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


Gem

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the below yoga video would have been too much for me for the first several years of rehab and rebuilding after the iatrogenic injury. trust your body and only do what is right for you. at the bottom of this post is a list of links to gentler yoga sequences that I started out with.

 

I posted another morning yoga video a while back. That one was gentle so that one might wake up slowly and carefully. I love that video and and have used it several times now. It’s perfect for beginners and for anyone who wants to start the day with gentleness.
 

Today I wanted something a bit more energetic since I knew that I wasn’t going to be making it to a yoga class and I wanted to do something a little more vigorous. I found the below video. It’s really wonderful too. I did 17 minutes of it before doing my own warm down on the mat. The fact is, I’m still building stamina and so I generally don’t make it to the end of most classes or videos. Remember to always listen to your body first and foremost!
 

Practice this Energizing Morning Yoga Sequence to get the juices flowing! This yoga practice stretches and strengthens the muscles with a strong focus on breath and body alignment. Practice this in the morning on an empty stomach and notice how it sets the tone for the day ahead. Get your workout in early, connect to your breath, be mindful and find what feels good.


I really enjoy Adriene, too, the teacher in this video.

this yoga sequence would have been far too much for me for a few years during my recovery. certainly we're all different so if this is too much there are other posts linked to at the bottom with much gentler tips.
 

 

This is the most vigorous video I’ve posted. As I get better I’m able to do more and more. On good days some of the yoga classes I go to in the community are really quite advanced. Still I always need to listen to my body/mind/spirit and I often leave classes early. My nervous system (and a lot of my readers who also have protracted withdrawal issues) is very delicate and so it’s not so much about strength of my muscles…it’s about some sort of threshold that is reached in my nervous system. When I get to that point I need to stop doing yoga. Period. And it’s often when I’m doing seemingly gentle stuff too. In fact sometimes I find that the most vigorous yoga triggers me less. It’s always a mystery…the moment. What will my body/mind/spirit be up to today?
 

 

Here is some 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 post http://wp.me/p5nnb-b3r

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...

This is a favorite form of self-care these days. Check it out. 

First posted on Beyond Meds
 

I’ve been doing yoga nidra meditations for a couple of years as part of my collection of healing practices. Lately I’ve been doing a lot more of it and it’s so deeply relaxing and healing I thought it was time I shared it. I have to say that even though I’ve been doing it for two years it’s only recently from a greater state of well-being that I’ve come to deeply appreciate the profundity of this practice.
 

Note: when I was in the midst of the worst of the psychiatric drug withdrawal syndrome (really for a couple of years) I could not listen to guided meditations of any sort. Please don’t assume if you cannot do something now you won’t be able to do it ever. Things change and it does get better. I put a lot of practices on the back burner for the day I might be able to utilize them. I still do that sometimes when I learn about something new. I think, hmmm, that doesn’t sound right right now, but it may be in the future and I take a mental note.
 

Yoga Nidra is an an ancient form of guided meditation that has been proven effective to reduce stress, tension, anxiety, sleeplessness and many other psychological disorders.

 

Yoga Nidra induces the mind to transition from the waking state, through the “hypogonic” state (between waking and dream), into dream and deep sleep states. This transition however is not done unconsciously. Using the tool of Yoga Nidra the transition is done with full consciousness and allows the practitioner to access layers of the subconscious mind will clarity and mindfulness. This allows for the release of many negative patterns in the mind to unravel and ultimately dissolve.

 

Yoga Nidra is deeply nourishing and an essential practice to help us slow down and unwind in the often fast paced modern world.

 

 

 


You can download the above audio for free right here: UNWIND: yoga nidra


I also have these two which I’ve really enjoyed and can be purchased at amazon:

and:

  • Yoga Nidra  — Julie Rader  (just 99 cents as an audio download and my current favorite)


I find a bit of variety to be a good thing and different tracks appeal more or less at different times.

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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  • 8 months later...

GiaK, thank you for this!  So glad to see these links - I have bookmarked them.  Now that I have my nifty cool Chromecast, I can actually maybe do these!

1986-2005:  Limbitrol (15 Librium/ 50 Elavil combo) 1986-2005, 2005-successfully tapered Librium

January of 2009-2011:  Mirtazapine 30 mg; Cymbalta 60 mg; tapered cymbalta fall/winter of 2011/12

March 2012-March 2014:  Mirtazapine, and various trials of Celexa, Zoloft, Wellbutrin and Lexapro; began Lexapro taper

9/18/14-Lexapro .7 mg; Mirtazapine 30 mg; 9/29/14 ditched Lexapro; added 25 mg Nortryptyline began mirtazapine taper

11/4/14:  Mirtazapine 15 mg; Nortryptyline about 12.5 mg; 1/17/15:  Mirtazapine 7.5 mg; Nortryptyline 2.5 mg, then jumped nortryptyline.

2/10:  Mirtazapine 1.875, 2/11:  Re-established at 6.75, 3/19-6.0 mg, 4/9-5.8, 4/17-6.3; 4/21 tried to re-establish at 7.5

4/23/15-Back to 5.8; 5/5-5.1mg; 5/16-4.6 mg; 5/24-4.2 mg; 6/2-3.9 mg; 6/9-3.6 mg; 6/16-3.3 mg; 6/23-3 mg

6/28-2.8 mg; 7/2-2.5 mg; 7/4-Jumped, due to increased misery from the drug itself.

In a spell of panic due to agitation and insomnia, went through a few days each of 10, then 5 mg amitryptyline and 5 mg librium. Did not work out well. Horrible insomnia now.

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GiaK, I did this video this morning - it is great!  My plan is to do it every morning.

1986-2005:  Limbitrol (15 Librium/ 50 Elavil combo) 1986-2005, 2005-successfully tapered Librium

January of 2009-2011:  Mirtazapine 30 mg; Cymbalta 60 mg; tapered cymbalta fall/winter of 2011/12

March 2012-March 2014:  Mirtazapine, and various trials of Celexa, Zoloft, Wellbutrin and Lexapro; began Lexapro taper

9/18/14-Lexapro .7 mg; Mirtazapine 30 mg; 9/29/14 ditched Lexapro; added 25 mg Nortryptyline began mirtazapine taper

11/4/14:  Mirtazapine 15 mg; Nortryptyline about 12.5 mg; 1/17/15:  Mirtazapine 7.5 mg; Nortryptyline 2.5 mg, then jumped nortryptyline.

2/10:  Mirtazapine 1.875, 2/11:  Re-established at 6.75, 3/19-6.0 mg, 4/9-5.8, 4/17-6.3; 4/21 tried to re-establish at 7.5

4/23/15-Back to 5.8; 5/5-5.1mg; 5/16-4.6 mg; 5/24-4.2 mg; 6/2-3.9 mg; 6/9-3.6 mg; 6/16-3.3 mg; 6/23-3 mg

6/28-2.8 mg; 7/2-2.5 mg; 7/4-Jumped, due to increased misery from the drug itself.

In a spell of panic due to agitation and insomnia, went through a few days each of 10, then 5 mg amitryptyline and 5 mg librium. Did not work out well. Horrible insomnia now.

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wonderful, it's a great way to start the day for sure.  :)

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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Just marking as part of "my content" so I can find easily again.

 

Thank you.

Late 2023- gone to emeritus status, inactive, don't @ me, I can check who I've posted on, and I'm not really here like I used to be......thanks.

Started with psycho meds/psychiatric care circa 1988.  In retrospect, and on contemplation, situational overwhelm.

Rounding up to 30 years of medications(30 medication trials, poly-pharmacy maximum was 3 at one time).

5/28/2015-off Adderal salts 2.5mg. (I had been on that since hospital 10/2014)

12/2015---just holding, holding, holding, with trileptal/oxcarb at 75 mg. 1/2 tab at hs.  My last psycho med ever!  Tapered @ 10% every 4 weeks, sometimes 2 weeks to

2016 Dec 16 medication free!!

Longer signature post here, with current supplements.

Herb and alcohol free since 5/15/2016.  And.....I quit smoking 11/2021. Lapsed.  Redo of quit smoking 9/28/2022.  Can you say Hallelujah?(took me long enough)💜

None of my posts are intended as medical advice.  Please discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical provider.  My success story:  Blue skies ahead, clear sailing

 

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  • 2 months later...
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Several yoga topics merged. Also see: Gianna Kali's toolbox for coping with withdrawal syndrome

I'm not a doctor.  My comments are not medical advise. These are my opinions based on my own experience and what I've learned. Please discuss your situation with a medical practitioner who has knowledge of tapering and withdrawal...if you are lucky enough to find one.

My Introduction Thread

Full Drug and Withdrawal History

Brief Summary

Several SSRIs for 13 years starting 1997 (for mild to moderate partly situational anxiety) Xanax PRN ~ Various other drugs over the years for side effects

2 month 'taper' off Lexapro 2010

Short acute withdrawal, followed by 2 -3 months of improvement then delayed protracted withdrawal

DX ADHD followed by several years of stimulants and other drugs trying to manage increasing symptoms

Failed reinstatement of Lexapro and trial of Prozac (became suicidal)

May 2013 Found SA, learned about withdrawal, stopped taking drugs...healing begins.

Protracted withdrawal, with a very sensitized nervous system, slowly recovering as time passes

Supplements which have helped: Vitamin C, Magnesium, Taurine

Bad reactions: Many supplements but mostly fish oil and Vitamin D

June 2016 - Started daily juicing, mostly vegetables and lots of greens.

Aug 2016 - Oct 2016 Best window ever, felt almost completely recovered

Oct 2016 -Symptoms returned - bad days and less bad days.

April 2018 - No windows, but significant improvement, it feels like permanent full recovery is close.

VIDEO: Where did the chemical imbalance theory come from?



VIDEO: How are psychiatric diagnoses made?



VIDEO: Why do psychiatric drugs have withdrawal syndromes?



VIDEO: Can psychiatric drugs cause long-lasting negative effects?

VIDEO: Dr. Claire Weekes

 

 

 

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  • 3 months later...

This is really helpful to my body and I am now sleeping better. There are lot of classes on YouTube give it a go. If you can get to a class try hot yoga cos it makes you sweat a lot something that I lost because of the drugs. X

May 2012 Olanzapine and other anti depressants. Don't know what they were.  Sertraline, Flupentixol, Sodium Valporate, Depixol, Lithium, Piportal, Mirtazapine, Lamotrogine, Venlafaxine, Respirodol ECT x 7. Don't know the dates of any of these medications because I can't remember and I have no idea of the doses either. Am no longer on any meds. Take Cod liver oil, Omega 3, B1, Sepia. Still in rehab under section 3 in the UK.   I have access to my phone and the house phone and email.

 

Symptoms 110bpm, memory loss, severe anhedonia, no motivation, poor sleep, loss of hobbies and interests including music.  Things that have come back are appetite and feeling the cold and my muscles.

 

Nothings gonna hurt me with my eyes shut, I can see through them, I can see through them - Years and Years 2015

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hot yoga is potentially far too stimulating and can actually cause us harm when we are delicate and unwell from withdrawal. Please go easy and carefully when trying anything new. I still rarely do entire classes of any kind of yoga because that is what my nervous system requires. 

 

Some of us seem to tolerate a lot more than others...so simply feel into what you are able to do slowly and gently. I've had lots of folks say they've gone to a yoga class and totally overdone it...this is why I really do recommend yoga at home so you can really learn to know your own body ... the classroom setting can be intimidating if you think you need to keep up with everyone.

 

For those of us that are delicate this is a good post: 

 

Yoga tips for those with challenged nervous systems http://wp.me/p5nnb-bWA

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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  • 4 months later...
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Art of Living promotes hyperventilation.  I prefer a less activating, less bhakti practice.

 

I wanted to post a few exercises that fall under the category of Pranayam, that I use regularly.

 

Yoga:

Belly breathing:  This is ensuring that your breath goes deep into your belly.  When we are anxious, we tend to pant like a dog, keeping the breath in the upper chest.  Belly breathing deepens the breath, and is a prerequisite for all these other techniques.

 

Total breath - maharaj pranayam (royal breath) - start by pulling the breath into the belly, and as you do, also feel it fill your lower back, as well.  Next, expand your ribcage and fill your lungs, then lift your sternum and fill your upper chest (the "compassion" chakra between throat and heart).  When you exhale, release from the upper chest first, then the ribs, then let your belly fall back into your chest, even lifting your belly a bit to lock the breath out before you inhale again.

 

Ujayi breathing - seashell breath - slowing the breath down by letting it hiss on the back of your throat and internal sinuses.  Very calming to vagus and sympathetic nervous system, helps with sleep apnoea.

 

Alternate nostril breathing (demonstrated above) - take right hand and place index and middle finger on bridge of nose.  Use the ring finger to close the left nostril, inhale through the right.  Hold briefly, then switch - use the thumb to block the right nostril, and exhale through the left.  Then, inhale through the left, hold briefly, and switch to ring finger closing left nostril again as you exhale through the right.  That is one cycle.  This balances the brain, helps to release sticky thoughts and obsessions, calms the limbic system (fight or flight physical responses).  It can be combined with Ujayi breathing.

 

Gentle cleansing breath:  inhale for a slow count.  When you exhale, slow your breath down to exhale for twice the count of the inhale.  So if you inhale to a count of 4, exhale to a count of 8.  You choose the speed of your count, and the numbers - and they may change during the exercise.  I often start with 4/8 and end up on 6/12.  This releases "stale air" from the bottom of your lungs, and enhances oxygenation.

 

Pyramid cleansing breath (Dr. Andrew Weil): - you choose the speed of your count.  Inhale to a count of 4, hold for 7, exhale to a count of 8.  Perform only 4-8 of these breaths, then release into normal belly breathing.

 

Rosicrucian breathing techniques:

 

For an overstimulated, agitated state:

Inhale for a count of 5

Exhale for a count of 5

Hold the exhale for a count of 5

 

Repeat 5 times.

 

After completion - let go.  Do not think about your breath again.  This is a calming technique.

 

For a depressed, fatigued, state:

Inhale for a count of 7

Hold for a count of 7

Exhale for a count of 7

 

Repeat 7 times

 

After completion, let go.  Do not think about your breath again.  This is an energizing technique.

The Rosicrucian techniques can be done up to 3 times per day.

 

There!  This is a breathing toolkit.  Something to think about when traffic is just not moving, or you are laying in bed sleeping.  For insomnia, either Rosicrucian technique is fine, and all these yogic techniques are fine, too, as they all serve to slow the breath, and shift from "active" to "relaxed" mode.

"Easy, easy - just go easy and you'll finish." - Hawaiian Kapuna

 

Holding is hard work, holding is a blessing. Give your brain time to heal before you try again.

 

My suggestions are not medical advice, you are in charge of your own medical choices.

 

A lifetime of being prescribed antidepressants that caused problems (30 years in total). At age 35 flipped to "bipolar," but was not diagnosed for 5 years. Started my journey in Midwest United States. Crossed the Pacific for love and hope; currently living in Australia.   CT Seroquel 25 mg some time in 2013.   Tapered Reboxetine 4 mg Oct 2013 to Sept 2014 = GONE (3 years on Reboxetine).     Tapered Lithium 900 to 475 MG (alternating with the SNRI) Jan 2014 - Nov 2014, tapered Lithium 475 mg Jan 2015 -  Feb 2016 = GONE (10 years  on Lithium).  Many mistakes in dry cutting dosages were made.


The tedious thread (my intro):  JanCarol ☼ Reboxetine first, then Lithium

The happy thread (my success story):  JanCarol - Undiagnosed  Off all bipolar drugs

My own blog:  https://shamanexplorations.com/shamans-blog/

 

 

I have been psych drug FREE since 1 Feb 2016!

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  • 1 month later...

I am a registered yoga therapist with the International Association of Yoga Therapists. I've had extensive training and experience with pranayama among other yogic techniques.

 

Breath is divided into 4 parts: Inhalation, retention (holding after inhalation), exhalation, suspension (holding after exhalation.)

 

When Inhalation > Exhalation or Retention > Exhalation, the Autonomic Nervous System activates the Sympathetic response -- increased heart rate, higher blood pressure, an all of the fight/flight/freeze responses. A little bit of this might possibly be useful if you are in a state of extreme lethargy, but it can also be a disaster if you use this method regularly. I've known of cardiac patients who gave themselves heart attacks with retaining the inhalation 16 beats after a 4 beat inhale. 

 

RECOMMENDATION: inhale 4-6 beats, retain the breath 1 beat, exhale 4-6 beats, suspend 1 beat. SIMPLE. If you want to use the alternate nostril technique, do but keep the ratio simple, steady and slow! 

 

Regarding Alternate nostril breathing techniques:

Anuloma/viloma, pratiloma ujjayi, nadi shodhana, and other alternate nostril creating patterns (there are a few) can be very helpful in balancing the brain, and helping it integrate logic and emotion. This is thought to work like alternate side stimulation of any kind, (for example: left brain, right brain, right brain, left brain.) These yogic techniques are the basis of EMDR, a technique for desensitizing and integrating traumatic memories.  In EMDR you can squeeze one hand then the other, someone can tap you, you can look right, then look left, auditory stimulus that alternates also helps. 

2002 to 2016 Venlafaxine ER 225mg.  2013 TMS treatments triggered nerve pain in face, arm, back.  2016 TMS round ending Feb 1 Central Nerve Pain and and sub-acute serotonin toxicity compounded by Imitrex.  April-June tapered over 3 months from 225 to 0. Reinstated 6/20/16 21.5 nonER 2x day. 7/7/16-37.5mg; 7/17/16-36.6; 7/22/16-33.75; 8/22/16 32.6mg, 9/11/16-28.9mg, 9/25/16-25mg, 12/3/16-19.4mg, 12/18/16-18.5 holding.  OTHER DAILY PHARMACEUTICALS:   *Oxcarbazepine 150 mg 2x/day since mid 2015, *Naproxen 220mg 3x/day as an antidepressant and for pain since 2012, *Levothyrozine 75mcg since 2008 (hypothyroid), *Levothyronine 5 mpg 2x/day since 2012 (hypothyroid) *montelukast SOD 10 mg for asthma since 2014, Advair 250/50 2x daily, [DX 11/16 Felodopine 5mg since 2006,DX combivent 8/1/16] *MEDICAL MARIJUANA for neuropathic pain:CBD oil 25 mg 3-4 x day, THC tincture a few drops: 1/4 tsp 0-3x/day, vaporize CBD for breakthrough pain, CBD concentrate for severe pain.  PRN MEDS *Valium 5 mg PRN up to 4/day for muscle spasms, usually 1-2 x/ day. *Low dose Ketamine nasal spray for severe pain, and also finding 1 dose calms bad WD quickly. HERBAL TINCTURES: burdock, lobelia, turmeric, white willow. CURRENT SUPPLEMENTS:  *Methylated B vitamins, *Vitamin D 5000 iu, Alpha Lipoid Acid, Neti pot. [DX 6/13/16 promethazine suppository + 2 OTC Benadryl for severe pain N Acetyl Cytine for asthma1992-2002, over 20 different psych meds. 2012-2016 Eliminated 7 meds 1 at a time DX Plaquenil DX Spironolactone DX Lunesta, DX Ativan,  + others

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  • 2 months later...
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So I am on a quest to find my inner child.  Last weekend that involved me going to a laughing course.   Laughing Yoga, as it is called, originated in India.   The theory is that your body doesn't know the difference between you generating laughter and laughing naturally.   You laugh, it feels good and calms your nervous system.

 

I felt foolish doing it because it was out in public but I felt great all day - a smile on my face, a lightness of being etc.    There are youtube videos if anyone wants to try it.

 

Dalsaan

Please note - I am not a medical practitioner and I do not give medical advice. I offer an opinion based on my own experiences, reading and discussion with others.On Effexor for 2 months at the start of 2005. Had extreme insomnia as an adverse reaction. Changed to mirtazapine. Have been trying to get off since mid 2008 with numerous failures including CTs and slow (but not slow enough tapers)Have slow tapered at 10 per cent or less for years. I have liquid mirtazapine made at a compounding chemist.

Was on 1.6 ml as at 19 March 2014.

Dropped to 1.5 ml 7 June 2014. Dropped to 1.4 in about September.

Dropped to 1.3 on 20 December 2014. Dropped to 1.2 in mid Jan 2015.

Dropped to 1 ml in late Feb 2015. I think my old medication had run out of puff so I tried 1ml when I got the new stuff and it seems to be going ok. Sleep has been good over the last week (as of 13/3/15).

Dropped to 1/2 ml 14/11/15 Fatigue still there as are memory and cognition problems. Sleep is patchy but liveable compared to what it has been in the past.

 

DRUG FREE - as at 1st May 2017

 

>My intro post is here - http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/2250-dalsaan

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I think it's the same principle behind faking a smile. Brain can't differentiate between a real one and a fake one, with the result that the latter produces the same feel good chemicals ie endorphins, serotonin that a real one produces.

May 2007 - October 2007 Citalopram 20 mg od. 1st Antidepressant ever taken. No problem with fast taper and no withdrawal effects. No antidepressants for over 5 years.

 

January 2013 started Citalopram 20mg.

March 2014 Switched to Sertraline 50 mg od.

23rd June 2016 started taper 45mg

23.07.16 40.5mg 23.08.16 36.45mg 27.09.16 34.65mg 24.10.16 32.90mg 28.11.16 31.26mg 04.01.17 32mg 25.02.17 31mg 22.03.17 30mg 14.04.17 29mg 09.05.17 28mg 07.06.17 27mg 08.06.17 26mg 13.07.17 25mg 07.08.17 24mg 24.08.17 23mg 13.09.17 22mg 12.10.17 21mg 10.11.17 20mg 04.12.17 19mg 01.01.18 17mg 25.01.18 15mg 22.02.18 13.5mg 25.03.18 12.15mg 

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That's right.   Basically, we can fake it till we make it.   This is a low risk, low cost, gentle practice that people here might find useful

 

D

Please note - I am not a medical practitioner and I do not give medical advice. I offer an opinion based on my own experiences, reading and discussion with others.On Effexor for 2 months at the start of 2005. Had extreme insomnia as an adverse reaction. Changed to mirtazapine. Have been trying to get off since mid 2008 with numerous failures including CTs and slow (but not slow enough tapers)Have slow tapered at 10 per cent or less for years. I have liquid mirtazapine made at a compounding chemist.

Was on 1.6 ml as at 19 March 2014.

Dropped to 1.5 ml 7 June 2014. Dropped to 1.4 in about September.

Dropped to 1.3 on 20 December 2014. Dropped to 1.2 in mid Jan 2015.

Dropped to 1 ml in late Feb 2015. I think my old medication had run out of puff so I tried 1ml when I got the new stuff and it seems to be going ok. Sleep has been good over the last week (as of 13/3/15).

Dropped to 1/2 ml 14/11/15 Fatigue still there as are memory and cognition problems. Sleep is patchy but liveable compared to what it has been in the past.

 

DRUG FREE - as at 1st May 2017

 

>My intro post is here - http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/2250-dalsaan

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  • 6 months later...
  • Moderator Emeritus

I'll add some more videos and other resources for breathing techniques that I've found along the way:

 

4-7-8 Breathing:

 

 

The 4-7-8 Breath: Health Benefits & Demonstration - article with video

 

Once you develop this breathing technique by practicing it every day, twice a day, it will be a very useful tool that you will always have with you. Use it whenever anything upsetting happens – before you react. Use it whenever you are aware of internal tension. Use it to help you fall asleep. Use it to deal with food cravings. Great for mild to moderate anxiety, this exercise cannot be recommended too highly. Everyone can benefit from it.

 

 

Here's the cartoon version: 

 

4-7-8 Breathing Exercise by GoZen - Video

 

And a visual to help you practice:

 

Synch your breathing to the circle

 

 

And the below triangle gif is one that I like, but there are times when I find it moves too quickly. For some reason, just watching it seems to help my derealization. 

 

 

tumblr_nsj9tcMOgY1qkv5xlo1_500.gif

 

 

 

 

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Breathe, Exhale and Repeat: What Are the Benefits of Controlled Breathing?

 

 

Some key points in the article: 

 

“Breathing is massively practical,” psychologist Belisa Vranich, Ph.D., author of the upcoming book “Breathe,” told The New York Times. “It’s meditation for people who can’t meditate.”

 

Not only did the participants’ symptoms of depression significantly decrease but their levels of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), a calming neurotransmitter, simultaneously increased.

 

The breathing exercises are said to help balance your autonomic nervous system and influence psychologic and stress-related disorders

 

 

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"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."

[\quote]

 

Gem, Is Anuloma Viloma one of the types of pranayama that raises blood pressure? Do you know if there are any other health conditions that prohibit this type of breathing?

 

I know just a little bit about pranayama. I have tried two different breathing techniques, and both were calming, although I haven't been able to depend on either of them putting me to sleep for sure. This one, Anuloma Viloma, seems to have a very long retention phase, and that makes me nervous. I have read that holding your breath can raise blood pressure, but I don't know if it's true.

 

Thank for your post!

1990-2016   Prozac, 30 mg. Tapered over 4 years, now down to 20 mg per WEEK.

Nov. 2016, tapering Prozac until completely off (soon, I hope).

March 2015 through Oct. 2016   Xanax 0.25 mg 3x daily.

Nov. 2016   Xanax: Completely off.

1-2 days after going off Xanax, severe muscle pain. Continues.

 

 

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Alternate Nostril Breathing should lower blood pressure.

 

We haven't posted any of the pranayama that would increase sympathetic nervous system, like Bellows Breath or Wim Hof methods of pumping air.

 

We are seeking to calm the sympathetic nervous system.

 

If you feel your blood pressure during a breathing exercise, then you are pushing too hard.  Breathing should be natural, easy - you should be able to gently "extend your range" without pressure, straining, or tension.  Start with a natural breath, and gently move into the techniques. 

 

If you need to speed up your count, or use a lower count, then do so.  Focusing on your breath should be relieving, not stressful.  If a technique seems too hard, try an easier one.

"Easy, easy - just go easy and you'll finish." - Hawaiian Kapuna

 

Holding is hard work, holding is a blessing. Give your brain time to heal before you try again.

 

My suggestions are not medical advice, you are in charge of your own medical choices.

 

A lifetime of being prescribed antidepressants that caused problems (30 years in total). At age 35 flipped to "bipolar," but was not diagnosed for 5 years. Started my journey in Midwest United States. Crossed the Pacific for love and hope; currently living in Australia.   CT Seroquel 25 mg some time in 2013.   Tapered Reboxetine 4 mg Oct 2013 to Sept 2014 = GONE (3 years on Reboxetine).     Tapered Lithium 900 to 475 MG (alternating with the SNRI) Jan 2014 - Nov 2014, tapered Lithium 475 mg Jan 2015 -  Feb 2016 = GONE (10 years  on Lithium).  Many mistakes in dry cutting dosages were made.


The tedious thread (my intro):  JanCarol ☼ Reboxetine first, then Lithium

The happy thread (my success story):  JanCarol - Undiagnosed  Off all bipolar drugs

My own blog:  https://shamanexplorations.com/shamans-blog/

 

 

I have been psych drug FREE since 1 Feb 2016!

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I have been listening to talks by Dennis Lewis called, "Natural Breathing"

 

It talks about so many things - 70% of the toxins we take in are exhaled (and the kidneys and liver deal with the rest).

 

As children, we learn that when we have a strong emotion - if we breathe less the emotion is reduced.  We carry this behaviour into adulthood, and it causes all kinds of health problems.

 

Proper breathing can help circulate lympth, regulate the endocrine system, improve cardiovascular function, and digestion.  

 

He also refers people to Donna Farhi's "Breathing Book," which talks about how she went into a cardiac ward, and found that 100% of people who had suffered cardiac events were chest-breathers, and did not use their diaphragm and belly to breathe.  This caught my attention - as I've been doing yogic breathing for nearly 40 years now - and yet - here I am under review for cardiac rhythm.

 

His credentials are deep and broad, including Taoist healing (which he claims changed his life), Feldenkrais massage and exercise techniques, Yoga, and more - decades of research into healing.  His website is here:  https://www.dennislewis.org/

 

The focus of this talk is that - how we breathe is how we live our lives.

 

Shallow, fast breathing = shallow anxious living.  Deep, engaged breathing helps to open us up to the full potential we carry as Human Beings.

 

He did say in the talk that just doing breathing exercises - as awesome as they are - was enough.  He talked about expanding the practice to include integration of the breathing into daily life.  To techniques that allow the breathing exercises to change you.

 

I will need to listen to the talk again (and again!) to fully understand.  

 

"Easy, easy - just go easy and you'll finish." - Hawaiian Kapuna

 

Holding is hard work, holding is a blessing. Give your brain time to heal before you try again.

 

My suggestions are not medical advice, you are in charge of your own medical choices.

 

A lifetime of being prescribed antidepressants that caused problems (30 years in total). At age 35 flipped to "bipolar," but was not diagnosed for 5 years. Started my journey in Midwest United States. Crossed the Pacific for love and hope; currently living in Australia.   CT Seroquel 25 mg some time in 2013.   Tapered Reboxetine 4 mg Oct 2013 to Sept 2014 = GONE (3 years on Reboxetine).     Tapered Lithium 900 to 475 MG (alternating with the SNRI) Jan 2014 - Nov 2014, tapered Lithium 475 mg Jan 2015 -  Feb 2016 = GONE (10 years  on Lithium).  Many mistakes in dry cutting dosages were made.


The tedious thread (my intro):  JanCarol ☼ Reboxetine first, then Lithium

The happy thread (my success story):  JanCarol - Undiagnosed  Off all bipolar drugs

My own blog:  https://shamanexplorations.com/shamans-blog/

 

 

I have been psych drug FREE since 1 Feb 2016!

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I also wanted to give some energizing breathing techniques, for those of us who suffer from fatigue, and to boost autoimmune response.

 

These techniques is not for people in withdrawal, high blood pressure, or pregnancy.  These are techniques for helping with depression, fatigue and autoimmune response ONLY.

Here is one (and I'll list my modifications at the end):

 

This is the Wim Hof method - he is known as the IceMan for his ability to regulate his temperature and bodily responses under extreme conditions.  While I don't aspire to that level of control, there is value to his method.

 

Here's how I do it:

Breathe in fully, exhale completely.  30-40 times.  Do not push the breath in, or push it out - just breathe in fully, exhale completely (these are the words that Dennis Lewis uses).  If you get light headed, stop.  You can do it lying down, or sitting up.

 

When you have built up to the full 30-40 breaths, at the end, exhale completely, and hold.  Do not strain to hold, just let your breath stay out.  Time it.  I can get this one up to about 45 seconds without strain.  If you are straining, you are doing it too hard.  If you have done this well, you will feel a lightness in your extremities, as the oxygen you built up from the deep breathing is circulated.  Let the breath return when it wants to return.  

 

after that, inhale fully.  Hold.  Do not strain to hold, just keep your breath in.  If you are straining, then you're doing it too hard.  Time it.  I can get this one up to 1 minute.  When your breath is ready to come out, let it out.

 

This is not like the intensity of breath holding that you would do underwater.  It is more gentle, more relaxing.  Lying down is much more relaxing and invigorating than sitting up, but if you want to do it where you are - sitting up is fine.

 

Allow your breathing to return to normal.  After this exercise, your breath should be naturally slow, deep, and relaxed.

 

At the end of the exercise, you are supposed to quietly get up and take a cold shower to "lock in" all that oxygen goodness.  This also improves stress response, and would be a powerful antidepressant.

 

I have yet to get to the cold shower - I'm doing well to do the breathing.  If you want, you can start the shower warm, and work it down to cold.

 

It is a bit like hyperventilating - but it is slower, more controlled.  It is more like hyper-oxygenating.  It is one of those "self-hack" kind of things - though Wim Hof (he has TED talks, etc.) can explain some of the science behind his "hack."

 

I'm looking for a good description of "bellows breath," a yoga technique for a similar purpose - with the added benefit that it massaged the internal organs and helps to regulate endrocrine:

 

The only thing I disagree with her is that it must be done sitting.  Very few people (especially with lower back issues) can do this from a seated position.  It is slightly more challenging to do it from standing - but these techniques are meant to be energizing.  When I do it standing, I do it from a "tilted arrow" position.  Oh heck.  That term was used by ONE yoga teacher, and doesn't link to Google search.  

 

Standing, keeping the integrity of your spin, bend your knees until your arms can rest on your thighs.  The top of your head should point to the corner where the wall meets the ceiling, at about 45 degrees.  (that's the "tilted arrow")  This gives your belly free rein to lift and lower your diaphragm into belly breathing.

 

There is another bellows breath I learned at a very young age.  Only perform on an empty stomach! Tilted arrow position, breathe in fully, exhale completely.  10, nice, easy, long, deep, full belly breaths.  After the 10th exhale, push to exhale every bit of air up.

This is well demonstrated here:

 

The "nauri" in this video, is more circular - when I learned it, it was more like a bellows, pumping 7 times, before allowing the breath to flow back in fully.  They do recommend learning this from a practitioner - however - nobody told me that when I learned it.

 

Last, is the paradoxical breath - designed to pump chi into the dantien.  Put into western terms, it sends strength into the belly to support the muscles.  This is supposedly a Bruce Lee technique, and I have a series of 100 breaths with different chi gung hand movements for developing upper body strength.

 

But the basic breath is this:  As you inhale, contract your abdominals, as you exhale, release your abdominals.  This is paradoxical, and only to be performed in a short sequence before releasing your breath to a natural breath (expanding abominals on inhale, pulling them in on exhale = natural).  I recommend starting with 10 breaths.  If someone here tries this, and wants the hand motions too, I'll write them up.  

 

The paradoxical breath will likely increase cortisol, so again, should only be practiced when not in withdrawal, to develop strength and energy.  It is a short exercise you can start your day with, to energize.  It's also good before weightlifting workouts and is recommended for that (but the natural technique is used for the actual lifting).

 

So - these are some different techniques to consider for energy.  

"Easy, easy - just go easy and you'll finish." - Hawaiian Kapuna

 

Holding is hard work, holding is a blessing. Give your brain time to heal before you try again.

 

My suggestions are not medical advice, you are in charge of your own medical choices.

 

A lifetime of being prescribed antidepressants that caused problems (30 years in total). At age 35 flipped to "bipolar," but was not diagnosed for 5 years. Started my journey in Midwest United States. Crossed the Pacific for love and hope; currently living in Australia.   CT Seroquel 25 mg some time in 2013.   Tapered Reboxetine 4 mg Oct 2013 to Sept 2014 = GONE (3 years on Reboxetine).     Tapered Lithium 900 to 475 MG (alternating with the SNRI) Jan 2014 - Nov 2014, tapered Lithium 475 mg Jan 2015 -  Feb 2016 = GONE (10 years  on Lithium).  Many mistakes in dry cutting dosages were made.


The tedious thread (my intro):  JanCarol ☼ Reboxetine first, then Lithium

The happy thread (my success story):  JanCarol - Undiagnosed  Off all bipolar drugs

My own blog:  https://shamanexplorations.com/shamans-blog/

 

 

I have been psych drug FREE since 1 Feb 2016!

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Buteyko Breathing is a Russian technique supposedly developed to help with athletic performance, asthma, and sleep apnea.  I took a $$$ seminar in it with hubby, so feel qualified to give my opinion.

 

It is widely touted in "natural health" circles here (and apparently in Russia and the UK).  I, and hubby, were desperate to find something to help with sleep apnea, so we paid the $$$ each to attend this 4 night, 10 hour seminar.

 

Professor Buteyko (I believe this is also a "hack") was a Russian scientist, who claims connections to Soviet sport and space programs.   His technique is based on the observation that sick people "overbreathed."  So he developed a technique of "underbreathing."  It sent me into visionary states, and was against all of the yogic principles I learned (unless, of course, I wanted to pursue visionary states!).

 

Dennis Lewis explains that as we mostly chest breathe, and do not draw our breath into our bellies, we do not get enough oxygen to the body.  Therefore, we breathe faster.  This goes along with what Buteyko was saying about "overbreathing."

 

Buteyko's breathing concepts are explained briefly here:

 

The technique, as taught in the seminar, was to reduce your breath to the minimum.  You counted your breathing per minute, and you reduced the air flow through your nostrils.  Always breathing through the nostrils (this I agree with).  But never reaching for the depths of your diaphragm, instead, gently restricting flow to keep the velocity of flow down, and the rate of breathing down.  I cannot find a good YouTube video that is brief enough to post here - plus - they guard their "techniques" so that you will pay for the $eminar.

 

When I got out of the seminar, I wanted to take deep, slow breaths, and did not want to use their techniques.  Hubby was disgusted at what we paid and said we would have done as well to breathe into a paper bag for anxiety.  It was counter intuitive, and went against everything that yoga had taught me.

 

Their answer for sleep apnea - "Tape your mouth shut!"  with medical tape.  What?  How does that improve the muscle tone of the esophagus?  Yes, it helps to keep you breathing through your nose, but a collapsed wind-pipe is not prevented by this "technique."  (I have since learned that alternate nostril breathing combined with ujayi / snake breath - is much better for strengthening the muscles of the throat).

 

So - we spent $$$ and a week of our life learning something of little or no value.  

"Easy, easy - just go easy and you'll finish." - Hawaiian Kapuna

 

Holding is hard work, holding is a blessing. Give your brain time to heal before you try again.

 

My suggestions are not medical advice, you are in charge of your own medical choices.

 

A lifetime of being prescribed antidepressants that caused problems (30 years in total). At age 35 flipped to "bipolar," but was not diagnosed for 5 years. Started my journey in Midwest United States. Crossed the Pacific for love and hope; currently living in Australia.   CT Seroquel 25 mg some time in 2013.   Tapered Reboxetine 4 mg Oct 2013 to Sept 2014 = GONE (3 years on Reboxetine).     Tapered Lithium 900 to 475 MG (alternating with the SNRI) Jan 2014 - Nov 2014, tapered Lithium 475 mg Jan 2015 -  Feb 2016 = GONE (10 years  on Lithium).  Many mistakes in dry cutting dosages were made.


The tedious thread (my intro):  JanCarol ☼ Reboxetine first, then Lithium

The happy thread (my success story):  JanCarol - Undiagnosed  Off all bipolar drugs

My own blog:  https://shamanexplorations.com/shamans-blog/

 

 

I have been psych drug FREE since 1 Feb 2016!

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  • 4 weeks later...
  • Moderator Emeritus

I wrote of Dennis Lewis (Natural Breathing):

 

 

He did say in the talk that just doing breathing exercises - as awesome as they are - was enough.  He talked about expanding the practice to include integration of the breathing into daily life.  To techniques that allow the breathing exercises to change you.

 

I will need to listen to the talk again (and again!) to fully understand.  

 

He said, breathing exercises are not enough.

 

I've listened to the talk a few times now, and done some of the exercises.

 

The first thing I notice about his breathing exercises is the level of detail he goes into about breathing.  It is more detail and attention than I have ever put into a breathing exercise.

 

For example, breathing deeply into you belly - he is also putting your attention onto the diaphragm, this balloon in the belly which pumps the breath, in and out.  He describes it as a dome wall  under the lungs which rises and falls with the breath, inside your belly.

Then he talks about energetics - and this is probably the key difference between his techniques and other techniques I've learned.

 

In yoga, I've imagined that I breathe through my heels and out the top of the head, but Dennis Lewis is about feeling the energetics and the pathways of where the breath goes.

 

It's more than just feeling oxygen in the blood, flowing to the feet - it's a subtle body thing.  A Taoist thing.  I am only an egg, I'm just learning it - not well enough to teach it.

 

But when you breathe in - the energy goes down to the earth, and when you breathe out, it springs out the top of your head.  Yes, we've done that in yoga enough times - the devil is in the details.  

 

An example is the maharaj pranayam.  The Complete Yoga Breath, and sometimes called the Cleansing breath.  

In Yoga, this starts with a deep inhale to the belly, filling the belly first, then the lower lungs, and then the upper lungs.  Like emptying a pitcher, you reverse this to exahale, empty the upper lungs first, then lower lungs, and belly last.  For advanced practitioners there is a lock at the bottom and a lock at the top.  In yogic practice, when you exhale, you exhale all the way, everything.  This is for the purpose of building space and making room for the next breath, and if you exhale fully, your breath will expand over time.

 

In Yoga, there is even a Cleansing Breath practice where the exhale is longer and slower than the inhale - preferably twice as long as the inhale.

 

In Dennis Lewis Natural breathing, he brings the attention to the various parts of the breath, and he wants the exhale to be twice as long as the inhale.

 

But the difference is - yes, you exhale fully - but - leave the vital essence of the breath in your lower belly, the dantien, the battery for chi.  He says "don't throw out the baby with the bathwater."

 

What is the vital essence of the breath?  Is it the oxygen?  I visualized it as something misty and golden and precious.  He said that 10 minutes of this breathing would build up and increase your energy (not a relaxation technique!)

 

See what I mean by subtle?  It's so subtle I'm not even sure I'm saying it right.

 

There's always more to learn!

"Easy, easy - just go easy and you'll finish." - Hawaiian Kapuna

 

Holding is hard work, holding is a blessing. Give your brain time to heal before you try again.

 

My suggestions are not medical advice, you are in charge of your own medical choices.

 

A lifetime of being prescribed antidepressants that caused problems (30 years in total). At age 35 flipped to "bipolar," but was not diagnosed for 5 years. Started my journey in Midwest United States. Crossed the Pacific for love and hope; currently living in Australia.   CT Seroquel 25 mg some time in 2013.   Tapered Reboxetine 4 mg Oct 2013 to Sept 2014 = GONE (3 years on Reboxetine).     Tapered Lithium 900 to 475 MG (alternating with the SNRI) Jan 2014 - Nov 2014, tapered Lithium 475 mg Jan 2015 -  Feb 2016 = GONE (10 years  on Lithium).  Many mistakes in dry cutting dosages were made.


The tedious thread (my intro):  JanCarol ☼ Reboxetine first, then Lithium

The happy thread (my success story):  JanCarol - Undiagnosed  Off all bipolar drugs

My own blog:  https://shamanexplorations.com/shamans-blog/

 

 

I have been psych drug FREE since 1 Feb 2016!

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  • 3 months later...
On 5/4/2017 at 9:24 AM, JanCarol said:

I wrote of Dennis Lewis (Natural Breathing):

 

 

He said, breathing exercises are not enough.

 

I've listened to the talk a few times now, and done some of the exercises.

 

The first thing I notice about his breathing exercises is the level of detail he goes into about breathing.  It is more detail and attention than I have ever put into a breathing exercise.

 

For example, breathing deeply into you belly - he is also putting your attention onto the diaphragm, this balloon in the belly which pumps the breath, in and out.  He describes it as a dome wall  under the lungs which rises and falls with the breath, inside your belly.

Then he talks about energetics - and this is probably the key difference between his techniques and other techniques I've learned.

 

In yoga, I've imagined that I breathe through my heels and out the top of the head, but Dennis Lewis is about feeling the energetics and the pathways of where the breath goes.

 

It's more than just feeling oxygen in the blood, flowing to the feet - it's a subtle body thing.  A Taoist thing.  I am only an egg, I'm just learning it - not well enough to teach it.

 

But when you breathe in - the energy goes down to the earth, and when you breathe out, it springs out the top of your head.  Yes, we've done that in yoga enough times - the devil is in the details.  

 

An example is the maharaj pranayam.  The Complete Yoga Breath, and sometimes called the Cleansing breath.  

In Yoga, this starts with a deep inhale to the belly, filling the belly first, then the lower lungs, and then the upper lungs.  Like emptying a pitcher, you reverse this to exahale, empty the upper lungs first, then lower lungs, and belly last.  For advanced practitioners there is a lock at the bottom and a lock at the top.  In yogic practice, when you exhale, you exhale all the way, everything.  This is for the purpose of building space and making room for the next breath, and if you exhale fully, your breath will expand over time.

 

In Yoga, there is even a Cleansing Breath practice where the exhale is longer and slower than the inhale - preferably twice as long as the inhale.

 

In Dennis Lewis Natural breathing, he brings the attention to the various parts of the breath, and he wants the exhale to be twice as long as the inhale.

 

But the difference is - yes, you exhale fully - but - leave the vital essence of the breath in your lower belly, the dantien, the battery for chi.  He says "don't throw out the baby with the bathwater."

 

What is the vital essence of the breath?  Is it the oxygen?  I visualized it as something misty and golden and precious.  He said that 10 minutes of this breathing would build up and increase your energy (not a relaxation technique!)

 

See what I mean by subtle?  It's so subtle I'm not even sure I'm saying it right.

 

There's always more to learn! Wow JanCarol! This is great. Just sitting here and trying the emptying down but leaving the vital essence is new and different to me!

 

2001- Klonopin 0.125 mg.  2011- increase to 1 mg.  2018- increase to 1.5 mg 

2010- Trials of SSRI's, several.

2011- Saphris 5 mg. CT. 6/2017- retry Saphris 5 mg sublingual, begin taper August 2020 10% taper with scale, and final taper liquid sublingual, August 2019- taper complete!

2011- Geodon 20 mg. Begin taper Sept 2019. 10% liquid taper. 2020: December-5 mg. 2021: Jan-4.5mg. (held Feb.for vacation). March-4mg. Apr-3.6mg. May-3.2mg. June-2.8mg. (Held July for vacation). Aug-2.4mg. Sept.- 2.2mg. Oct. 2mg. Dec 2022 - Taper complete!

2011- Gabapentin 300 mg to present- 2020. Increase 2023 to 400mg.

2014- Vyvanse 20 mg, 2020- Vyvanse 5 mg. Increase August 2022 20mg

2016- Lithium 300 mg, June 2016 - FT.

2017- Cogentin 0.5 mg. June-August 2019- off Cogentin.

2021 - Hydroxyzine 30mg. Holding.

Omeprazole 20 mg and holding, Omega 3's/fish oil, Magnesium

 

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  • Altostrata changed the title to Yoga for symptom control (body pain, heart pain, palpitations, anxiety etc)
  • 7 months later...

I am doing Wim Hof method and loving it! I do the breathing as soon as I wake up to ward off morning panic. I follow with as many push ups as I can do “on empty” (exhaled breath holding). Then a quick headstand. It is really helping my mood, and my anxiety. He has a free mini class online-check it out!

2001- Klonopin 0.125 mg.  2011- increase to 1 mg.  2018- increase to 1.5 mg 

2010- Trials of SSRI's, several.

2011- Saphris 5 mg. CT. 6/2017- retry Saphris 5 mg sublingual, begin taper August 2020 10% taper with scale, and final taper liquid sublingual, August 2019- taper complete!

2011- Geodon 20 mg. Begin taper Sept 2019. 10% liquid taper. 2020: December-5 mg. 2021: Jan-4.5mg. (held Feb.for vacation). March-4mg. Apr-3.6mg. May-3.2mg. June-2.8mg. (Held July for vacation). Aug-2.4mg. Sept.- 2.2mg. Oct. 2mg. Dec 2022 - Taper complete!

2011- Gabapentin 300 mg to present- 2020. Increase 2023 to 400mg.

2014- Vyvanse 20 mg, 2020- Vyvanse 5 mg. Increase August 2022 20mg

2016- Lithium 300 mg, June 2016 - FT.

2017- Cogentin 0.5 mg. June-August 2019- off Cogentin.

2021 - Hydroxyzine 30mg. Holding.

Omeprazole 20 mg and holding, Omega 3's/fish oil, Magnesium

 

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  • 4 months later...

 

I have been following Wim Hof’s teachings since February and it has completely turned my life for the better. I no longer suffer from most symptoms I was experiencing after antidepressant discontinuation. I am more mentally fit than I think I have ever been in my life and I’m just getting started. The man behind the interview is Lewis Howes. I strongly recommend checking out some of his content. YouTube is a great resource for content, both informative and motivational, that you can use in your healing journey. 

 

 

Citalopram: 2011

Sertraline February: 2013-November 2013

Escitalopram January: 2014-August 2014

Escitalopram November: 2014-January 2016

Venlafaxine: April 2016-January 2018 (8 month taper included)

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Admin,

You may want to move this to the media section as it may be a better fit there. I originally posted here because the Wim Hof method is scientific at its core (Wim’s method is rewriting science books). The video attached is informative but not exactly scholarly or something you would find in a scientific journal.

Citalopram: 2011

Sertraline February: 2013-November 2013

Escitalopram January: 2014-August 2014

Escitalopram November: 2014-January 2016

Venlafaxine: April 2016-January 2018 (8 month taper included)

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  • 1 month later...

I had severe rhinitis. All rhinitis (allergic, irritative, sinusitis, rhinosinusitis) are the same. Which is an inflammation of the mucous membrane (the skin inside your nostrils) or an excessive production of mucus because of pollution, eating dairy products because dairy's protein which is casein or sodium caseinate which it is not 100% digestible, turns into mucus or becomes mucus. Also sugary food and refined flours can turn into mucus. So I couldn't breathe at all some times, and some times I could only breathe like 5% of the total capacity of my breathing, it was really horrible. Only after I did the amazing and simple technique that I'll describe you here, I was able to breathe perfectly again. 

Do not let yourself get deceived by the simplicity of the technique. As Gregg Braden says: "nature is simple, life is simple, until humans make it complex".

Medicine does not cure rhinitis because pharmaceutical companies and otolaryngologist are only interested in giving patients antihistamines and nasal sprays with corticosteroid that don't cure, they only give you a temporal or very short lasting relief, and corticosteroids damage the inner skin of your nostrils so in some time you will need nose surgery from the otolaryngologist. So medicine only cares that patients consume lifelong drugs and for them to get very expensive nose surgeries. 

Fortunately, I found the only cure in youtube, which is a very old technique used by yoguis to clean their nostrils in order to be able to breathe perfectly. It is called neti or jala neti. It is really amazing. Yesterday was the first time I did it and for the first time in years, I can breathe perfectly well. Jala neti is about using a neti pot which you can get in amazon, I got mine here: https://www.amazon.com.mx/gp/product/B00275G17W/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 

Price of the neti pot: 37 USD

Then you use 1 cup (236 ml) of warm water but just a bit warm, don't heat the water too much, it can be about the temperature of the body which is around 98.06 F (36.7 C), but actually a bit more warm can make easily to clean better your nostrils and get all the accumulated bacteria, mucus and pollution out of your nostrils that has been there for years! Yoguis say that cleaning your nostrils and sinuses is as important as cleaning your teeth! Because breathing well is extremely important for your overall health, including the nervous system health. 

You need 1 teaspoon of 100% NATURAL sea salt into the water. It can be also himalayan salt, only use 100% natural non-refined salt or sea salt. If you use refined salt, you won't get the results of cleaning totally your nose and refined salt damages the nostrils. 

You can get the natural sea salt in any naturist store. I got mine in a place that is both a vegan restaurant and a vegan store, very cheap, for 5 USD.

Before pouring the salt, you need to crush the salt because remember that 100% natural salt comes in big granules, so crush it till you get very small granules.

Then pour the salt into the warm water.

Mix well until the salt is fully disolved in the water. Pour the mixture into the neti pot. 

First blow your nose to get the excess of mucus out of your nostrils before pouring the mixture into your nostrils.

It is important to lean your head forward and to one side before you pour the mixture inside one nostril. You'll pour the mixture in both of your nostrils. First lean to one side to pour the mixture first into one nostril, then blow your nose and then pour the mixture into your other nostril.

Place the tip of the neti pot (where the water comes out) right into one of your nostrils, creating a seal between your nostril and the tip of the neti pot so you make sure the mixture of water with salt does not spill out, make sure all the mixture goes into your nostril. 

The mixture has to go inside one nostril and come out of the other nostril. If you don't achieve this, you have to lean/incline more forward and/or sideways. The gravity will make the mixture to go into one nostril and come out of the other. While doing this, breathe only through your mouth. If the mixture goes to your throat, just spit it out and try again. 

Make sure you used the whole mixture. I'll leave you a youtube video at the end so that you can watch better how to do it.

 

IMPORTANT: I have an extremely sensitive nervous system because I'm still withdrawing very slowly from 3 psychiatric drugs, 1 multi-ingredient supplement and another supplement that I've been taking for many years. I did the jala neti technique yesterday before going to bed and while sleeping I felt a very bad BUT TOLERABLE reaction because of the 100% natural sea salt. Remember that the 100% natural sea salt contains around 50 to 80 minerals and remember that hypersensitive nervous systems like people in withdrawal of psychiatric drugs are very sensitive to some foods, vitamins, minerals, supplements, of course psychiatric drugs or any psychoactive or neuroactive substances.

GOOD NEWS: This very bad but tolerable reaction only lasted for some minutes during my sleep time. The next day in the morning I noticed that the bad reaction was completely gone. And it is totally worth it because now my nostrils and sinuses are completely clean and I can breathe perfectly! It is amazing and wonderful for me to be able to breathe perfectly again. I'm not kidding. I was fortunate to be able to breathe perfectly since the first time I did the jala neti techinque. Maybe some people, because of having such a chronic or long lasting rhinitis or sinusitis, won't breathe perfectly at the first one done but will definitely feel a noticeable improvement. 

BUT HEY! I HAD RHINITIS FOR A VERY LONG TIME (YEARS) AND EVEN A NOSE SURGERY BECAUSE OF SINUSITIS, AND I HAVE JUST DONE THE JALA NETI POT TECHINIQUE ONCE AND I AM BREATHING PERFECTLY. IT FEELS SO GOOD!

 

 2 youtube videos for how to do it: 

 

 

 

In 2008 I was 16 years old. 2008 - 2010 paxil, clonazepam & semisodium valproate. 2013 - 2017 many psych meds with cold switches and CT's prescribed by psychiatrists.

Nov/30/17 started quetiapine IR tablets 100mg 0-0-1. Dec/1/17 started pristiq 50mg tablets 1-0-0. Jan/14/18 started 1.5mg melatonin 0-0-1

Tramadol: 2 year well done (slow and gradual) taper: from Mar/12/18 to Feb/11/20 

Pristiq taper: Jun/15/20 Converted from pristiq 50mg to efexor xr 75mg for 57 days (felt good).  Aug/11/20 weaned to efexor 37.5mg and stayed there for 2 months with 26 days (felt good). Nov/6/20  CT 0mg of efexor xr (felt good). Total time in tapering pristiq 50mg by converting to efexor xr 75mg: 4 months with 22 days: Jun/15/20 to Nov/6/20. (felt good)

Efexor 0mg and quetiapine 100mg (Nov/6/20 to Dic/11/20) (felt good being without effexor and taking 100mg quetiapine)

Dic/11/20 quetiapine 75mg, so 75mg from Dic/11/20 to Jan/4/21  25 days. Jan/5/21 quetiapine 50mg (1 day in 50mg).

Jan/6/21 1st CT of quetiapine. Mar/1/21 CT melatonin. Felt terrible so Mar/25/21 reinstated 100mg quetiapine. 

100mg quetiapine 19 days (Mar/25/21 - Apr/13/21) Felt good while in quetiapine 100mg. 75mg quetiapine 55 days (Apr/14/21 - Jun/8/21) the 55th day (Jun/8/21)  felt hellish so CT'd quetiapine for a 2nd time on Jun/9/21. 

Jun/9/21 - Nov/16/21 1st days insomnia, anxiety, took cbd and felt very good many days (healed insomnia & anxiety), CT'd ginkgo which made me felt terrible so reinstated ginkgo. Started intolerable back pain (spasm) so tried other herbs along with cbd, then started derealization, panic, indecisiveness, nostalgia & others. Stopped taking cbd & herbs, reinstated quetiapine 75mg Nov/17/21, immediately after taking it, had severe heart palpitations, so Nov/18/21 back to cbd (no quetiapine). Nov/20/21 reinstated 75mg quetiapine (stopped cbd & herbs), severely couldn't breathe for 5 seconds after taking quetiapine 75mg so reduced to 50 mg on Nov/28/21 had new and worse and very severe adverse effects, got indecisive if CT or keep taking quetiapine because I was terrified of CT, but since the new severe adverse effects were very severe I CT, and because of indecisiveness and panic to CT, I reinstated again, then CT'd and reinstated many times, last time I was taking quetiapine it was 25mg and had severe TD, hellish anhedonia, suicidal, intrusive thoughts of imagining myself running into a wall and crashing into it and I was feeling the pain as if I was doing it in real life, involuntary thoughts of punching my face or head and shashing it against the wall and some times I did punch my face, and when I didn't, I also felt the pain just by imagining it, so definitive CT on Jul/15/22. 

Free from quetiapine and psych meds since Jul/15/22.

MY BEST ADVICE: FOLLOW SA'S GUIDELINES, DON'T CT BECAUSE IT IS HORRIFIC AND BE PATIENT TO WAIT A LONG TIME TO DO VERY SLOW AND GRADUAL TAPERS IN ORDER TO GET OFF OF YOUR MEDICATIONS, IT IS WORTH IT. THE ONLY MOMENTS WHERE IS RIGHT TO CT IS AFTER YOUR 1ST CT THAT YOU DID BECAUSE OF IGNORANCE OR IMPATIENCE, IF YOU REINSTATE AND FEEL SEVERE ADVERSE EFFECTS LIKE TD, ANHEDONIA, FEEL LIKE YOU ARE DROWNING, OR THE ONE'S I HAD, IT IS BEST TO CT IN MY EXPERIENCE, BECAUSE WHEN I REINSTATED I GOT MUCH WORSE THAN WHEN I WAS IN THE PREVIOUS CT. I'm not a doctor.

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  • ChessieCat changed the title to Breathing for mood and well being (yoga and other techniques)

If your nervous system is hypersensitive, use less than one teaspoon of natural sea salt because it is really powerful and it can cause you some very unpleasant reactions. Another thing you can use if you don't feel safe with the jala neti technique, is to use a new and empty dropper bottle, fill it with purified water and a very small amount of the 100% natural sea salt, as every supplement, start with very little salt, and if you tolerate it well, increase by very small amounts. Also apply this to the jala neti technique please to be safe.

In 2008 I was 16 years old. 2008 - 2010 paxil, clonazepam & semisodium valproate. 2013 - 2017 many psych meds with cold switches and CT's prescribed by psychiatrists.

Nov/30/17 started quetiapine IR tablets 100mg 0-0-1. Dec/1/17 started pristiq 50mg tablets 1-0-0. Jan/14/18 started 1.5mg melatonin 0-0-1

Tramadol: 2 year well done (slow and gradual) taper: from Mar/12/18 to Feb/11/20 

Pristiq taper: Jun/15/20 Converted from pristiq 50mg to efexor xr 75mg for 57 days (felt good).  Aug/11/20 weaned to efexor 37.5mg and stayed there for 2 months with 26 days (felt good). Nov/6/20  CT 0mg of efexor xr (felt good). Total time in tapering pristiq 50mg by converting to efexor xr 75mg: 4 months with 22 days: Jun/15/20 to Nov/6/20. (felt good)

Efexor 0mg and quetiapine 100mg (Nov/6/20 to Dic/11/20) (felt good being without effexor and taking 100mg quetiapine)

Dic/11/20 quetiapine 75mg, so 75mg from Dic/11/20 to Jan/4/21  25 days. Jan/5/21 quetiapine 50mg (1 day in 50mg).

Jan/6/21 1st CT of quetiapine. Mar/1/21 CT melatonin. Felt terrible so Mar/25/21 reinstated 100mg quetiapine. 

100mg quetiapine 19 days (Mar/25/21 - Apr/13/21) Felt good while in quetiapine 100mg. 75mg quetiapine 55 days (Apr/14/21 - Jun/8/21) the 55th day (Jun/8/21)  felt hellish so CT'd quetiapine for a 2nd time on Jun/9/21. 

Jun/9/21 - Nov/16/21 1st days insomnia, anxiety, took cbd and felt very good many days (healed insomnia & anxiety), CT'd ginkgo which made me felt terrible so reinstated ginkgo. Started intolerable back pain (spasm) so tried other herbs along with cbd, then started derealization, panic, indecisiveness, nostalgia & others. Stopped taking cbd & herbs, reinstated quetiapine 75mg Nov/17/21, immediately after taking it, had severe heart palpitations, so Nov/18/21 back to cbd (no quetiapine). Nov/20/21 reinstated 75mg quetiapine (stopped cbd & herbs), severely couldn't breathe for 5 seconds after taking quetiapine 75mg so reduced to 50 mg on Nov/28/21 had new and worse and very severe adverse effects, got indecisive if CT or keep taking quetiapine because I was terrified of CT, but since the new severe adverse effects were very severe I CT, and because of indecisiveness and panic to CT, I reinstated again, then CT'd and reinstated many times, last time I was taking quetiapine it was 25mg and had severe TD, hellish anhedonia, suicidal, intrusive thoughts of imagining myself running into a wall and crashing into it and I was feeling the pain as if I was doing it in real life, involuntary thoughts of punching my face or head and shashing it against the wall and some times I did punch my face, and when I didn't, I also felt the pain just by imagining it, so definitive CT on Jul/15/22. 

Free from quetiapine and psych meds since Jul/15/22.

MY BEST ADVICE: FOLLOW SA'S GUIDELINES, DON'T CT BECAUSE IT IS HORRIFIC AND BE PATIENT TO WAIT A LONG TIME TO DO VERY SLOW AND GRADUAL TAPERS IN ORDER TO GET OFF OF YOUR MEDICATIONS, IT IS WORTH IT. THE ONLY MOMENTS WHERE IS RIGHT TO CT IS AFTER YOUR 1ST CT THAT YOU DID BECAUSE OF IGNORANCE OR IMPATIENCE, IF YOU REINSTATE AND FEEL SEVERE ADVERSE EFFECTS LIKE TD, ANHEDONIA, FEEL LIKE YOU ARE DROWNING, OR THE ONE'S I HAD, IT IS BEST TO CT IN MY EXPERIENCE, BECAUSE WHEN I REINSTATED I GOT MUCH WORSE THAN WHEN I WAS IN THE PREVIOUS CT. I'm not a doctor.

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  • 2 weeks later...

WARNING -IMPORTANT: Sorry for writing this till now. I started using 1200 mg of natural sea salt mixed with purified water in a dropper bottle and I felt TERRIBLE because it was too much salt and remember that natural sea salt has between 50 to 80 minerals/trace elements and because of taking psychiatric drugs for many years, my body is hypersensitive to certain foods, to vitamins, minerals and supplements. I put drops of the mixture inside my nostrils. So I decreased the dosage of natural sea salt to 900 mg in which I felt horrible, then to 800 mg in which I also felt horrible, so now I'm at 600mg and I am feeling good and 600mg does the job of cleaning my nostrils of mucus, bad bacteria and pollution in order for me to be able to breathe better through my nose. Remember each body is different so maybe you can tolerate more than 600 mg of natural sea salt in your dropper bottle or maybe you only tolerate less than 600mg. 

The dropper bottle is an excellent alternative for the neti pot because in order for the neti pot/nasal cleansing technique to be effective, you have to usea a whole teaspoon of natural sea salt which is A LOT for my nervous system and made me feel HORRIBLE. 

In 2008 I was 16 years old. 2008 - 2010 paxil, clonazepam & semisodium valproate. 2013 - 2017 many psych meds with cold switches and CT's prescribed by psychiatrists.

Nov/30/17 started quetiapine IR tablets 100mg 0-0-1. Dec/1/17 started pristiq 50mg tablets 1-0-0. Jan/14/18 started 1.5mg melatonin 0-0-1

Tramadol: 2 year well done (slow and gradual) taper: from Mar/12/18 to Feb/11/20 

Pristiq taper: Jun/15/20 Converted from pristiq 50mg to efexor xr 75mg for 57 days (felt good).  Aug/11/20 weaned to efexor 37.5mg and stayed there for 2 months with 26 days (felt good). Nov/6/20  CT 0mg of efexor xr (felt good). Total time in tapering pristiq 50mg by converting to efexor xr 75mg: 4 months with 22 days: Jun/15/20 to Nov/6/20. (felt good)

Efexor 0mg and quetiapine 100mg (Nov/6/20 to Dic/11/20) (felt good being without effexor and taking 100mg quetiapine)

Dic/11/20 quetiapine 75mg, so 75mg from Dic/11/20 to Jan/4/21  25 days. Jan/5/21 quetiapine 50mg (1 day in 50mg).

Jan/6/21 1st CT of quetiapine. Mar/1/21 CT melatonin. Felt terrible so Mar/25/21 reinstated 100mg quetiapine. 

100mg quetiapine 19 days (Mar/25/21 - Apr/13/21) Felt good while in quetiapine 100mg. 75mg quetiapine 55 days (Apr/14/21 - Jun/8/21) the 55th day (Jun/8/21)  felt hellish so CT'd quetiapine for a 2nd time on Jun/9/21. 

Jun/9/21 - Nov/16/21 1st days insomnia, anxiety, took cbd and felt very good many days (healed insomnia & anxiety), CT'd ginkgo which made me felt terrible so reinstated ginkgo. Started intolerable back pain (spasm) so tried other herbs along with cbd, then started derealization, panic, indecisiveness, nostalgia & others. Stopped taking cbd & herbs, reinstated quetiapine 75mg Nov/17/21, immediately after taking it, had severe heart palpitations, so Nov/18/21 back to cbd (no quetiapine). Nov/20/21 reinstated 75mg quetiapine (stopped cbd & herbs), severely couldn't breathe for 5 seconds after taking quetiapine 75mg so reduced to 50 mg on Nov/28/21 had new and worse and very severe adverse effects, got indecisive if CT or keep taking quetiapine because I was terrified of CT, but since the new severe adverse effects were very severe I CT, and because of indecisiveness and panic to CT, I reinstated again, then CT'd and reinstated many times, last time I was taking quetiapine it was 25mg and had severe TD, hellish anhedonia, suicidal, intrusive thoughts of imagining myself running into a wall and crashing into it and I was feeling the pain as if I was doing it in real life, involuntary thoughts of punching my face or head and shashing it against the wall and some times I did punch my face, and when I didn't, I also felt the pain just by imagining it, so definitive CT on Jul/15/22. 

Free from quetiapine and psych meds since Jul/15/22.

MY BEST ADVICE: FOLLOW SA'S GUIDELINES, DON'T CT BECAUSE IT IS HORRIFIC AND BE PATIENT TO WAIT A LONG TIME TO DO VERY SLOW AND GRADUAL TAPERS IN ORDER TO GET OFF OF YOUR MEDICATIONS, IT IS WORTH IT. THE ONLY MOMENTS WHERE IS RIGHT TO CT IS AFTER YOUR 1ST CT THAT YOU DID BECAUSE OF IGNORANCE OR IMPATIENCE, IF YOU REINSTATE AND FEEL SEVERE ADVERSE EFFECTS LIKE TD, ANHEDONIA, FEEL LIKE YOU ARE DROWNING, OR THE ONE'S I HAD, IT IS BEST TO CT IN MY EXPERIENCE, BECAUSE WHEN I REINSTATED I GOT MUCH WORSE THAN WHEN I WAS IN THE PREVIOUS CT. I'm not a doctor.

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  • 2 months later...

I have been on SSRIs (20mg paroxetine) since 2008 (with a 2 year med-free gap, 2010-2012). This year I tried a tapering regime for about 6 months, reducing 5mg every 2 months. Withdrawal symptoms were extremely debilitating... I couldn't sleep, was on the border of panic attacks 24/7, and constant suicidal thoughts.

 

I went back to the 20mg baseline because I felt I wasn't really well informed, and now the plan is to follow the 10% rule and keep reading more stuff around here. I'm already on 18mg, feeling somewhat stable.

 

I started to practice the WHM consistently, although I haven't gone any further than an everyday breathwork + cold shower routine.

Just like anything else, moderation is key. I am witnessing huge progress though.

 

It does have a deep impact on the nervous system, and it helps me keep motivated, confident and strong during withdrawal hell. It connects me with my inner self, and the biology behind these deep feelings is the conscious activation of the limbic system.

 

I would love to learn more about how the method affects SSRI withdrawal, if anyone has experiences to share. I'm new to the forum, but in case I am (along with Cnick91) one of the few practitioners here, I'm also willing to keep a detailed log of my progress to help lay down the path for people that might be interested in using the WHM for coping with withdrawal.

 

Setting goals is super important during withdrawal hell, especially to keep the suicidal thoughts at bay. I want to go to a Wim Hof retreat in late 2020 and do the Mount Sněžka hike. Hopefully I'll be either med free, or at least on a really low dosage by then.

 

🌬️BREATHE M***********! ❄️

 

Edited by Altostrata
masked word

🌬️Wim Hof Method practitioner ❄️

 

SSRI history:

Paroxetine: 2008 - 2010

Paroxetine: 2012 - 2015

Wellbutrin, Escitalopram: 2015 (briefly)

Paroxetine: 2015 - 2021 (bridged to Fluoxetine)

Fluoxetine: 2021 (18mg, gradually decreasing)

 

100% passionate about life, not willing to give up!

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A few interesting and useful videos for anyone who's interested in learning more about the Wim Hof Method (WHM):

 

Inside the Superhuman World of the Iceman (Vice Documentary)

 

Wim Hof - London Real Interview

 

Joe Rogan Experience #712 - Wim Hof

 

"Brain over Body" Michigan Study

 

Depression and Anxiety - WHM practitioner testimonial

 

Wim Hof breathing tutorial

 

🌬️Wim Hof Method practitioner ❄️

 

SSRI history:

Paroxetine: 2008 - 2010

Paroxetine: 2012 - 2015

Wellbutrin, Escitalopram: 2015 (briefly)

Paroxetine: 2015 - 2021 (bridged to Fluoxetine)

Fluoxetine: 2021 (18mg, gradually decreasing)

 

100% passionate about life, not willing to give up!

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"Brain Over Body" - A study on the willful regulation of autonomic function during cold exposure

 

The defence of body temperature against environmental thermal challenges is a core objective of homeostatic regulation governed by the autonomic nervous system. Autonomous mechanisms of thermoregulation are only weakly affected by top-down modulation, allowing only transient tolerance for extreme cold. There is however, anecdotal evidence of a unique set of individuals known for extreme cold tolerance. Here we present a case study of a 57-year old Dutch national, Wim Hof, the so-called “Iceman”, with the ability to withstand frequent prolonged periods of extreme cold exposure based on the practice of a self-developed technique involving a combination of forced breathing, cold exposure and meditation (collectively referred to as the Wim Hof Method, henceforth “WHM”).

 

The relative contributions of the brain and the periphery that endow the Iceman with these capabilities is unknown. To investigate this, we conducted multi-modal imaging assessments of the brain and the periphery using a combination of fMRI and PET/CT imaging. Thermoregulatory defence was evoked by subjecting the Iceman (and a cohort of typical controls) to a fMRI paradigm designed to generate periods of mild hypothermia interspersed by periods of return to basal core body temperature. fMRI was acquired in two separate sessions: in a typical (passive) state and following the practice of WHM. In addition, the Iceman also underwent a whole body PET/CT imaging session using the tracers C11-hydroxyephedrine (HED) and 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) during both thermoneutral and prolonged mild cold conditions.

 

This acquisition allowed us to determine changes in sympathetic innervation (HED) and glucose consumption (FDG) in muscle and fat tissues in the absence of the WHM. fMRI analyses indicated that the WHM activates primary control centers for descending pain/cold stimuli modulation in the periaqueductal gray (PAG), possibly initiating a stress-induced analgesic response. In addition, the WHM also engages higher-order cortical areas (left anterior and right middle insula) that are uniquely associated with self-reflection, and which facilitate both internal focus and sustained attention in the presence of averse (e.g. cold) external stimuli.

 

However, the activation of brown adipose tissue (BAT) was unremarkable. Finally, forceful respiration results in increased sympathetic innervation and glucose consumption in intercostal muscle, generating heat that dissipates to lung tissue and warms circulating blood in the pulmonary capillaries. Our results provide compelling evidence for the primacy of the brain (CNS) rather than the body (peripheral mechanisms) in mediating the Iceman's responses to cold exposure. They also suggest the compelling possibility that the WHM might allow practitioners to develop higher level of control over key components of the autonomous system, with implications for lifestyle interventions that might ameliorate multiple clinical syndromes.

 

You can read the full study here: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1053811918300673

 

---

 

An excerpt of the "Brain over Body" Michigan Study video:


"Priming and placing yourself in a difficult position will cause the neurological processes in the brain to beautifully excite with activity, producing the conscious experience of that focused mind.

 

Yet, the counter perspective can also be made. That focus, attention, and diligence can stir and train activity within the gray matter of the brain and cause a change in experience.
 
It's reminiscent of an upward spiral that the conscious decision to improve, in turn, creates new connections within the brain and causes a positive feedback loop that produces A NEW PERSON.
 
From mind, forming the physical brain... And the brain, forming the experience of the mind.
 
It is with this wider perspective that we'd like to view this experiment. Here we have a man capable of overcoming deathly cold environments. Yet, we seldom considered that his neurophysiology was trained over time for such survival. That if he were to behave as a control, the body would react normally to the cold. Yet with focus and honing of mind and body, he is able to access those deeper layers of his physiology, producing something truly spectacular.
 
In this way, we leave you with this idea:
Change, in any direction... IS POSSIBLE!
 
It can be incremental, small contributions every day towards what is valued, but EXPONENTIAL in the long run. To the point where a person truly renews."
 

❄️

 
 

🌬️Wim Hof Method practitioner ❄️

 

SSRI history:

Paroxetine: 2008 - 2010

Paroxetine: 2012 - 2015

Wellbutrin, Escitalopram: 2015 (briefly)

Paroxetine: 2015 - 2021 (bridged to Fluoxetine)

Fluoxetine: 2021 (18mg, gradually decreasing)

 

100% passionate about life, not willing to give up!

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  • 2 weeks later...

I found some web pages on the internet that say that the himalayan pink salt is the best option because it is far away from modern society's pollution and the way it is extraction method is manual and rudimentary, so they keep the himalayan sea salt pristine, natural

In 2008 I was 16 years old. 2008 - 2010 paxil, clonazepam & semisodium valproate. 2013 - 2017 many psych meds with cold switches and CT's prescribed by psychiatrists.

Nov/30/17 started quetiapine IR tablets 100mg 0-0-1. Dec/1/17 started pristiq 50mg tablets 1-0-0. Jan/14/18 started 1.5mg melatonin 0-0-1

Tramadol: 2 year well done (slow and gradual) taper: from Mar/12/18 to Feb/11/20 

Pristiq taper: Jun/15/20 Converted from pristiq 50mg to efexor xr 75mg for 57 days (felt good).  Aug/11/20 weaned to efexor 37.5mg and stayed there for 2 months with 26 days (felt good). Nov/6/20  CT 0mg of efexor xr (felt good). Total time in tapering pristiq 50mg by converting to efexor xr 75mg: 4 months with 22 days: Jun/15/20 to Nov/6/20. (felt good)

Efexor 0mg and quetiapine 100mg (Nov/6/20 to Dic/11/20) (felt good being without effexor and taking 100mg quetiapine)

Dic/11/20 quetiapine 75mg, so 75mg from Dic/11/20 to Jan/4/21  25 days. Jan/5/21 quetiapine 50mg (1 day in 50mg).

Jan/6/21 1st CT of quetiapine. Mar/1/21 CT melatonin. Felt terrible so Mar/25/21 reinstated 100mg quetiapine. 

100mg quetiapine 19 days (Mar/25/21 - Apr/13/21) Felt good while in quetiapine 100mg. 75mg quetiapine 55 days (Apr/14/21 - Jun/8/21) the 55th day (Jun/8/21)  felt hellish so CT'd quetiapine for a 2nd time on Jun/9/21. 

Jun/9/21 - Nov/16/21 1st days insomnia, anxiety, took cbd and felt very good many days (healed insomnia & anxiety), CT'd ginkgo which made me felt terrible so reinstated ginkgo. Started intolerable back pain (spasm) so tried other herbs along with cbd, then started derealization, panic, indecisiveness, nostalgia & others. Stopped taking cbd & herbs, reinstated quetiapine 75mg Nov/17/21, immediately after taking it, had severe heart palpitations, so Nov/18/21 back to cbd (no quetiapine). Nov/20/21 reinstated 75mg quetiapine (stopped cbd & herbs), severely couldn't breathe for 5 seconds after taking quetiapine 75mg so reduced to 50 mg on Nov/28/21 had new and worse and very severe adverse effects, got indecisive if CT or keep taking quetiapine because I was terrified of CT, but since the new severe adverse effects were very severe I CT, and because of indecisiveness and panic to CT, I reinstated again, then CT'd and reinstated many times, last time I was taking quetiapine it was 25mg and had severe TD, hellish anhedonia, suicidal, intrusive thoughts of imagining myself running into a wall and crashing into it and I was feeling the pain as if I was doing it in real life, involuntary thoughts of punching my face or head and shashing it against the wall and some times I did punch my face, and when I didn't, I also felt the pain just by imagining it, so definitive CT on Jul/15/22. 

Free from quetiapine and psych meds since Jul/15/22.

MY BEST ADVICE: FOLLOW SA'S GUIDELINES, DON'T CT BECAUSE IT IS HORRIFIC AND BE PATIENT TO WAIT A LONG TIME TO DO VERY SLOW AND GRADUAL TAPERS IN ORDER TO GET OFF OF YOUR MEDICATIONS, IT IS WORTH IT. THE ONLY MOMENTS WHERE IS RIGHT TO CT IS AFTER YOUR 1ST CT THAT YOU DID BECAUSE OF IGNORANCE OR IMPATIENCE, IF YOU REINSTATE AND FEEL SEVERE ADVERSE EFFECTS LIKE TD, ANHEDONIA, FEEL LIKE YOU ARE DROWNING, OR THE ONE'S I HAD, IT IS BEST TO CT IN MY EXPERIENCE, BECAUSE WHEN I REINSTATED I GOT MUCH WORSE THAN WHEN I WAS IN THE PREVIOUS CT. I'm not a doctor.

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  • 3 months later...

I found a medicinal plant that cures rhinitis, allergic rhinitis, irritative rhinitis, sinusitis and rhinosinusitis. The plant in spanish is called perilla frutescens also called shisho, it comes from Japan and there are 2 kinds: purple and green. It cures allergies and asthma

In 2008 I was 16 years old. 2008 - 2010 paxil, clonazepam & semisodium valproate. 2013 - 2017 many psych meds with cold switches and CT's prescribed by psychiatrists.

Nov/30/17 started quetiapine IR tablets 100mg 0-0-1. Dec/1/17 started pristiq 50mg tablets 1-0-0. Jan/14/18 started 1.5mg melatonin 0-0-1

Tramadol: 2 year well done (slow and gradual) taper: from Mar/12/18 to Feb/11/20 

Pristiq taper: Jun/15/20 Converted from pristiq 50mg to efexor xr 75mg for 57 days (felt good).  Aug/11/20 weaned to efexor 37.5mg and stayed there for 2 months with 26 days (felt good). Nov/6/20  CT 0mg of efexor xr (felt good). Total time in tapering pristiq 50mg by converting to efexor xr 75mg: 4 months with 22 days: Jun/15/20 to Nov/6/20. (felt good)

Efexor 0mg and quetiapine 100mg (Nov/6/20 to Dic/11/20) (felt good being without effexor and taking 100mg quetiapine)

Dic/11/20 quetiapine 75mg, so 75mg from Dic/11/20 to Jan/4/21  25 days. Jan/5/21 quetiapine 50mg (1 day in 50mg).

Jan/6/21 1st CT of quetiapine. Mar/1/21 CT melatonin. Felt terrible so Mar/25/21 reinstated 100mg quetiapine. 

100mg quetiapine 19 days (Mar/25/21 - Apr/13/21) Felt good while in quetiapine 100mg. 75mg quetiapine 55 days (Apr/14/21 - Jun/8/21) the 55th day (Jun/8/21)  felt hellish so CT'd quetiapine for a 2nd time on Jun/9/21. 

Jun/9/21 - Nov/16/21 1st days insomnia, anxiety, took cbd and felt very good many days (healed insomnia & anxiety), CT'd ginkgo which made me felt terrible so reinstated ginkgo. Started intolerable back pain (spasm) so tried other herbs along with cbd, then started derealization, panic, indecisiveness, nostalgia & others. Stopped taking cbd & herbs, reinstated quetiapine 75mg Nov/17/21, immediately after taking it, had severe heart palpitations, so Nov/18/21 back to cbd (no quetiapine). Nov/20/21 reinstated 75mg quetiapine (stopped cbd & herbs), severely couldn't breathe for 5 seconds after taking quetiapine 75mg so reduced to 50 mg on Nov/28/21 had new and worse and very severe adverse effects, got indecisive if CT or keep taking quetiapine because I was terrified of CT, but since the new severe adverse effects were very severe I CT, and because of indecisiveness and panic to CT, I reinstated again, then CT'd and reinstated many times, last time I was taking quetiapine it was 25mg and had severe TD, hellish anhedonia, suicidal, intrusive thoughts of imagining myself running into a wall and crashing into it and I was feeling the pain as if I was doing it in real life, involuntary thoughts of punching my face or head and shashing it against the wall and some times I did punch my face, and when I didn't, I also felt the pain just by imagining it, so definitive CT on Jul/15/22. 

Free from quetiapine and psych meds since Jul/15/22.

MY BEST ADVICE: FOLLOW SA'S GUIDELINES, DON'T CT BECAUSE IT IS HORRIFIC AND BE PATIENT TO WAIT A LONG TIME TO DO VERY SLOW AND GRADUAL TAPERS IN ORDER TO GET OFF OF YOUR MEDICATIONS, IT IS WORTH IT. THE ONLY MOMENTS WHERE IS RIGHT TO CT IS AFTER YOUR 1ST CT THAT YOU DID BECAUSE OF IGNORANCE OR IMPATIENCE, IF YOU REINSTATE AND FEEL SEVERE ADVERSE EFFECTS LIKE TD, ANHEDONIA, FEEL LIKE YOU ARE DROWNING, OR THE ONE'S I HAD, IT IS BEST TO CT IN MY EXPERIENCE, BECAUSE WHEN I REINSTATED I GOT MUCH WORSE THAN WHEN I WAS IN THE PREVIOUS CT. I'm not a doctor.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I used to love taking cold showers but since AD's I found they activate and stress my nervous system. I like the breathing exercises though. I think I might just do that and skip the cold showers for now.

May 2017: Started 20mg fluoxetine for suicidal depression due to relationship issues

August 2017: CT'd the fluoxetine because I was feeling better

August 2017 to June 2019: Brutal withdrawal and discontinuation syndrome

June 2019: Started 50mg trazodone to help with insomnia

August 2019: Reinstated 20mg fluoxetine, using a different generic brand

January 2020: Doing better experiencing a reduction in withdrawal symptoms but a worsening of some other side effects. Looking to start a slow taper of fluoxetine.

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  • 1 month later...

Did anybody read and hear about Meditation made Simple(book) by Dr.paula watkins from Australia. I think this book is useful tool to understand the breathing techniques.

(6 Aug 2019 start taper 4.8mg, 5 Sep - 4mg,

16 oct 19- 3mg, 28 nov 19 - 2mg, 11 may 20 -1mg

1 oct 20- 0.5mg, 24 dec 20 - 0.25mg,

5 jan 21- 0.2375, 9 jan 21 - 0.225, 13 jan 21 - 0.2125,

17 jan 21-  0.2, 21 jan 21 - 0.1875, 25 jan 21 - 0.175,

29 jan 21 - 0.1625, 2 feb 21 - 0.15, 6 feb 21 - 0.1375,

10 feb 21 - 0.125, 14 feb 21 - 0.1125, 18 feb 21 - 0.1, 

22 feb  - 0.0875, 26 feb - 0.075 , 2 mar - 0.0625, 

9 mar - 0.05625, 13 mar- .05, 17 mar - 0.04375,

 22 mar- 0.0375, 27 mar- .03125, 31 mar- 0.025

At 9 Apr - 0.0125 From 10 Apr - 0.0000 )

End game Taper from  0.5mg to 0.125mg

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