> Bruno Cabasson wrote:
>> Well, Sam, I do not want to appear as I am not, and I absolutely do not  
>> want to make 2-pence philosophy.
>>  But as a father, I tried to grow my kids with what I am and with what  
>> I have, despite my separation with they mother (so usual today).
>>  As a man, I entered the buddhist Dharma because I find myself close to  
>> this approach and its ways in helping people to meet their 'humanness'.  
>> This goes through the path of searching for myself.
>>  As a sophrologist, I made a commitment towards myself and others,  
>> learning some techniques related to body and soul.
>>  Everybody carries more answers in himself than he is accustomed to  
>> think (educated to?). This foolish world that surrounds us facilitates  
>> fear and negativeness, in some circumstances raises them into a cult,  
>> because some people of poor soul need our power in order to prevent  
>> themself from searching their own. They use guilt and focus on other's  
>> failures to hide theirs.
>
> I respect and admire all beliefs which produce loving people. I think  
> all beliefs hold a bit of truth.
>
>> What is your main feeling: guilt? fear of any kind? negative sight on  
>> yourself? on the world? hopelessness? loneliness? whatever ...
>
> Guilt? Once, perhaps. Now, it's this fear of losing my mind and heart.  
> Sometimes I feel not quite here, like my heart and spirit has been  
> destroyed. Today I feel quite ok. I populate my head like I should, but  
> this feeling comes and goes.
>
>> My opinion is that chemical prison is mainly a sign of medicine's  
>> failure, not yours, rejecting things upon the patients. By making the  
>> patient 'escape' chemically, they escape from something they do not  
>> master. They do not like not to master things. Pills can help escape  
>> from a vicious circle, or rest for a while from a dificult situation,  
>> or open a temporary window, in order to allow some other kind of action.
>>  In fact, taking pills cannot be much considered as an 'action'. They  
>> are rather likely to keep the situation as it is (or even worse),  
>> leading also to chemical over-dependance, generating more harm than  
>> cure. However they can be necessary for long-term in some cases,  
>> provided they are well chosen and dosed, and only a necessary companion  
>> to the main action.
>
> That's one problem with my situation. The "main action" for me would be  
> to attend groups down at mental health, but I lost my driver's license  
> and probably won't be allowed to drive ever again. I'm 35 miles from  
> MH...
>
>> All of us here in the POV community have something in common: the  
>> desire of making nice images, using our creativity the best we can, and  
>> learning from others. This is a very positive attitude, no? AFAIK, you  
>> made some nice images here... Creating images are a very positive  
>> action.
>
> Yeah, but when you're depressed you gain no satisfaction from positive  
> actions...

As strange as it could sound, this statement is partially wrong: the  
correct statement would have rather been "Yeah, but when you're depressed  
you FEEL you gain no satisfaction from positive actions". In the  
depressive cases, you FEEL you are better only when you ARE already OK  
again and recovered most of your capabilities (or a significant part of  
them). BUT you get better and better, unaware of the process, until you  
reach the state where you are (can be/freed enough to be) aware of it  
yourself. So, positive actions are always profitable even if the subject  
feels the opposite. This is a matter of perception and 'internal'  
communication.

An example of such a process, using an analogy: consider a glass filled  
with some water troubled with some substance. Impossible to see through.  
Suppose we have some other substance, opposite to the one that troubles  
the water. We drop this substance, one drop after another. The liquid  
remains troubled until the one drop that makes the mix pass beyond a  
threshold, and becomes clear. In chemistry there are many behaviours like  

The mud can be eliminated more easily, and the water is now clear.

Most of mental and existential phenomena, including perception of all  
kinds, are not 'displayed' to conciousness or only partially. Conciousness  
is a small visible part of the soul. It interprets things (alas), and this  
is the source of many troubles. These troubles are, in fact, not grounded  
into reality. The work would consist in re-education to percption of  
reality that surrounds us. The soul has another medium to express itself  
(positively or negatively): the body. We enter here the psychosomatic area  
of modern deseases.

However, when the patient is facing a neurological malfunction, the  
problem is completely different. I guess that, here, the chemical (or  
surgical) action is necessary. I also know that some neurological symptoms  
can be due to electric malfunction inside the brain (e.g. parkinson  
desease). But we are not really in the area of depression.

BTW, I take the occasion here to reply to someone in the thread who said  
that only professionnals may say something (in substance, I don't remember  
by heart). As a sophrologist, having followed the whole official course (4  
years and 12 degrees), I can be considered as a professional of a part of  
what we are dealing with, at least the existential part of it (I have a  
professional card for this discipline). I can also change a wheel without  
being a 20-year-experienced garagist, and cook an egg without being a 5  
star chef.

     Bruno

> ... You could even behave like a saint, but inside there is still that  
> emptiness :(
>> So despite all negativity of all kinds, of any reason, it is possible  
>> for anyone to make the effort to see what he is capable of, to see what  
>> he already made positive, rather than choosing the ease of complaining  
>> endlessly on what appears wrong or too a heavy burden. It is not that  
>> easy. But it is not that difficult.
>
> You know, that line of thinking seems a lot like what Jesus taught.
>
>> Antidepressants are not the answer, and many people could do without if  
>> they were properly helped and followed-up. The first help I see is to  
>> help to restart the desire of helping themselves. I am not sure that  
>> pills and therapists are a definitive solution. They may help you go in  
>> the way, not more. The only true solution is not only in yourself, but  
>> IS yourself. Whatever you think you are or are not, whatever you have  
>> done or not, whatever the world is or is not.
>>       Bruno
>
> It will take some time before I can take these words to the point of  
> getting a job and sustaining myself in a normal way. You see, my moods  
> can lead me to do very harmful things to myself, and I'd rather not flip  
> out land in jail (again). I will take them to heart though, and always  
> remember to redefine myself, instead of holding to an old definition.
>
> Thanks, Bruno~
>
> Sam



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