Mental Illnesses

[Elisabeth]

How does personal development go together with mental illness? How much of pre-existing depression/bipolar/psychosis can be actually cured with self-help or therapy, what are the limitations? Should people with these issues better avoid some techniques, like some hard-core meditative practices or psychedelics? Or maybe just avoid those techniques yet before they get to a stable level without meds? What about "illnesses" developed after actually getting into the work, are they different?