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How to control mixed episodes? I have had these and I have an odd way of doing so, in ADDITION to medications: I'm Catholic. I found that in learning to control sin, I learned to control my Bipolar disorder. After the Sacraments, the most powerful psychological tool offered by The Church is something called "mortifications." It's a scary word, but it's not scary. Actually, "mortifications" are now being used by Secular Doctors, such as Dr. David Dryland, in the treatment of the psychology that underlies Fibromyalgia. There is a high correlation between BP and Fibro. Anyway, Dr. Dryland doesn't call his methods "Catholic" but they are in essence. Mortifications entail using your higher mind to control the influences and suggestions of your lower mind. I'm sure you know that humans have two brains: the old reptilian brain that controls emotion, heartbeat, breathing and the higher brain that controls reason and will. Mortifications, be they Catholic or Dryland-style, involve exercises to train your higher mind to control the lower mind. You can do the opposite of what your lower mind suggests, or you can deliberately train the flesh through things like fasting. Let me give you an example. I was bullied as a child for many years, from 4th grade through the 12th, often in school cafeterias. A part of me (lower brain) learned that people are a threat, so I became a little agorphobic. After Mass, we always have coffee and donuts OR the Knights of Columbus serve breakfast. I'd always avoided those gatherings because my lower brain told me people were a threat, especially when eating. (It's just a conditioned response). But I read a book by a Catholic nun who deliberately placed herself in social situations because she didn't like it. She was shy by nature and preferred being alone. And so I started going to Coffee and donuts and the big breakfasts. It was hard at first. I was very anxious. My heartrate would even rise. I used to sweat. I'd worry: who to sit with? Will they make fun of me? But after a year of doing so, I am SO MUCH BETTER. I am less agorophobic and less prone to panic attacks in crowds. Doing that was a mortification, that is, an exercise in a safe, controlled environment where I could train my higher mind to control the lower. The lower mind learned, through extended repetition, that people are not as much of a threat as one thought. (I still have some issues to work on, obviously). You don't have to be Catholic to do mortifications. Just train yourself to respond to the OPPOSITE of what your passions desire. You feel mad, walk away instead of reacting, or respond with love instead of rage. If you feel anxious in crowds, stay in the crowd until you can't stand it anymore. Fasting helps train the flesh, if you're medically able. You can even do an abstinence (which is depriving yourself of something) like ... not eating meat for a whole day, or no caffeine or no candy. You can do other forms of making the flesh suffer such as eating only celery and water for a whole day (you need not flagellate yourself. HA!). Sounds silly, but stuff like that really works. Also, a lot of sins are in reality addictions. Learn to control the addiction, you learn to control the beast. But that said, stay on the medications. Mortications are powerful psychological tools, but not cures. God bless! Post edited by: MaryAnn36, at: 11/03/2007 01:00 |
