Mindfulness

I think I'm in a good place right now (neither manic nor depressed... and possibly the first time I've actually been conscious of it), so I'm trying to make the most of it and just look inward at a time when I'm not having those harsh feelings towards myself.

My old T was really into this radical acceptance thing, she swore by it. So I thought I'd give it a try. What I learned about it is to just take a moment every once in a while to step outside yourself... kind of meditating for a minute and just letting the thoughts that come into your head just move along like clouds. Not judging your own thoughts and feelings - just recognizing them and saying "Okay, THIS is what I am feeling right now," and that's all.

Just thought I'd share... after some practice it really started helping me to stop beating myself up for every single thing I said or did. I still have a hard time when I'm depressed - it really doesn't work. But I think it is a great coping skill for me.

Thanks for letting me share.

RK (<--- I think this guy is awesome.)

I didn't know what it was called but yes I have to say that that is what I eventually learned to do - accept it.

I learned to accept myself for who I am and for the way I am. It helped a lot and alleviate a lot of the mystery and fear.

Hah!! Someone else who uses this amazing technique......my psychologist helped me learn how to do it......it is really difficult at first but once you get it, it is so liberating!! I still struggle with mindfulness but the radical acceptance I am pretty good at.......so glad it is helping you to.

YES! I've been learning Mindfulness techniques in my Dialectical Behavioral therapy group (meet once a week & then meet the therapist individually once a week). And it has helped me SO MUCH. I've been doing it for about a year & I'm off Abilify completely (had to get off it as in the 12 years I've been on it I've gained 50 lbs. & now have to take meds for high blood pressure & cholesterol & now am testing as diabetic & both my parents were diabetic, but Abilify DID clear up my delusional thinking & paranoia), have been able to cut my Lamictal dosage by 1/2, off Klonopin, off Trazodone. Still on several meds--but improving as I'm taking more control of my thoughts & feelings with DBT & the mindfulness techniques they teach.

Neat! Glad to hear other people are benefiting from this practice! I actually met the author of "Radical Acceptance", Tara Brach. She hosts a meditation class in the DC area, and when I lived there I went weekly. It is really amazing stuff.

RK

then your mind just lets it go with ease? it doesn't uncontrollably pop back in your head just to cause more aggravation?

Absolutely!!! It took me a year to be able to practice mindfulness for 2 minutes!!

Take a task, like washing up, and concentrate on the heat of the water, the sound of the sponge on the dishes, the smell of the detergent.

If a thought enters your head(and inevitably it will!) observe it without judgement and then saying to yourself "I acknowledge the thought, I gently release it without judgement" and let it go.

Then return to the sensation of the water, the smell of the detergent...... and so on. The idea, or so I think, is to behave without emotion and concentrate on the tactile.......gives the brain a rest.......

The dishes take a while but this is how my T taught it to me and believe me, it is hard!! So rewarding when you practice it though.........Its like I have some control over mind, not the other way around.

Good luck!!

Hi rkba97,

This thread has cheered me up today. Thanks for your thoughtful words and also thanks to the others.

soc1

The best book is by Jon Kabat-Zinn, FULL CATASTROPHE LIVING: Using the wisdom of your body and mind to face stress, pain and illness. His program has been operating in relieving stress etc for years, decades at Umass hospital.

That's a practice I try to inculcate too, and ... well .. I don't succeed as often as I'd like to. An image that's useful to me is to imagine a stormy ocean - that's your depression. But far, far beneath it, you're a blue whale swimming placidly along, not feeling the turmoil of the surface. Your moods are not you - they're just something that's happening, along with a lot of other things that are happening. It helps me sometimes.