Yoga and mental health issues

[rydra_wong]

Because I'm guessing I'm not the only person in the comm who's dealing with some form of crazy, I thought we might talk about it a bit.

How does yoga affect your mental health issues? For example, do you find that yoga is helpful in coping with anxiety or depression? Is it helpful at some times but not others? Or is it more something that happens alongside whatever issues you may be dealing with?

Conversely, how do your mental health issues affect your yoga? How do you manage to keep a consistent practice when you have a Bad Brain Day? Or do you have to accept that sometimes, practice just ain't happening today?

For me, it's been hard to acknowledge that yoga is not going to change my depression directly, even though it's been a lifeline for me through it. And when I'm feeling terrible anyway, beating myself up for not practicing doesn't help.

Comments

[muck_a_luck]

I have not yet gone full-on lightbox. I have a natural light lamp, extremely bright, that is over my desk all day at work, but that may not be enough. Next winter I'm doing the lightbox thing. Also, I just started taking D3, in which I would not be shocked to find out I was deficient, and which can impact mood. Hoping that will help with SAD next year, too.

[rydra_wong]

Yep, natural light lamps are lovely to have, but the intensity of a regular light is completely different from a lightbox (which is basically drug-level light; a few people actually get agitated or manic if they use the light for too long).

D3 sounds like a very smart idea. The other thing that might be worth trying is an Omega-3 supplement (fish oil if you're not vegetarian, or one of the vegetarian alternatives) -- there's a fair amount of evidence that they can help mood.

[muck_a_luck]

In early March - or maybe late February - there was an incredibly sunny day and I did my yoga that afternoon in front of our wall of windows with the full, not sun beating down on me. I did a nice long practice, over an hour. When I was done, I *was* manic. I think after weeks and weeks of dark and cold, all that light and heat had very drug-like effects! Which was when I realized that it was me and a light-box next winter, because the effect was SO dramatic.

[rydra_wong]

I hope that was colloquial "manic" (bounce around feeling hyper and up-up-up) as opposed to clinical "manic" (I AM ON THE ROOF BECAUSE I CAN FLY, ALSO I HAVE ORDERED A FERRARI ON MY CREDIT CARD).

Assuming the former, then it sounds like there's a good chance a lightbox will be the thing for you *g*.

[muck_a_luck]

:D I suppose I should choose my terminology more carefully in a thread that is actually about actual mental illness.

No, I do not have a new Ferrari or a massive head injury. :D But I did have a fantastic rest of my day!

[rydra_wong]

You see why I felt the need to check *g*.

(Anything with an antidepressant effect can tip people with bipolar disorder into mania or a mixed state -- it's a big problem in treatment -- so I meant "manic" in the clinical sense.)

But yeah, it sounds from that as if a lightbox should work wonders.