased brain levels of GABA, a biochemical associated with relaxation and anxiety reduction. Dr. George Stefano, who heads the Institute for Neuroscience Research at the State University of New York, believes that meditation increases levels of nitric oxide, which is known to relax blood vessels. This improves blood pressure and may also have other physiological and psychological benefits.
“Participants in an eight-week meditation course later found that they focused much less on negative thoughts.”
The most surprising results come from the Affective Neuroscience Laboratory at the University of Wisconsin, where psychologist Richard Davisdon After taking 25 subjects through a mindfulness meditation course, brain scans showed an increase in the activation of areas on the left side of the brain associated with a decrease in anxiety and positive emotional states.
Very little research has been done on the effect of meditation on bipolar disorder in particular, although Ms. Koszycki believes that the results of studies like hers suggest that meditation can be helpful for anyone dealing with anxiety or depression. Hearing participants in the Lancashire Care study in England describe their experiences, learning the art of meditation changed their lives.
“When I breathe, I feel good,” said one participant who had suffered four major depressive episodes and learned new breathing exercises during mindfulness meditation. The exercise helps him avoid thinking about the past and instead focuses on the present moment.
“I have always been a big worry,” she told the researchers. “I am now more relaxed and taking things as they come.”
There are many forms of meditation out there, and no single approach is the best. What all have in common is that they provide a way to calm the mind, either by focusing on something like breathing or by simply sitting back and being aware of the ebb and flow of sensations and thoughts. Meditation courses are available online for free at YouTube. We have also created a list of resources for bipolar, including a part meditation.
If you like walking, try meditating while walking. Focus on the sensation of taking each step, repeating a calming word or phrase in rhythm with the walk. You can use the same approach if you are swimming or if you are using stairs or if you want to exercise.
Contemplate quietly.
Set aside 15 to 20 minutes (for the optimum length but only 3-5 minutes allow for positive effects) at least once a day to sit quietly and calm your body and mind. Breathe deeply and slowly, focusing on the sensation of breathing in and out. Become aware of your body by gently relieving muscle tension. Repeat a calming word or phrase.
Practice mindfulness. Stop from time to time to focus your mind on what your senses absorb. At meals, eat slowly and focus on the taste and feel of each bite. Put on a favorite piece of music and really listen to it.
Whatever you try, stick with him long enough to make meditation a habit. “I must have overworked myself at first,” says a 36-year-old woman who suffered from depression and started using meditation tapes last year. But after a while, she says, “it became a part of my life, and something as essential for me as breathing.”
You are welcome to learn more by joining our Bipolar discussion group.