I initially suffered intense manic psychosis when I was eighteen years old. I had just started my freshman fall semester at the University of Georgia when I experienced what seemed to be a tremendous spiritual awakening. I felt as if I were waking up from a nightmare, as if my mind and body were nothing more than my imagination. I felt an extraordinary sense of transcendence and oneness with the cosmos, which I can only describe as spiritual. I had no idea what bipolar disorder was back then.
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“This is what God feels like; I must be Jesus!” I thought as soon as I was struck by this tremendous happiness. It was there that my delusory fall towards madness began. I dashed upstairs in my dorm, expecting that my buddies would be my first disciples, and attempted to establish my divinity by performing miracles. I hit one of them in the face, calling him the devil, and rushed back downstairs when they tried to calm me down. Campus cops arrived in the dorm lobby right away and arrested me.
I wasn't as delighted on the way to jail as I had been. It was, in reality, the most agonizing terror I had ever felt. I began to believe that the cops were Pharisees escorting me to my crucifixion. They put me in my own detention cell, and I started tearing off my clothing and demanding that the officers examine my bare body. I felt nearly fully disconnected during the entire experience, as if I were watching a movie of myself with little to no control over the actor.
After a few days of attempting to persuade my parents that I was bringing humanity back to Eden, they understood my condition wasn't caused by psychedelic substances as they had assumed. I was taken to a local psychiatric facility and, after being medicated, returned to my messianic quest of bringing heaven to Earth. The only difficulty was that I had never been more sure of God in my life, and the therapists kept telling me that it was usual for grandiose delusions to include religious and spiritual themes. I didn't believe it.
My mind immediately went to the biblical stories I grew up with, such as how God put Abraham's faith to the test when he was told to sacrifice his son and how God spoke to Moses through a burning bush. Aren't these examples of hallucinations and delusions? Even Jesus believed he was the Son of God. Were the Bible's holy men bipolar? I had a lot of questions, and they seemed to force me to choose between spirituality and psychiatry.
It took me a decade to ultimately reconcile these truths and find some calm in the midst of my manic periods. After studying spirituality and psychology, I realized that bipolar disorder and spiritual experiences didn't have to be mutually exclusive. I've come to the conclusion that spirituality is the transcending of the ego. Mania was, in this sense, a spiritual experience, although an uncontrollable one. This didn't rule out the possibility that my bipolar diagnosis was incorrect, and I'm not claiming that all psychotic experiences are spiritual. But now that I know my experiences were both spiritual and bipolar, I can rest comfortably.
If I'm being honest with myself, increasing spirituality is a significant symptom of my mania, but a lack of spiritual importance is a key sign of my despair. Finding balance in recovery means that I can seek spiritual as well as clinical remedies to my bipolar symptoms without fear of losing God's grace. I used to believe that either bipolar disorder or God existed when I was initially diagnosed. There was no room for both of them.
Over the years, my spirituality has inevitably developed. I have to be cautious of dogmatic or superstitious views because of my past with manic psychosis. I make every effort to live a life of love, and I know that the more compassion I distribute around the world, the closer I am to my spiritual path. Telling my recovery narrative has been an important aspect of my spiritual journey. My faith is incredibly important to my health, and without it, I wouldn't be in as good of shape as I am now. I'm hoping that by sharing my story, others facing similar challenges will be able to make sense of their own experiences more quickly.
Chris Cole is a life coach for those in recovery and the author of The Body of Chris: A Memoir of Obsession, Addiction, and Madness.
Can bipolar be spiritual?
According to qualitative research, stable bipolar disorder patients often perceive their experiences as both religious and spiritual, as well as having pathological aspects, whereas in psychiatry, such experiences are frequently associated with psychopathology and investigated as religious hallucinations and delusions (Ouwehand et al.).
What is bipolar disorder spiritual?
A rapid increase in spiritual or religious thoughts or practices might be an indication of bipolar disorder. Hyper-religiosity, or an increase in spiritual experiences, can be a hallmark of mania or psychosis. As a result, many people with bipolar disorder (and their healthcare practitioners) wonder if their spiritual experiences are “genuine” or just a consequence of their illness13. Misdiagnosis may occur as a result of difficulties distinguishing spiritual experiences from psychotic symptoms, which can be detrimental if persons receive inappropriate therapies or if a manic episode goes untreated.
Spiritual experiences are viewed as an indication of disease based on a variety of cultural factors. In one culture, seeing visions or hearing voices is praised, whereas in another, it is regarded as a symptom of serious disease. To avoid turning spiritual beliefs into physical disorders, the psychiatric diagnostic handbook (the DSM) provides separate ways of thinking about spiritual difficulties. At the same time, it recognizes that sickness symptoms might have spiritual meanings that need to be explored. A real delusion, for example, is defined by the DSM as a strongly held, incorrect belief that is not “shared by members of religion/culture/subculture,” such as a “article of religious faith.”
How does bipolar affect you spiritually?
People with bipolar disorder may benefit from a strong spiritual connection since it can help them manage and establish a sense of self-worth.
“Religion may be supportivesocial support and resources, as well as an internal means of coping with the burden of the illness on their lives,” says Mario Cruz, MD, associate professor of psychiatry at the University of New Mexico School of Medicine in Albuquerque.
Excessive religious conduct was once thought to be a hallmark of psychosis, according to Dr. Cruz, but there is little evidence to back this up. Rather, his research, which includes interviews with people who have bipolar disease, reveals that persons with bipolar disorder frequently engage in religious activities, particularly prayer and meditation, as a means of coping with discomfort.
A 2013 study of 168 bipolar illness patients found that individuals who describe being able to deal through spirituality, such as feeling a spiritual connection with others and believing in a fundamentally benevolent world, had a higher quality of life and are less depressed.
What does the mania represent?
The terms “mania” and “manic episode” refer to a persistent state of mind characterized by high energy, excitement, and euphoria. It's a drastic shift in mood and cognition that might cause problems at school, work, or at home. Mania is a common symptom of bipolar disorder.
Can meditation help bipolar?
Meditation will not be able to substitute typical bipolar illness therapy, so see your doctor about any additional therapies you may require, such as medication or psychotherapy. Meditation can help you relax and reduce tension, even if it isn't a treatment for bipolar disease. It can also assist you in disengaging from unpleasant or anxious thoughts and improving mood regulation.
Meditation is simple to do at home or in a class, and everyone can do it. It might be a good supplement to your bipolar illness treatment.
What happens when you have a spiritual awakening?
As Kaiser argues, this is the start of your spiritual journey, as you begin to doubt everything you previously believed. You begin to purge certain aspects of your life (habits, relationships, and outdated belief systems) in order to make room for new, more meaningful experiences. You may sense that something is lacking, but you aren't sure what it is. It's common to feel disoriented, confused, and down during this time.
Can hypnosis help bipolar disorder?
Under hypnosis, bipolar I patients were more likely to obey motor instructions than cognitive recommendations. Furthermore, bipolar disorder patients and healthy volunteers also showed links between manic levels and specific hypnotic susceptibility characteristics. Our research contributes to a better understanding of bipolar disorder's altered conscious states and recommends the use of associated psychotherapy for these individuals.
Is delusions of grandeur a mental illness?
A delusion is a mistaken belief that someone holds. It goes against reality or what is widely accepted as true. A delusion's power is determined by how strongly the person believes it.
A delusion of grandeur, in particular, is the conviction that one is someone other than oneself, such as a supernatural character or a celebrity. A delusion of grandeur can also be defined as a belief in one's own unique abilities, possessions, or powers.
Delusions are usually caused by a mental health problem. However, not everyone who suffers from delusions meets all of the diagnostic criteria for a mental illness.
Delusions can be caused by a variety of mental health illnesses classed as psychotic diseases. These are some of them:
Psychotic disorders can alter one's perception of reality. They may not be able to distinguish between what is real and what is not.
What is hyper religion?
Hyperreligiosity is a psychiatric disorder in which a person has strong religious beliefs or episodes that interfere with daily life. Hyperreligiosity is characterized by abnormal beliefs and a focus on religious or even atheistic material that obstructs job and social functioning. Epilepsy, psychotic illnesses, and frontotemporal lobar degeneration are just a few of the conditions that can cause hyperreligiosity. Hyperreligiosity is a symptom of Geschwind syndrome, a temporal lobe epilepsy condition.
What do you mean by spirituality?
Spirituality is defined as the awareness of a feeling, sense, or belief that there is something more to being human than sensory experience, and that the greater total of which we are a part is cosmic or divine in nature.