I am a budding buddhist who is ,according to my Do
Written by
max
2. Sep 2002 10:33 PM
I am a budding buddhist who is ,according to my Doctor , suffering a depressive illness. I have the option of a drug treatment but am unsure whether to take this path.
The impression I get is that it goes against Buddhist ideals to seek this treatment as it would be seen that my suffering is actually a spiritual problem.
I feel a great conflict about this issue. I wish to alleviate my suffering but dont wish to block an opprtunity for spiritual growth.
Does anyone have some experience of this conflict or have some words of help?
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Look Max i don''''''''t know about buddism, hey i
Written by
monie
5. Sep 2002 06:37 PM
Look Max i don''''''''t know about buddism, hey i probably can''''''''t even spell it right. I have had depression for about 8 years now and i am 20 years old i didn''''''''t want drugs to control my mood but the thing is if i didn''''''''t take drugs i wouldn''''''''t have friends now and i wouldn''''''''t be here now.
You need to figure out how you would be able to control your ilness without drugs, but remember depression is a problem with your chemicals in your head and sometimes people do need help with that prob.
Every problem you have will be a chance for spiritual growth, but if you are like me and you think of suicide then yu won''t have that spiritual growth because you will be dead.
Tablets will allow you to better understand the spiritual growth the you will experience in life. If you don''t take tablets then you will be stuck on this particular prob and you will have no spiritual growth in any other area.
GOODLUCK
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Dear Max As one who has been studying and p
Written by
julieji
18. Sep 2002 01:45 PM
Dear Max
As one who has been studying and practising in the Buddhist tradition for over a decade, I can assure you that it does not go against Buddhist ideals to get treatment for depression, in much the same way that it is ok to get treatment for any physical condition. In fact the Buddha taught very clearly the interconnectedness of mind and body, so that an illness of one is interlinked with an illness of the other.
The buddha''s teachings on suffering were not to imply that we need to go looking for it, or that we have to endure some treatable condition. They are really about the extra suffering we add on to our unavoidable sufferings, by reacting to them with either aversion or attachment. Life is not supposed to be an endurance test.
Further, it is my understanding that depression left untreated mixed together with meditation can actually be dangerous to ones mental health, and participants on meditation retreats are usually asked at the outset if they experience any for this reason.
With metta
Julie
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Hi This talk on Bhuddism is interesting as
Written by
Gus
19. Sep 2002 02:48 PM
Hi
This talk on Bhuddism is interesting as I recently began to study it myself. The stuff on ''hell realms'' freaked me out a bit as I''ve been through a veritable hell with depression myself.
I agree with Max, I don''t think Buddha would subscribe to suffering unneccessarily. My impression is that the aim is to be free from suffering in a manner that is ethical and doesn''t cause others any harm. So whether it be anti-depressants or a natural alternative, the improvement of your mood in order to function better in the world can only be good not bad karma.
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Just a thank you to monie, julieji and Gus. Your v
Written by
max
14. Oct 2002 11:19 PM
Just a thank you to monie, julieji and Gus. Your viewpoints were really appreciated. Very positive and logical! I feel less conflicted about the whole issue. Thanks to you all.
Max
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Max, I would suggest to you that you really do con
Written by
Anonymous
5. Jan 2003 11:43 PM
Max, I would suggest to you that you really do consider your treatment options in regards to meds. Depression holds no prejudice when it comes to your faith. It´´s an illness like any other that may require medication from time to time. All the best.
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Dear Max, I do not have similar experience as y
Written by
nwrc
8. May 2003 12:55 AM
Dear Max,
I do not have similar experience as you, but there is one thing for sure - Buddhism do not teach one not to seek medical treatment.
Indeed, there are many dieases that are caused by bad karma, but one should always try to take care of oneself.
However, according to what I know, this should not be done at the expense of other living things.
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Hi, I´´m actually of the Christian fai
Written by
Username
24. Jun 2003 05:01 AM
Hi, I´´m actually of the Christian faith, I have explored Budhdism (my uncle is a monk) and the two are quite similar in some ways e.g. self denial and living to grow spiritually. On that last one, I struggled with the same dilemma of ´´am I giving up an opporutinity to grow spiritually/not dying to self´´. I eventually did take a short course of medications, which if nouthing else at least stopped me from topping myself! Afterwards, I realised that I had grown spiritually AS A DIRECT RESULT OF HAVING TAKEN THE MEDICATION. How? Well, I was proud. I didn´´t want to take the medication because it would have been the ultimate admission that I was not it and a bit and that I do need help. In taking the meds, I grew - in humility. There´´s still along way for me to go of course :) I wish you all the best in your journey too =D God bless
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There are esteemed Zen masters who´´ve
Written by
jonrkc
6. Feb 2004 04:16 AM
There are esteemed Zen masters who´´ve had to seek professional help for depression. Popular conception (fostered by the press, sometimes) is that Buddhist practice, culminating in some sort of mysteriouis ´´enlightenment,´´ produces supermen and women who are immune from ordinary ills. The Buddha himself died of an ordinary case of food poisoning. He sometimes got sad or angry. I think he would have gone to the doctor if he got really depressed.
Enlightenment is not something mysterious or elite: it´´s simply being increasingly well aware of the way things are. So if you become aware you´´re depressed, it makes sense to act in an enlightened way and do something about it--because depression interferes with every aspect of life, including ´´spiritual´´ practice.
I took Zoloft for several years and it seemed to help, but finally I decided it was mainly making me NOT CARE if I was depressed. I quit taking it. But it and the other psychoactive drugs have saved many lives and contributed to many people´´s functioning and well-being. Feel completely free to seek competent help, and be glad your developing insight enables you to perceive the need for this help!
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(Please correct me if I am wrong) Through my pa
Written by
nwrc
8. Feb 2004 07:48 PM
(Please correct me if I am wrong)
Through my passage of learning Buddhism, I must say that it seem incorrect to say that Buddha will consult a doctor if he is depressed.
Although Buddha did have emotions, there is no chance for him to encounter emotional or psychological difficulties. As recorded in the sutra, the Buddha is aware of his own thoughts and emotions, and is able to avoid being controlled by them.
For example, if we are furious with somebody, we normally hit that person without thinking. Such incident has demonstrated our inability to monitor our own emotions and take appropriate actions.
Since Buddha is constantly aware of himself, it is impossible for him to experience mental problems. The fact that meditation helps in solving most of these psychlogical problems comes from the ability to concentrate and know our body.
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Dear newrc--I certainly don´´t wish to
Written by
jonrkc
9. Feb 2004 03:01 AM
Dear newrc--I certainly don´´t wish to say you´´re ´´wrong,´´ but my understanding differs from yours. In the first place, depression in many cases is traceable to chemical imbalance. The Buddha was probably as vulnerable to chemical factors as any other human (and after all, he was only human, and stressed the fact to his followers who already probably exhibited a tendency to want to deify this remarkable being). He allegedly died of food poisoning--to give an example of vulnerability to physical factors.
I don´´t believe depression can be separated from the physical as though it were an abstract entity. It´´s all too concrete, and in many cases does yield to physical treatment (chemical or even in the form of proper exercise).
Further, the Buddha is said to have been sad for a few days when thousands of his kinsmen were killed in a ferocious battle. Anybody who would not feel sadness (at least!) under the circumstances would, in my opinion, not make a very good teacher. But the Buddha was probably the best teacher we know of in our historical time frame.
The point is, he was able to be keenly aware of his emotions and to avoid falling prey to them. It´´s not that he didn´´t experience them. I think it entirely possible that even the Buddha, provoked enough, would strike a confronter. But he would instantly regret it if he perceived the action as inappropriate. Then he would make amends.
There are references in the stories about the Buddha´´s post-´´enlightenment´´ life to times in which he does become angry, though I don´´t know that he ever goes beyond verbal demonstrations.
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Drugs;
Written by
soulXchange
3. May 2006 06:06 PM
Lifes a drug ! music is my drug.
1. keep your mind set ,focus and stay strong !
Try accupucture and re-align your body - as its sounds as though somethings out of order. Love ANDROID.{the drugs make you paranoid...
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buddhism and drugs
Written by
island
28. Jun 2006 02:33 AM
I am a practicing buddhist and about to go to school to become a therapist whose emphasis will be on buddhism. The topic interests me. There are many books on the subject of buddhism and psychology. They don't all agree. However, there is a sense that the two things are separate and not necessarily about the same things or in the same world view. Remember that buddhism is both ancient and Eastern, several steps away from our contemporary Western ways.
Let's approach the main issue, suffering, with a physical example to see if that helps clarify the issues. Say I have a sprained knee and am in terrible pain. That pain is not yet suffering; it is just pain. Pain has textures and a set of sensations. I could approach the pain with mindfulness and simply sit with it and not suffer, attending to the pain, noticing it, feeling it directly, does it burn or sting or throb? It might sound odd but that is only because we are so used to running away from pain or avoiding it. And we tend to conflate it with suffering. But suffering is created by the mind. Pain is not. That is, the suffering comes when you start all the narratives in your head about pain rather than dealing directly with the pain. You push it away or cling to it, saying to yourself, oh pain, I don't like this, it will never go away, when will it go away, how could this happen, oh no, I don't deserve this.....and soon you are in the middle of great suffering as well as being in pain.
Now would the Buddha say that taking something for pain is wrong? Of course not. Pain is pain. It is not spiritual. It is not a test. It is an inevitable part of the human condition. Taking medicine to treat the pain can be a wise and mindful thing to do. So I don't see the conflict between drugs and buddhism. Depression is physical too. It manifests itself as emotional pain, but the roots are in the brain, an organ with chemicals. If the chemicals are imbalanced, then restoring balance is a mindful thing to do. Indeed it is part of the vows to treat your body and self with respect. Depression can become suffering, just as pain can. But suffering is what you do with the depression, not the illness itself. And suffering is more of a spiritual issue.
I believe in the power of the mind, but I also believe in the power of medicine. Without certain medications at certain times, I would not be well. If I am not well, then I suffer and indirectly I cause suffering around me. I take it as almost a vow or duty to make sure that I am doing everything I can to be as healthy as possible. And medication is as important as meditation.
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