It is interesting to read of the medical uses of meditation now being tried out, after all these years of the practice being carried out in other regions of the world. The western thinking on medicine always seems to revolve around pills, potions and other drug therapy, however it is strange that the human body is rarely treated as an electrical system even when it has been proved that by manipulating electrical fields around the body can have benificial effects, this is an explanation for the many healing practices. The body and mind can also be treated, as is the case in the artical, with meditation therapy, via the mind.
The feelings that we feel such as depression, anxiety, stress etc all exist only in the mind. The physical effects such as heart rate, hormone release, stress rashes etc, all come from the brain telling the body how to react. If we can control our brains then we can control how we feel and how our body reacts. This really is a case of mind over matter, put in it's simplest form, if you stop yourself from thinking that you are stressed or depressed, you will not be stressed or depressed.
This raises interesting questions as to the nature of the reality that we create for ourselves. If we create a feeling of fear in our minds, we will percieve a world in which there are things to be afraid of. If we learn via meditation to control our minds and to use the more analytical and emotional parts of our brains we will see the world for what it truly is and not be distracted by the fear that seems to govern people at the moment. It is almost like learning to reprogram your mind with a different operating system so that it does things in a different way that is easier to use.
Mental health has always been a taboo subject in britain where anyone who has issues is labled as 'a mental' or 'loony'. This attitude means that many people are afraid to seek treatment, fearing that they will be locked in an asylum and electricuted like the horror films that we are all guilty of believing, or they may be scared of the fact they may have to take dangerous medication. This unhelpful, stereotypical attitude, is not the reality for many, with 30% of all adults having mental disorder issues at some time in thier lives, it is not something that we should be afraid or embarased about.
My tips on mental illnesses such as stress, depression and anxiety are as follows....
Don't drink caffiene
Cut out alcohol, and any other recreational substances,
consume plenty of fresh clean water, (be careful not to binge on more than 4 pints a day as it becomes dangerous)
Eat a healkthy balanced diet with plenty of fresh vegetables
Take time to meditate to relaxing music, emptying you thoughts and letting your mind wonder, and allowing your mind and body to relax and forget.
Make a list of all the things that you really need to do and tick them off as you do them, this helps you to recognise your control over the physical.
Make a second list of all the things that you feel you must accept as unchangeable. the things you can not control. Allow yourself to accept that these things will only change when you have control over your diet, your workload and your mind. These are things that you can maybe tackle later when you feel up to it
Laugh out loud!, watch comedy, laugh at videos online, laughter can be the best medicine to lift your mood and besides, no one likes a grumpy person!
Of course if you feel like harming yourself, first of all don't! That will just make things worse! Talk to people, be it family, friends or even health professionals.
I would add 'don't ring foriegn call centers' and 'don't watch silly daytime talk shows' but i'm pretty sure it is only me that finds these things depressing!
Have a Good Journey........