Spiritual Practice And Meditation Do Not Rescue Depression And Suicide

2024 Author: Harry Day | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 15:43

The news of the suicide of the famous actor Robin Williams shocked many people in different parts of the world. Commenting on this event, his wife Susan Schneider reported that the actor was depressed and in a state of constant anxiety. In the past, he suffered from alcohol and drug addiction, but in recent years he remained sober after completing Learning to Love Yourself.

As a wave of spiritual teachings is gaining popularity in Russia as a way to cope with many life's problems, I drew attention to an article on the popular English-language portal The Huffington Post entitled "Meditation Is Not Enough: A Buddhist View of Suicide." The article was written by Lodro Rinzler, who is known as the author of popular books on Buddhism.

Lodro was just waiting for his friend at the bar when his death was announced and watched the reaction of those present. People around reacted differently, but the main idea of the discussion was expressed in amazement: "I would never have thought that a person like him could commit suicide." In the minds of most people it does not fit the idea that famous, successful or wise people can suffer from the same problems from which "mere mortals" suffer. “But Robin Williams is just like the rest of us. The fact that he was a comedian and was perceived by everyone as a joyful person does not mean that he did not have his own problems that he struggled with and could not cope with,”writes Rinzler.

He goes on to say that two and a half years ago, already the author of popular books on Buddhism, he experienced severe depression and came close to committing suicide. He was unexpectedly abandoned by the girl to whom he was engaged; a month later he was fired from his job; but the last straw was the death of one of his best friends, who died of a heart attack at the age of twenty-nine. Lodro writes that he felt alienated from his family and that the two main supporting structures - his fiance and best friend - were no longer present in his life. He started drinking. Severe depression completely sucked into himself his whole life, and he lost the ability to take care of himself and meditate regularly - his condition was so serious. Every day he went up to the roof and thought about jumping down, but from this he was restrained by the thought that he needed to finish his second book. This allowed time to stretch long enough for his buddies to start noticing that something was wrong with him.

Once everything changed:

“I remember the day when I felt a particular decline. My friend Laura invited me to dinner, but I hated being in a restaurant surrounded by people who seemed to be living a "normal life." We were sitting in a nearby park, it was already getting dark, nearby homeless people were relieving themselves, and the rats were slowly starting to get out into the street. Laura showed miracles of patience when I showed no desire to leave this place. Finally, she asked me a question: "Have you ever had the thought of hurting yourself?" Tears flowed down my throat. Within a week, she and her friends brought me to psychotherapy. A week later, I was already able to resume meditation. After another week, I resumed my normal diet. A week later, I was finally able to get enough sleep.

In Buddhist and many other spiritual communities, mental health issues are viewed in a specific way. For example, some Buddhist teachers incompetently talk about depression as a form of suffering, the treatment for which is meditation rather than psychotherapy. This is not true - meditation is not a universal cure for mental illness and psychological problems. Buddha never taught a course called "Don't Help Yourself, Keep Suffering from Your Biochemical Imbalance."If you have a mental disorder, meditation can help, but it should be considered an adjunct to medical care, not a substitute.

The fact that I have suffered from suicidal thoughts does not negate my many years of meditation experience or understanding of Buddhist teachings, but it shows that I am human and I suffer just like all people. You can be an experienced practitioner and still have serious life difficulties like everyone else. Robin Williams committed suicide. I was lucky: I was able to ask for help and no longer felt the same as before. In fact, this experience only heightened the feeling of gratitude that I have towards the practice of meditation and Buddhist teachings.

After I asked for help, my life turned upside down. Buddhists cannot try to solve all problems on a meditation cushion in the hope that they will cope with everything that way. When the situation gets worse - like when you can't get out of bed in the morning - you need help. If you even have a distant suspicion that you are depressed or that you are experiencing emotional experiences that simply pull life out of your control, it is best to seek professional help and guidance. Of course, you can consult a meditation teacher, but a therapist may be more helpful in such cases. Psychotherapy itself can be a practice of mindfulness, where you fully direct your attention every week for an hour to what is being expressed through your body and mind.

Don't feel like you have to go through everything alone. Meditation does not exclude or diminish the effectiveness of psychotherapeutic methods. They are effective in their contexts. There are specially trained people who can work with you to help you cope with your suffering. Don't be afraid to seek help."