Category Archives: depression

anxiety, depression, meditation, pharmacology

Medication or Meditation: Was ist Das?

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One of our gentle writes asked me to write a little about meditation vs. medication. If you read much in the way of comments here, you will find that many of the readers here have a much lower view of pharmacology and medication that I do. That’s okay, I can take the heat.

One does not have to do much research to discover that there is a whole field of study on the relationship between meditation and depression. Some of the articles I found after a quick search are HERE, HERE and HERE. One of the things we have to establish is what is really meant by meditation.

Meditation can mean everything from yoga, visualization techniques, Cognitive Therapy (my personal favorite), and a world of other types of meditation that may or may not have a religious element to them. Probably the common element among them is using some method to cleanse or clear the mind, to focus on one thing, and through this process to change one’s thinking. I won’t claim to be an expert on non-Western forms of meditation, but I know just enough to be dangerous.

Here are a few preliminary observations from a Lutheran perspective:

  • Evaluate whether the technique works within the framework of a religious system that is contrary to Christianity. Some types of meditation are benign; others have a totally skewed view of human spirit (usually a variation on denying original sin). Does the form of meditation have aspects of it that just don’t sit with the theology of the cross? Is meditation seen as a way of supplanting prayer?
  • What are the expectations of the writer/teacher/guide who is leading the meditation? If there is talk about being a disciple of a certain form, I would start to get nervous.
  • Does the form have history, is it established and recognized at least at some level by professionals in different fields? While this isn’t absolutely necessary, if something is written off as complete quackery, it may be because it is.

My therapist has used and is a proponent of cognitive therapy or cognitive reframing. We have also used some basic relaxation techniques to help deal with anxiety. I’ve found them both to be extremely helpful. Are they THE solution? No? Can they replace medication and other means of help? Not for me. If you don’t have the energy to get out of bed, it is very difficult to imagine having the energy to meditate, no matter how relaxing or liberating it may be. I can know something is good for me and still not be able to do it.

Anyway, those are a few initial thoughts. What are yours?

-DMR

book reviews, children, depression, family, suicide, therapy

The Yellow Wallpaper

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The Yellow Wallpaper and Other Writings, by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, is not what one would consider “normal” reading for Lutheran pastors. Ms. Gilman was a turn of the (20th) century proto-feminist, advocated group raising for children (“it takes a village”), and any number of peculiar to downright evil ideas.

She also had a brilliant insight into the mindset of depression and anxiety.

In the signature short story in the above book (The Yellow Wallpaper), the protagonist has been diagnosed with melancholy. Her husband is a doctor, and believes that the best thing for her is to be kept away from all human contact. Despite her ongoing objections, she is made a virtual prisoner in her own home, a cottage they have rented until she gets better.

Of course, she doesn’t get better.  She goes slowly mad, and becomes obsessed with the yellow wallpaper in her upper room where she spends all her time.  The patterns in the paper become alive, she starts to see people on the other side of the paper.  It consumes her, until she finally cannot take it anymore and commits suicide.

Now the element of this story which I found so intriguing is the role of her husband.  He is a doctor, so he is an expert.  She cannot question his judgment, because that would be both unseemly and totally counterproductive.  So she is forced to accept his diagnosis even though everything within her says it is wrong.

The parallels between this and modern approaches to depression and other mental illnesses is striking.  What “camp” you fall into will determine your diagnosis.  Traditional medicine.  Homeopathy.  Good ole’ American willpower.  The “Luther” view of sing more hymns loud, drink more and be with people more (more on this little topic in another post).  Some will say drugs are the only way to go.  Therapy must be the answer.  Others will say that prayer is the only way.  Still others meditation, sunlight,  etc.  But it is surprising to me how completely exclusive these approaches can become.

The reality is that the mind is an incredibly complex thing, truly a wonder of God’s creation.  Just as there are many causes for depression, even so there may be many roads out of depression.  What we must be on guard against is presuming that one view or approach is the end all only way to come to a right way out.

In this path we walk, our Lord has given us many tools for healing.  God will see you through, no matter what path you may end up talking along the way.

-DMR

anxiety, depression, family, Pastoral Office, stress

These gray and latter days….

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I hate the gray of winter. I hate it I hate it I hate it. There is something about the color gray that is just evil. Neither black nor white nor color, it is a continual reminder of the mush of our lives, and of how one thing blends into another so much that you can’t tell the difference.

Life. Family. Work. Play. For many they are hard to tell apart. And the busier we get the more those lines become blurred and (ugh) gray. Add to that a little obsessive compulsive tendencies and the easy possibility of becoming overwhelmed, and you have a recipe for an interesting month.

Most pastors will tell you that December and January are when most of the family problems come to a head in the parish, and that it is the time when everyone’s difficulties rise to the surface. This, too, has the effect of graying and mushing everything together, especially for the pastor.

Pastors (all bravado notwithstanding) are generally compassionate people. Pastors have a tendency to put on a tough exterior more as a self-defense mechanism than anything else.

I’m not really good at mechanisms right now. I take everything personally when I am under stress, even things that aren’t directed at me. It drives me batty, which also makes me crazy.

So what do you do when life is gray, stress is high, and things are crashing in upon you? I’d like to hear from you.

-DMR

PS Sorry this isn’t more upbeat and happy. Some posts are just like that.

anxiety, depression, family, Pastoral Office, stress

These gray and latter days….

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I hate the gray of winter. I hate it I hate it I hate it. There is something about the color gray that is just evil. Neither black nor white nor color, it is a continual reminder of the mush of our lives, and of how one thing blends into another so much that you can’t tell the difference.

Life. Family. Work. Play. For many they are hard to tell apart. And the busier we get the more those lines become blurred and (ugh) gray. Add to that a little obsessive compulsive tendencies and the easy possibility of becoming overwhelmed, and you have a recipe for an interesting month.

Most pastors will tell you that December and January are when most of the family problems come to a head in the parish, and that it is the time when everyone’s difficulties rise to the surface. This, too, has the effect of graying and mushing everything together, especially for the pastor.

Pastors (all bravado notwithstanding) are generally compassionate people. Pastors have a tendency to put on a tough exterior more as a self-defense mechanism than anything else.

I’m not really good at mechanisms right now. I take everything personally when I am under stress, even things that aren’t directed at me. It drives me batty, which also makes me crazy.

So what do you do when life is gray, stress is high, and things are crashing in upon you? I’d like to hear from you.

-DMR

PS Sorry this isn’t more upbeat and happy. Some posts are just like that.

anxiety, depression, stress

Black Friday, Cyber Monday and Depression

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I can always tell when I’m getting over-stressed, depressed, or generally anxious about life. Why? Because I become obsessed about buying things. Sometimes they are things that we need as a family. Sometimes they are needed at church. Sometimes I just want them, good ole’ fashion covetousness.

Over the span of my illness I’ve found this as a returning theme. When things are out of control in my life, or I feel as though I’m losing a grip on reality, I find that buying stuff satisfies my compulsion for control, at least for a little while.

At the lowest point in my depression, I was spending money like Brad Pitt, buying whatever came to my mind whenever I wanted it. I always had a justification for it, because it helped my healing. Now insofar as having hobbies and distractions from everyday life is healthy (and it is), this whole process was and is a good thing, if kept in check. But it is when things to totally out of control that problems arise. Like massive credit card debt, allowing material things to serve as a barrier to those whom I love and tasks that I dread.

Add the grayness outside and the coming assault of winter, and you have a recipe for trouble.

Am I alone in this? I don’t think so. Given the rising credit card debt in our nation, and how depression means a void in fulfillment, this strikes me as a common problem afflicting Americans in general. We have the means to go 50k, 100k or more into debt quite easily, and I don’t mean by buying a house or a car.

So what do you do when you can tell the oncoming signs of coping mechanisms creeping their way in? Here’s a few tips.

  • Recognize them for what they are. This is your mind and body telling you that things aren’t right, that something is missing, and that it needs to be filled. Sometimes that may result in buying something you need (or whatever your coping mechanism may be). Sometimes recognizing it for what it is will suffice.
  • Recognize them for what they aren’t. They aren’t a sign that you are A) Going to hell; B) Abandoned by God; C) Just another cog in the great machine of American retail; D) A failure because you can’t control your impulses. Much like the body uses nerves to tell you when you are in pain, you mind may use these coping mechanisms to tell you that something is wrong. Don’t make it more than it is.
  • Recognize you for who you are. You are baptized. You are in Christ and Christ is in you. This is true whether you have goofy compulsions or not. This is true even though Satan may use these compulsions to lead you into sin.
  • Find someone to talk this through with you. This could be a counselor, but it could be your pastor or a friend. But don’t let this just fester inside you. That will not help.

Anyway, those are a few random thoughts on Cyber Monday. I think I’ll go check out what’s on sale at Amazon…

-DMR

anxiety, depression, stress

Black Friday, Cyber Monday and Depression

2 Comments


I can always tell when I’m getting over-stressed, depressed, or generally anxious about life. Why? Because I become obsessed about buying things. Sometimes they are things that we need as a family. Sometimes they are needed at church. Sometimes I just want them, good ole’ fashion covetousness.

Over the span of my illness I’ve found this as a returning theme. When things are out of control in my life, or I feel as though I’m losing a grip on reality, I find that buying stuff satisfies my compulsion for control, at least for a little while.

At the lowest point in my depression, I was spending money like Brad Pitt, buying whatever came to my mind whenever I wanted it. I always had a justification for it, because it helped my healing. Now insofar as having hobbies and distractions from everyday life is healthy (and it is), this whole process was and is a good thing, if kept in check. But it is when things to totally out of control that problems arise. Like massive credit card debt, allowing material things to serve as a barrier to those whom I love and tasks that I dread.

Add the grayness outside and the coming assault of winter, and you have a recipe for trouble.

Am I alone in this? I don’t think so. Given the rising credit card debt in our nation, and how depression means a void in fulfillment, this strikes me as a common problem afflicting Americans in general. We have the means to go 50k, 100k or more into debt quite easily, and I don’t mean by buying a house or a car.

So what do you do when you can tell the oncoming signs of coping mechanisms creeping their way in? Here’s a few tips.

  • Recognize them for what they are. This is your mind and body telling you that things aren’t right, that something is missing, and that it needs to be filled. Sometimes that may result in buying something you need (or whatever your coping mechanism may be). Sometimes recognizing it for what it is will suffice.
  • Recognize them for what they aren’t. They aren’t a sign that you are A) Going to hell; B) Abandoned by God; C) Just another cog in the great machine of American retail; D) A failure because you can’t control your impulses. Much like the body uses nerves to tell you when you are in pain, you mind may use these coping mechanisms to tell you that something is wrong. Don’t make it more than it is.
  • Recognize you for who you are. You are baptized. You are in Christ and Christ is in you. This is true whether you have goofy compulsions or not. This is true even though Satan may use these compulsions to lead you into sin.
  • Find someone to talk this through with you. This could be a counselor, but it could be your pastor or a friend. But don’t let this just fester inside you. That will not help.

Anyway, those are a few random thoughts on Cyber Monday. I think I’ll go check out what’s on sale at Amazon…

-DMR

anfechtung, depression, pharmacology

Depression, Anfechtung, and drugs (oh my!)

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Susan over at her pendulum has posted a good and worthwhile question about anti-depressants. Read it here.

I’ve posted on this topic a few times, particularly in my review of the book, Prozac Nation.

Susan has several valid observations and questions:

  1. Does an anti-depressant treat the cause or cover up the symptom?
  2. As a result, does it actually cover up the underlying problem so that it can’t be addressed?
  3. Finally, what is the difference between clinical depression and anfechtung?

The answer to number one is yes and no. I come from a long history of distrust of traditional medicine. My family has lived on chiropractors and homeopathy for about as long as I can remember. So have have no commitment necessarily to standard “slap a drug on it and call it good” approach to medication. However, there is plenty of evidence (more and more each year) that points to the reality that clinical depression is a medical condition, where the neurotransmitters in the brain are not functioning properly. Is this condition a result of sin? Yes (duh). Are there multiple ways it can be addresses? Yes (duh).

I do think that because we are dealing with mental illness that there is an automatic connection made between clinical depression and spiritual distress or temptation (anfechtung). In my observation and deep experience, they are not the same, but one may lead to the other, either direction. This is why there is no one solution to clinical depression. It really requires a multi-pronged approach of a doctor, a counselor, and a pastor. If you take one of those out of the equation, I fear that either the clinical depression or the spiritual distress which caused it or is a result of it will go untreated.

Allow me to use an analogy. I’ve had many parishioners who have had cancer and other terminal illnesses, as well as painful but not terminal illnesses. Few things can test the faith than a terminal illness. It almost inevitably leads to anfechtung. It is also an incredible opportunity for our Lord’s healing hand to be at work, forgiving sins, providing comfort and giving consolation which only he can give. However, as a pastor I would be seriously messed up if I suggested to this patient that they should refuse treatment.

Which brings us to number two. Can anti-depressants cover up the underlying problem? Absolutely! That is why a pharmacological treatment cannot be the sole treatment. The causes for clinical depression are diverse and sometimes impossible to track down. In order to get at the heart of the matter, there is a sense where the patient must recognize the depression for what it is, and try to seek both spiritual and psychological answers. It really requires self-examination which can be very uncomfortable.

However, there is a point where anti-depressants are necessary in order to function and get to the point of asking some of those underlying questions. Sometimes the answers may be spiritual. Sometimes they may be genetic or situational. Sometimes it is nearly impossible to nail down a “cause” to depression. But the fact of the matter is that far, far more people are undermedicated or misdiagnosed when it comes to depression than the other way around.

Which brings us to number three. What’s the difference between clinical depression and anfectungen, or spiritual distress? When you physically can’t move out of bed, that isn’t a spiritual matter, or it at least is not solely a spiritual matter. When you can’t concentrate, can’t remember the day before or even the hour before, when you either can’t sleep at all or sleep 20 hours a day, these are not simply spiritual distress. They are real, physiological symptoms of a medical problem.

Life under the cross does not mean easy fixes or pill-popping solutions. It means that we follow our Lord to die, so that we might rise with Him at the last day. It does not mean that we should avoid earthly help with pain in order to further identify with our Lord and His suffering. That would be montanism, and some of the more twisted views found in monasticism.

If your leg is broken, get it set. If your mind is broken, get the help you need. A part of that help may include medication and therapy. I guarantee that a part of that help is having a pastor and a church that understand the Gospel, and will give you the balm that will heal your soul, even if your mind and body are hurting.

Thanks for the intriguing post, Susan.

-DMR