I'm wondering about practicing meditation while on an SNRI. I'm on the maximum recommended dosage of Cymbalta. I've had an off-&-on meditation practice over the years. It's now been off for some time. I've been thinking, recently, about re-starting it. But, when I do, one of the excuses I come up with for not doing so is that I'm taking this psych med so what's the point of pursuing a meditation practice too. Do others who are on psych med's also meditate? What have your experiences been with it? Thanks!

[Beatzen]

I'm on meds and I meditate.

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[Altered Moment]

I am on meds and I meditate. Have for years. Don't see how meds have ever affected it.

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I've never been able to get on with meditation, but if it works for youthen go for it. I don't see why meds would cause a problem.

I don't think medication will change meditation asides from the fact that it may be harder to get into the "zone." I haven't run into any problems anyway. Meditation is really restful for the mind since it's usually taking in so much information. I mean, you still are but it's focused solely on yourself which is rare and extremely calming So I don't think there are any negative side effects that could happen with medication (but I'm not a doctor haha)

Random thing!! My favorite quote about this is "Meditation. It's not what you think."

Thanks for the comments! Maybe it's not even the medication I'm on... I also have an inner ear condition called: Meniere's Disease. But anyway, my mind seems quite "muddled" much of the time. I don't quite know how to describe it... like my head is stuffed full of cotton. And I'm always sleepy. I'd probably spend most of my time trying to stay awake!

Meditation works for anyone who is able to make the commitment to meditate. You take an ssri because a certain part of your brain isn't balancing itself and, hopefully, med helps it to do that. Meditation can only help. Try not to judge yourself while you're meditating, just do the practice regularly and allow it to be what it is.

[paynful]

I'm not currently on meds, but even in the past when I was, meditating has always helped me.

Unless there is a heart or low blood pressure issue, meditation can't hurt really. I use the concentration and breathing techniques during panic attacks. I can't even explain how much it helps me to turn my focus to my breathing when I start to freak out.

If you are worried, I would try starting slow and easy... or rather, in short intervals in a comfortable seated position (with a back rest)... maybe 5 minutes at a time to see how it goes. Remember lots of water and take your time getting up after wards. From personal experience... Be ware of the head rush.

Can I ask how to start doing this? And if it's simple?
Sorry for butting in on the thread.

I have looked it up and it seems too complex for me, now. Is there a "depression" version ?

[Altered Moment]

Originally Posted by The Skeezyks

Thanks for the comments! Maybe it's not even the medication I'm on... I also have an inner ear condition called: Meniere's Disease. But anyway, my mind seems quite "muddled" much of the time. I don't quite know how to describe it... like my head is stuffed full of cotton. And I'm always sleepy. I'd probably spend most of my time trying to stay awake!

I think all of our minds are quite muddled much of the time. If not muddled they are certainly very busy.

Meditation takes alot of practice to learn how to slow your mind down. You have to keep at it.

[Altered Moment]

Originally Posted by sophiesmom

Can I ask how to start doing this? And if it's simple?
Sorry for butting in on the thread.

I have looked it up and it seems too complex for me, now. Is there a "depression" version ?

I think it is very simple, it is just not easy.

This is how I do it. I sit down in a comfortable chair, feet flat footed on the floor, back fairly straight, and close my eyes. Then I focus all my attention on my breathing. Notice how your muscles move up and down. Is it up in your chest. Focus on feeling your breath going in and out of your lungs. If your attention wanders just calmly bring it back to your breathing. If thoughts intrude don't fight them just watch them come and go and bring your attention back to your breathing. Your attention will wander all over the place and your thinking will be all over the place. Each time you notice that your attention has wavered just calmly bring it back to your breathing. You will notice that your breathing gets deeper and deeper and you naturally relax. It will move lower and lower into your diaphram. It takes a lot of practice as our minds are very busy and hard to calm down.

I find that I enter this state where I am viewing my sub conscience mind. I bounce in and out of it. When I bounce out I bring my attention to my breathing again. It is like the state when you are just falling asleep but not yet asleep. If you think your conscience mind it busy you should see what is going on in your sub conscience mind. It is wild. If relaxed enough I can also purposefully stimulate tingly sensations up my spine and into my brain. I can also do the same thing in my prefrontal cortex and kind of enter this very happy place. The sub conscience mind is where intuition and revelation bubble up from.

I have been doing it on and off for about twenty years. I do it laying down alot and fall asleep. This is not recommended.

It is pretty much proven that whatever level of practice you are at it is highly benificial. There are other methods too besides the way I do it. Using a Mantra. Guided meditations.

You will find the more you do it the more you will notice throughout the day when you are getting stressed and your breathing starts rising in your chest. You will start to automatically notice it and calm your breathing down and relax and feel the stress fall away.

There are some free guided ones here at UCLA
Free Guided Meditations | UCLA Mindful Awareness Research Center

Meditation: Take a stress-reduction break wherever you are - Mayo Clinic

Hi Sophiesmom: Are you wondering about starting a meditation practice? There are many, many ways to go about it. To some extent, it's a matter of finding what's right for you. There certainly are more challenging & less challenging variations on the concept.

Originally Posted by The Skeezyks

Hi Sophiesmom: Are you wondering about starting a meditation practice? There are many, many ways to go about it. To some extent, it's a matter of finding what's right for you. There certainly are more challenging & less challenging variations on the concept.

I would do anything that might help me. Or even change me a little.
Depression makes everything seem so difficult, though.....And my brain NEVER shuts up. I think that's why I have so much trouble sleeping.

Originally Posted by zinco14532323

I think it is very simple, it is just not easy.

This is how I do it. I sit down in a comfortable chair, feet flat footed on the floor, back fairly straight, and close my eyes. Then I focus all my attention on my breathing. Notice how your muscles move up and down. Is it up in your chest. Focus on feeling your breath going in and out of your lungs. If your attention wanders just calmly bring it back to your breathing. If thoughts intrude don't fight them just watch them come and go and bring your attention back to your breathing. Your attention will wander all over the place and your thinking will be all over the place. Each time you notice that your attention has wavered just calmly bring it back to your breathing. You will notice that your breathing gets deeper and deeper and you naturally relax. It will move lower and lower into your diaphram. It takes a lot of practice as our minds are very busy and hard to calm down.

I find that I enter this state where I am viewing my sub conscience mind. I bounce in and out of it. When I bounce out I bring my attention to my breathing again. It is like the state when you are just falling asleep but not yet asleep. If you think your conscience mind it busy you should see what is going on in your sub conscience mind. It is wild. If relaxed enough I can also purposefully stimulate tingly sensations up my spine and into my brain. I can also do the same thing in my prefrontal cortex and kind of enter this very happy place. The sub conscience mind is where intuition and revelation bubble up from.

I have been doing it on and off for about twenty years. I do it laying down alot and fall asleep. This is not recommended.

It is pretty much proven that whatever level of practice you are at it is highly benificial. There are other methods too besides the way I do it. Using a Mantra. Guided meditations.

You will find the more you do it the more you will notice throughout the day when you are getting stressed and your breathing starts rising in your chest. You will start to automatically notice it and calm your breathing down and relax and feel the stress fall away.

There are some free guided ones here at UCLA
Free Guided Meditations | UCLA Mindful Awareness Research Center

Meditation: Take a stress-reduction break wherever you are - Mayo Clinic

Thanks so much, Zinco I'll check it out. Not sure that I can succeed at ANYTHING anymore...

[Altered Moment]

Originally Posted by sophiesmom

Thanks so much, Zinco I'll check it out. Not sure that I can succeed at ANYTHING anymore...

Sure you can. Be patient with it though.

So I decided to meditate today because of this thread. I certainly don't think meds are an impediment but depression sure is. I was doing my deep breathing and my usual and trying to really be aware of how I was feeling and all I could feel was a dull thud in my brain. Its like half my brain is dead. Part of it must be working because I can walk around and do things and eat and talk. But I swear half of it is dead. Just dull thud up there is the only way I can describe it. I was able to meditate somewhat and get real relaxed but I couldn't go to my happy place and I couldn't send any nice tinglys around. I have faulty wiring. So what the hell causes the wiring to start working again when I snap out of these depressions. It makes no sense. Wiring in a car or house either works or it doesn't work. If it doesn't work you fix it and it works. It doesn't bounce back and forth between states of working and not working.

Well, I don't know that I have an answer to this, Zinco. I have done allot of reading, over the years, with regard to meditation practices. In several books that I read years ago (I don't recall the names at this point) it stated that people who struggle with depression should NOT meditate. Of course, nowadays, meditation is actually recommended as something that is beneficial for fighting depression... times change...

There are, of course, many different ways to meditate & perhaps, when your depression is at its worst you might find it more useful to do a more active type of meditation such as walking meditation or yoga-type exercises done with a meditative approach. (There is actually at least one book in print on mindfulness yoga.)

There is also a very simple Tai Chi practice called: Tai Chi Chih. It was developed by an American Tai Chi master for use by people who would like to do Tai Chi, but who for whatever reason don't want to get into learning any of the more classic Tai Chi practices. Actually, the first Tai Chi Chih exercise, which is a warm-up exercise, can be done all by itself. It is recommended that it be done 100 times. I sometimes do this. (I used to have a video up on YouTube of this movement. But it's not there anymore.) Still I would think that one could search Tai Chi Chih & find the entire routine, including the first warm-up exercise. But, then, of course, there are lots of other possibilities as well. The point is just to try finding another type of meditation technique that perhaps will work better when your depression is worse.

[Altered Moment]

I wonder if it means not to when you are in a depression. I certainly to better with it when I am not in a depression. I will have to do some reading on it. Thank god for google.

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[Altered Moment]

I have read books on tai chi as well and am very intrigued by it. Yoga and tai chi require movement and exercise though. I seem to be totally against exercise. It wasn't that long ago, a year and a half ago, that I was in excellent shape. Since then I am just atrophying. Not good.

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I think it was just that the books, where I read depressed persons should not meditate, were older & the authors, perhaps were not as "enlightened" (no pun intended) as we like to think we are today. (If you decide to pursue the Tai Chi Chih angle, & can't find it, let me know. I may be able to come up with a link to a website for it.)

[Altered Moment]

Well it seems you are right and meditation can be harmful when in a deep depression. Since you turn inward with meditation the deeper you go the more risk things will come up that would disturb you and maybe cause you to be more depressed. But then some claim there are techniques you can use to avoid this. Worth doing some reading on SophiesMom if you do it while depressed.

Personally I am going to continue even if deeply depressed. I ain't skeeered. I spent many years in therapy and in AA exorcising my demons. If there are more in there let them come up.

I am going to have to psych (no pun intended) myself up for the Tai Chi bit.

When not to use meditation | Wildmind Buddhist Meditation

When not to use meditation
Although meditation can be very helpful in relieving depression or in preventing depression from arising, the act of focusing inwards can actually heighten feelings of despair. I would suggest not trying to meditate when you are extremely depressed, and especially not at times that you are having any thoughts of self-harm.

Curing Depression with Mindfulness Meditation | Psychology Today

The MBCT technique is simple, and revolves around "mindfulness meditation". In this, you sit with your eyes closed and focus on your breathing. (See box for details). Concentrating on the rhythm of the breath helps produce a feeling of detachment. The idea is that you come to realize that thoughts come and go of their own accord, and that your conscious self is distinct from your thoughts. This realization is encouraged by gentle question-and-answer sessions modeled on those in cognitive therapy.

In the University of Exeter study, funded by the UK's Medical Research Council, 47 per cent of patients with long-term depression suffered a relapse; the figure was 60 per cent among those taking medication alone. Other studies, including two published in the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, had comparable outcomes. As a result, the UK's National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence has recommended MBCT since 2004. Availability is still patchy though, with many sufferers seeking courses at Buddhist centers.

"One of the key features of depression is that it hijacks your attention," says Professor Williams. "We all tend to bring to the forefront of our minds the thoughts and feelings that reflect our current mood. If you are sad, depressed or anxious, then you tend to remember the bad things that have happened to you and not the good. This drives you into a downward spiral that leads from sadness into a deeper depression. MBCT prevents and breaks that spiral."

How to Use Meditation to Free Yourself From Depression - Goodlife Zen

I was thinking about this, Sophiesmom. What occurs to me is that, at least initially the best thing might be for me to see if I can find 1 or 2 good meditation-related videos on YouTube that I could embed here on PC. You received one good description from Zinco. So I think 1 or 2 meditation-related videos from the mindfulness tradition would be a good compliment. There are many ways to approach meditation & they all have their good points & not-so-good points. To some extent, it's like finding a therapist. You just have to try out different ones until you find one that suits your own personality. I'm also always glad to try to answer any questions you may have & I'm sure there are others here on PC who would be glad to help too & who may be more knowledgeable than I.

[marszy]

Originally Posted by The Skeezyks

I'm wondering about practicing meditation while on an SNRI. I'm on the maximum recommended dosage of Cymbalta. I've had an off-&-on meditation practice over the years. It's now been off for some time. I've been thinking, recently, about re-starting it. But, when I do, one of the excuses I come up with for not doing so is that I'm taking this psych med so what's the point of pursuing a meditation practice too. Do others who are on psych med's also meditate? What have your experiences been with it? Thanks!

Don't see how it could do anything but help you to meditate.. I just wish I could settle my mind down enough to do it. I have suffered depression all my life, since I was a small child. I take 40 mgs Prozac per day to even be able to function and would give anything to be able to learn how to meditate effectively.. Good wishes to ya....

[Altered Moment]

Originally Posted by marszy

Don't see how it could do anything but help you to meditate.. I just wish I could settle my mind down enough to do it. I have suffered depression all my life, since I was a small child. I take 40 mgs Prozac per day to even be able to function and would give anything to be able to learn how to meditate effectively.. Good wishes to ya....

It takes alot of practice. Keep doing it and you will notice it becomes easier. It is effective just by starting.

I think we all, when we hear the term "meditation", tend to picture someone sitting in the lotus position on the floor. But there are many varieties of meditation & ways of going about it. Running can be a meditation if done in a mindful way. There's also walking meditation, etc. There is some form of meditation for everyone. It's just a matter of finding the right one for you.

[Altered Moment]

Originally Posted by The Skeezyks

I think we all, when we hear the term "meditation", tend to picture someone sitting in the lotus position on the floor. But there are many varieties of meditation & ways of going about it. Running can be a meditation if done in a mindful way. There's also walking meditation, etc. There is some form of meditation for everyone. It's just a matter of finding the right one for you.

I agree. Mindfullness is really about totally staying in the moment no matter what you are doing. Or at least trying to stay in the moment.