Stress and Depression

Bhikkhu T. Seelananda, New England Buddhist Center (WQ edit)

Most people are not mindful of the present moment. They are daydreamers building castles in the sky -- constantly busy with their future or past. The result? Stress (about the future = worry) and depression (about the past = regret).

This is a real menace in society. Stress is mental pressure or worry caused by a difficult situation. People seek treatment from outside themselves but are aggravating it day by day. Since most people do not locate a treatment that works, they continue under pressure. When one is under stress, things can easily go wrong.

Depression leads to feelings of unhappiness, sadness, and disappointment. Sometimes it contributes to our anxiety. Both stress and anxious-depression are characterized by more or less the same physical symptoms. But of course they are not the same. Each has its own causes and effects.

Some entrepreneurs have mad stress and depression a source of income: They create Websites, write books, and conduct seminars. Whether or not they're helpful, they can become exploitative. For some years now, stress and depression have become major subjects of study, with institutions that teach "stress management" and the management of depression. But the Buddha had an answer long before these conditions were in the mind of the West.

The many negative influences of stress and depression -- distrust, rejection, anger, any of which can lead to physical problems such as headaches, upset stomach, rashes, insomnia, ulcers, high blood pressure, heart disease, and stroke -- were a cause of concern millenia ago.

The Buddha explained that as long as people searched for happiness and peace from outside themselves, they would not overcome their stress, depression, or dissatisfaction (or all in one big word, dukkha). According to the Buddha, one has to find the causes of stress and depression. There is no single cause for anything to happen in the world. Rather, there are clusters of causes and clusters of effects.

HOW TO INTERRUPT, CHANGE, ELIMINATE

First, understanding that craving and attachment to material and immaterial things are the main roots of stress and depression, one is able to locate a cause. Dependent on craving, grasping and attachment arise. They are interdependent. We attach to things and strive to keep things as our own when they are not ours.

With everything changing, there is nothing to be grasped as one's own. But in ignorance we grasp nonetheless. We become upset and think nothing of grasping but worry too much about losing. And eventually we become angry, disappointed, disgusted, distressed...or stressed and depressed.

Therefore, wrong attitudes regarding craving and attachment is painful (stressful and depressing). But attitudes can be changed, reduced, and eliminated for the complete and stress and depression brought to an end. As long as we have craving and attachment, we cannot stop stress and depression.

NOTHING PERSONAL

When we attach ourselves to things, we strive to grasp them as our own -- rather than just enjoying them as they are and letting them follow their own course. We identify with notions like "This is mine," "This I am," "This is me."

Whenever or whatever the technique we use in striving to reduce, interrupt, and eradicate these three notions so that they become "This is not mine," "This I am not," and "This is not myself" then all kinds of stress and depression are reduced right at that moment. Soon, by insight, they can be eliminated completely. Wisdom uproots such notions.

FOOD-MOOD-SOLUTION: New research at UT Southwestern Medical Center may explain why some people who are stressed or depressed overeat. While levels of the so-called “hunger hormone” ghrelin are known to increase when a person doesn’t eat, findings by UT Southwestern scientists suggest that the hormone might also help defend against symptoms of stress-induced depression and anxiety. More>>

Let things go as they come up and strive to keep your mind as unshakable as a solid rock. From time to time relax your shoulders, take a long breath, and inhale and exhale naturally. Eat moderately, practice some rhythmic exercise, and walk a little or swim if you have a chance. Avoiding a poor diet or chemicals like nicotine, caffeine, stimulants, and other intoxicants also helps a great deal. With enough sleep, everything begins to get better. All the stressors (such as the diet, chemicals, and worry) lead to insomnia, bad dreams, and exhaustion. It's better to go to bed early and wake up early than the other way around.

(astressfreeme.com)

MEDITATION

Practicing meditation (as explained below) early in the morning for at least 15 minutes will bring a miraculous turnaround in your condition.

Instead of a pill or chemical potion, the way to change, repair, and completely eliminate stress and depression is to follow a certain way of life. This makes one "happy minded" naturally. And when one is happy, it is easy to practice three things that bring immediate and long term benefits: generosity, virtue (ethical compassion for others), and meditation.

These three are equal in leading to success and a good life. When you give to benefit others, you immediately benefit yourself by freeing yourself of hoarded and having to protect your prized material possessions. People -- relatives, friends, or strangers -- are needy. And you can reduce your craving and clinging by helping them, thereby reducing your stress and depression.

People mistakenly think that if one benefits from giving it is not giving. This is wrong. Giving should benefit two people, the giver and the receiver. The receiver may not benefit; that depends on the receiver. But the giver can always benefit; this depends on the giver -- one's state of mind and motivation for giving: One of the best reasons to give is to develop oneself. Whether or not anyone ever says thank you, you can be sure your stress and depression are lessening because you are striving to overcome their causes. Giving is more valuable to the giver than to the recipient.

Then you can practice compassionate ethics:

• abstaining from killing or causing others harm
• abstaining from taking what is not given or encouraging others to steal
• abstaining from sexual misconduct
• abstaining from lying and deceiving
• abstaining from taking intoxicants that encourage carelessness

As soon as these self-restraints are practiced, one's life sees immediate benefits: Less worry, stress, remorse, depression, and one can suddenly meditate!

"Meditation is the safest, most powerful medication."

There is concentration, which is calming and purifying. And there is midnfulness, which is liberating because it leads to wisdom. Primary meditation can succeed using these guidelines:

LOVING FRIENDLINESS

As a means of reducing stress and depression

• Sit comfortably (cross-legged on the floor, if possible) otherwise, as you wish.
• Keep the upper part of the body erect.
• Rest your hands on your lap (right hand atop the left).
• Close your eyes gently.
(The following are the actions of mind concentration, understand them clearly)

• Now give your full attention to the top of your head and observe this area for about 3 mins.
• Observing the very top of your head, mentally say with clear understanding, "May I be well, happy, and peaceful"(3 times).
• Then, observing each area slowly covering the entire head, mentally say "May I be well, happy, and peaceful "(3 times per each spot - five minutes).
• Now, from the top of your head to the tips of your toes, working gradually, systematically, patiently, and peacefully, observe each and every part of the body with a balanced mind and mentally repeat, "May I be well, happy, and peaceful." This is how you generate loving- friendliness in your body and mind.

• Then, as you have developed loving-friendliness within you, you can now extend loving-friendliness to all beings in the world.
• Start to extend loving-friendliness to all beings in different directions.
• Extend the radiance of loving-friendliness towards all individuals equally.
• First, send it to beings in front by mentally saying, "May all beings in my front direction be well, happy, and peaceful" (3 times).
• Now do the same towards all beings in each direction mentally saying (3 times):

May all beings in my back direction be well, happy, and peaceful.
May all beings in my right direction be well, happy, and peaceful.
May all beings in my left direction be well, happy, and peaceful.
May all beings in my upper direction be well, happy, and peaceful.
May all beings in my lower direction be well, happy, and peaceful.
May all beings in this world be well, happy, and peaceful.
May all beings in this universe be well, happy, and peaceful.

• Finally slowly say, "May all beings be well, happy, and peaceful, repeating it for some time. Before concluding your meditation, give your full attention to the tip of your nose, and observe the flowing of your breath, and understand how it touches at the rims of your nostrils for about 5-10 mins. Join your palms together in front of your chest and say "Well done! Well done! Well done!" (or "Saadhu! Saadhu! Saadhu!")

• Now open your eyes and rise from the seat to continue your mindful daily activities of life.