This morning I had a discussion with one of my students about people with psychosis. I have learned from my student that psychosis is proven to be caused by a lack of lithium, a chemical disorder in the body. In what way can yoga help those people or is there no way. The person we were talking about is her daughter, and she is taking lithium now. Do you know of cases with psychoses where yoga can be of any help? And how?
[QUOTE=robin623;75026]This morning I had a discussion with one of my students about people with psychosis. I have learned from my student that psychosis is proven to be caused by a lack of lithium, a chemical disorder in the body. In what way can yoga help those people or is there no way. The person we were talking about is her daughter, and she is taking lithium now. Do you know of cases with psychoses where yoga can be of any help? And how?[/QUOTE]
you learned from your student that psychosis is Proven to becaused by a lack of litium? it’s a chemical disorder.
Lithium is seen to deaden the symptoms but the problem remains…
“Deadening the symptoms” is the foundations of western medecine because thats where the money is!
Tell me more about this poor child
Robin,
Yoga is a a system of discipline via which one regains control of their senses and their mind. It is achieved by living a completely yogic lifestyle and practicing an assortment of Yogic techniques designed for the purpose of achieving self-control.
As such it is not for people who lack more self control than the ordinary person, for even the ordinary person finds the commitment to a yogic life difficult to keep up, somebody who is mentally unfit and unstable is going to find it many times even more difficult. That is not to say they cannot if they wanted to, but as their discrimination is already highly compromised, they are not likely to manage with Yogic discipline.
I thus recommend for your friend conventional forms of treatment using drugs etc, which will work more quickly by restoring chemical balances. When her mind is more stable, then she will be able to gradually start to incorporate Yoga in her life, which will work to stabilize her mind further. Eventually, she will not need the drugs anymore.
And yes, Yoga does build the strength of the mind, in terms of power of focus, attention span, concentration, discrimination, detachment and judgement. The Yogic explanation for psychosis is a noisy mind. The nosier your mind the more psychotic you will become. In fact, according to Yoga most people are already a degree of psychotic. There are five types of mind explained in Yoga based on how developed they are:
Kshipta/disturbed
Mudha/dull
Vikshipta/distracted
Ekagra/one-pointed
Nirodhah/mastered
Most people have highly disturbed minds. People who are psychotic are just more extreme cases of disturbed minds.
Hi Robin. How special that your student came to you with this problem.
Granted I’ve been out of the health care field for some years, but psychosis is a general and generic term used to describe an episode which the patient breaks from reality. There should be a more precise diagnosis such as Bi-Polar. Those with Bi-Polar can become psychotic if it is not managed properly. Lithium salts (RX Lithium or Lithobid) is used to treat mental illness like Bi-Polar disorder. It’s been used, I believe since the 1940’s and they still don’t completely understand how it affects the brain. But it is considered a mood stabilizer and allows those with such a disorder to lead a normal life. Trace amounts of lithium can be found in just about everything. I’ve not heard that psychosis is caused by lack of lithium. If i am not correct, I hope someone will share the correct info.
There are many underlying causes of psychosis. Tumors, metabolic disorders, chemical imbalances, environmental, and even nutritional imbalances. Yoga can definitely help but cannot replace medical attention.(agree with Surya Deva here) Stress can spark a psychotic episode in someone who is genetically predisposed, so yoga can definitely help with stress reduction. But again if there are underlying medical issues causing the psychosis, psychiatric intervention and drug therapy are often more appropriate to get the patient to a place where yoga can be added to treatment. Depending on the diagnosis, one may need to continue meds (like in Bi Polar) to avoid the massive mood swings which are very dangerous to the patient and those around them. And generally Lithium is used to treat Bi Polar and Schizophrenia.
I know, lots more questions. But your students daughter can benefit from yoga once her symptoms are under control and she is no longer in a psychotic episode. Wish I could help you more. Good luck!
Yoga creates harmony between body, mind and soul. Someone with a psychosis may be limited in his or her ability to follow an asana, pranayama or meditation practice. But spiritual sound is always salutary in whatever state the mind is. I think yoga music and bhajans could be very helpful. Also yoga nidra.
[QUOTE=Aksara;75283]Yoga creates harmony between body, mind and soul. Someone with a psychosis may be limited in his or her ability to follow an asana, pranayama or meditation practice. But spiritual sound is always salutary in whatever state the mind is. I think yoga music and bhajans could be very helpful. Also yoga nidra.[/QUOTE]
agree but also add !
In the case of mental illness, in the case of any illness for that matter the student should peform fire sadhana. Through dilligent worship of the fire all diseases can be wiped away within two months. Of this there is no doubt. What use is there in arguing?
[QUOTE=Melchizedek;75289]agree but also add !
In the case of mental illness, in the case of any illness for that matter the student should peform fire sadhana. Through dilligent worship of the fire all diseases can be wiped away within two months. Of this there is no doubt. What use is there in arguing?[/QUOTHE]
Plenty of use arguing.
I have a mild psychosis which is treated with mood stabilizing medication. I don’t know if it is lithium, I do know that the symptoms can be treated but there is no cure or reason except that my organ of thought is faulty. Period.
I started practicing Hatha yoga before my symptoms showed really psychotic delusions but when I was really manic my delusions centered around my Hatha yoga practice. This has been a very good and balanced year for me because genuine awareness of my moods has increased and I am on the right dose of medication.
Hatha Yoga and learning about the Buddist psychological model has had a twofold effect for me: a) Connecting with my body to know when I can practice yoga without getting “high” and if I am in a mildly manic state how to bring myself down to earth with simple awareness" (observation or witness consciousness) b)Applying concentration to my body, as have also had a trauma to my brain(not related to psychosis). Hatha yoga has given me the mental space and patience to be kind to myself. I am now, after many years of practicing, allowing myself to heal emotionally from a very stigmatized disorder.
I have made attempts to reduce the amount of medication I am on without success. Some days are better than others, and yoga is my meditation which has given me the serenity to accept. ;)It would be more fair to say that I am a work in progress!
Without knowing the person involved or their lifestyle, (I tend to agree with an earlier comment on this thread) that she should be stable on medication before getting too involved with Hatha hoga asana.
Brooke
I will take it where SD and Lotusgirl have left.
In any medical conditions, thoe who desire, should take 2 parallel routes: short-term and long-term.
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Short-term: where one addresses the chemical imbalance directly to bring about quicker solution. Most medications have side-effects and there should be a plan for slow reduction in medication, synchronus with results from the long-term route, still “work-in-progress” as Yogini Grace says.
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Long-term route is based on the fact that chemical imbalances are associated with ailments and may even be an intermediary cause, but not necessarily the root cause. Root cause is either hereditary or acquired and first shows up in a person’s energy states, unless caused by an accident. Yoga helps here as it presents a very comprehensive picture, much deeper than the physical anatomy.
What the emerging science of epigenetics says is awesome. It discovers that even the DNA which was regarded as the “inevitable and non-negotiable inheritance” is not so. It is re-written by our perceptions, emotions, beliefs and attitudes all the time" So, the notion that we are pre-disposed to certain illnesses come-what-may is not so right.
Yoga places mind squarely in the pivotal role, which the Western scientists have separated and kept aside as only psychological disorders. For yoga, mind is not an organ or an entity, but a form of energy that drives our thinking process. Thoughts too are energy that lead the breathing process and emotionally charged thoughts make breathing uneven, shallow or hyper. This affects a whole chain of subtle forces in the body. These forces are functionally responsible for certain glands that secrete different useful chemicals. When the forces are off balance, the chemical imbalance results.
Since we do not know this whole spectrum we don’t realize how apparently simple things add up. For example, TV watching is known to be bad for the inactive body and idle snacking, But the greater damage through overactive mind and the emotions is less understood. (This is beyond the morality issue of ‘what’ to watch.) Mind becomes what is watched and produces chemicals to prepare the body for an action that never comes. The excess chemicals need cleaning up. And yoga’s breathing exrcises, body postures, mind discipline, meditation does precisely that. It is a long route because it takes time to know and accept the whole mechanism and then break old habits.
Another good example is the artificial agression in our society. Material success and achievements are so deep-rooted desires that we don’t stop to think at what cost! Fear of a variety of types gets entrenched in our whole response cycles over- and under-producing body chemicals all the time.
Unfortunately, Yoga is typically classified either as a Sport or a Spiritual philosophy and does not find its way into our lives the way it should. Yoga should make us see, think, and live more holistically. Along with or instead of, an olympic level preparation of a 4-year old, he/she should be taught breathing exercises, meditation, sitting still, concentration as “life skills”. That will equip them to deal with ailments and disorders much better.
Robin,
I totally agree with Lotusgirl. It is wonderful that the student has come to you. Help from Yoga is possible.
[QUOTE=Aksara;75283]Yoga creates harmony between body, mind and soul. Someone with a psychosis may be limited in his or her ability to follow an asana, pranayama or meditation practice. But spiritual sound is always salutary in whatever state the mind is. I think yoga music and bhajans could be very helpful. Also yoga nidra.[/QUOTE]
I totally agree.
Last evening, I decided I didn’t want to wait around to see in the New Year. I mean, it’s just another day and tomorrow won’t be any much different than today was.
I went to bed at 10pm and couldn’t sleep though, so I tried meditating and just couldn’t for some reason.
Then, I put on my fave thing on Youtube…it’s a Shiva Puja/festival at a Mandir at Pashupatinath that goes on for about an hour and a half…
I then laid down and tried to ignore all my ‘Yoga conditioning’…that ‘conditioning’ which says it’s one of the greatest sins to fall asleep during a Puja and the sacred chanting of mantras…
I did it anyway and relaxed into the most blissful coma I have had for a long time. lulz
I woke up this morning and couldn’t move anything.
Happy New Year anyway.
ॐ त्र्यम्बकम् यजामहे सुगन्धिम् पुष्टिवर्धनम् ।
उर्वारुकमिव बन्धनान् मृत्योर्मुक्षीय माम्रतात् ।।
[QUOTE=Nobody;81401]I totally agree.
Last evening, I decided I didn’t want to wait around to see in the New Year. I mean, it’s just another day and tomorrow won’t be any much different than today was.
This is, perhaps, off track from the initial problem but here goes anyway:
I find that familiar movies, sometimes music, helps me to relax and sleep. Social gatherings have NEVER been easy or relaxing:mad: That is just me.
I have some health problems that lead to isolation and have a strong feeling from education and thought that humans are gregarious and biologically NEED feedback from a like minded social circle. There are good aspects to the Ego like a healthy sense of identity. The perpetuation of organized religion (and armament of religion), points to an evolutionary desire and benefit from group dynamics.
To the first post I would just urge caution and balance to your spiritual practice. (And happy new year!:D)
The December holidays are emotionally charged for everyone in this culture, even if we choose not to participate.
I have Asperger’s Disorder (really bad, actually).
In meditation, this can be both a blessing and a curse. As such, I don’t have very much to do with people anyway. Just a few family and friends.
It’s also noted that Aspies can ‘latch on’ to things with a tenacious hold. When I do my Mantra Yoga (my main form of worship). I focus on every word…every syllable…every breath…every vibration.
I can sort-of do this with relaxation music, but it’s not quite as effective.
Peace.