Using martial arts to help with mood disturbances

[Knight_Errant]

Naihanchi really helped today as well as the coffee. In fact, the coffee might have made things worse if it hadn't been for naihanchi to help space it out. So, How many other people use martial arts in this way? I'm interested... Is there anybody else out there who has mental issues and uses martial arts to while away the hours of insomnia and waiting for doctors?

[Hatamoto]

I don't cut myself because I have kata :p Martial arts has saved me from having to do really stupid things a good few times when the anxiety spikes

[Fish Of Doom]

i would have probably killed myself a LONG time ago if it wasn't for a combination of martial arts and intellectual stimulation.

[Knight_Errant]

Thanks for your courage to admit it, guys.
You get some funny looks stretching in a doctor's surgery

[ColaMike]

I have to say, when I don't do martial arts or any kind of physical activity, I get very lethargic and depressed.
Martial arts also helped me develop from an introvert, to something of a extrovert.

[miriamgoldman]

I used to have crippling self-confidence and self-esteem issues, to the point where I almost lost my job. Thanks to karate (and martial arts in general, the other ones I've tried), I'm able to function day-to-day with minimal issues.

[Knight_Errant]

that's pretty cool, miriam. What other martial arts have you tried?

[miriamgoldman]

BJJ (I was horrible at it, but the teacher and the school were awesome) and jodo (one of my good friends is a nidan in that style, and wanted me to try it out).

Next month, if I can manage it with scheduling, I'll be trying iaido. I really want to do judo. Or Japanese/traditional jiu-jitsu. Alas,time and money play a factor in things...karate is going to stay my main art, so long as I stay in the same city.

[Dizzyj]

I have to say, when I don't do martial arts or any kind of physical activity, I get very lethargic and depressed.

I have exactly the same reaction. It becomes a little bit of a spiral; because you're feeling lethargic you don't want to do anything physical, and so it gets worse. Having a regular training schedule is great for making sure you can't fall into a bad habit of missing classes, I find.

[Knight_Errant]

BJJ (I was horrible at it, but the teacher and the school were awesome) and jodo (one of my good friends is a nidan in that style, and wanted me to try it out).

Next month, if I can manage it with scheduling, I'll be trying iaido. I really want to do judo. Or Japanese/traditional jiu-jitsu. Alas,time and money play a factor in things...karate is going to stay my main art, so long as I stay in the same city.
Iado sounds cool
funnily enough, I get manic rather than depressed when I don't work out...

[Terri63]

I have grown up all my life w/ a metabolic problem..quite unusual ...cant metabolize protein...more specifically phenylalanine...the amino acid sontained in high-protein foods...i have started to develop tremors in left hand and arm...like 9 months ago..coincidentally.i started trianing in isshin ryu karate.. it helps my metabolism incredibley well..ya.. i know you burn calories..but..you think the nutritionist would ahve told em exercise of any sort woudl help? aside from that.. it has drastcally improved my attention span..concentration...memory... things that are greatly affected my PKU this disease that I have...helps me not be as anxious as I used to be w/ dealing w/ sudden unexpected stressful situations...I now have a new lease on life!

[Southpaw535]

Nowadays its more just a passion but it was a major outlet with my girlfriends court this year and I hit serious depression a while back. Choking people was literally the only thing that lifted me out of very dark thoughts. Helped partly I think by being the only person I knew who trained so it was this little thing I had just for me.

That said I do get depressed when I take time out now

[Kuma]

When I was deployed overseas and everything else about my life had changed, I managed to fit in the occasional training session that helped keep me sane. It was a sense of normalcy.

[Mitlov]

I wouldn't call it a mental health issue, but I was so furious with my boss by the end of the day yesterday that I could barely even be civil with people, not to mention friendly. After pounding away on the wavemaster I have in my family room for a while (not as good as a heavy bag, but better than nothing), I could play happily with my two kids. I credit the endorphin rush and the cathartic effect of hitting something.

[Terri63]

ColaMike--

Ive had the same experience...when Ima t home..or theres nothing goin on...just the same old evryday chores etc..get very lethargic..karate..."wakes me up" ...i too am quite introverted..relate

[rivend]

Naihanchi really helped today as well as the coffee. In fact, the coffee might have made things worse if it hadn't been for naihanchi to help space it out. So, How many other people use martial arts in this way? I'm interested... Is there anybody else out there who has mental issues and uses martial arts to while away the hours of insomnia and waiting for doctors?

Well knight i think i may have some insomnia issues. Actually i am sure i do but i don't seem to need a lot of sleep.Coffee really is one of my favorite drinks and i would imagine caffeine withdrawals may cause mood changes without really being that aware of it.
As to martial arts i seem to use stretches and breathing for relaxation while up late at night or up all night.Other than the occasional dumbbell or stretch cable.

[Murdog]

I tell ya, I'm pretty much in that very slump right now. Y'know... the lathargic feeling, anxiety, restlessness. I wish I could just go back to a dojang, but can't afford it right now. Maybe when I finally get out of school.

But, I do feel much better when I sneek in a workout, though. Even if it's only 15-20 minutes. Funny, my warm up sessions used to be longer than that.

Yep! Those were the days!

[Knight_Errant]

It's good to know I'm not alone.

[Hatamoto]

I hope my foot heals soon. It's insane, the last month or so I've been more irritable for not having karate, but the last week has been really hard, I'm incredibly depressed and everything seems bigger and harder to deal with. A friend tells me karate's cancelled the next two weeks as well. I knew I enjoyed karate, and I knew it helped me deal with things, but I had no idea I'd suffer this much without it :s

[illegalusername]

I'm very prone to depression myself, and tend to rage out at stupid stuff because of it.
Training gives me a way to vent all that dumb stuff in a safe way.
Competing also gave me some very good examples how getting too worked up will just end up with your own ass getting kicked.

Concentrate and ride that wave out.

[TRK]

When I was in the middle of my divorce, returning to MA was a huge benefit. Where else can you yell and hit people without getting in trouble? Plus, having a new group of friends, unrelated to the ex was nice too.

[Knight_Errant]

feels wrong being a regular at the doctor's surgery at my age :(

[Southpaw535]

Could be worse, I had a spat of urine infections once and being a regular for that ain't fun. Doctors have touched my balls more than my girlfriend

[Van Zandt]

I had pretty bad PTSD after I got smashed up in Iraq. I was fighting anyone and everyone. All I felt was raw hate, to the point of wanting to shoot some guy who pissed me off when we were practising on the rifle range. Getting back into martial arts after my recovery allowed me to re-focus and bring me back from the edge.

[Knight_Errant]

Cool. Mind you, I'm annoyed today, I go through this every so often- I've always wanted to serve my country as an infantryman and I seriously resent not being even allowed to try and make the grade.

[Little Robin]

I have recommended enrollment in martial art classes for several of my professional clients who suffered from extreme anger management issues. It doesn't always meet with quick approval by parents, caregivers or partners as they usually fear the person becoming more aggressive or angry. However this type of intervention has had reported efficacy in psychological circles as well as in my own experience.

There are many things that contribute to it's success such as good physical exercise, structured social interactions, the ability to act "aggressively" in a socially approved context, the group dynamic and over all discipline. Bottom line for me as a clinician is that it works and the "tough guys" usually are motivated to try it out. It's a Win/Win.

With regards to mood issues specifically any highly aerobic exercise will be of benefit, and if looking for an MA school try to find one where everyone leaves at the end of class dripping with sweat!

[Hatamoto]

"This type of intervention has had reported efficacy in psychological circles"

Would you mind sharing a source for that please Robin? I'm not accusing you of making stuff up or anything, but my family has never wholly been happy with my doing martial arts and thinks it's why I'm so angry. The irony is that I'm so unebelievably much worse without martial arts. For people who insist martial arts is only meant for fighting and doesn't improve the person as well, i'd like to be able to offer them a study to shut them up :p

[Little Robin]

Dang it Hatamoto!!! I hoped I worded that effectively enough so that nobody would call me on that!! :whistleblower:

I am heading on vacation and don't have the time to do a full literature review right now. I do have access to online journals at the hospital and will do my best to send you the proper links when I return.

In the meantime, I can tell you that my supervising psychologists are in support of my recommendations to the clients I mentioned for the reasons stated.

P.S. Oh I should add that these recommendations are not made "carte-blanche" but are part of an overall behavioural assessment, taking into consideration the necessary personal and psychological variables, and finally approved by a registered psychologist.

[Little Robin]

One more quick thing....

I am aware of research being done by Dr. Brian Hill, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at Virginia Commonwealth University called "The Effects of a Therapeutic Martial Arts Program on Youth in Residential Psychiatric Treatment."

In it there will be various citations of earlier research.

Hope that helps.

[Hatamoto]

Close enough :) Ta muchly

[hkdstl]

Naihanchi really helped today as well as the coffee. In fact, the coffee might have made things worse if it hadn't been for naihanchi to help space it out. So, How many other people use martial arts in this way? I'm interested... Is there anybody else out there who has mental issues and uses martial arts to while away the hours of insomnia and waiting for doctors?

I am a disabled vet with P.T.S.D. and anxiety issues. Man, I visualize hapkido techniques and tae kwon do patterns all the time to help me calm down. I can't sleep at night, too scary.

[cavallin]

I am guessing doing tae kwon do probably does help me. It's hard to tell because I've been feeling down on and off but been training longer! All i know is if I stopped i probably would get extremely restless and fat probably.
Sometimes i have to drag myself to training, but always feel better afterwards so I guess there's your answer.
Although do you think being hit in the head too many times could affect your frontal lobes?

[Hatamoto]

I have a simple philosophy when training. If I'm not physically injured to the point where I'd do more damage by training, the way I see it is, the less I feel like training, the more important it is that i go. I'm lazy when it comes to training at home (partially because I lack space to do things in as deep a stance as I like but I recognise that as an excuse, however reasonable :p), so I know it's important to get to training. The less I feel like it, generally, the more I get out of it. I think it's a sign of a good teacher to be able to motivate me like that, and that motivation carries over into life away from the dojo, at least for a little while. I read a quote by a teacher who was asked what's the hardest part of your training? and he replied "getting in the car." There are lots of martial arts related quotes that remind me not to be such a loser lol

[Knight_Errant]

I am a disabled vet with P.T.S.D. and anxiety issues. Man, I visualize hapkido techniques and tae kwon do patterns all the time to help me calm down. I can't sleep at night, too scary.
Ouch. Hope things get better.

[gcollin]

I think using martial arts to help with anger problems is a horrible idea.

[Hatamoto]

I think using martial arts to help with anger problems is a horrible idea.

Why?

[Little Robin]

Hi again Hatamoto,

Seems gcollin hasn't responded yet so if you will allow me...

I myself would also against Martial Arts for anger management if the person in question has been diagnosed with any variant of an anti-social personality disorder. If it is part of their ongoing presentation that they show no victim empathy or remorse then I would certainly agree with gcollin.

Otherwise, if the person experiences trouble with regulating physiological arousal and/or relaxation (very common with anger management cases), is motivated to learn, and could benefit from some discipline in their life, then they are an excellent candidate for MA for anger management.

[Knight_Errant]

I should get some money and go back to karate then :D Haven't been for a while as I've run out of lolly.

[23197]

Great post!
If it were not for Ma training I will not say where I could possibly be today. As many of you have posted on this thread it brings you (me) back-grounds you if you will-
Focus, concentration, meditation, breathing all mean so much when you really turn to them.
Forms are a great way to burn off excess stress, breathing deep and exhaling before reacting to a stressful situation (when you would normally just explode!) helps 'reboot', at least it does for me.
Lest we forget the physical release of smashing the he!! out of a heavy bag with whatever manner of strike comes out.

thanx for the post Knight_Errant

[Ancientharp]

It's good to know I'm not alone.

You're very much not alone.

The only thing that got me through a horrible work situation last year was the three hours a week I spent practicing taking back control over my self and my body. I had a horribly abusive boss. Karate kept me sane until the union could move me somewhere else.

And then there's just those days when you have to let out all that aggression, or you'll just 'splode (: I seriously want a punching bag for my basement.

[Knight_Errant]

Slight concern: My memory has been getting worse recently. I keep forgetting names. Names of people I know well. I go into rooms and forget why I came in. I suffer from a kind of, I don't know, temporary aphasia(?) where I can't understand what people are saying. What the hell is going on, does anybody know? I wasn't told about this when I was diagnosed with paranoid psychosis.

[Van Zandt]

You're not taking any medication like clonazepam or chlorpromazine are you? I used to support people with mental health issues and what you're describing was a common side effect of these drugs.

[Knight_Errant]

I'm taking aripiprazole, trade name abilify. Also, occasionally I have zopiclone to help me sleep at night. I sometimes use diazepam and I've been on prozac in the past.

[Hatamoto]

Damn man :/ I refuse to take medication for my anxiety and depression now, the last ones I was on messed me up more than anything in my life, it was worse than being suicidal. Never been so happy to want to die :p Hope you work out what's going on and manage to fix it.

[redsonjia]

Slight concern: My memory has been getting worse recently. I keep forgetting names. I go into rooms and forget why I came in. I suffer from a kind of, I don't know, temporary aphasia(?) where I can't understand what people are saying. What the hell is going on, does anybody know?

thats not normal ? it happens to me. i thought stress/overthinking/overload of information.

Im going to the gym and taking taekwondo for self defense, clearing my mind, and for the self confidence. I feel so much better in my life and in my self.