meditation for bipolar disorders?

[Guest guest]

Sat Nam everyone I just joined this group and feel blessed to have found you. Before posting this question, I did a word search on "depression" for this group and found a lot of questions and answers pertaining to that. But my doctor is starting to suspect I have had undiagnosed BPD for a number of years. I always thought i was plain old depressed, because i NEVER get manic. I seem to cycle between severely depressed and mildly depressed, with moments of apathy and/or joy here and there. Kundalini yoga really helps, and yet the more I learn about BPD, the more often I read that one "Must" be on meds to control it. Otherwise, you're at risk of eventually offing yourself. Because I believe in reincarnation, I know I can't off myself, but I must confess that my mind/ego often strays off in that direction. It's just a state of mind of complete (and perceived) powerlessness and hopelessness. This fall I tried a series of

meds, all of which turned me into a complete vegetable. I remember going through a period of days (while I was taking Depakote and selegeline) where i didn't leave (or clean) my house becuase I couldn't follow through on even the simplest impulses--like standing up. I was also incredibly thirsty, and would think, like a stoned person: "wow, I should drink at least one sip of water." But I could not find the energy or gumption to even get up and drink water. So that experience left me a bit wary of meds. I'd much rather find a miracle-kriya than a miracle pill! My daily kriyas right now are: sat kriya, meditation for self-animosity, so darshan kriya (inconsistently), and meditation for addictions (inconsisently!) thanks.

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[Guest guest]

--->

Hi Abner Wilner,

 

Greatly appreciated your sharing - post.

Wonder if you've come across David S. Shannahoff-Khalsa's

book 'Techniques Specific for Psychiatric Disorders, Couple Therapy, &

Personal Growth'. - wonderful to see that it covers Bipolar....you

might find it interesting. I have to say I found the some of the

exercises a little hard to decipher on my own, and will seek help from

someone KY trained. He has a website & one of the techniques are

mentioned on there... www.theinternetyogi.com Let me know how you get

on, if you do any.

 

 

All the best

Makaela

[Guest guest]

Sat Nam,

 

In

response to your below post. I have a few friends with bi-polar. One Yogi Bhajan told to do 62 minutes of

Sat Kriya a day, splitting it into two 31 minute

periods, and continue with his meds. Another friend who did not have as severe

bipolar wanted to get off medication so she wrote Yogi Bhajan. He wrote her back to also do 62 minutes

of Sat Kriya a day, or split into two 31 minute

periods. He told her once she did

this for a certain amount of time she could consider reducing and possibly

eventually discarding the med’s. I hate the idea of med’s

in general though it is necessary in many cases of bi-polar. You seem to have a certain degree of

awareness of yourself. I hope,

whether you start back with med’s or not, that you keep a really steady sadhana, and push through, despite the depression, and NEVER,

ever off yourself. You are too

conscious a being and too good for that and God has better plans for you. Counseling is good, too. Just finding someone

good to talk it out with. I

don’t know you well enough to say if you should be using drugs or not for

this and I am not a certified doctor. I do feel that people

who are borderline, through sincere effort towards meditation, can survive, and

grow and change and be whole-some-without medication. The Lord of Miracles does exist. “Dhan Dhan Ram Das Guru” is a prayer/shabd for making miracles happen.

You may want to use that, too.

 

Of course I can’t take

the place of a doctor or psychologist. But you are in my prayers.

 

Sincerely,

 

Gurunam Singh

 

Sat Nam everyone

I just joined this group and feel blessed to have found you. Before posting

this question, I did a word search on " depression " for this group and

found a lot of questions and answers pertaining to that.

 

But my doctor is starting to suspect I have had undiagnosed BPD for a number of

years. I always thought i was plain old depressed,

because i NEVER get manic. I seem to cycle between

severely depressed and mildly depressed, with moments of apathy and/or joy here

and there. Kundalini yoga really helps, and yet the

more I learn about BPD, the more often I read that one " Must " be on

meds to control it. Otherwise, you're at risk of eventually offing yourself.

Because I believe in reincarnation, I know I can't off myself, but I must confess

that my mind/ego often strays off in that direction. It's just a state of mind

of complete (and perceived) powerlessness and hopelessness.

 

This fall I tried a series of meds, all of which turned me into a complete

vegetable. I remember going through a period of days (while I was taking Depakote and selegeline) where i didn't leave (or clean) my house becuase

I couldn't follow through on even the simplest impulses--like standing up. I

was also incredibly thirsty, and would think, like a stoned person: " wow,

I should drink at least one sip of water. " But I could not find the energy

or gumption to even get up and drink water. So that experience left me a bit

wary of meds.

I'd much rather find a miracle-kriya than a miracle

pill!

My daily kriyas right now are: sat kriya, meditation for self-animosity, so darshan kriya (inconsistently),

and meditation for addictions (inconsisently!)

 

thanks.

[Guest guest]

Sat Nam,

 

Just to clarify: If you've never been manic, you can't possibly be

diagnosed with BPD. And Depakote is not a bipolar medication.

 

I'm only a psychology student, not a psychologist, so this is not

meant to be professional advice; I'm only recounting what I know of

the diagnostic manuals.

 

I'll also tell you some things from my experience working with

patients, psychiatrists and psychologists. Bipolar disorder is one of

the most commonly mis-diagnosed conditions. I never give a diagnosis

of Bipolar unless I consult with clinicians who have seen the patient

before and have sent the patient to an M.D. to rule out thyroid

problems. Yes, thyroid problems, especially in women around age 30,

can get confused with Bipolar.

 

And please, please, don't hesitate to get a second opinion if you feel

like you should. I'm not saying this is true in your doctor's case,

but psychotropic medications are often dispensed without a thorough

diagnosis, which is tragic when the side-effects make mental life

worse rather than better. You should get adequate treatment, not be

put in a position by your health care providers to merely choose

between differently miserable states of mind to endure.

 

God bless,

-Baba