Saturday 20 September 2014

FUNDAMENTAL HAPPINESS Series 41 - The Only Permanent Cure from Depression

THE ONLY PERMANENT CURE FROM DEPRESSION



Hi Friends,



World Mental Health Day is approaching; October 10 is just round the corner. Here's what I had posted on that day, last year: please click here.


Mental Depression and the various 'mental disorders' that are associated with it are becoming a nightmare for humanity. This suffering afflicts large sections of mankind, across cultures, income groups and age. Suicides, provoked by depression are also on an alarming rise.

As someone who has struggled with depression and anxiety since I was a teenager, and having found the durable, drug-free way out of it into a life of FUNDAMENTAL HAPPINESS, I have been trying to reach out to as many people as possible with that message. It pains me to see how people are suffering and trying to run away from depression, when just authenticity (honestly accepting your pain), and surrender (giving up all struggle against it) takes you across to a new life of bliss. 

You are just a few straightforward steps away from a permanent cure of depression. All you need is a little courage and openness to new possibilities. Many of us have closed ourselves to new perspectives by sticking to our familiar comfort zones, and we continue to suffer. Let me promise you: I am not suggesting miracles or the occult. My way out of depression and anxiety is not patented by me. This paradigm has been detailed from times immemorial, again across cultures, but has been either misunderstood or lost or rejected amid a very busy, mind dominated existence.

I have written about this with numerous examples from daily life, in my book: ARE YOU REALLY HAPPY? 


If only you read this book slowly, a few pages at a time, and keep coming back to the thoughts in it, you can benefit immensely from it. Please do not read it like racy fiction. I know persons who can complete reading a fat book in a few hours. That will not help. You can also slowly read prior posts of this blog.

Here, you need to allow a new perspective to gradually sink in. Much of this may often appear to be in collision with what we have been trained to see all our lives: the realm of conventional wisdom.

That uncaused depression is actually a sign of spiritual growth is the first thing to recognise. I have written on this in Series 37 (please click here to read). To move out of depression you have to allow yourself to grow further.

What we all also need to fully understand is that uncaused depression, anxiety, feelings of emptiness, meaninglessness are all facets of the core of human existence. This reality is mostly pushed aside, ignored and denied. Many of those who feel it are also quick at finding external reasons for this pain. Blaming others and even creating hate objects then become part of a lifelong support system to deal with the deep, inner, human malaise.

We do feel depressed for real, external reasons. We need to understand the distinction between psychological and uncaused depression. This is important. Do read Series 34 (please click here)

Once you have accepted the above two propositions, the rest of the journey towards FUNDAMENTAL HAPPINESS consists of truthfully facing your depression instead of running away from it. It may appear illogical, for I am suggesting that you move into the pain, whereas our brain will always signal us to move away from pain. This is where conventional wisdom fails.

In days, you could get hints of a very new life. Isn't it great? When we rush to psychiatrists, the medication does the opposite: it numbs your feelings and pushes you down to fall within the slot of other 'normal' beings.

Makes sense? Read on. Here is a summary of the previous interesting posts in this blog: (click here).


Deepak Chatterjee


chatterjee.deepak33@gmail.com
www.facebook.com/ChatterjeeDeepak
@Deepak33C


If you are following this blog through email, the post that you receive in your in-box does not have the blog archives and other features. At times the formatting is not good. For a better view you can see the entire blog at: 

Saturday 13 September 2014

FUNDAMENTAL HAPPINESS Series 40 - JEALOUSY Part II: From where does it arise?

JEALOUSY Part II: From where does it arise?

Hi Friends,


Summary of past unmissable posts: please click here


My last post (Series 39: please click here to read) was on how destructive and painful jealousy can be. I had also written on ways to deal with it, and how to use it as an opportunity to move towards a life of joy.

The enthusiastic response that post has received has encouraged me to write more on the subject, especially to identify the root cause of jealousy. From where exactly does jealousy originate?

Once again, there may be a temptation to point fingers at the person we are jealous of. That person appears to be the reason for jealousy; it could be that person's popularity, success, wealth, or any silly comparison.

Let me reproduce here a section from my last post:

"By the same token, much of the suffering on account of jealousy is, really speaking, the basic human unease which too happens to be the true inner condition of human beings. We do so many things to keep this inner unease at bay. Inviting jealousy might be just another way, for it 'justifies' the inner pain by making another person the 'source' of the suffering."

Does that ring a bell? Regular readers of this blog will understand. To rewind a bit...


We humans have accumulated pain in our existence for centuries. As a result, the collective human existence is that of misery and suffering - not entirely for any tangible external cause, but simply un-caused. I have given a detailed description of this inner human malaise in my book ARE YOU REALLY HAPPY? with numerous evidences drawn from art, literature, movies, as well as examples from day to day life. 


It may be difficult for us to easily accept the reality of this suffering at the level of spirit, but it is real. It often manifests as mental depression or anxiety, or plain meaninglessness, despair, tentativeness or uneasiness - a general dissatisfaction that does not result from anything external. Those who notice and acknowledge it honestly are really the fortunate ones, for they have the opportunity to move beyond it and towards FUNDAMENTAL HAPPINESS. 


The vast majority do not feel this inner uneasiness. We continue our day to day lives by keeping it suppressed through many actions like staying busy, running after fame, getting into ego battles, unending greed for wealth and accumulation, non-stop entertainment... In short there is no 'pause' in life where we could possibly feel our inner malaise.

This may well continue 'successfully'. But the problem arises when we get broad hints of our innermost unhappiness, yet deny it, and look for external reasons to justify it. Blame game, playing the victim and complaining are some of the usual practices. Jealousy is just another of those tricks to fool ourselves into believing that someone else is responsible for our 'unhappiness'.

Friends, if all of us can accept this reality of human existence, this world is going to be much better and joyful.

Many external events 'trigger' our inner unhappiness and encourage it to rear its ugly head. Those external events are NOT the CAUSE for our unhappiness. They are just a trigger. The 'successfully' locked up inner condition leaks out. We are rattled but still in denial. That's when we look for 'reasons' and intelligently create them. We are so smart that we do the job very convincingly. We create hate objects. That reduces the pressure on us. In the process we lead inauthentic, artificial lives.

Amid this tentativeness, if we find another person who seems to be happier, wealthier, more successful, popular... why do we feel upset? It tickles our own inner unhappiness, which we have been dealing with almost unknowingly. So the unhappiness that we now feel 'appears' to be the result of comparison with that other person. In reality, our innate unhappiness has been provoked. It was always there, deeply tucked in.

We have the extraordinary opportunity to honestly acknowledge our inner condition and transcend it, moving towards a life of JOY. (How to do so is given in detail in my book and in many posts of this blog).  But we fall into the trap of jealousy and create a hate object. Ironically that may appear to give us some strength to deal with our unhappiness. But we have moved far away from spirit and FUNDAMENTAL HAPPINESS. And, we solidify the unhappiness within us. We get destroyed from within.

Response to an interesting query:
My previous post evoked an interesting query: "Isn't some degree of jealousy good, for it encourages you to compete and do better in life?"

My response:
Feeling encouraged and enthused by another person is a positive sentiment. As long as the thought, "I too can do it" stems from a positive emotion where you genuinely admire the other person and feel like emulating him, is certainly welcome. There is no negativity. You do not add any pain within you. Rather, you may have discovered a good outlet for past accumulated pain.

In contrast, jealousy is an entirely negative response, steeped in unhappiness. Whenever you feel like emulating someone, honestly ask yourself: are you happy to do so? Or, are you doing so out of unhappiness?

Makes sense? Read on...


Deepak Chatterjee


chatterjee.deepak33@gmail.com
www.facebook.com/deepak.chatterjee.944
@Deepak33C


If you are following this blog through email, the post that you receive in your in-box does not have the blog archives and other features. At times the formatting is not good. For a better view you can see the entire blog at: