Yoga therapy for severe psychological disorder

Yoga is fundamentally a practice. Yoga therapy is beneficial for life threatening mental disorder like bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, obsessive-compulsive disorder, Alzheimer disease, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Parkinson’s diseases, and attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder.

Patients of Bipolar depression show symptoms of irritability, guilt, impulsive mood swings, and feelings of restlessness. People with bipolar depression also tend to move and speak sluggishly, sleep a lot, and gain weight. Additionally, they have tendency to develop psychotic depression, a condition in which they have lost contact with reality and to experience major disability in work and social functioning. In Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, patients experience recurrent, invasive thoughts or repetitive actions that are understood to be irrational and unnecessary. These periodic, aggressive thoughts, called obsessions, and uncontrollable, repetitive actions, called compulsions. These thoughts cause the person significant stress and disturbance in their daily life.

Schizophrenia is basically a psychotic disorder in which persons suffer from disordered thought process, hallucinations, and delusions and there is impaired social and professional life. It is a brain disorder that can be devastating. Parkinson’s mental disorder is a progressive neurological ailment that results from degeneration of syndrome in a region of brain that controls the movement. This degeneration creates a shortage of the brain signalling chemical known as dopamine causing the movement impairment that characterize the disease. Alzheimer disease is a condition in which the brain slowly shrivels and die. Nerve cells in the brain stop working and brain signals that are essential for life do not function properly. It starts with mild memory loss. Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder is a neurobehavioral illness due to a blend of inattentiveness, distractibility, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. Attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder can be major ground for academic and school difficulties and results in emotional and behaviour problems in adolescents.

Yoga therapy for severe psychological disorder:

Yoga is a natural treatment of psychological disorders as it focuses on mind, body and spirit. It is well recognized that practice of Yoga lessens the impact of traumatic experiences. Females who have been ill-treated, military personnel who have gone into battle with enemy fighters, generally grip in Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Patients with PTSD repeatedly experience nightmares and flashbacks. Yoga practices give mental relief. It is observed that when modern mental and pharmacological treatments have unsuccessful, Hatha Yoga has been effective in decreasing PTSD symptoms.

Yoga therapy is also given to bipolar disorder and it can control mood shift of patient by bringing more consciousness to the fluctuating moods. Yoga asanas bring awareness to the body and mind. The yoga Practitioner learns that the moods or any sensation of the body and mind are momentary. He/she develops self-awareness that helps control some of their manic tendencies.

Practice of asana can decrease depression, anxiety, anger and neurotic symptoms. Pranayama is helpful in controlling breath, which stabilise and improve the activity of the brain. Other yoga practices like Meditation and yoga nidra can give relaxation and self-control.

Yoga techniques are useful in lessening the impact of serious Alzheimer disease. It is described as a progressive neurologic disorder that affects the brain and results in cognitive impairments such as Forgetfulness, Recent memory loss, Difficulty learning, Deterioration in personal hygiene and Inability to concentrate, problem in communicating and abstract thinking. Sahaja yoga improves neurocognitive functions in patients with major depression, Pranayama improves verbal and spatial memory scores, Combination of aerobic exercises and yoga improve cognitive and psychological functioning in the elderly people. Parkinson’s disease is also treated by yoga practices in which person shows the symptoms of dementia, depression, sleep disturbance, and hallucination. Lower limb and hip strengthening practices such as Uattana padasana, vakrasana, lumbar stretch, cycling in supine assist in balancing the posture. For Attention and concentration, better yoga approaches are pranayama and chanting. To Improve Motor skills and Self- care, Sukshma vyayama – shakthi vikasaka practices are helpful.

Finally, it is addressed that severe form of psychological disorders lessen the chances of survival. Yoga option is good to reduce the symptoms of such life threatening mental ailment and make life smoother.