Mindfulness and Psychosis

@NovelSolutions there will always be two sides to a coin, some people say meditating is bad, some say it is good. It's nice to look at both sides and make a judgment for yourself from there. I have read about both viewpoints and have found, for myself that mindfulness helps bring me back to the present moment instead of looking at views from the past or from fear of something happening in the future.

A really good book on mindfulness (in my opinion) is A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle which I have bought from used book stores and Amazon for as little as $5. For mindfulness in relationships with others I find The Mastery of Love by Don Miguel Ruiz to be really helpful. Your local library may even have copies.

From my experience with mindfulness practicing I have learned to let go of certain moments in return for the present moment. So when a coworker says or does something to tick me off, I take in a deep breath and ask myself, "What are you doing right now?" and go from there, focusing on the present moment instead of the breezy who has already clocked out and is just a fleeting moment. Helps make the day go by smoother and with delight because the other people I deal with don't have to deal with the residual anger.

If you think about it, intense concentration via mindfulness can be a way to fuel psychosis. You would have to tread lightly and make sure you were monitoring your thoughts ("Does this sound sensible? Would other people agree with me?").

@NovelSolutions

This is a very important insight, thank you! I recently read an article entitled "Why Meditation Does Not Work". This piece shed light on the risk of further detachment from ourselves and our emotions, as well as, the way this relationship can take its toll on individuals living with depression who might be inclined to dwell on or sit with feeling exuding great and painful negativity.

Studies have shown that mindfulness has been utilized to great and successful lengths as a therapeutic device. But when does it become a risk? When does sitting with yourself actually exacerbate your emotional distress? What do we do about this? These are all important questions and ones that I have struggled with personally.

As an individual living with intense cases of Manic Depression, PTSD and Panic Disorder- meditation can become extremely uncomfortable. However, I find this is why the word practice is so important. I think it is a very common misconception that one should not think or somehow quiet the thoughts rushing in during a meditation session. This is not true. In fact, it is quite impossible. The goal here is to simply slow down, assess, observe, and gently return ourselves to the present moment. This allows a great sense of wellness and allows greater insight into what we are feeling and perhaps even why, inviting us to reach logical resolution in a healthy manner.

Of course, every individual is different and I can certainly see both sides of this. I can see how psychosis would or could be increased by inducing floating sensations of detachment from reality, even if the intention is good. The same can be said with dissociation.

So, do what works for you. If it poses a risk, or your illness is too great- perhaps this is not the best tool for you. Perhaps it would better suit you to have an individual accompany you during your trials with meditation should a frightening episode occur.

However, in general, I would say ease of mind is in everyone's best interest. It helps us keep perspective- even when the demons scale the walls of our psyche.

Thank you so much for this post.

bump.

@NovelSolutions

Very good question. I do not know enough about it to fully answer tho. I do know if a person wants to learn mindfulness and has some mental health illnesses that might disrupt psycosis then it is best for them to do it with their therapists.