Can meditation be useful for those who have a tendency to feel depressed? And can those whose depression is caused by chemical imbalances (e.g. those who live with bipolar disorder or manic-depression) usefully meditate?
I am convinced that meditation can be very helpful for depression, whether the depression is situational (caused by external events) or organic (caused by chemical imbalances in the brain). Research has also shown that learning to meditate can dramatically reduce the chances of relapse into depression for those who have suffered repeated bouts.
I am not a mental health professional, and make no claims for any expertise in the field of mental health in general, or with depression in particular. However, I know meditators who have struggled with depression, and they have found their practice to be a great support. I’ve also experienced periods of depression myself, and mindfulness has been an invaluable tool for emerging from that state.
There may be some kinds of meditation which are not of benefit to those who have a tendency to experience depression, and I will mention those in this section. The Mindfulness of Breathing and Metta Bhavana practices however, are certainly useful for anyone to practice.
In fact the Metta Bhavana (development of lovingkindness) practice is highly recommended for those who experience depression.
However there may also be times when it’s best for those who are depressed not to meditate — for example when experiencing an extreme bout of depression it is probably not a good idea to try to meditate. One reason for this are that learning to meditate is a challenging experience, and because when one is very depressed one has few inner resources to fall back on, any difficulties experienced while learning meditation are likely to be taken too seriously and interpreted as a sign of personal failure. Another reason is that when we’re depressed we tend to over-indulge in what’s called “rumination,” or the endless turning over in the mind of thoughts about what’s wrong with our lives. Because meditation is an inward-turned activity it may actually give people who are experiencing depression yet another opportunity to ruminate.
In cases of milder depression it’s quite possible to meditate effectively, building on whatever inner resources one has in order to lift oneself into a more positive frame of mind.
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Olá Ivone,
Sou um instrutor do método "Atenção Plena" (Mindfulness, em inglês) aqui em São Paulo, Brasil. Fiquei curioso sobre a sua pergunta, porque existem, sim, princÃÂpios práticos que pessoas que tem pânico podem utilizar no dia-a-dia. E, trabalhando com vários médicos ligados ao Hospital Albert Einstein, posso até indicar pesquisas sobre as evidências dos benefÃÂcios dessas práticas, se quiser. O segredo é: aprende e estabeleça uma prática diária em que você está cultivando uma consciência maior do aqui e agora - o momento presente. Essa prática é sutil, e conselho que você procura um bom profissional que pode ajudar você. Se quiser, pode entrar no meu site: http://www.atencaoplena.com.br para ver as opções. Posso mandar para você uma gravação de uma meditação que usamos nos nossos cursos para você ver como funciona, Abraço, Stephen
Dear Bodhipaksa,
I am requesting your advice on how to help my boyfriend.Since the last couple months, he was
diagnosed with clinical depression and was prescribed antidepressants.
When he ran out of medicine, he experienced twitching and a broad
spectrum of emotions. He was crying but did not know why he was
crying. He was always on top of things and very in control of his
life and emotions. Right now, he feels like he can not control what he feels or be on top of things. He says he does not have a reason to be depressed. He just feels sad and down. He told me later that sometimes twitching happens with certain emotions.Before he was diagnosed, it seemed like he showed signs of depression but I was not exactly sure. He wants to feel happy but he says his feelings just seem blocked. At the moment, we have a long distance relationship because I have a summer semester at a college away from home. I was wondering if seeing him would be therapeutic as well. He also opens up to me the most about his feelings. I am studying medicine but my knowledge of depression is not enough to help him. I have told a couple of my friends, and they have been trying to help me help him. He is back on his antidepressants. I heard meditation can help the mind with one who has depression. I would appreciate it if you could please tell me what type of meditation can help depression and the Buddhism views behind it so that I can help him. I would be very grateful.
Thank you,
Tanaya
Hi Tanaya,
I'm sorry to hear about your boyfriend's profound depression. I understand that coming off antidepressants can be very rough in its own right -- there are withdrawal symptoms on top of the symptoms of the depression. You don't say why he stopped his meds or whether he did this on medical advice, but he really should be talking with his doctor throughout this time.
As far as meditation goes, mostly it's been shown to be effective in preventing relapse in people who are not currently depressed. It's unlikely that meditating would be helpful at the moment. In fact it would probably just give him further opportunities for deepening his depression. He needs to get well, first, and so the best thing you could do is to encourage him to get treatment.
Seeing you might well help him. Depressed people can become very isolated, and that can deepen the depression. But often men are ashamed by being ill and see it as a sign of weakness, and sympathy can be interpreted as confirmation that they're being seen as weak. So if you do go and see him, I wouldn't go with the assumption that smothering him in sympathy is going to make things better. It might well do the opposite. Practical help -- creating a pleasant environment around him, making sure he eats decent food, helping him get to the doctor -- might be the best expression of your concern for him.
I wish both of you all the best.
I am a general practitioner from IRAN and read your comments right now these are very useful and I sure every body can use meditation for have a more happy life,unfortunately these metods are not used in persian culture and consulting with psycotherapist makes social problems,so people have not trend to consult without when they have deeply mental problem,and think use of meditation is JUST for mentaly sick people!!!
Bodhipaksa your comments to SS back in Feb 2008 resonated with me now as I read it. I have faced bouts of depression and low selfesteem all my life. It more and more manifests itself as irrational angry outbursts towards people I do not feel validated by. Today I was served by a shop assistant who did not respond to my attempts to connect with her with casual over-the-counter conversation. I tried again, commenting that the vouchers I was purchasing were more attractive than another store, still no response. I could feel the annoyance welling up inside as my need to have my attempts at communication were denied. I tried to draw back to myself and take a metta like approach to the situation, but this calm state lasted only the minute or two until I asked if all the vouchers had been loaded with the amounts and checked, when I received her blunt answer with little eye contact which I perceived has blatant rudeness, I snatched the bag from the counter and made to leave with an expression of extreme dissatisfaction on my face.
This happens a lot...I am the common denominator here. I know it's me, when my expectations to be treated well or even just 'my way' are not met, I react the same way each time. I now expect the situation to arise, and therefore bring it to myself I suspect.
What might be the best approach to relieving myself and the neighbourhood stores of this attitude.
I also want to say thank you for this site. It is becoming invaluable to me.
Hi Marie,
You sound like me, 20-some years ago!
I'd suggest that when you encounter a frustrating experience, you become aware of the fact that you are suffering. Notice the pain you feel (it may be in your heart or your solar plexus, or somewhere else), and send it lovingkindness by repeating phrases like "May you be well, may you be happy." The first thing you have to do is to empathize with your pain and to develop self-compassion. Only then can you become more empathetic to the people around you.
At least, this has worked for me.
This forum seems to be a place where practitioners of meditation and/or Buddha-way can get some advice on dealing with emotional issues. I am coming to believe that my main problem is perfectionism. So I continually evaluate every detail about my life and find that most of the time it is lacking in being completely 'correct'. I am even disgusted with my own flesh-constructed body (its not shaped as I would like) as well as, ultimately, most other flesh-made bodies (I know what is inside them now). Nothing in this world seems clean and nice other than the forest and the clean air after a good rain (though I realize this is an illusion also - there is much decay and death going on there too). But my repulsion does not arise from wisdom, but from 'wanting to get rid of' (vibhava tanha). I seem to be very aversive in temperament.
I was going well in meditation, calming the mind somewhat, came to the door of near-absorbtion but could not enter, have seen impermanence in a limilted way in the mind. Now, those states are gone. My meditation is crappy at present. I still sit every day but I am learning not to expect too much. 'So much for me having any wisdom', a tormenting thought says.
yep, Im about as depressed as ever, because the one thing that gave me the most happiness - my daily meditation sitting in the morning - is not 'working' at present. Perfectionism again! But what should I do? It is a habit of 30 or so years.
Hi Andrew,
I' glad you feel this is a place you can come for suggestions about practice.
I've written about perfectionism before, and you may want to read that article to see how I've talked about the subject.
I've also written about self-aversion, and how we can deal with that using lovingkindness meditation. Believe me, I've been there!
Why not read both those articles, try putting some of what I've said into practice, and then let me know how you get on?
All the best,
Bodhipaksa
Hi Bodhipaksa
I was wondering what you'd suggest for someone who's just come back from a weekend retreat on compassion, doing lots of metta meditations (though probably not enough :-) ), also a lot of mindfulness and insight meditation.. I feel as though the retreat allowed me to open up to some very painful obsessions, feelings, emotions, thoughts etc that have troubled me for several years of my adult life (I'm 26). In opening up to these thoughts and emotions I'm feeling very disoriented, confused, depressed and sometimes very very tearful and emotional. I have felt unable to go to work the last couple of days because I've felt so bad. I've suffered depressive episodes, as well as obsessions and anxiety-related stuff, for the last few years, and I feel as though opening up to this stuff, questioning and looking at myself, as well as showing myself some kindness, has precipitated the start of another depressive episode.
I've also been reading lots of stuff on the net about meditation-induced psychosis, as well as lots of scary stuff that people say has happened to them in meditation (sensations of ants crawling all over their faces, shaking, twitching, uncontrollable bursts of emotion, visions of past lives etc) and that all that stuff is part of the path. All that stuff scared the living daylights out of me and makes me feel as though meditation could be dangerous for my mental health...
Arggghhh. What do you think?
Thanks for your reply in advance.
Best wishes
Katy
Hi Katy,
In short, what I'd suggest is self-compassion. It can be hard coming out of very supportive conditions and peaceful surroundings, having opened ourselves up. We can end up very jarred and confused.
First up, there can be thoughts along the lines that we're failing because we're experiencing suffering. In fact, it's not failure at all. It's a normal part of human experience to suffer. So we have to begin with accepting our suffering, and not seeing it as a sign that something is wrong, or as unwelcome.
I find it's best to locate the suffering in the body, and to have a sense of its size, shape, and texture. And I hold it in my awareness tenderly, like the hurt thing it is, and wish it well by using the phrases from lovingkindness meditation that I'm sure you're familiar with. Just wish your pain well. It doesn't matter if you don't actually feel any lovingkindness at first, or even for a long while. We just need to step back, stop thinking there's something wrong, and drop those thoughts of lovingkindness into the mind. Things will change eventually.
I very much doubt that there's anything dangerous about meditation for people who are not already psychotic or schizophrenic. Those sensations etc you describe are not harmful or even limited to meditation. I mean, don't you get an itchy nose sometimes when you're carrying furniture or otherwise are unable to scratch the itch? That can happen in meditation as well! I've sometimes experienced twitching, rushes of energy, or the arising of strong emotion. These are just normal experiences in meditation (I've never had visions of past lives not have I heard of that happening). In the long run they're good things. Tensions get released, we get to know parts of ourselves that we've forgotten to experience. This is good. Sometimes uncomfortable, but good.
But mostly meditation is just work: follow the breath, get distracted, come back to the breath -- repeat a million times.
It may be that you should hold off from the meditation if you're becoming very depressed. Meditation can be helpful in preventing depression, but when people are actually depressed they can use the introversion of meditation to "wallow" in unpleasant feelings and thoughts. It might be best to do some walking meditation, get out in nature, or get lost in a good book -- basically break the cycle of feeling bad and then feeling bad about feeling bad.
I'd be very interested to hear how you get on. I wish you well.
Need some help! I've been depressed most of my life. I was sexually abused as a child and was promiscuous as a teen. I met my husband when I was 17 and we've been together for 23 years. I had some acting out behaviors (which he participated in) while we were married. I sought help and fixed myself. Now he says he wants a divorce and I am crushed. I suspect he has found someone more positive. I can't stop ruminating and hating myself as I always I have. I love my husband desperatly and can't imagine life without him, even though he's been emotionally abusive and unavailable.
I have 2 beautiful children and my economic future looks bleak. I don't have any real job skills and I am 40 years old. I am so scared. How can I move on? Do you think lovingkindness meditation will even help me?