Spirituality/Religion vs. Depression

[Aupmanyav]

Do you have/had depression? Do you have insight on this topic?

I do not know what depression is though I have passed through difficult situations. Total submission to the will of God (known as Samprapti in Hinduism) can help - that effectively means leave everything to chance. But going deep in superstition may not help.

 

[muhammad_isa]

Is spirituality/religion an effective treatment against depression?

I think it's important not to be alone all the time.
When one is clinically depressed, it is easy to become socially isolated.

Being in "good company", and remembering Almighty God is essential, but it is not always easy when one gets that low.

 

[Secret Chief]

I wonder if the simple practice of meditation was introduced to the non spiritual patient, if there mood would improve.

It is recommended by the British health service for anxiety and mild depression.

- Mindfulness

 

[RestlessSoul]

I had that problem for many years when I had dropped out of my religion.
I still do not feel I am good enough to be a Baha'i, but as long as I am trying I do not feel shame.

You are as good as God wants or expects you to be, in this life.

 

[Aupmanyav]

I think it's important not to be alone all the time.
When one is clinically depressed, it is easy to become socially isolated.

I think that is what saves people from older civilizations, family support, which is missing in West. I was without employment for four years.

 

[blü 2]

Is spirituality/religion an effective treatment against depression?

Should the depressed person attempt to immerse themselves in spiritual practice in order to treat their depression? Not as a replacement for psychiatry/medication and therapy, but to be used side by side with these resources.

Or, can spiritual practice be an effective replacement for traditional treatment, in the case where traditional treatment is unavailable?

Do you have/had depression? Do you have insight on this topic?

I'm bipolar, and am currently depressed. Life situations are emotional taxing and filled with impossible choices, so that plays a part.

I do think that spirituality is the stone that we should stand on when it comes to our mental health.

I don't think it simply varies from person to person. I think committed spiritual practice is a for sure way to combat depression. It isn't an instantaneous thing, but I do think it works.

I'm not saying that the depressed believer isn't practicing hard enough. Sorry if it comes across that way.

If the problem is depression, the place to start is always to get moving by walking for at least an hour every day, terrible weather days only excepted. Not only that but your shopping will be up to date (but time in shops doesn't count for your hour ─ you need to be moving for that).

I'm not sure I see any useful connection between religion and depression. And one might succumb to the chance to wail and bemoan and beg to be comforted instead of actually doing things.

You can of course take medical advice from a specialist if your Public Health or your insurance or your purse runs to that.

 

[Aštra’el]

Is spirituality/religion an effective treatment against depression?

Absolutely… but do not depend on the religion for this. Depend on yourself, and the way you embrace the religion.

Should the depressed person attempt to immerse themselves in spiritual practice in order to treat their depression?

There is no “should”. Find religion(s) that resonate with who you are and who you will to be, and embrace the religion(s) in a way that strengthens you.

Or, can spiritual practice be an effective replacement for traditional treatment, in the case where traditional treatment is unavailable?

Absolutely. My spiritual-religious system and the way I embrace it is far more effective for self-improvement than whatever a psychiatrist could do for me, and far better for my body than whatever drugs they might prescribe.

If you are drowning in the deep… then it is on you to pull yourself out. Your mind is a powerful force, your body is a magnificent machine. Use them! Do not allow yourself to depend on others to rescue you. Find the Will to rescue yourself! Get off your knees, and fight! Take pride in who you are! Overcome adversity.

Do you have/had depression? Do you have insight on this topic?

Not anymore. I do not tolerate it.

When I found myself in hell… with the help of my gods, I forged a fiery sword that I used myself to illuminate the path ahead and overcome the obstacles before me, until I emerged from it… unbowed to that which seeks only to tear me down.

I think… when I began living my life with no regrets, and liberated myself from “right” and “wrong”… I developed an immunity to it.

Life can be cruel, yet it remains so beautiful. May we all remember this no matter what storms come our way.

 

[syo]

Is spirituality/religion an effective treatment against depression?

No.

 

[Sirona]

Hmm. Religion does seem like a niche interest. I wonder if the simple practice of meditation was introduced to the non spiritual patient, if there mood would improve.

While more "explicit" forms of religion are generally avoided in treatment, mindfulness (from Buddhism) is a standard therapy for depressed patients, presumably to keep them from ruminating and to improve their ability to enjoy themselves. In occupational therapy, coloring mandalas, for example, is commonplace. I guess it's meant to calm down patients. Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny, however, have escaped the ban of religious coloring symbols in psychotherapy.

Depression serves, among other things, to mitigate aggressive impulses that are socially unacceptable and are therefore suppressed. If these feelings are suppressed long enough, they turn against oneself. It also doesn't help that in Western culture everything always has to be "positive" and everything gloomy is blamed on the devil. In certain forms of Buddhism and Hinduism, especially Tantrism, "dark impulses" are represented and visualized as gods and goddesses. However, this path is not without danger, one must be very careful and ideally one should have a qualified guru with them, although most "Westerners" who deal with such things probably do not have one.

 

[1213]

Is spirituality/religion an effective treatment against depression?
...

By what I see, depression seems to be an issue that comes when person is too focused on himself and his own problems. Christianity can move the focus to higher matters. It gives more perspective and can help person to be less focused on himself and more focused for example on how to love others. It can also help person to forgive himself, if he has failed. And in this way I think it can help against depression. Maybe it doesn't always happen like that, but I think the key in depression is to get distance to the problem so that one sees it in right scale. If one is too focused on something, too close to the worrying matter, it looks bigger than what it is and that can cause depression. It is like if you would look a rock from one feet, it would appear too large to pass it, but if you go few steps back from it, it looks smaller and you can see a route pass it.

 

[firedragon]

Is spirituality/religion an effective treatment against depression?

I cant say it's highly effective. But some studies have shown that it is effective statistically.

 

[Vinidra]

I'm bipolar, and I believe that nothing, including religion, is a substitute for medical intervention. I also know when I'm on my medication and feeling well, I'm a much better devotee than I would otherwise be.

 

[loverofhumanity]

Is spirituality/religion an effective treatment against depression?

Should the depressed person attempt to immerse themselves in spiritual practice in order to treat their depression? Not as a replacement for psychiatry/medication and therapy, but to be used side by side with these resources.

Or, can spiritual practice be an effective replacement for traditional treatment, in the case where traditional treatment is unavailable?

Do you have/had depression? Do you have insight on this topic?

I'm bipolar, and am currently depressed. Life situations are emotional taxing and filled with impossible choices, so that plays a part.

I do think that spirituality is the stone that we should stand on when it comes to our mental health.

I don't think it simply varies from person to person. I think committed spiritual practice is a for sure way to combat depression. It isn't an instantaneous thing, but I do think it works.

I'm not saying that the depressed believer isn't practicing hard enough. Sorry if it comes across that way.

Hi Xavier. There are different causes of depression so the treatment needs to be aligned to the cause. If the depression is metabolic or chemical imbalance then medications are essential and should never be ignored. But I believe that we are primarily spiritual beings so meditation and prayer should be used alongside medications as a calm mind and inner peace can greatly assist recovery.

But I would strongly caution against self diagnosis and self treatment or such things as ‘spiritual healers’. I would suggest that in addition to prescribed medications by a qualified physician such things as prayer, meditation, acts of service to the community and keeping things like a gratefulness diary.

 

[PearlSeeker]

Although I haven't been depressed religion used to help me in difficult times. If you have faith, religion can give you hope that all is good (in God's hands), no matter what. You have someone to lament to. You can trust that you are never on your own and that God will "not let you be tempted beyond your ability". All can be turned for your own good. You can await heavenly rest after you'll endure all till end ... That is if you have faith. It works even as placebo.

 

[Trailblazer]

All can be turned for your own good. You can await heavenly rest after you'll endure all till end ... That is if you have faith. It works even as placebo.

It may or may not be a placebo.

 

[Ella S.]

There have been studies done on this topic, and they tend to demonstrate that it really does vary from person to person.

For some people, religion can be a good support system, and it can provide feelings of self-transcendence.

However, religion also often carries heavy connotations of abusive power and control, both from clerics/monks who demand obedience and fellow members who use social pressures to enforce conformity.

This is particularly nasty in the case of, for instance, queer evangelical Christians, who usually suffer specifically because of their religions, to say nothing of "Catholic guilt."

In my opinion, it's playing with fire. You're better off relying on secular therapies and psychiatric treatments, because they have a much higher efficacy rate and lower risk.

 

[Sirona]

By what I see, depression seems to be an issue that comes when person is too focused on himself and his own problems. Christianity can move the focus to higher matters. It gives more perspective and can help person to be less focused on himself and more focused for example on how to love others. It can also help person to forgive himself, if he has failed. And in this way I think it can help against depression. Maybe it doesn't always happen like that, but I think the key in depression is to get distance to the problem so that one sees it in right scale. If one is too focused on something, too close to the worrying matter, it looks bigger than what it is and that can cause depression. It is like if you would look a rock from one feet, it would appear too large to pass it, but if you go few steps back from it, it looks smaller and you can see a route pass it.

I used to be Catholic, so I can't speak for all forms of Christianity, but the focus on "people being sinners" and "torture and human sacrifice of a presumably sinless man" is one of the things that got me regularly depressed. But I guess it's a matter of perspective. It it's also said that people in "selfless" jobs like priests or social workers are more likely to suffer from depression or alcoholism. So, if you're already in trouble, focusing on "being more selfless" may not cure the problem, but may actually make it worse, leading to "burn-out" in many cases.

 

[1213]

I used to be Catholic, so I can't speak for all forms of Christianity, but the focus on "people being sinners" and "torture and human sacrifice of a presumably sinless man" is one of the things that got me regularly depressed. But I guess it's a matter of perspective. It it's also said that people in "selfless" jobs like priests or social workers are more likely to suffer from depression or alcoholism. So, if you're already in trouble, focusing on "being more selfless" may not cure the problem, but may actually make it worse, leading to "burn-out" in many cases.

Interesting. It is true that Jesus can be seen as a human sacrifice, because he used his life for us and was killed while doing good. If he would have remained dead, that would be depressing. But, if we believe what is said in the Bible, God raised him from death, which I think gives hope for all who are suffering. And that way I think it is not depressing.

And the depression of those who do "selfless" jobs, I think it would be interesting to study what is the reason for their depression. Is it that the work or being "selfless" really, or something else? In all cases I think there is some profound reason for it. And I think it is always some issue that looks too big to overcome, which causes depression. For example it may be that person has wrong reason to be selfless. If the reason is wrong, it can become too difficult and cause depression.

 

[Sirona]

If the reason is wrong, it can become too difficult and cause depression.

Don't want to make a controversy out of this but the way I understand your statement is that you cannot burn out and suffer from depression if you work for the "right" cause , by which I assume you refer to Christianity. If that's true, then I would give the counter example of Teresa of Calcutta who probably worked for the "right" cause but spent most of her life in dire depression, or "dark night of the soul", to put it more elegantly. She even wrote about it in a most oppressive way in her diary, published under the title "Come be my Light".

 

[1213]

Don't want to make a controversy out of this but the way I understand your statement is that you cannot burn out and suffer from depression if you work for the "right" cause , by which I assume you refer to Christianity. If that's true, then I would give the counter example of Teresa of Calcutta who probably worked for the "right" cause but spent most of her life in dire depression, or "dark night of the soul", to put it more elegantly. She even wrote about it in a most oppressive way in her diary, published under the title "Come be my Light".

Hmmm...I think it is possible person gets depressed even when doing good work. People are weak and make mistakes. However, I think there reason for depression is always that person sees some problem too big. And I think the solution is to see it in right scale, or light. That does not mean that the problem goes instantly away, it just makes it back to its right size. Can you tell what caused depression for Theresa of Calcutta?