Cures for Depression

[Gulalai]

^ the longest posts i have ever seen... but definitely worth it! lol InshAllah when i am feeling better i will finish reading

[شمله ور خراساني]

i m too good for this world...
no seriously, how does one get to be so stupid as to think that depression is caused by feeling sorry for one's self???
there are so many other factors out there...medication side effects..
m i supposed to read all that??...or the though of having to read something that lengthy...

You need to scroll and just read whatever catches your attention.

Or even better, listen to lectures of Sheikh AMeenullah. He is a very nice way of talking. Slighly funny, yet very inspiring.

Just read bits and pieces of what is in this thread. Don't force yourself to read too much. Because then you will not benefit from the content.

[Alchemist]

There are few cases of depression arising from a neurochemical imbalance, purely. And even in those cases, the imbalance comes from a behavioural problem, such as psychoactive drug use, fatigue, and chronic anxiety. In North American society, 50% of the population suffers from depression, so it is my guess that a large number of people have experienced in one form or another, as life in the urban setting does tend to be exhaustive. Normally, people find that in order to find the right balance, they have to engage in leisure activities to break away from the monotony of work and study. Some prefer to develop hobbies, others find comfort in the company of family and kin and others chat on the internet. Often people that experience long term stress are prone to become physically sick, which is why more often than not, doctors trace the source of many common illnesses to stress. And since doctors have that clinical gaze, which is as a result of their materialistic and reductive training, they prescribe psycho active drugs, that antagonize or mimic natural neurochemicals, as a band aid solution.
Ultimately it falls upon the individual to reorganize their own lifestyle, such that they are perusing what they want in life. Deen, religion, prepares one for the afterlife, but one must still be engaged in the affairs of dunya. I usually find that people who find a higher purpose in their life, and feel themselves to be a part of a larger whole, are more likely to look at their life from a wider angle, and break away from the small stressers of life. I feel that people's psychy gets more chewed up by the little problems that pile up, and snow ball over larger problems. It is best to have some one, family or friends, to rely upon a share of one's burden in life, of course, no one is better a Wali to one than Allah. However, it is true that those who feel more distant than Allah, rarely shorten the gap over night, but the key to attaining spiritual harmony is consistency and persistence. Habits, like zikir, salat, recitation of the Qur'an if done on a daily basis, will be sufficient to break away from the worries of the world from time to time, and be reminded that nothing is greater than Allah, and that you would not be given a burden in life heavier than what you can potentially handle, and that Allah does not want you to feel despair.
A sheikh once told me that there are four reasons as to why distress falls upon the believer 1) To increase his or her status before Allah. This was the case of those most beloved to Allah; the prophets peace be upon them if you study their lives. Strong believers will experience harder tests of their faith, by keeping firm to the Will of Allah, their reward comes many folds over 2) To clear away some of the sins of the believer. Indeed, The Prophet, peace be upon him has warned, that is much better that we pay for our sins in this life than in the hereafter. And in it there is a blessing but we don't perceive it. However, one should never invoke Allah to lay distress upon them in this life for their sins, but rather ask for His forgiveness. 3) To distant the heart of the believer from losing their heart to the world. Some times we might lose a loved one, or feel a lose so great, that we feel it is completely unfair, but for all you know, that person you have lost has found a better place to be in. A mother who loses a child that has not reached the age of puberty, will be shielded by that child on Qiyamat from the rage of hell. Though this sounds like a hard pill to swallow, we must accept the limit of our understand before The Wisdom of Allah. Those who exemplify patience will have a greater reward for what they have lost. 4) To test our iman; and it is usually the case that we love the dunya more than the akhira and lack the patience to humble our nafs. Shaitan does not deter the believers to commit the major sins, but focuses on the minor ones. A famous philosopher once said "the unexamined life is not worth living." I agree with this statement. I hear people always complaining that there isn't enough time in the day for one's self at all. We try to compartmentalize our life, in order to split the load so that we don't spill the problems of work to home, and when I find myself trapped ...I have no where else to turn to but the Ka'aba. Belief in the Oneness of Allah entails the belief that everything that happens in one's life is ultimately in the hands of Allah. Most people in the world think that their destiny is in the hands of others. They might think that their position in a company is purely on the whim of their over-seer, the boss. Be it the cranky receptionists on the other line, or parking "guy who is just doing his job" by giving you a ticket or that annoying co worker that always talks smack behind your back...all their lives are in the hands of Allah. The problem is rarely in the people that you deal with, or the situations that you fall in, it is in your own thinking. Nowadays, big shot corporations, foundations, and many institutions are trying to instill a paradigm shift in their work environment by teaching people how to socialize. It may sound trivial and we'd like to think it is something we should naturally pick up, but resolving conflicts is an art and a science. There are people out there who get paid hundreds by the hour, whose sole purpose is to "consult" large profile individuals, CEOs, MBAs and all sorts of entrepreneurs on how to "behave" and "think" clearly about what they want.
I find that a more common reason as to why people feel depressed is because they are constantly comparing their own lives to others. Psychologists find that when the gap between the have and have nots are greater, the case for depression is larger. But in a community where generally the people live in the same condition, there is less anxiety. Every individual has a totally unique situation, unlike anyone before or after his birth. The companions of The Prophet, peace be upon them, used to say that your Rizq in life is predetermined, there is no need for you run after it head over heels. They did not wear gold and silk, even when their coffers were filled with the riches of persia and byzantine, because they wished to have their fill in heaven only. Spirituality is a difficult concept to take in because we are so used to thinking of everything in concrete terms. But spirit eludes, not to a feeling, that comes from a hormone like epinephrine released in your brain, but of a sense of duty that one's feel that is totally out of this world. Plants have spirits, so do animals, and the stars and suns do too, but we humans have a higher calling, a more vigorous spirit, that manifests itself uniquely in our thoughts and action. Like a candle blowing in a storm, our spirit needs fuel to burn...and every obstacle that comes across us in our day to day life gives us a chance at "shinning" through them greater than we were yesterday. This sort of mentality develops over age and experience. Younger people tend to burn out faster because they feel less mortal than older people generally do.
This is a subject that preoccupies my own mind a great deal which is why I've had a lot to say on it... but I know that anyone who is depressed can't be bothered to read so much information and feel 'enlightened'. I probably sound a lot like morpheus, from the matrix, after all that..."is that really air you are breathing?"

[Catya Sher]

Alchemist,

What you've written is very insightful !
I hope all here, every last member, will go through the posts on this thread
and yours, because these different angles [religious and everyday observations] can benefit various types of people.

I encourage you to expand even more if you wish on this topic or other
philosophy of life ones.

It's great that you are thinking so much about them.

Please do pass over to others the conclusions at which you have arrived.
Alternately, tentative hypotheses you are considering

[qunduz92]

i would like to say that ultimately it is up to the individual to change their negative ways of thinking and behavior to help themselves. medication is not always useful or the best remedy. its true that the serotonin levels in the brain of depressed individuals are lower than normal but there must be a cause for that. i believe it is very likely that the cause is constant emotional turmoil, negative thinking and such which root from a poor sense of spirituality. satan is the root cause of negativity in thinking, doubts, distress and so on and the way to eliminate his clutch on your mind and spirit is draw nearer to Allah (swt) and make a paradigm shift in your thinking habits.

many preventable illnesses and diseases arise out of not keeping a balance and harmony with nature. catya is right when she says that drawing nearer to Allah (swt) is the cure for depression. physicians and pharmaceutical companies in capitalistic societies are both merely out there for profit, so they obviously would not tell you the best, most reliable, and safest cure is to change your thinking habits.

alchemist had a great post comprised of the truth. depression stems from troubles, physical or emotional, and the way an individual reacts to such.

an observant muslim near to Allah (Swt) would show much patience in the face of trouble and even be gladdened in hope of reward, like the prophets and sahaba would (may Allah (Swt) bless them).

islam teaches us to look at people who are in a worse situation than us instead of those in a better one, so that we may be grateful and content instead of jealous and self-loathing.

islam teaches us that divine destiny was decreed before we were even born, and any good or harm we may experience has already been written down in the book of destiny, and that everything occurs with the will of Allah (swt), so that we may not dwell on the past or have regrets.

rasulullah (Saw) taught us to never regret something, saying if i hadn't done such and such this wouldn't have happened, because dwelling on the past and espousing guilt and remorse open the door to satan and his overpowering of your mind. what happened was what happened, and had been decreed.

we have to accept our tests and tribulations whether they are physical or emotional in nature with an extraordinary amount of patience, gratitude, and hope for Allah(swt)'s mercy and reward.

remember that in islam, true patience is characterized by one's showing of such at the instant a trial befalls them. patience after you have no choice but to be patient does not count.

if we follow islamic principles and guidelines, and live in harmony with ourselves and others using islamic guidelines, we would not be vulnerable to satan's deceptions and spiritual subjugation.

[Catya Sher]

^ This is so wise, Qunduz92 !

This is my approach too, so I really appreciate your having explained clearly but caarefully what I feel to the true cause of all mental illness.

When i see ridicule of The Demon Explanation, I tend to throw up my hands and say forget it, it's not worth going into huge combat to explain

However, no one in their right mind - so to speak, hee hee! -
would reject what you so carefully delineated.

I propose a discussion somewhere on how to deal with evil spirits and
how to avoid what you described as "Satan's deceptions".
To foil the devil's attempt to take one over.

No one else seems interested in this ALL-VITAL subject, but maybe for our own edification, you and I could discuss somewhere.

Maybe in a few years, some member will perk up and take interest.
That way, there will be some ideas on how to resist the devil, who is so cunning that we humans can not usually repel him on our own. We NEED Heavenly Help!

If only the members who are students on here would spend an hour reading through THIS thread and the contributions by ALchemist and Qunduz,
they would learn enough to see them through many a rough sea.

All the knowledge in books in the world cannot hold a candle to becoming insightful and skilled in this unusual field.

No degrees are given out; no awards; no family patting you on the back on Graduation Day; no high salaries; no salaries at all...

BUT!

Learning how to negotiate the world in THIS context will pay off in the spiritual zillions, saving you much distress through avoidance of wrong ways which lead one down that path to Hell...