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Mind-altering drugs (of the prescribed kind)
Reading the thread about marijuana and meditation has got me wondering about the drugs I'm taking.
My shrink has prescribed me a slow-release form of methylphenidate (perhaps better known as Ritalin) for ADHD. It is no exaggeration to say that these meds have profoundly changed my life for the better. I still very much suffer from the symptoms of ADHD, but I have some semblance of control over them and I've gone from being a deeply depressed, chronically angry underachiever to someone who sees a fairly bright future for herself. I don't think I would actually have been able to embrace Buddhism, much less get anywhere with meditation, had it not been for the improved ability to focus and apply myself to an endeavour that this medicine affords. However, since methylphenidate is technically a stimulant drug, is this getting in the way of my achieving enlightenment? I don't actually get any kind of 'buzz' from it at all and the same is true of other stimulants like caffeine, but it does alter my state of mind, therefore doubt has crept in as to whether the two (enlightenment and psychiatric meds) can go together.
My shrink has prescribed me a slow-release form of methylphenidate (perhaps better known as Ritalin) for ADHD. It is no exaggeration to say that these meds have profoundly changed my life for the better. I still very much suffer from the symptoms of ADHD, but I have some semblance of control over them and I've gone from being a deeply depressed, chronically angry underachiever to someone who sees a fairly bright future for herself. I don't think I would actually have been able to embrace Buddhism, much less get anywhere with meditation, had it not been for the improved ability to focus and apply myself to an endeavour that this medicine affords. However, since methylphenidate is technically a stimulant drug, is this getting in the way of my achieving enlightenment? I don't actually get any kind of 'buzz' from it at all and the same is true of other stimulants like caffeine, but it does alter my state of mind, therefore doubt has crept in as to whether the two (enlightenment and psychiatric meds) can go together.
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Comments
You can call them a loan. But one u definitely need..
just keep in mind that the drug any time can stop working, it can bring secondary effects,etc. So its time to work hard in what it needs to be worked -_-.
With metta.
http://www.wcbsthailand.com/download/c1_pdf/Mindfulness ADHD-Zylowska et al.pdf
It's an article titled "Mindfulness Meditation Training in Adults
and Adolescents With ADHD," published in the Journal of Attention Disorders OnlineFirst.
Alan
Also, none of us here know your personal situation as well as you and your health professional(s), so don't base your medical decisions off of a forum consensus. On the other hand, not all psychiatrists and psychologists are as open to these new therapies as others, so you can always feel free to shop around if these sorts of things appeal to you. On that note, you may want to check out Jon Kabat-Zinn's book "Full Catastrophe Living":
http://www.amazon.com/Full-Catastrophe-Living-Wisdom-Illness/dp/0385303122
It seems fessible to me that mind altering medication aka. prescription drugs can get in the way of enlightenmnent. Perhaps if you want an expert opinion talk to a monk in your area and he/she can give some insight? My opinioni is we're talking about the middle way here, and stopping taking a medication which has helped your life for the better may/seems to be an extreme for a lay person.
Don't worry, keep taking them and take my advice with a grain of salt, and maybe talk to a monk, and a doctor.
I recently stopped my medication and mindfulness meditation is completely out of the question, that's how weird I feel.
I can think of 2 friends in an instant who sincerely told me that ADHD medication helped them focus and overcome sort of mental anxieties in school.
Metta meditation seems to be right for me now.
A friend told me about an experience he had with a certain kind I want to share.
Alan
my honest reply concurs with your suspicions, that meds can be an obstacle to enlightenment
however, we need to be very careful here because it seems apparent you require the meds
my suggestion is to try to find a good meditation group to practise with
by "good", i mean a group with strong integrity & morals; a group that feels and is very trustworthy & safe
joining a good meditation/dharma group can very much help to settle our mind because in a good group our mind increases its sense of trust & self-love
our mind sheds alot of its fears & uncertainties
most people feel as though they are "returning home" when they attend a (good) Buddhist centre
then, if you feel an improvement in your sense of being, then you can begin to examine the extent of the medication you require, in consultation with your medical practitioner
but, for me, i believe finding a good meditation/dharma group of trustworthy sincere practitioners is the appropriate starting point
may you be at ease
DD