Substituting Psychiatric Medication for MEDITATION
- Dawn
- May 12, 2016
- 5 min read
Disclaimer: The ideas in this article are spoken from personal experience and it is advised that you see your doctor before making changes to your treatment. I do not recommend abruptly withdrawing from medication.
Depression is an illness that is rapidly rising throughout the Western world. 1 in 10 of us will suffer from depression at one point in our lives. But why is the west clinically depressed? What is the best treatment for clinical depression?
There are countless types of psychiatric drugs on the market. Fluoxetine, Mirtazapine, Sertraline, Venlafaxine... and the endless list of "ines".Then comes antipsychotics, hypnotics, mood stabilisers, stimulants. All of these are essentially different cocktails of chemicals that change our behaviour and suck out our personalities. The "anti" in "antidepressant" and "antipsychotic" lures us into believing that these pills will have an effect similar to that of an antibiotic. We imagine these drugs to eradicate the infection from our minds even though patients are usually on these prescription drugs for years as their illness continues to torture their lives.
Psychology believes that depression and other mental illnesses are a result of chemical imbalances in the brain. Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (S.S.R.I.s) are often prescribed as treatment. However, the exact mechanism of how S.S.R.I.s are unknown. If you find yourself struggling with poor mental health, you'll probably go visit your doctor, and after only a short time of speaking they will diagnose you and prescribe a medication that they think will help your symptoms. If mental illness is the result of chemical imbalances in the brain, how come tests are not issued, in order to find what these imbalances are and how they can be rectified?
What most people don't know is that psychiatric drugs were not invented for the treatment of psychiatric illnesses. As the growing number of us are consuming these drugs it is important to understand the history of psychiatric medication and how they were actually created. The first psychotropic drug was released in 1954 called chlorpromazine, an antipsychotic used to treat schizophrenia. This drug was originally classed as a "major tranquillizer". Scientists did not discover this drug due to research into the treatment of schizophrenia, it was discovered from their research into surgery. Doctors wanted to find a drug that would stop the effect of surgical shock when cutting someone open. Whilst using this drug they realised that their patients were experiencing the effects of emotional tranquillity. Patients were observed to be "separated from the world". They saw this as a way to prevent emotional response to the world whilst retaining consciousness. This drug was able to numb the hallucinations in schizophrenia sufferers.
The drugs were released to psychiatrists for the use of their patients. Psychiatrists decided it would be much easier to give a mentally ill patient a drug that would sedate their minds (giving them effects similar to that of a lobotomy) in order to save time on treatment. Now, in the 21st century, these drugs are being dished out like sweets to the elderly, to adults, to children, to people who don't even need them. These drugs are highly addictive, can cause unpleasant side effects (e.g weight gain, insomnia, fatigue, loss of sexual desire), and require time to withdraw from. Why is it that we have become so focused on treating these illnesses through drugs? Why aren't we making an effort to get to the root cause of the problem and find alternative ways to treat our problems?
We can't keep on leaving it to psychiatry to fix our problems for us. After all, we have to remember that psychiatry is an industry. The honest truth is that they make money by keeping us sick. By keeping us diagnosed as "mentally ill", they earn more money from us by draining our banks with bills for prescriptions and visits to the therapist. The truth is, our brains are very powerful, and when we utilise this tool we can be capable of doing something as brilliant in aiding our own recoveries.
Treating Depression with Meditation When trying to treat your depression you have to remember that it is something that is in your mind. You were not born with depression and you haven't always had it. Instead, it occurs as a result of developing issues, whether its from a traumatic event or neglectful/troubled upbringing. Usually, it's an accumulation of several stress factors. These issues rewire our brains into blaming ourselves, thinking we are not good enough, not being able to see a positive future etc.
The lives we live here in the west are constantly becoming more stressful and demanding. Following the culturally programmed system of working hard and resting little, we are putting so much stress on ourselves. We never take the time to sit with ourselves and just let our mind and body relax. I cannot describe how good it feels to sit down and know that for 10-40 minutes you don't have to think about anything, you don't have to let anything get to you. Meditation allows us to have time to empty our minds of all the daily stresses, entering a serene state of higher consciousness. When you take the time to empty your mind of all thoughts you become more aware of your body and how good it feels to breathe deeply. Meditation is a great tool that will allow you to feel more at peace with the world.
For me, meditation has helped me to open up my mind. It felt like my mind was far too clouded with negative thoughts and it was impacting my daily life, causing constant distress. By meditating twice daily for 20-30 minutes my mind has been cleared, refreshed and awakened. It almost feels as if I have managed to deep clean my brain. My thoughts are a lot more organised and I have begun to gain a deeper understanding of myself. Our brains are constantly working to process thoughts, and we are constantly overthinking certain aspects of our life. Practising this type of mindfulness is a great way to reduce the effects of stress in our lives. Not only does it lower stress levels, it promotes creativity, helps us retain knowledge and also to have more insight into the world.
Most people will probably think meditation is a little weird, or that it's impossible for them to do. But trust me meditation is the way forward and I see it becoming a very popular self-help tool over the years. A lot of you will feel like you will never reach a state of meditation but the key is patience. It may take the time to reach a meditative state, perhaps 10 minutes, so don't be put off by the fact it's taking a long time. Make sure you sit comfortably, back straight, legs crossed with your palms facing upwards and head tilting down. Focus on your breathing. Breathe in deeply for three seconds, hold, for two and breathe in for three. Keep this focus and empty your mind. Don't worry about the thoughts that may dash into your mind, just let them float by.
Those of you who are new to meditation and are worried about relaxing and clearing your mind of thoughts you can also try guided meditation and listening to binaural beats whilst meditating. Both of these are very therapeutic, and guided meditation is especially useful for those suffering from depression. There is so much more information available on the internet to help you understand the benefits of meditation.
So if you are tired of your low mood dragging you down, making you feel vulnerable and self-destructive I urge you to put down your meds (with the guidance of your doctor) and open your mind with meditation instead. Try meditating twice daily, morning and night for however long you can manage. Try this for a month, and if you don't feel awakened, I will personally write you a letter of apology.
The power is in your mind.
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