|
submit
articles |
|
Depression & Anxiety Question: I tried to call the
number mentioned in your website but only to learn that it's psychiatric
clinic number. I do not know now how to approach. I read almost all your
articles from the website. Subhan Allah, you are doing marvelous job by
reaching out to millions like me that are suffering in silence. I have been reading
whatever my hands can get on for problems of psysomatic disorders. I have
been suffering from panick disorder, anxiety / depression since 1993,
gradually reduced to almost normal for 3-4 year after medication and then
again relapsed this year from June 2006 with full force, after diagnosis
of my osteoporosis (thinnning of bone) and ankylosing spondylosis (??).
Currently I get agitated with slight change of enviornment and remain
passimistic all the time. You are aware of the anxious feeling generally
sufferers feel. I however, do not get panicky like before. I have been devoting
my time in recitation of Quran, it's translation, listening to religious
lecturers, reading both religious and acedemic point of view of
depression. However, I have not been able to come over the feeling of
helplessness. I am working in Your article 'The Art
of Silence' has re-kindled my hope and I am anxious to know how to
practice it since your ariticle is just a hint. I do not know whether I
will get a response because many times people with commercial venture
won't provide answers or respond unless they get paid. Apart from the above I
will appreciate if you can provide me any suggestion you think will be
helpful since you are on the field of healing people for quite some times
now. Awaiting eagerly for
your response. Response: The most important feature to recognize about anxiety and depression is
that we perpetuate it with our own negative thinking. The best
way to deal with this is to examine your own negative thoughts and
replace them with the 'right way' to think. Keeping a daily journal
helps... check my article on 'Journaling' for suggestions on how to do
this. Try to make yourself aware of your own thinking... you will
see that just one negative thought is enough to take you down the slippery
slope of negativity... one negative thought will lead to another and then
another, and pretty soon you get to the point that you see nothing but bad
and negative in your life. Once we get into this 'poor me' phase it
becomes difficult to get out of it and we start feeling helpless and
hopeless. Islam gives us the most beautiful and sound world-view to base our
thinking on. Allah Ta'ala has told us that mankind is forgetful and
ungrateful... these become the 2 key features to use in dealing with
depression and anxiety. First step is to become aware of your thinking through keeping a
journal. Through your journal you will start seeing the pattern of
negative thinking you fall into. That pattern repeats itself over
and over again in every crisis or unpleasant turn we perceive in our
life. Once you see this pattern then your task is to break that
pattern when you become aware of it. It doesn't matter which point
of the circle you recognize, whenever and wherever you see the negativity,
that is where you start changing it. Second step is to know what you change it with... and that is through
gratefulness. So when you become aware of the negative thought remind
yourself that, for example: We have been told that the function of the Shaitan is to separate
us from Allah Ta'ala, it is through such 'waswasa' or negative thoughts,
doubts and fears that Shaitan gets us to start losing hope in Allah
Ta'ala's mercy and grace. So our job is to keep reminding ourselves
over and over again about Him, keep turning to Him again and again for
help and guidance. Shaitan is extremely cunning, he knows our
weaknesses and attacks us on that level; he sows a small little
seed in our mind and we take it on from there and run with it. We
can't stop him but we can stop ourselves from running with it. So
when we correct our thinking our feelings follow. In all my years of work with people suffering from such problems I have
seen that it is only when a person can give a higher meaning and purpose
to their pain that they start changing. As long as we see our problems
and illnesses as meaningless we feel victimized and abused; helpless and
hopeless. When we start recognizing that it is serving a good
purpose we are able to accept it and work with it for our own ultimate
good. About learning to practice 'silence'... check my articles on 'Meditation'
and 'Relaxation Exercises' in the 'Spirituality' section. It gives
step by step directions for it. This is a difficult exercise and
takes a lot of practice, so don't get discouraged. Keep practicing. Finally, reading the Qur’ân and especially focusing on those passages
that inspire us, help us develop hope, trust and faith are very
beneficial. And of course dua for our healing, asking Allah to help
you heal and to see your growth. Allah Ta'ala hears and responds! This is an ongoing work, you will have to develop the capability to pay
attention and correct your thinking all the time, every day... because
when you forget you will fall in your own trap again. As long as we
live we will be given opportunities for growth and purification. Hope this helps, let me know. Regards, |