Mental health disorders often introduce a wide variety of symptoms that can be extremely difficult to overcome. Suicidal ideation is one of the many thought processes that can be difficult to reverse. If you are dealing with suicidal ideation, how do you work through that?
Meditation is one of the simplest forms of progression for recovery. There are multiple meditative practices you can focus on to withstand and diminish suicidal ideations and focus your thoughts on something that positively influences your life. The following practices were researched by Trends in Psychiatry and Psychotherapy.
Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy
This form of meditative therapy is a type of cognitive therapy that focuses on your current state of awareness and acceptance. Mindfulness has been incorporated into many forms of psychological practices as we continue to learn more about how it can positively affect our thought processes. This form of therapy can relieve some negative emotions that come with suicidal ideation. However, there is not yet much evidence that it can reduce suicidal ideation itself. Many individuals immersed in this form of therapy report improvement but no significant effects on suicidal ideation specifically.
Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction
Engaging in mindfulness-based stress reduction can relieve stress and negative emotions from the body. It is very similar to mindfulness-based cognitive therapy, but it includes more perspective on the physical body and the mind. This meditative form is shown to help ease the symptoms of depression and impulsive behaviors. These effects can reduce your overall feeling of suicidal ideation.
Transcendental Meditation
Transcendental meditation is practiced by sitting in a quiet room alone. While sitting in an upright position, taking deep breaths, and closing your eyes, you begin to repeat a specific mantra in your mind. This process takes about 20 minutes total to get your mind into a complete state of relaxation.
A mantra is considered “an instrument of thought.” It is a word or phrase that may seem completely meaningless to you but has a deeper meaning for you to discover. It is essential to focus on the vibrational frequency of this sound and allow your mind to grasp every aspect of it. To choose a mantra, you might consult one of the many resources available. Typically, you will be drawn to a few and choose the one that feels right for you. However, there is no wrong answer.
Some examples of mantras include:
- “You are enough.”
- “See who I am.”
- “Be present with me.”
- “Sati.” (Translates to “to be mindful of”)
It is common for individuals to make up their mantra based upon the letters in their name or qualities that are important to them. You have the freedom to choose a mantra that you feel resembles what you want to achieve from the meditative practice.
This practice is relatively efficient in helping to diminish suicidal ideation. Through the process of focusing on a mantra, you develop a sense of meaning for such a small thing. This can help you establish a sense of meaning for all the small aspects of your life and develop a sense of appreciation for yourself. That is one of the most beneficial results of transcendental meditation that counteract suicidal ideation.
Spiritual Meditation
This form of meditation is shown to be the most effective to help with overall mental health disorders and suicidal ideation. It can be very similar to transcendental meditation, but the word or mantra you focus on is a religious term or phrase. This meditative form is typically more efficient because of the overall benefits of spirituality in the recovery process. Spirituality can ground you and give you a sense of purpose in life. Channeling this spiritual energy is currently shown to be the most effective form of mediation to reduce levels of suicidal ideation.
Many individuals think of spiritual meditation in the form of prayer. This can be the case, as a prayer is very much a meditative state. However, this practice overall focuses more on your awareness during the meditative period. Bringing awareness to your reality can validate the feelings of self-worth that you encounter during the meditative experience and allow you to take them back with you into your normal environment.
While meditative practices are still being studied, we do not know all of the effects that these practices can have. It has been shown that these forms of meditation all have positive influences on our mental health, but they are not all specifically catered to suicidal ideation. Spiritual meditation seems to have the most influence on individuals dealing with this; however, all forms of meditation can bring a positive aspect to your recovery. Discover which form of meditation helps you withstand suicidal ideation and further your recovery.
It can be difficult to work through suicidal ideation and find a sense of purpose for your recovery. Fortunately, meditation can provide many benefits to your mental health, including a reduced level of suicidal ideation. Gaining a sense of self-worth through meditative practices can significantly counteract that struggle. Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy, mindfulness-based stress reduction, transcendental meditation, and spiritual meditation can all help reduce levels and risks of suicidal ideation. Since studies are new on this matter, there is no firm evidence on the effects of these practices. However, they each have benefits that can be applied to your recovery if they align with your motives. Spiritual mediation is shown to be the most effective meditative practice to reduce levels of suicidal ideation, but all forms of meditation can benefit you during your recovery process. To learn more about meditative practices and the positive effects they can have on your recovery, reach out to Dream Recovery at (949) 732-1960.