Meditation for my cousin's anxiety

TheEccentric

My cousin who is 17 has recently moved in with moved in with us and I have found that since the age of about 11 she has been suffering with severe anxiety and depression, it is like a constant worrying about her health and that she may die even when she knows there is really no reason why she would do. Also she has problems with self confidence and sleeping.

She has been seeing a counselor who has told her she should start meditating and she knows of my Buddhism and meditation practice so she has asked me about it but and I recommended breathing meditation for her but she said that she gets more anxious when focusing on her breath as it relates to her mortality and she doesn't want to do chanting. So what other Meditation could she do that would help with her problems any one? Thanks for reading.

lobster

Klingon meditation. Either she can learn martial arts but she is probably too sick to do anything but old peoples tai chi or . . . perhaps . . .

KLINGON MEDITATION

DaHjaj SuvwI'e' jiH. tIgwIj Sa'angNIS. Iw bIQtIq jIjaH. " - Today I am a Warrior. I must show you my heart. I travel the river of blood.

Basically you sit quietly and contemplate these words:
'Today is a good day to die. But not today.'

fivebells

You might see what she thinks about metta meditation.

Rodrigo

TheEccentric said:

My cousin who is 17 has recently moved in with moved in with us and I have found that since the age of about 11 she has been suffering with severe anxiety and depression, it is like a constant worrying about her health and that she may die even when she knows there is really no reason why she would do. Also she has problems with self confidence and sleeping.

She has been seeing a counselor who has told her she should start meditating and she knows of my Buddhism and meditation practice so she has asked me about it but and I recommended breathing meditation for her but she said that she gets more anxious when focusing on her breath as it relates to her mortality and she doesn't want to do chanting. So what other Meditation could she do that would help with her problems any one? Thanks for reading.

Trying to get rid of anxiety only brings more anxiety. One must learn to live with it. If her own breathing makes her anxious, then it's a great exercise for her to be more used to it. She may start with very short periods of time, which may be gradually increased. Tell her to lear to notice her anxiety coming and going. If she meditates with the goal of solving her problems, it may backfire.

Chaz

TheEccentric said:

My cousin who is 17 has recently moved in with moved in with us and I have found that since the age of about 11 she has been suffering with severe anxiety and depression, it is like a constant worrying about her health and that she may die even when she knows there is really no reason why she would do. Also she has problems with self confidence and sleeping.

She has been seeing a counselor who has told her she should start meditating and she knows of my Buddhism and meditation practice so she has asked me about it but and I recommended breathing meditation for her but she said that she gets more anxious when focusing on her breath as it relates to her mortality and she doesn't want to do chanting. So what other Meditation could she do that would help with her problems any one? Thanks for reading.

Find her a proper meditation instuctor and let that person work with her.

BonsaiDoug

Chaz said:

Find her a proper meditation instuctor and let that person work with her.

Couldn't agree more. If you can't do it yourself, then attempting anything based on advice from a web forum might do more harm than good. A meditation instructor does not need to be Buddhist-based. Even an area yoga organization might very well have a meditation teacher.

Chaz

Chaz said:

Find her a proper meditation instuctor and let that person work with her.

Couldn't agree more. If you can't do it yourself, then attempting anything based on advice from a web forum might do more harm than good. A meditation instructor does not need to be Buddhist-based. Even an area yoga organization might very well have a meditation teacher.

Good idea.

Knowing how to meditate does not mean you can or should teach it. Most western Buddhist organizations have training programs for meditation instructors to make sure people are taught correct technique.

If anxiety is increasing, then the instruction is incorrect.

Is the counselor able to instruct the patient?

Zero

TheEccentric said:

She has been seeing a counselor who has told her she should start meditating and she knows of my Buddhism and meditation practice so she has asked me about it but and I recommended breathing meditation for her but she said that she gets more anxious when focusing on her breath as it relates to her mortality and she doesn't want to do chanting.
So what other Meditation could she do that would help with her problems any one? Thanks for reading.

Your cousin is seeing a counselor to assist with a medically recognised condition.
If her counselor has suggested she should start meditating then hopefully the counselor can also provide guidance on how she should go about this as part of her overall treatment plan.
Her asking about your practice doesn't necessarily mean that you need recommend any particular facet and nor does there seem to be a ready link between the counselor's recommendation and buddhism.
You are her family and in a sense a 'counsel' in her life but also an example and a support.
In that sense, there may be great benefit in you sharing your experiences (and in a sense capitalising on the opportunity to openly communicate) rather than looking per se to provide guidance or solve any particular problem.

footiam

TheEccentric said:

My cousin who is 17 has recently moved in with moved in with us and I have found that since the age of about 11 she has been suffering with severe anxiety and depression, it is like a constant worrying about her health and that she may die even when she knows there is really no reason why she would do. Also she has problems with self confidence and sleeping.

She has been seeing a counselor who has told her she should start meditating and she knows of my Buddhism and meditation practice so she has asked me about it but and I recommended breathing meditation for her but she said that she gets more anxious when focusing on her breath as it relates to her mortality and she doesn't want to do chanting. So what other Meditation could she do that would help with her problems any one? Thanks for reading.

I have a friend who is depressed. He used to meditate before. He managed to get out of his depressed state by exercising, saying that sweating out helps. Lately, however, he is depressed again and now, he just sits around at home. He is living alone. Meditation, probably then is not the antidote for depression. If one meditates on the negative side of life, it probably pulls the person down further into depression. Maybe, you can get your cousin out once a while and do things that she enjoys. Keeping her busy probably will keep her from thinking of negative things. If she wakes up early everyday and live an active life, she probably can sleep well too.

fivebells

footiam said:

I have a friend who is depressed. He used to meditate before. He managed to get out of his depressed state by exercising, saying that sweating out helps. Lately, however, he is depressed again and now, he just sits around at home. He is living alone. Meditation, probably then is not the antidote for depression. If one meditates on the negative side of life, it probably pulls the person down further into depression.

This is a hasty conclusion. There are many different types of meditation, some of which are well suited for depression or anxiety.