How do Buddhists handle mental illness such as depression or bipolar disorder?
score:7
Bipolar and depression are both very serious mental illnesses and should be treated accordingly. Too often dharma teachers who are unprepared try to resolve what are true clinical issues. As I was once told "sometimes meditation is the answer sometimes medication is the answer." That of course does not mean that practice can not help with these problems but the appropriate tools should be used at the appropriate time and instance.
Upvote:1
If we have mental illness, we go see a psychiatrist and take medication. It is like when we have a flu, we see a doctor, take medication and rest.
Upvote:2
Although the term 'mental illness' is generally used in the world, imbalances of chemicals or neural structures in the brain are really forms of physical illness. It has been said:
In the time of the Buddha, "mental disease" referred to an illness of view or desire. These days, however, it refers to ordinary mental ailments that have their base in the body and are mixed up with physical disease.
Therefore, the Buddhist approach would be to treat physical (brain) illness with physical medicine, which is why Buddhist meditation is generally not recommended for strong forms of these illnesses.
However, visiting, talking to & socialising with monks & nuns who are highly developed in loving-kindness (metta) can help people with such illnesses feel more emotionally secure, loved & balanced.
In other words, there is no stigma in Buddhism surrounding these illnesses. Buddhism teaches every component of the body & mind can be subjected to injury, disease &/or illness due to decay, natural imperfection & impermanence.
More post
- 📝 Fecal and Urine medicines, what are the recipes?
- 📝 Responsibility in Buddhism
- 📝 Arbitrary conception?
- 📝 Is there a pali term for "natural concentration"?
- 📝 What is arupa jhana (5th jhana)?
- 📝 Is it possible to use meditation to gain Self control?
- 📝 How does 'Om Mani Padme Hum' protect us from danger?
- 📝 What is today’s equivalent of a world system?
- 📝 What was the reason behind Colonel Henry Steel Olcott and Anagarika Dharmapala split
- 📝 Question on salayatana
- 📝 Can you actually focus on how birth leads to aging, death, suffering, stress as direct experience in dependent co-arising?
- 📝 What is 'crazy wisdom'? (no uninformed guesses please)
- 📝 If a snake is eating a human infant in front of me what should I do?
- 📝 What are the websites to learn Buddhism from start?
- 📝 Are mosquito nets "cheating"?
- 📝 Equanimity, aversion and anatta
- 📝 why i am unaware, not awake?
- 📝 Generosity in Buddhism - When does giving become unwholesome?
- 📝 Domanassa & Dukkha in enlightened beings?
- 📝 Right speech in social situations
- 📝 How to increase will power?
- 📝 What is meant by statement "the one who sees Dhamma sees dependent origination"?
- 📝 Where is the sutta passage for the following citation of the description of a kalpa?
- 📝 Examples of Buddhist traditions that are derived from popular superstitions
- 📝 How do you understand Ananda Sutta?
- 📝 The Impact of Violence on Our Concentration
- 📝 Looking for an Interpretation of The Blue Cliff Record
- 📝 Meditation - how to practice it?
- 📝 How to deal with obstacles (with Sutta reference)
- 📝 What is the difference between Suttas and Sutras?
Source: stackoverflow.com
Search Posts
Related post
- 📝 How do Buddhists handle mental illness such as depression or bipolar disorder?
- 📝 How should Buddhists handle prayer requests?
- 📝 How to differentiate between a spiritual experience and a mental disorder or delusion?
- 📝 How do Buddhists express condolences?
- 📝 How to deal with people and handle rude language?
- 📝 How concerned should Buddhists be with the actions of others?
- 📝 Meditation, compassion: How to handle people who dominate you in the office?
- 📝 How to overcome Depression with Buddhist teachings
- 📝 How do Buddhists justify or explain that monks and/or temples amass and use wealth?
- 📝 How do Buddhists use mudras?
- 📝 How are Buddhists supposed to spread Buddhism?
- 📝 How Does Buddhism Handle Internal Conflict
- 📝 How to handle contrition
- 📝 How do you handle loud, meaningful family noises while trying to focus?
- 📝 How should Buddhists receive generosity?
- 📝 How can killing of Muslims by Buddhists in Myanmar be justified?
- 📝 How do Buddhists reconcile "Anatta" with Buddha supporting the existence of the Self in the Mahayana Mahaparininirvana Sutra?
- 📝 Buddhism is practiced in many countries by many different peoples. How do Buddhists in America differ in their beliefs, values
- 📝 How do you handle when someone tries to instill guilt in you?
- 📝 How would Buddhists respond to someone harming the temple?
- 📝 How to handle torpor?
- 📝 How buddhists see/deal with Gaslighting?
- 📝 How should Buddhists deal with Loneliness
- 📝 How do handle termite/white ant
- 📝 How did ancient Indian Buddhists describe causation vs correlation? Why were they concerned with this?
- 📝 How do you handle a begar who want to stay in your temple?
- 📝 Is it possible to exercise Metta to all or is Metta only a mental state only? If so how does one act to remain dispassionate?
- 📝 As a Buddhist, how shall we make sense of the notion that there is no such thing as a Soul?
- 📝 How to handle aversion that derives from perceiving arrogance?
- 📝 Mental illness and the Layperson's Practice