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I'd like to share my experience with mental health, beginning with a lesson I had learned back in my teen years ( a very vulnerable age when you're trying to make your way into the mature adult world.)
I had been bothered by what I referred to as "evil" thoughts. I would entertain these thoughts, which gave them more power. So much so that I felt like I was loosing control. That worried me and I turned to my mother for help with these now kind of "hallucinations."
She took me to the hospital where they admitted me. The first thing they did was to give me a drug that actually caused me to go blind for a bit. Talk about freaking me out! The next day they had me see a psychiatrist and I did not resonate with her at all. She wanted to label me as schizophrenic and put me on drugs. Aahh! Fortunately I only saw her a couple of times. We did not get along.
I was left on the hospital ward in what I considered a rather dark place. The were only two lights that shone threw.
One was a kind psychologist, a person who I could relate to and talk to in our group sessions. I learned how important it is to have someone to support you , someone you can talk too, a circle of support.
The other was my music. They had a piano on the ward and I use to love playing it. It was when I was playing the piano that my mind was focused and I realized the importance of focus. A huge lesson I learned was
What ever you focus on that is what you give power too.
Now if I no longer focused on those so called "evil" thoughts, they didn't have as much power and they soon just faded into the background. I was free from them and released from the hospital, never looking back.
This lesson has returned to help me in times where I have again taken myself to the edge of sanity. Now I can pull back, focus and resume life more to my liking.
Another thing I had trouble dealing with was anger.
It too would trouble me. I would go over events that happened where anger arose, over and over again in my mind. Making me loose sleep.
I found a solution to this problem in a little handbook I had found at a garage sale. It had some Buddhist writings. One of it being on anger.
Change your anger to love. If you can not change your anger to love then just walk away from it.
That made total sense to me and gave me peace of mind.
I looked deeper into the Buddhist philosophy and found a Vipassana Meditation course which gave me a daily practice that helps keep me centered.
I start my day with an hour meditation which puts me in a peaceful frame of mind, full of positive energy and very much focused and in the present. That is very important to me to start my day of right.
In the evening I like to do more of the meditation, which helps me sleep better.
These practices have served me well and allow me to live a peaceful existence in my home in the forest. Also the forest itself brings me to a peaceful state. I can feel it as soon as I enter the forested area after returning from the city. My mind just becomes peaceful.
Here's hoping this may help some of my other fellow Steemians to thrive and be peaceful and happy!
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I love that Buddhist quote, about changing anger to love. I'm going to try practicing this. ♥️ Thanks for sharing your experience so openly.
Glad you found it beneficial.
thank you for sharing your story and your way of supporting yourself, being able to focus on something positive, changing your mindset is so important. Music has such amazing healing abilities as it takes us on a journey and gives us time and space to deal with things. Thank you for this xxx
You're welcome! Yes, I love how music can transport you elsewhere and for me I can play an instrument for hours but there really is no concept of time, it just disappears. Music can be a great therapy!
I can't believe you went temporarily blind! How scary for you. And what a blessing you found that book and vipassana. I wish we all found early pathways to understanding we are not our thoughts, but it's heartening that we find it in the end when we most need it. xx A beautiful response xx
Yes, that was pretty scary and it didn't leave me trusting their care very much. I believe it was because I am fairly big that they gave me a larger dose but I'm also very sensitive and respond differently to drugs. I'm very grateful to have found the Vipassana meditation, it has made a big difference in my life and I hope my post will help to lead others to it.
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STOPYou have learned how to deal with yourself and your thoughts and that is amazing, a very powerful and important achievement. Vipassana is amazing, I enjoy it too. Much love, keep that smile on 💚
Yes and I am hoping others can learn from my post too. Good to hear you are into Vipassana. Who was your teacher?
I did not have a proper teacher, I did some research and went by. I started meditating over a decade ago and tried a lot of different meditation techniques, Vipassana is something I come back to with much joy. Maybe someday I will take it a bit further and find an expert who can guide me like I did with some other techniques, who knows :) Enjoy your week, much love 💚
I find I can get more depth with Vipassana and we actually have a meditation studio set up separate from the house so it is much easier to incorporate it into our lives.
It’s interesting how good meditation is for this sort of thing, isn’t it?
I’ve never had the fortune of participating in a Vipassan meditation. One day, though... one day...
I do hope you do get the chance to sit a Vipassana course. I found it very beneficial.
Keep calm and Anicca! ;)
Sadu! Sadu! Sadu!
🙏🏻💜
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