Comments on: Meditation and depression

By: Bodhipaksa

Bodhipaksa — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 13:53:58 +0000

Hi Ramesh,

I’m sorry to hear about the distress you’ve been experiencing. It sounds more like anxiety than depression, but whatever is going on I’m sure meditation can help. Meditating helps us to recognize that our thoughts are just stories we tell ourselves and that we don’t need to believe those stories. It can also help to reduce the amount of thinking, and to calm down our emotions. Since you’re in India (I presume) I’d suggest you look out for one of the 10 day Vipassana retreats led by Mr. Goenka or his disciples. They include a thorough training in observing the mind and standing back from our thinking.

I do hope you find peace.
Bodhipaksa

By: Ramesh kumar

Ramesh kumar — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 15:50:49 +0000

Hi Bodhipaksa Sir,My name is ramesh,age 26,my father was expired four years back,from that time my psycological problem started like starting dizzy has been coming for every hour and then i started thinking that i may die and then started thinking that i may go mad..i am suffering with that problems.last year i cannot controlled my thoughts then i went to psycologist.he prescribed me medications,starting i was happy,again i am facing same problems.can this will be solved by meditation.and no one knows that i am in such type of depression.i will meet my friends daily,and i will be happy with my friends and when i am alone i am facing psycological problems.so please give me the solution

By: denis

denis — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 03:09:35 +0000

Namaste All,
Interesting and close to my experiences. Regarding energy blockages in the body especialy when trying to meditate, if origin of blockage is self induced through wrong thinking defilement, and has now manifested pinched nerve in neck and between shoulders, this now causing fatigue and depression.
How then dose this relate with deeper understanding of dukha’s “unsatisfactoryness” and suffering?
Hampered will as cause of suffering.
Also Budhist views “Abandon all hope of fruition”
“Aimlessness”
The problems that acompany egos demand for things to be other than they are!
Eish!
On a last humourous note check out “STOP IT!” Bob Newhart on You tube.
Love n Grattitude Denis
Hogsback South Africa

By: Scottknick

Scottknick — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 12:45:11 +0000

Thanks for this important discussion. I have been on medication for depression and anxiety for eight years, and have been meditating daily for the last two. I have found that meditation has made me more aware of the triggers of my depression, and of the core beliefs that underlie it. It has also given me small glimpses of the great field of unconditioned awareness in which all perceptions and mental formations are held, and this has made me more tranquil and serene even in times of depression and anxiety.

I have never had qualms about depression medications, (I was on Paxil and now take venlafaxine and naltrexone), primarily because I have never found them to be intoxicating or even mood altering in the gross sense. I don’t entertain any feelings that I should somehow be dealing with my mood disorders “by myself,” because I recognize that my self in any given moment is merely an aggregate of a universe of factors, one of which happens to be the levels of seratonin and norepinephrine floating around in my synapses.

What’s more, I think the meds have helped my meditation by making it a little easier to accept and be with negative emotions and memories that arise. They have also made it a little easier to practice metta for myself and others with less anxiety. Overall I have found meditation to be an irreplaceable adjunct to (but not a replacement for) therapy, medication and 12-step work.

By: Bodhipaksa

Bodhipaksa — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 13:59:11 +0000

Hi Eric,

I’m sorry to hear about the difficult experiences you’ve been having. What comes to my mind is that although some people can do only mindfulness meditation, it’s generally preferable to employ complementary approaches — especially lovingkindness meditation.

Mindfulness meditation does lead to non-attachment, but when there’s a lack of appreciation and warmth accompanying our observation of our experience this non-attachment can turn into detachment, which is much less healthy. We can in fact become rather alienated and cut off from our emotions. When mindfulness and lovingkindness are integrated we can observe our experience in an loving, appreciative, inquisitive way.

I’d suggest that you take up lovingkindness meditation as a complement to your mindfulness practice. Although I’d generally suggest balancing the two forms of practice by doing them on alternate days, in your case, since you’re redressing an imbalance, I’d suggest doing much more lovingkindness than mindfulness meditation. Early in my meditation career I was a rather hostile and critical person, and someone told me “You can’t do too much lovingkindness meditation.” That turned out to be true. For a long time I did virtually nothing but metta bhavana, and it had a profound effect on me. I hope you’ll notice the same effect.

All the best with your practice.
Bodhipaksa

By: Eric

Eric — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 05:53:37 +0000

Hello all.
I believe that I have meditated myself into extinction. One of the comments I read referred to a disengagement from life. It feels as though I have “become” the observer, however, I don’t think this is quite true. Having been trained in Psychology, I’m afraid that I tend to dissociate. I starting meditating after reading “The Power of Now”. It occured to me, intellectually, that if I am unable to be still and to know what is happening within me, then all of the external activities are fruitless. Thus, I decided to stop working in the mental health field and began to meditate quite a bit. I have, it seems, lost my sense of humor, have developed strange sensations throughout the body that it seems have probably always been there but with all of the “movement” and general activity, I didn’t even know what was happening in my body- what I was feeling. I have been depressed since my first long-term relationship broke up and despite brief periods of respite, I cannot seem to find joy. I remember reading Osho’s discussion on facial expressions and his comments about not smiling when the feeling is otherwise as this will mess up the whole mechanism. I have therefore allowed anger to show on my face (quite scary and uncomfortable) and have tried to accept it and let it pass. It is quite hot in my throat, chest and stomach. There is great tension in the head. I have been treated with Reiki, Re-birthing, I Vision-Quested, took an Aryuvedic retreat and have had much therapy and drug trials. My meditation was mindfully based, where i watched the breath. It has become such that the body feels quite tense and I can feel it always- especially from the throat through the head. Quite painful. I know that has dragged on but I’m at my wits end and I feel that if I could find a place to be taught and “retreat”, I may again have something of value to offer. I find myself quite frightened and socially distant though still able to “act the part”, but this feels quite tenuous. I know that a psychiatrist will only medicate me and I fear that my journey would be thwarted.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Especially, specific techniques for dealing with energy blocks in the body. I have tried to dissolve that which Ken Wilber calls “mini-boundaries” by allowing tension to become tighter, but it seems that I cannot locate the muscles causing my incredible tension. I scream periodically, but it never seems enough.

I was physically and emotionally abused as child and I recall being unable to be still even back then. Now, even the ego-enhancing behaviors that I used to engage in and seem to enjoy seem– ridiculous.

Help!

Thanks for listening (reading) and for any advice.

By: antimatter

antimatter — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 02:55:37 +0000

for depressed people like myself i have found a very happy combination: my therapist is present in such a way that her energy embraces me; and mindful attention to how i am feeling and who i am with, helps me to sustain a kind of energy that disables depression. in my darkest period, i latched onto this blues line “baby, you can choose despair, or you can be happy, if you dare.” (thank you, Ian McEwan). i think practicing with a good zen mentor is a bonus–not the only way though–unless you don’t have so many monsters under the bed. avoid phonies. Buddha, true therapists, &c say only you have the answers. the answers change. anything that helps slow down the mind chatter is all to the good. if you are a parent of relentless children, make time for yourself. it is crucial to move from your center. bless the depressed–m*w

By: Matthew Brown

Matthew Brown — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 01:53:01 +0000

aniol, I have been wondering the same thing. Right now, I am more depressed than ever, and it is a distraction from my work on lovingkindness. I resonate deeply when i hear of tragedy or another’s sadness, yet my own suffering from sorrow leads me into repetitive thoughts that are no help at all to anyone. I work on metta, but often it seems quite empty, and I don’t know if it is because of my depression.

I don’t miss taking Paxil, because on one level I think I was deluded — for one thing, it was part of the reason I became such a heavy drinker for awhile– but it did keep me from the depths of depression.

By: aniol

aniol — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 14:22:38 +0000

hi I have been wondering, after my experience with Paxil, if the effects of the drug over time diminished my capacity for empathy, and therefore my compassion. I am certainly struggling with more sadness now; but wonder if that doesn’t make me keener to understand and appreciate the sadness, grief and loss of others. anil. Manic Depression News and Discussion Forum

By: Donald Fleck DCSW

Donald Fleck DCSW — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 19:14:53 +0000

I am a mental health professional. I see you are having an important dialog.

I am working on a definition of what a mindful psychotherapist really is, and put my thoughts up on my blog, Mindfulness and Psythotherapy. Perhaps you or your readers would have a look at what I wrote, and and any comments for my benefit. The blog is at http://www.DonaldFleck.com.

Thank you very much,

Donald Fleck DCSW