Bipolar Disorder and Meditation

1222 Words3 Pages

Bipolar disorder is a mental disease that causes a rapid shift in mood, usually between mania and depression. The manic episode of bipolar disorder usually results in an abnormally large dosage of energy. During manic depression, an individual may go on an unnecessary shopping spree or even quit their job. Mania is usually followed by an episode of depression, which could lead to suicide if not properly treated. Bipolar disorder is usually treated through medication. Medication for bipolar disorder usually includes a mood stabilizer, such as Lithium, with an anti-psychotic drug, such as Zyprexa (Bipolar Disorder, n.d.). While medicine is the more popular remedy for leveling the mood of a bipolar disorder patient, meditation has also been introduced as an effective cure for the symptoms.
For the past century, studies have revealed that meditation is an alternate method of helping to curb the symptoms of bipolar disorder. Studies by the EOC Institute reveal five major reasons why meditation might be equal in treating the symptoms of bipolar disorder. According to their studies, “Meditation equalizes everything, including unbalanced moods” (5 Ways, n.d.). Meditation often helps a patient find his or her inner peace, and eventually helps their mood stay balanced for up to several hours. Because bipolar disorder drastically affects the mood of a person, daily meditation is helpful in controlling their mood for a long period of time. Simple meditation done on a daily basis can also help a patient’s mood stay balanced for most of the day. The EOC Institute’s studies also revealed “Meditation boosts the very same neurotransmitters that bipolar medications do” (5 Ways, n.d.). Dopamine and Serotonin are both chemicals that have an effect o...

... middle of paper ...

...ive as medicine.

Works Cited

5 Ways Meditation May Be the Cure for Bipolar disorder - EOC Institute. (n.d.).EOC Institute.
Retrieved March 31, 2014, from http://eocinstitute.org/meditation/how-meditation-helps-those-with-bipolar-disorder/
Bipolar Disorder: Medications. (n.d.). WebMD. Retrieved April 1, 2014, from http://www.webmd.com/bipolar-disorder/bipolar-disorder-medications Krisanaprakornkit, T., Sriraj, W., Piyavhatkul, N., & Laopaiboon, M. (2009). Meditation therapy
For psychological disorders. The Cochrane Library. Retrieved April 9, 2014, from http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD004998.pub/ Stange, J., Eisner, L., Hölzel, B., Peckham, A., Dougherty, D., Rauch, S., et al. (2012, November
1). Abstract. National Center for Biotechnology Information. Retrieved April 4, 2014, from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3277324/

More about Bipolar Disorder and Meditation

Open Document