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Breathing for mood and well being (yoga, Wim Hoff and other techniques)


Gem

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I wanted to share this breathing technique with people as I have found it helpful and calming in withdrawal. It’s called Alternate Nostril Breathing (Anuloma Viloma).

 

I used it recently when I couldn’t sleep (my heart was over-beating and I couldn’t get something out of my head). I also listened to a relaxation recording and I was able to get to sleep reasonably quickly.

 

I don’t actually use the proper hand position (although it’s probably a good idea) and find that it still helps.

It is said to be calming for the mind and nervous system.

 

The following information is taken from this link:

 

http://www.abc-of-yoga.com/pranayama/basic/viloma.asp

 

Anuloma Viloma is also called the Alternate Nostril Breathing Technique. In this Breathing Technique, you inhale through one nostril, retain the breath, and exhale through the other nostril in a ratio of 2:8:4.

 

In Anuloma Viloma, you adopt the Vishnu Mudra with your right hand to close your nostrils. Tuck your index and middle finger into your nose. Place the thumb by your right nostril and your ring and little fingers by your left.

 

One Round of Anuloma Viloma (Alternate Nostril Breathing)

 

  • Inhale through the left nostril, closing the right with the thumb, to the count of four.

  • Hold the breath, closing both nostrils, to the count of sixteen.

  • Exhale through the right nostril, closing the left with the ring and little fingers, to the count of eight.

  • Inhale through the right nostril, keeping the left nostril closed with the ring and little fingers, to the count of four.

  • Hold the breath, closing both nostrils, to the count of sixteen.

  • Exhale through the left nostril, keeping the right closed with the thumb, to the count of eight.

 

 

I came off Seroxat in August 2005 after a 4 month taper. I was initially prescibed a benzo for several months and then Prozac for 5 years and after that, Seroxat for 3 years and 9 months.

 

"It's like in the great stories Mr.Frodo, the ones that really mattered. Full of darkness and danger they were, and sometimes you didn't want to know the end because how could the end be happy? How could the world go back to the way it was when so much bad had happened? But in the end it's only a passing thing this shadow, even darkness must pass. A new day will come, and when the sun shines it'll shine out the clearer."  Samwise Gamgee, Lord of the Rings, The Two Towers

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Thank you, Gem. Another variation on mindful breathing. If one technique doesn't work for you, try another!

 

Very good to hear it's helped you.

This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner.

"It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has surpassed our humanity." -- Albert Einstein

All postings © copyrighted.

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Thanks Alto, I hope it helps someone else. It's really worth trying.

 

 

I came off Seroxat in August 2005 after a 4 month taper. I was initially prescibed a benzo for several months and then Prozac for 5 years and after that, Seroxat for 3 years and 9 months.

 

"It's like in the great stories Mr.Frodo, the ones that really mattered. Full of darkness and danger they were, and sometimes you didn't want to know the end because how could the end be happy? How could the world go back to the way it was when so much bad had happened? But in the end it's only a passing thing this shadow, even darkness must pass. A new day will come, and when the sun shines it'll shine out the clearer."  Samwise Gamgee, Lord of the Rings, The Two Towers

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  • 1 month later...

Has anyone tried Pranayama? Here's an excerpt from Wikipedia:

 

Pranayama (Sanskrit: प्राणायाम prāṇāyāma) is a Sanskrit word meaning "extension of the prana or breath" or more accurately, "extension of the life force". The word is composed of two Sanskrit words, Prāna, life force, or vital energy, particularly, the breath, and "āyāma", to extend, draw out, restrain, or control.

 

Introduction to Pranayama:

 

http-~~-//www.youtube.com/watch?v=mvdiMjSgItg

 

If you go directly to the

page, you'll see on the right other lessons from this lady. She does a good job of explaining it!

 

From "Everything Yoga: Pranayama"

"Derived from Sanskrit, Pranayama means the "lengthening of the prana or breath". The practice itself is an ancient method of mindful breathing which has its roots in yogic methods. Given its long history, pranayama has, not surprisingly, proven to be an effective treatment for both depression and anxiety in clinical trials."

Taper from Cymbalta, Paxil, Prozac & Antipsychotics finished June 2012.

Xanax 5% Taper - (8/12 - .5 mg) - (9/12 - .45) - (10/12 - .43) - (11/12 - .41) - (12/12 - .38)

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Hi, Shanti: Yes, I have practiced pranayama for many years. My brother was a TM teacher and taught me both to meditate and the pranayama. The technique he taught me was one of breathing in through one nostril while holding a finger on the other nostril and breathing out through the nostril you blocked and this was a cycle. You block one and breath in or out of the other nostril. I think the point is that it focuses your thinking on breathing which is a powerful anxiety releiver. I would do it for 5 or 10 minutes before meditating. do it at least twice a day. Anjother breathing technique is to lay out flat on the ground, put your palms on your belly and practice deep abdominal breathing. It also relieves anxiety and is the first breathing process I ever used to alleviate general anxiety disorder. Putting breathing techniques together with meditation and yoga is a wonderful process but does need to be practiced every day. It is all very easy. Hoping for a good day for you and everyone.

I started withdrawing off remeron in August of 2009, with the help of a holistic physician.The reason for the withdrawal was a year or two of off and on nausea, deterioration in my thinking, and more depression. It took me a full year to work from 135 mg down to 45mg. At that point, more drops were causing more depression. Unfortuately, the nervousness that I was also feeling for the last year continued with the 45 mg. Thirty one days ago, I stopped the remeron. I am still feeling the nervousness every day and the last week, I am feeling what I think is depression but not sure. In bed in the morning, I'm already dreading another day feeling this way. I am intensely unsure of myself and find it very hard to do anything. I was a practicing veterinarian for 29 years until I found I could not practice anymore. First of all I couldn't think, or remember, and I had absolutely no confidence in anything I did. These were things I did with relative ease for twenty+ years. So, this feeling of no confidence has been during the time I was on the AD(the last 2 years) and today. I take no other medication other than my blood pressure meds. I tried supplements with my holistic dr. but they seemed to make the intense nervousness even more intense. Anyway, I truly feel stuck.

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Hi Spectio. Thanks for sharing your experience in this. I think I'll give it a try. I started doing this a few years ago before I was sick. So I don't know how it is with withdrawals but I'm sure it can only help.

Taper from Cymbalta, Paxil, Prozac & Antipsychotics finished June 2012.

Xanax 5% Taper - (8/12 - .5 mg) - (9/12 - .45) - (10/12 - .43) - (11/12 - .41) - (12/12 - .38)

My Paxil Website

My Intro

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  • 2 weeks later...

Well, I've been doing the alternate nose breathing every night before bed. 10 minutes. It made a big difference from the start. I haven't had any involuntary inbreath, no brain zaps or jerks either. It's now part of my bedtime ritual. I'll post the second video that shows how to do it as spectio described.

 

 

Taper from Cymbalta, Paxil, Prozac & Antipsychotics finished June 2012.

Xanax 5% Taper - (8/12 - .5 mg) - (9/12 - .45) - (10/12 - .43) - (11/12 - .41) - (12/12 - .38)

My Paxil Website

My Intro

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I knew I should've given it a couple more days before I reported. I just tried to take a nap and had a brain zap. Well, I think that it's really good for my nervous system and brain anyway, and not having the deep inbreaths.

Taper from Cymbalta, Paxil, Prozac & Antipsychotics finished June 2012.

Xanax 5% Taper - (8/12 - .5 mg) - (9/12 - .45) - (10/12 - .43) - (11/12 - .41) - (12/12 - .38)

My Paxil Website

My Intro

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Hi Shanti,I'm glad you tried the pranayama and hope you'll continue with it. if you can, do it twice a day, every day. The one thing you will notice is the relaxation . I do it before meditating a.m & p.m. Many times, I tend to fall asleep. Take it as a natural ""therapy", with no side effects, or tendency towards stimulating you. You can't beat the extra oxygen getting to where it needs to go--our brains. Peace to you, my friend! :)

I started withdrawing off remeron in August of 2009, with the help of a holistic physician.The reason for the withdrawal was a year or two of off and on nausea, deterioration in my thinking, and more depression. It took me a full year to work from 135 mg down to 45mg. At that point, more drops were causing more depression. Unfortuately, the nervousness that I was also feeling for the last year continued with the 45 mg. Thirty one days ago, I stopped the remeron. I am still feeling the nervousness every day and the last week, I am feeling what I think is depression but not sure. In bed in the morning, I'm already dreading another day feeling this way. I am intensely unsure of myself and find it very hard to do anything. I was a practicing veterinarian for 29 years until I found I could not practice anymore. First of all I couldn't think, or remember, and I had absolutely no confidence in anything I did. These were things I did with relative ease for twenty+ years. So, this feeling of no confidence has been during the time I was on the AD(the last 2 years) and today. I take no other medication other than my blood pressure meds. I tried supplements with my holistic dr. but they seemed to make the intense nervousness even more intense. Anyway, I truly feel stuck.

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Okay, I'll do it morning and night. I feel like I'm doing something to repair my nervous system, since I can't get any exercise. It helps a lot. I realize now I had the flare up of symptoms because I went for a walk. I rested all day yesterday and had no symptoms last night :)

Taper from Cymbalta, Paxil, Prozac & Antipsychotics finished June 2012.

Xanax 5% Taper - (8/12 - .5 mg) - (9/12 - .45) - (10/12 - .43) - (11/12 - .41) - (12/12 - .38)

My Paxil Website

My Intro

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  • 2 months later...

Not sure if this is in the right topic. I am a million miles away from doing anything like this, but I thought yoga might help in the future. Yet, today I read this article:

 

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2084334/Strokes-retina-damage-trapped-nerves-Is-yoga-doing-harm-good.html

 

Is there anything left that does not harm, maim or kill people? You think aromatherapy might help and then read a cancer scare story, perhaps it is WD but it seems that negative stories are to people in WD, magnets.

Sept 2010 - Citalopram 1 day

Sept 2010 - Zopliclone for ten weeks (paranoia ended a couple of months after coming off this and sleep settled down again until the last couple of months)

Ocober 2010 - Cymbalta 30mg

November 2010 - Cymbalta 60mg

February 2011 - 60mg to 30 mg (lasted 10 days)reinstated 60mg

March 2011 - Took 2 60mg tablets on one evening in error - paralysis of face, back of head, shoulder, stabbing in right kidney, lost 30% of hearing)

March - June 2011 went down quickly 1mg a day until I got stuck at 25mg, went up to 27mg, because couldn't breath.

26th June - 26mg

3rd July - 25mg

17th July - 24mg

24th July - 23mg

7th Aug - began reducing by a bead every couple of days or so went well at first then hit a wall

24th October - now on 18.5mg. Since the kidney infection at start of September, have been in constant pain and anxiety, no let up. Given Ciprofloxacin.

8th Jan 2012 17.8mg (currently reducing 0.2mg a week)

8th Jan 2012 17.6mg last reduction was 6 days ago.

15th Jan 17.4mg

21st Jan 17.2mg

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  • 5 months later...

Anyone know about or have opinions about pranayama breathing or especially the Art of Living Foundation, which has a particular program of this that you learn during a weekend workshop? artofliving.org The website, honestly, looks a little cultish to me. But I know two people who've done it. One says it makes all the difference and she's not missed a day of the practice (20 mins) in over ayear. The other thought it was good and worthwhile, but she decided to stick with her regular Zen meditation practice, to keep her efforts there. Richard Brown, at Columbia Med School, has written a couple of scholarly articles on this stuff and teaches something similar to AOL in his workshops. Any thoughts? Thanks, E

1994-2009 50-100 mg Zoloft (plus tried Effexor, Lexapro, Wellbutrin at times)
5/'09-7/'09 taper off Zoloft
7/'09-12/'09 no zoloft, rough times after ~ 2 mos.
1/'10-6/'10 50 mg zoloft
6/'10-1/'11 slow taper
2/'11-7/'11 off entirely, ok for 2-3 mos., then rough
7/'11-9/'11 50 mg
9/15/'11 - 11/15/'11 taper off
11/15/'11 - 2/'11 clean, doing well but with some PSSD
2/'11 - 6/'11 depression creeps back, fairly significant by May.

6/'14 (long time...!)  life is good, full recovery, at least in terms of SSRI addiction.  Still digging out from the social and professional hole that it all left me in, but despite the loss of far too many years to this business I'm basically doing pretty well.  Still some depression at times, even severe on occasion, but clearly related to past trauma and current circumstances, all things that I am continuing to work through and work on.  I'd say it took at least six months and perhaps a year to fully get back to normal (neuro-psychologically and sexually) after the last dose in 2011.

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I know nothing about that particular foundation but I do know that yogic breathing (that is what pranayama is) in general can be very powerful and helpful and healing...

 

I've used it a bit to good effect and intend to incorporate more as I learn more.

Everything Matters: Beyond Meds 

https://beyondmeds.com/

withdrawn from a cocktail of 6 psychiatric drugs that included every class of psych drug.
 

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  • 2 weeks later...

I practice Pranayama, but I know nothing of that organization you're talking about. Pranayama is a Yoga exercise that puts more oxygen in your blood stream and helps heal the brain by giving it more oxygen. It is very helpful. I was having trouble with weird breathing jerks for a while in the w/d process and the Pranayama helped that too. It's also very helpful for relaxing when you have anxiety.

Taper from Cymbalta, Paxil, Prozac & Antipsychotics finished June 2012.

Xanax 5% Taper - (8/12 - .5 mg) - (9/12 - .45) - (10/12 - .43) - (11/12 - .41) - (12/12 - .38)

My Paxil Website

My Intro

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  • 2 weeks later...

This post has photos that must be viewed...so I will just do a small excerpt with the link to the post.

 

Yoga for your health and wellbeing, helps with your heart and anxiety and depression

 

http://wp.me/p5nnb-79V

 

Many of us who have withdrawn from either benzodiazepines or SSRI antidepressants, both, have heart palpitations and other heart symptoms quite often as an iatrogenic injury that accompanies withdrawal syndrome. I’ve noticed that for my PTSD and psychiatric drug withdrawal induced tachycardia that yoga really does help minimize its horrors. It’s not a cure all but it sure as heck helps one get through when things are rough as well as perhaps creating a foundation for long-term healing

 

Tachycardia is when the heart beats like crazy. I also just get palpitations with a normal heart rate that can also be quite overwhelming. Both of those are common among folks coming off these drugs. I never had them before I went on the drugs and that too is the usual scenario with most people coming off of the meds. These symptoms are induced by global autonomic dysfunction that the drugs themselves cause.

 

The following report is not on exactly the same thing but it’s not all that far off and yoga’s applications are many and diverse. I’m making the assumption, based on my experience, that yoga helps me for much the same reason as those with atrial fibrillation are helped.

 

I’m sharing this here today because I’m quite sure many with psychiatric drug withdrawal syndromes might be helped too. I imagine those with anxiety disorders as well could respond quite well to calming yoga postures. Below the excerpted article are a few postures that help my heart calm.

 

 

read the rest:

http://wp.me/p5nnb-79V

Everything Matters: Beyond Meds 

https://beyondmeds.com/

withdrawn from a cocktail of 6 psychiatric drugs that included every class of psych drug.
 

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Gia,

 

I just got out of cardiac telemetry unit for bradycardia. Heart rate was down in the 30-40s. No cardiac causes found; attributed to hypothyroid.

 

However, what I thought felt like tachycardia/racing heart was actually palpitations with bradycardia. When my rate fell, I got palpitations. Perhaps the heart trying to correct by working harder? This surprised me as what felt like racing was actually not.

 

Has anyone else monitored pulse during these episodes?

 

As always, thanks for great info, Gia.

 

B

Pristiq tapered over 8 months ending Spring 2011 after 18 years of polydrugging that began w/Zoloft for fatigue/general malaise (not mood). CURRENT: 1mg Klonopin qhs (SSRI bruxism), 75mg trazodone qhs, various hormonesLitigation for 11 years for Work-related injury, settled 2004. Involuntary medical retirement in 2001 (age 39). 2012 - brain MRI showing diffuse, chronic cerebrovascular damage/demyelination possibly vasculitis/cerebritis. Dx w/autoimmune polyendocrine failure.<p>2013 - Dx w/CNS Sjogren's Lupus (FANA antibodies first appeared in 1997 but missed by doc).

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Thanks, Gia. Those are excellent, gentle exercises.

 

A yoga expert told me the legs up on the wall (or chair) pose is good for sleep, too.

This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner.

"It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has surpassed our humanity." -- Albert Einstein

All postings © copyrighted.

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yeah...my palpitations happen regardless of heart rate...and you're not the first person I've seen in withdrawal with the uber slow heart rate...

 

I've seen rapid heart rates and really slow heart rates as well as really high and really low blood pressure -- most of which clears up and normalizes (except in the rare instances it actually is something other than part of the autonomic dysfunction that is characteristic of withdrawal syndromes)

 

I got my heart checked out a few years ago and since then regardless of what has happened I've refused to go back to see a doctor because of all the horror stories I've seen of people getting dosed with benzos etc once they go into emergency rooms...

 

I have dealt with really severe heart stuff but it's all been withdrawal related.

 

it's important to rule out anything more serious (read life-threatening) but I sure as heck have felt like I was dying many times over. It's really awful.

 

glad you're okay Barbara...it may clear up as your withdrawal syndrome clears up. I hope so...mine of course is still going strong a few years in...it gets rough at times, no doubt.

 

I do check my blood pressure and pulse from time to time and kind of know what my whacked out "normal" is.

Everything Matters: Beyond Meds 

https://beyondmeds.com/

withdrawn from a cocktail of 6 psychiatric drugs that included every class of psych drug.
 

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  • 3 months later...

I was having a very hard day for some reason. Felt like crying, my needs weren't being met by my family and we had people coming over. I could have melted down and asked the guests not to come. I was close. I couldn't deal with my kids, even being civil to them. So I checked on this site for tips. Almost threw my phone through the wall because I couldn't log on but that's another story. :) I tried feet on the wall pose and did some breathing. Also tried breathing thru my left nostril on a tip from another site. I feel calmer and more settled. Lets hope I'm going back to my family in a better space. I'll let you know.

Zoloft for 10+ yrs (between 50 and 100 mg)
Switched to Citalopram 20 mg for the last year
Added 150 mg Welbutrin for Citalopram side effects
Started tapering from Citalopram - (20mg, then 10 mg, then 5 mg, then 5 mg every other day, then nothing, then reinstated to 5 mg per day to deal with discontinuation symptoms). Quit Wellbutrin cold turkey.
Reinstated to 5 mg of Citalopram, then a higher dose eventually because of panic attacks.
Feb 2015 switched to Pristiq on advice from Psych Nurse Practitioner with intention of tapering

Aug 2015 began tapering Pristiq. Went to 12.5 a day

Honestly don't remember the timeline of each taper, but it was extremely slow. 

Ended up cutting Pristiq into quarters, crushing the quarter, and even halving those at the end.

Stopped taking Pristiq in Nov. 2016

 

http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/3242-tapering-from-citalopram-laylajunebugs-story/page__gopid__37123

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  • 2 months later...

These very simple and easy techniques really help me a lot with a whole lot of the autonomic nervous system chaos...so I thought I'd share...

 

 

This post introduces belly breathing and then also gives some tips for easy yoga relaxation.

 

You can practice in the manner shown in the video but then belly breathing is really good anywhere, anytime and in most positions: standing, sitting or laying down. It’s become second nature for me now and I don’t have to think about it when it’s helpful, my body just does it.

 

Good for anxiety and pain both: Belly breathing and a bit of yoga

http://wp.me/p5nnb-6i5

Everything Matters: Beyond Meds 

https://beyondmeds.com/

withdrawn from a cocktail of 6 psychiatric drugs that included every class of psych drug.
 

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Thanks Gia.....good stuff

Intro: http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/1902-nikki-hi-my-rundown-with-ads/

 

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Crossed over to Lexapro Paxil not available

at Pharmacies GSK halted deliveries

Lexapro 40mgs

Lexapro taper (2years)

Imipramine

Imipramine and Celexa

Now Nefazadone/Imipramine 50mgs. each

45mgs. Serzone  50mgs. Imipramine

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This looks so calming.

 

I've dreamnt of doing yoga for a long time but have never taken the first step.

"Well my ship's been split to splinters and it's sinking fast
I'm drowning in the poison, got no future, got no past
But my heart is not weary, it's light and it's free
I've got nothing but affection for all those who sailed with me.

Everybody's moving, if they ain't already there
Everybody's got to move somewhere
Stick with me baby, stick with me anyhow
Things should start to get interesting right about now."

- Zimmerman

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that's why I post these sorts of really easy exercises...I think lots of people think about doing stuff and don't try...getting past the initial inertia is sometimes all it takes though

 

these exercises if done with a meditative state are so easy and effective and they'll really help people understand that potential power of yoga in general...

 

:)

Everything Matters: Beyond Meds 

https://beyondmeds.com/

withdrawn from a cocktail of 6 psychiatric drugs that included every class of psych drug.
 

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  • 5 months later...

I’ve been using yoga as a main source of rehabilitation and recovery since I was bedridden. I began doing yoga while still in bed. Now it continues to be a primary source of continued healing. Lately I’ve been doing backbends and while all the yoga I do feels like it profoundly helps my nervous system, these bends have really been making me think about my autonomic nervous system and how it seems to be healing it. Tending to the autonomic nervous system seems like the most important thing I’m doing in all of my recovery practices. And indeed all of my recovery practices aid in this most important endeavor. ...
 
to read more and see a slide show: http://wp.me/p5nnb-9t9

Edited by Petunia
fixed text

Everything Matters: Beyond Meds 

https://beyondmeds.com/

withdrawn from a cocktail of 6 psychiatric drugs that included every class of psych drug.
 

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  • 1 month later...

original link: http://wp.me/p5nnb-9Ly

NEW POST to share...

 

Woke up last night and wrote the below blurb, most of which appeared on Beyond Meds Facebook page.

 

 

I still have days where I’m too sick to move much at all. I need to be in bed most of the day and I’m really, really, sick. Almost like the flu sick…it’s hard to explain but it’s global and complete and still happens with some frequency. Anyway, what I find fascinating (and wonderful too) is that first, it moves through much faster than it used to, but secondly how as I come out of whatever it is my body is going through my body starts SCREAMING for yoga. I had to get up tonight in the middle of the night and do yoga. Twice now since I’ve been up. The process of mindful attendance of my body/mind/spirit now allows me to further move through and heal what had been stagnant toxic energies…it’s a slow process but it’s also clearly deeply intelligent and it’s my animal body directing all of it.

yes…these heavy, sick days are a tide that visit far more often than I’d like but there are very clear patterns…that strongly suggest process…it’s good to watch in this way, with curiosity because then it’s all just very interesting…allows me to step back from the discomfort and pain…and let it happen.

 

 

 

Yoga has been and remains fundamentally important to my healing process. Not only did it allow me to slowly rehabilitate my bedridden, atrophied muscles. (it’s rather astonishing what happens to the body after being mostly inert in bed for two years). But it has since started to slowly deeply strengthen me in a multitude of other ways. In this process too, since yoga is also a profound mindfulness practice, I’ve come to learn to deeply listen to my body. Yoga, among other things, serves as a system of somatic release.In this way layers and layers of trauma and pain can be accessed and healed.

 

Everytime I bring up yoga and how it’s been an important part of my healing process in public forums likeFacebook or Twitter, people tell me how they can’t practice yoga because they haven’t found a class, or because they cannot go to a classroom given how ill they are. I want to remind everyone I STILL cannot go to a class and I rose up from my sick bed using yoga when I could not even leave my house! I have one thing to say. YOUTUBE. If you don’t like youtube: yoga books and tapes. Start really slowly. Be gentle and kind. Listen to your body.

 

Below I’m posting some of the yoga posts that include very easy videos that I started out with as I got out of bed. Look for RESTORATIVE yoga videos when you first start. These are deeply healing to the nervous system and those of us with withdrawal syndrome need to heal our autonomic nervous systems. 

 

Here are some links that can get people started if they’re still ill or if they’re just beginning a yoga practice:

these sequences have also been very healing…belly breathing is also really really good for the calming of the nervous system:

The above can get you started with baby steps. Don’t feel beholden to do all of any of these videos. Pick and choose from what your body likes and wants.

 

Here is a longer but very gentle routine as well…again, remember only do that which your body likes.

I want to underscore that I rarely do more than 20 minutes of yoga at one sitting even now and I’ve been doing a deep and profound yoga practice for several years now. My body is still healing…this is what it needs. Being a good yogi doesn’t mean necessarily stamina (or great physical flexibility)…it’s much more about listening and attending to the body right NOW. On physically stronger days I may do yoga several times a day. Anything from 5 minute to 20 minute sessions. On a really bad day I may do nothing at all or more often just really small laying down stretches for no more than a few minutes.

 

Trust yourself. Trust your body.

 

MORE: Yoga posts on Beyond Meds

 

You can visit the bookstore too. 

original link: http://wp.me/p5nnb-9Ly

Everything Matters: Beyond Meds 

https://beyondmeds.com/

withdrawn from a cocktail of 6 psychiatric drugs that included every class of psych drug.
 

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  • 1 month later...

I did this this morning and it felt great on my withdrawal syndrome taxed body...give it a shot! Please share your results if you do.

 

original link: http://wp.me/p5nnb-9Wr

 

Yoga: Hormones/Endocrine System

 

I just did this yoga video and enjoyed it so much I thought I’d share it with my readers this morning. I really enjoyed this teacher. Today was the first time I found her. She has a lot more on youtube. I’ll be checking out more of her videos.

 

I really liked this very gentle but clearly powerful yoga session. It’s also highly educational. Please feel free to modify further than the teacher suggests by stopping if your body feels taxed at any point in time. While this is a very gentle practice, I still needed to cut short some of the asanas as I am still recovering from long-term illness. It’s important to pay attention to your body.

 

My whole body is incredibly energized having just done this session. These seemingly simple moves are profoundly powerful. Do them mindfully and pay attention to how your whole body is feeling while you breathe.

 

Yoga has been and remains fundamentally important to my healing process. Not only did it allow me to slowly rehabilitate my bedridden, atrophied muscles. (it’s rather astonishing what happens to the body after being mostly inert in bed for two years). But it has since started to slowly deeply strengthen me in a multitude of other ways. In this process too, since yoga is also a profound mindfulness practice, I’ve come to learn to deeply listen to my body. Yoga, among other things, serves as a system of somatic release. In this way layers and layers of trauma and pain can be accessed and healed.

-Below I’m posting some of the yoga posts that include very easy videos that I started out with as I got out of bed. Look for RESTORATIVE yoga videos when you first start. These are deeply healing to the nervous system and those of us with withdrawal syndrome need to heal our autonomic nervous systems. 

 

Here are some links that can get people started if they’re still ill or if they’re just beginning a yoga practice:

these sequences have also been very healing…belly breathing is also really really good for the calming of the nervous system:

The above can get you started with baby steps. Don’t feel beholden to do all of any of these videos. Pick and choose from what your body likes and wants.

Here is a longer but very gentle routine as well…again, remember only do that which your body likes.

I want to underscore that I rarely do more than 20 minutes of yoga at one sitting even now and I’ve been doing a deep and profound yoga practice for several years now. I did do this whole video as it’s so slow and gentle. I did however shorten many of the holds…so in that respect I didn’t do the whole thing. My body is still healing…this is what it needs. Being a good yogi doesn’t mean necessarily stamina (or great physical flexibility)…it’s much more about listening and attending to the body right NOW. On physically stronger days I may do yoga several times a day. Anything from 5 minute to 20 minute sessions. On better days I may do that several times during the day.  On a really bad day I may do nothing at all or more often just really small laying down stretches for no more than a few minutes.

 

Trust yourself. Trust your body.

 

MORE: Yoga posts on Beyond Meds

You can visit the bookstore too. 

 

original link: http://wp.me/p5nnb-9Wr

Everything Matters: Beyond Meds 

https://beyondmeds.com/

withdrawn from a cocktail of 6 psychiatric drugs that included every class of psych drug.
 

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  • 2 weeks later...

Thank you for this post. I will try some of these poses!

I am on 2.0 mg abilify for 2 yrs now.  I tired to taper every month 2.0....1.5....1.0....0.5....off.  I was fine until I jumped off at the end.  I will need to slow the taper down after 0.5.  Maybe try 0.5, 0.4, 0.3, 0.2, 0.1, 0.05, 0.025...off.

 

8/2/17. Abilify  2.0 mg

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Many of us who have withdrawn from either benzodiazepines or SSRI antidepressants, both, have to deal with heart palpitations and other often quite distressing heart symptoms as an iatrogenic injury that accompanies withdrawal syndrome. I noticed early on that for my trauma and psychiatric drug withdrawal induced tachycardia that yoga really helped minimize its horrors. It’s not a cure all but it sure as heck helps one get through when things are rough as well as perhaps creating a foundation for long-term healing.

 

Tachycardia is when the heart beats like crazy. I’ve also had palpitations with a normal heart rate that can also be quite overwhelming. Both of those are common among folks coming off these drugs. I never had them before I went on the drugs and that too is the usual scenario with most people coming off of the meds. These symptoms are induced by global autonomic dysfunction that the drugs themselves cause. This autonomic dysfunction can also cause heart pain and all sorts of other chaotic and painful body sensation.

 

The following report is not on exactly the same thing but it’s not all that far off and yoga’s applications are many and diverse. I’m making the assumption, based on my experience, that yoga helps me for much the same reason as those with atrial fibrillation are helped.

 

I’m sharing this here today because I’m quite sure many with psychiatric drug withdrawal syndromes might be helped too.  I imagine those with anxiety disorders as well could respond quite well to calming yoga postures. Below the excerpted article are a few postures that help my heart calm.

 

Yoga has helped my entire recovery process, from the time I was bedridden. So it’s helped rebuild my atrophied muscles and given me fitness while also sustaining me in numerous other ways affecting the whole body/mind/spirit.

 

From Medical News Today:

 

 

Yoga Reduces Atrial Fibrillation Risk Considerably

People who regularly practice yoga have a significantly lower risk of having episodes of atrial fibrillation - abnormal heart rhythm (irregular heartbeat) caused by unusual generation of electrical signals in the heart. Atrial fibrillation is a major cause of stroke among elderly individuals.

In this US study carried out at the University of Kansas Hospital in Kansas City, not only did researchers report a reduced risk of irregular heartbeat, but also a reduction of anxiety and depression symptoms among those who practice yoga frequently. (continue reading)

 

 

My favorite yoga position to help minimize the rapid heart beats is legs against the wall:

 

Posted Image

Posted Image

 

You don’t need to have your butt up against the wall like that for it go be effective. Feel free to make any adjustments your body finds necessary. Absolute form isn’t terribly important when it comes to finding some relief from the tachycardia or palpitations.  Lay with your hand on your belly and your heart and pay attention to your breath for a while. Alternately put your arms above your head like in the picture and breathe. I’ve done this for ten or even twenty minutes sometimes. It’s deeply restorative.

 

Update: (a friend and yoga teacher just gave me this tip for additional modification if needed) If folks can’t get their legs up the wall because their hamstrings are tight, they will have a similar effect by putting their lower legs on the seat of a chair. You can put a blanket underneath your heels if the chair is too hard.

 

On some days doing this can alter the course of the day for the better. It’s really quite wonderful when it works that way. Other times it might just make something really intolerable become somewhat tolerable. Some of these symptoms are very stubborn. Doing these exercises at bedtime is helpful too.

 

I also find that doing twists on the ground, really gently can be helpful after doing legs against the wall. After you twist to one side follow by twisting to the other. 

 

Posted Image

Posted Image
________________________________________________________________________—–

 

Also I do this:
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__________________________________

And roll from side to side and up and down too.

 

There you have it — a mini yoga session to help calm the heart and it works for garden variety anxiety too. This little combination of postures is also helpful in minimizing some of the pain of withdrawal. 

 

If you want to experiment with more advanced methods that seem to help with the autonomic dysregulation I later found that back bends are wonderful. Yoga back bends: feels yummy on the autonomic nervous system. The fact is all of yoga helps with these issues. I am profoundly grateful to have discovered this fact.

 

Below I’m posting some of the yoga posts that include very easy videos that I started out with as I got out of bed. Look for RESTORATIVE yoga videos when you first start. These are deeply healing to the nervous system and those of us with withdrawal syndrome need to heal our autonomic nervous systems. 

 

Here are some links that can get people started if they’re still ill or if they’re just beginning a yoga practice:

 

 

these sequences have also been very healing…belly breathing is also really really good for the calming of the nervous system:

 

 

The above can get you started with baby steps. Don’t feel beholden to do all of any of these videos. Pick and choose from what your body likes and wants.

 

Here is a longer but very gentle routine as well…again, remember only do that which your body likes.

original post http://wp.me/p5nnb-a3f

Everything Matters: Beyond Meds 

https://beyondmeds.com/

withdrawn from a cocktail of 6 psychiatric drugs that included every class of psych drug.
 

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  • 1 month later...

original link http://wp.me/p5nnb-aeV (with better photo layout...can't transfer photos here very well...or I don't know how)


I posted this little celebratory update on facebook not long ago:
 

The biggest victory in my rehabilitation started a few weeks ago…I’ve now attended about 10 yoga classes…out in the real world!! I LOVE going to classes…it’s bringing my practice to a whole new level!

 

 


Yoga has been one of my foundational practices for my complete rehabilitation. I started with totally atrophied muscles having been bedridden for a couple of years due to protracted psych drug withdrawal syndrome. I pursued rehab on my own using the internet and youtube as my only teachers. It worked. I feel completely at home in a class full of long-time yogis now. What a wondrous miracle.


What is particularly great about yoga classes is that now, while I remain unable to make commitments in general, yoga classes are drop-in. I go when I can…and it’s okay not to go when I can’t.
 

And finally having real live teachers and being surrounded by other students is helping me learn so much more.
 

So I went from atrophied and unable to even sit up in bed to this:
 

p1010014.jpg?w=150&h=112 p1010013.jpg?w=150&h=112 p1010010.jpg?w=150&h=112
p1010008.jpg?w=150&h=112 p1010009.jpg?w=150&h=112 p1010006.jpg?w=150&h=112
 


I share this so others might realize that they too can do something similar. I was very sick and yoga (among many other things) has been profoundly helpful and critical to my healing.


Recovery continues to be an up and down thing. Today it’s been a week since I’ve been able to go to a yoga class, but I still do yoga at home on the days I’m not able to make it to class. There are different benefits to yoga at home and I wouldn’t trade my home practice for anything. So when I can’t manage a class, home yoga is still here and now my home practice is also benefitting from what I’m learning in classes.


Here are some links that can get people started if they’re still ill or if they’re just beginning a yoga practice:
 


these sequences have also been very healing…belly breathing is also really really good for the calming of the nervous system:


The above can get you started with baby steps. Don’t feel beholden to do all of any of these videos. Pick and choose from what your body likes and wants.


Here are a few longer but very gentle routines as well…again, remember only do that which your body likes.


And for a list of all yoga posts on this blog go here YOGA on Beyond Meds

✢✢✢✢

original link http://wp.me/p5nnb-aeV

Everything Matters: Beyond Meds 

https://beyondmeds.com/

withdrawn from a cocktail of 6 psychiatric drugs that included every class of psych drug.
 

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Thanks a lot for posting!

 

and sharing the pics: it looks really impressive! you look impressive ;)

 

I've also found yoga verey benefecial. I just had one bad experience when I went to a higher level class and although I didn't do most of the exercises, I was in a lot of pain afterwards.

 

So as with anything else, one has to start slowly, listen to one's body and respect its boundaries, challenging them very gently. But this is what every good yoga teacher teaches...

 

thank you so much for posting the links: it's a timely reminder for me and I don't really have the money to go to classes...

 

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Current: 9/2022 Xanax 0.08, Lexapro 2

2020 Xanax 0.26 (down from 2 mg in 2013), Lexapro 2.85 mg (down from 5 mg 2013)

Amitriptyline (tricyclic AD) and clonazepam for 3 months to treat headache in 1996 
1999. - present Xanax prn up to 3 mg.
2000-2005 Prozac CT twice, 2005-2010 Zoloft CT 3 times, 2010-2013 Escitalopram 10 mg
went from 2.5 to zero on 7 Aug 2013, bad crash 40 days after
reinstated to 5 mg Escitalopram 4Oct 2013 and holding liquid Xanax every 5 hours
28 Jan 2014 Xanax 1.9, 18 Apr  2015 1 mg,  25 June 2015 Lex 4.8, 6 Aug Lexapro 4.6, 1 Jan 2016 0.64  Xanax     9 month hold

24 Sept 2016 4.5 Lex, 17 Oct 4.4 Lex (Nov 0.63 Xanax, Dec 0.625 Xanax), 1 Jan 2017 4.3 Lex, 24 Jan 4.2, 5 Feb 4.1, 24 Mar 4 mg, 10 Apr 3.9 mg, May 3.85, June 3.8, July 3.75, 22 July 3.7, 15 Aug 3.65, 17 Sept 3.6, 1 Jan 2018 3.55, 19 Jan 3.5, 16 Mar 3.4, 14 Apr 3.3, 23 May 3.2, 16 June 3.15, 15 Jul 3.1, 31 Jul 3, 21 Aug 2.9 26 Sept 2.85, 14 Nov Xan 0.61, 1 Dec 0.59, 19 Dec 0.58, 4 Jan 0.565, 6 Feb 0.55, 20 Feb 0.535, 1 Mar 0.505, 10 Mar 0.475, 14 Mar 0.45, 4 Apr 0.415, 13 Apr 0.37, 21 Apr 0.33, 29 Apr 0.29, 10 May 0.27, 17 May 0.25, 28 May 0.22, 19 June 0.22, 21 Jun updose to 0.24, 24 Jun updose to 0.26

Supplements: Omega 3 + Vit E, Vit C, D, magnesium, Taurine, probiotic 

I'm not a medical professional. Any advice I give is based on my own experience and reading. 

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Yoga helps heal the autonomic nervous system if it’s done in tandem with the bodies needs. Psych drug withdrawal syndrome is essentially an autonomic nervous system injury.  Listening closely to the body allows one to let yoga heal your mind/body/spirit.

 

Everything Matters: Beyond Meds 

https://beyondmeds.com/

withdrawn from a cocktail of 6 psychiatric drugs that included every class of psych drug.
 

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As my body heals from the iatrogenic injury caused by psychiatric drugs, the process of healing the autonomic nervous system demands the continual working with fear in the body.
 

This morning I did the below yoga session.
 

Yoga is wonderful for training us to be with the sometimes uncomfortable sensations in our body, which is a skill that can be transferred to our lives in a multiple number of ways.  Practicing and learning to be with discomfort is a good skill to have.
 

I enjoy Melissa West’s yoga videos. I’ve shared a couple of others too.
 


Anxiety is basically a clinical term for fear which everyone at one time or another experiences with or without a diagnosis of some sort of anxiety “disorder.” Psychiatry pathologizes much of the normal human experience and in opposing fashion fear and/or anxiety is often referred to in Buddhism and other alternative philosophies such as yoga, as normal. Which is why many techniques to cope with anxiety have been inspired by eastern practices.  There are many methods to learn how to be with these normal feelings, whether they’re very intense or not. As individuals some of us may be more prone to more intensity than others. We can all work with whatever it is we experience.
 

For more support with working with fear and anxiety see this collection: Fear and anxiety: coping, reframing, transforming…

Link to original post: http://wp.me/p5nnb-akY
 

Everything Matters: Beyond Meds 

https://beyondmeds.com/

withdrawn from a cocktail of 6 psychiatric drugs that included every class of psych drug.
 

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yoga-e1393505763188.jpg?w=150&h=90I got up this morning wanting to go to a yoga class which I’ve recently been able to do on occasion. Still, the condition of my autonomic nervous system has different ideas sometimes. Even yoga can be too much and a full yoga class in the community quite often is.
 

I decided to find something appropriate on youtube instead. I often do my own routines and don’t absolutely need a class or a youtube video either,  but I like finding new routines and new teachers. It really helps me stretch and grow. It also often helps to slow me down when I might otherwise rush through postures on my own.
 

So I found the below gentle yoga for the morning. It’s also good for those of us with seriously challenged nervous systems at any time of the day. Those of us with protracted withdrawal syndrome need to be gentle and learn to listen to our bodies very carefully as we heal. Even yoga can trigger us or put us over the edge if we’re not careful.
 

 

 

Choosing to move and connect in the morning is one of the best things we can do for ourselves! This video is gentle practice for all levels a nice way to connect to the muscles and joints and clear the mental and emotional channels for the day ahead. Take your time and connect to the breathe. Notice how you feel and enjoy the art of noticing! Let me know how it goes and have an awesome day!

 

 


More gentle yoga for the challenged nervous system:
 

Remember you can always modify even more than the teacher suggests or stop entirely — even if it seems really easy and gentle our nervous systems know best. Be careful not to strain.

 

original link http://wp.me/p5nnb-awf

Everything Matters: Beyond Meds 

https://beyondmeds.com/

withdrawn from a cocktail of 6 psychiatric drugs that included every class of psych drug.
 

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yoga.jpg?w=300&h=138

 

 

Yoga has been one of my foundational practices as I recover from a gravely disabling and long-term chronic illness. My healing protocolshave been many and diverse and yoga continues to be an absolutely critical part of it.
 

The dark side of yoga really boils down to failing to listen to our body/mind/spirit needs. Injuries can happen. There is a learning curve involved when one is new at this. Be kind and gentle with yourself as you learn.
 

My learning curve involved over-doing it a few times when I first started taking classes in the community. I used yoga to rehab out of my bed after being bedridden for a couple of years.
 

My muscles had totally atrophied so when I started doing yoga I was simply lifting a leg and rotating a foot at first. I built up on this slowly over time. This allowed for me to very slowly over a long period of time regain strength. It also demanded a sort of attention and patience many people never have an opportunity to learn. I’m very good at paying attention to my needs now in the classroom as a result of my rehab.
 

Still, the first few times in the classroom were exciting and I did overdo it. Though I think it was a necessary part of the process really. I had to learn what my limit in the classroom was so that I could recognize when my nervous system was saying, “STOP”. That required making the “mistake” of over doing it. Again, had I not done it I wouldn’t have learned my edge. So it was a necessary part of the process.
 

So even though it meant returning to my home practice for a week or two or three (yeah, at first over-doing it really would mean having to not go out again for a good long while)…but, it taught me what crossing my edge looked like and now that doesn’t happen anymore.
 

Now I know exactly when my nervous system has had enough and I leave as soon as that happens. Sometimes, too, though, now I can stop and rest in the middle of the class and that can reset my edge and I can continue with the class. What I do when I’m not sure about how close to my limit I am is to take a resting pose, savasana or child’s pose, for example. I stay in that pose a while. The class continues. That is okay. After I’ve rested a bit I can sometimes join the class again. Other times I find that I do, indeed, need to leave and so I do.
 

I’ve taken to introducing myself to every new teacher I encounter and tell them my circumstance (I do not give a lot of detail. I simply say I’m rehabbing and I may have to leave early). Most have been lovely and supportive. But not all of them are. If I do not feel safe or comfortable about leaving after speaking to a teacher (and sometimes taking the class once) I will not return to that class.
 

I’ve been lucky to find an amazing community yoga studio. It’s all donation based and the teachers too, volunteer their time. It’s a studio that is deep in the true spirit of yoga. Sadly, not all yoga studios are like this. Many are competitive and don’t appreciate the subtleties of what yoga is truly about. Just yesterday I was speaking to a friend of mine who was injured by a yoga teacher who was pushing her deeper into a stretch. My friend was saying, “ouch, please stop that” and the teacher refused pushing her even further. My friend is still suffering from that injury eight years later. Frankly, if a teacher even touches you without asking permission, I think that is a problem. If a teacher doesn’t stop touching you when you say it hurts, well, that is criminal.
 

I recently saw a big hullaballoo in an article on NPR about leaving yoga classes early. Clearly not all yoga communities are as wonderful as mine. Some of the comments by teachers are rather sobering. If a teacher doesn’t appreciate that there are times when students must leave in order to take care of themselves, well, then, they’re not much of a yoga teacher. Avoid such people. Talk to the studio and the teachers before you start taking classes. If they don’t immediately encourage your need to support yourself in the ways you need to support yourself, find another studio or teacher. Sometimes they won’t be explicit about their displeasure. In those instances, trust your gut.
 

We need teachers that help us learn to trust our body/mind/spirits. Anyone who suggests you shouldn’t be doing that, whether implicitly or explicitly, has no business teaching yoga.
 

Doing yoga at home when you’re not ready to go to a class also works. I did that for several years before I was well enough to start attending classes in the community.
 

More posts from Beyond Meds that are similar to this topic:
 

original post http://wp.me/p5nnb-aS2

Everything Matters: Beyond Meds 

https://beyondmeds.com/

withdrawn from a cocktail of 6 psychiatric drugs that included every class of psych drug.
 

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this is wonderful! its just what i was looking for. thank you, gia. :)

on 37.5 - 50mg zoloft/sertraline for GAD from 3/1996 to 4/2013 (17 years) 

too fast taper from 1/13-4/13

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