meditation and the benefts?

[John_P]

Hello

My whole life i have dealt with mild mental health issues. From anxiety and depression where i have experienced traumatic events, which have made things worse.

i come in and out of my mental health issues. Over the past month or so I have been trying to meditate daily. Also i have been trying to get in touch with God also through prayer. Even though I am catholic, i dont really preach and attend service weekly, but since i have been praying, i have been thinking of the benefits of trying to persue God and the holy spirit. I think when you persue God, you are really pursuing true self and healing and being fullfilled from the inside through the Holy Spirit. I find it really similar in terms of the effects on your mind and body as mediation. You are trying to heal and be intouch with your inner fullfilled self!

Anyone want to discuss their experiences with constant meditation and the persuit of God on treating their mental health? I think it is helping me get more grounded.

[memorytrap]

I can't speak to the God side of it (though I am spiritual), but learning meditation helped with my anxiety, in particular the physical effects it had. I didn't realise it but I retained a lot of tension in my body, especially at night, which contributed to my insomnia and poor sleep. It was surprising to me how I couldn't completely relax onto a pillow and things like that. Over time I was able to reduce the tension, things still aren't perfect, but I just have to keep working hard at trying to relax (sounds weird to say that).

[Gambit87]

I too cannot speak to god/religious side of your question.

However meditation has helped with me anxiety and OCD.

I use the smiling mind app and after an initial period of it feeling weird and uncomfortable. Meditation helps me relax and clear the mind which in turn helps me with intrusive thoughts. It also makes me feel more grounded and mindful.

[Emmen]

Hello John,

I'm glad you have found a way that works for you in managing your anxiety and depression.

I am spiritual but I can't speak for the god side of your question either. But to me, it seems like you're seeking the same thing as people who meditate do - namely, peace, comfort, calm, understanding, fulfilment...

I've always seen meditation as a spiritual act, yet it's not incompatible with religious belief (religions like Buddhism and Hinduism use meditation as a tool for people to reach a higher level of being). Prayer, in whatever form, is also form of meditation, a way to reflect and seek a connection to your inner and external truth, driving your focus away from the body that feels anxious/depressed/etc.

Ultimately, it's the effects prayer or meditation has on you that matter in managing your condition, not the means you use to get there.

Kindly,
M

[missep123]

Hi John P!

I pray every night before I go to bed and I see it as a form of meditation because I concentrate hard and I feel peaceful when I do it.

I also like listening to guided meditation when I'm especially stressed or when I can't sleep. The 12 minute guaranteed sleep meditation on youtube really helps me! I never know what the ending is like because I always fall asleep.

[John_P]

Thank you.

I wonder if my mental health will ever get cured? I mean i am always going to experience stress, but like every second of every day trying to manage my mental health-Its draining! is it possible?

[Emmen]

Hello John,

I can't promise anything, but I've found that when your mental health condition is under control, you have to manage it less. I used to have bad anxiety daily and did mindfulness and meditation exercises multiple times a day, used scented candles, did progressive muscle relaxation... It's been about a year since I started actively managing it and feel like it's less draining to manage. I only do one mindfulness/meditation exercise a day before sleeping and that keeps me happy. Except when it flares up again during stressful times, but that thankfully doesn't happen too often.

Hang in there, keep praying and meditating.

Kindly,
M

[missep123]

Hi John P,

I totally get it. Taking care of mental health can be draining. I feel like the more we learn, the more we grow. It always makes us well and truly empathetic of others in similar situations. I find that my experiences with mental health have let me really show my understanding for others or truly be there for them

[blondguy]

Hello John P

Thankyou for your helpful thread topic!

I used to have anxiety/depression for a long time (38 years) and understand your feelings...It can be an awful place to be in

This is only from my own experience if thats okay John.....

If our anxiety/depression begins to have a negative impact on our ability to function effectively on a day to day basis we may require support. Just for myself I wasted 15 years of my life thinking I could self heal...Meditation worked to a point yet not for me and my own set of symptoms

Any questions are always welcome..The forums are a safe and non judgmental place for us to post 🙂

my kind thoughts

Paul

[John_P]

With managing mental health, i feel sometimes the more i try and deal with them, that i see some results-as in feelings of calmness, reflectiveness, contentment etc, and at the same time it feels like befeatedness, tiredness, feeling flat.....and then its only a matter of time until my mind feels wound up again-going from dealing from problem to problem, and being in the rat race!

i am trying to be in nature more and less on technology! being in nature more- even for a walk and being still in nature i feel is slowly helping my mental health. i spend 8 hours at work, 2 hours at home in front of a screen. we are now designed for this! I think this is the cause of many mental health issues of today. we are not designed to look at pixels. We are designed for community connection with people to be part of a tribe! interacting and helping people! that is what are brains and bodies are designed for!