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Obsessive Mind & Depression

leahncleahnc Explorer
edited October 2011 in Buddhism Basics
Hi everyone - this is my first post here. 2011 has been quite a year for me so far. My spiritual beliefs have changed radically in the past 6 months & I am on a journey to discover myself. I was put on antidepressants 5 months ago & my hope is to discontinue those soon. I have Obsessive Compulsive Disorder & hope that mindfulness will help me with the obsessive thoughts.

Comments

  • MountainsMountains Veteran
    Hi @leahnc,

    Welcome! I wish you the best on your new journey. If you've been diagnosed with OCD and have only been on medication for a few months, I wouldn't be in a big rush to get off them just yet. Let them do their job, unless the side effects are such that you can't continue. And whatever you do, don't go off them without the knowledge and assistance of your doctor. And as a personal piece of advice, however long they (the doctor or the manufacturer) tell you it takes to taper off them (usually 2-4 weeks), put "months" in place of "weeks" as a starting point. You'll be doing yourself a huge favor. Been there, done that.

    Anyway, medical stuff aside, be careful of trying to use your spiritual journey as a substitute for a drug. It's not that. It may help, but it's not a cure for anything, despite what you may read. It should be undertaken for its own sake, and whatever benefits may possibly accrue from it should be considered as nice side effects, not as goals.

    There is a wealth of knowledge and experience on this forum, so please feel free to ask any kind of questions you like. Lots of resources out there for beginners...

    Peace
  • leahncleahnc Explorer
    Thank you Mountains. I appreciate the reply & your advice. I will definitely take it slow with the discontinue of my antidepressants. My psychiatrist is wonderful & very understanding. I feel she has my best interest in mind. Im only on 10mg & dont feel emotionally flat - thank goodness!

    The medications have really gotten me thru a rough patch in my life. I recently tapered off of klonopin (which was tremendously helpful) but I didnt want to become addicted & have to increase dosage.
  • MountainsMountains Veteran
    Klonopin (clonazepam) can be a very good drug, but like any benzodiazepine drug, it can lead to tolerance and/or dependence. Glad you were able to get off of it.

    As I say, often doctors (even really good ones) don't understand themselves what it's like to come off of a psychoactive medication. Most of them have never been on them, and unless they have, and have tried to come off them, they can't possibly know what it's like, so they go by what the literature and the manufacturers say. Lots of people here (me included) have experience with this.

    Peace...
  • AzidonisAzidonis
    The Four Noble Truths, with special attention to the second, it would seem.

    Great advice from Mountains, though.
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