Is it possible to use buddhist meditation and buddhism to cure yourself of depression and/or anxiety?

Answer 1

I've heard it is relaxing and calming - I have no evidence of that

Answer 2

Yes....A wonderful book to pick up to help start you on this track is "The Art of Happiness" by the Dalai Lama. Also pick up the book "You Can Be Happy No Matter What". These are mind training books. Its all about blocking out the negative and letting in the postive and also just having compassion and consideration for others. Read a little every day and practice the meditations given in the books. I think its a great way to help yourself. Some people arent comforatable talking to professionals about their anxieties and prefer to go at it themselves. If you are strong enough and ready to go for it then good luck. I think it will be of great help.

It has helped me a lot with anxiety and just practicing patience and compassion.

Answer 3

It can, but you never want to use meditation as the only way of dealing with a psychological problem such as depression or anxiety.

Meditation does work, but it takes a long time. Also depression can make it so you don't want to meditate, kinda making it self-defeating in the long run.

As pointed out previously, any meditation will do. Also, you don't have to be Buddhist to meditate with most any Buddhist group. One of our Board members was a devout Christian.

Answer 4

NO! Wow, I've only read one article and it mirrored what I've experienced so I believe it. If you're depressed, what you need is the standard three legged approach of more physical activity, talk therapy and maybe (only maybe) drugs. And the chief benefits come from the exercise and talk (that really is the order you apply them - exercise, then talk, then drugs). Meditation works best when you're feeling about level or maybe a bit UP, not when you're down (and need a pick up). Meditations calms you, slows down the hubub in your mind but frankly from a depressed state it may focus your thoughts to just that basic "yes, today IS the day to kill myself thought" - that's not a good one to meditate on.

Serious as a heart attack - it's a bad idea and if you know somebody with depression or it's you we're talking about, get them some help.

Edit: maybe I should clarify...the parts about depression come from talking to a therapist about such thing, that and reading. The meditation tie-in was a simple reference in an article on meditation that said simply, "if you're down, do exercise; if you're up, medidate". They gave a rationale but the bottom line was you couldn't force meditation.

Answer 5

I am not sure about Buddist meditation particularly but meditation techniques worked quite well for me when I was suffering from depression/anxiety to help me calm down

I found that spot meditations work particularly well

e.g. When you feel paniky make a deliberate effort to slow down what you are doing, make your movements slow and considered. Concentrate on doing this for while and alow yourself to feel the sensations this causes. Concentrate on your heartbeat and feel it slowing down.

Deeper meditation states work well too but you need to be in a fairly stable frame of mind to get started. When I got more practiced I felt much better after 20 mins or so of fairly deep meditation where I was really in touch with the sensations passing through my body.

Answer 6

Well, you don't have to be a Buddhist to meditate, but meditation IS good for you.

Find a class/teacher locally (there will be someone) although there are plenty of self-help books that can help you get started.

Answer 7

I don't know much about buddhism, but I have problems with anxiety, and i know that meditation in general is widely accepted as a very affective relaxation technique. It was one of the first such techniques, and it is still suggested by therapists.

Answer 8

Zen meditation (zazen) helps to return a person to their normal, ordinary state. It doesn't "cure" problems. It's more like practicing good, simple mental health.

I'm not sure if I explained my thought correctly, but I do know that zazen is a great thing to practice.

If you are wondering if you should practice zazen, I very much suggest that you do. It's a very simple and beautiful thing to do.

Answer 9

I would say yes. I've used it a number of years ago for similar reasons (unemployment, breakup) and it allows you to channel you energies and focus on where you want to be (visualisation technique used widely in all forms of meditation). You have nothing to lose.

Answer 10

A friend of mine told me the other day "You are the master of your own brain. Tell it what you want to feel, don't let it dictate to you how you feel." He is a buddhist, and I do see alot of wisdom in that idea. If you tell yourself you are miserable, you will be.

Answer 11

you bet! it is by introspection that you get to the root of the problem, "digest" it and overcome it.

if you start meditating and use buddhis precepts in your life (even though you don't convert, that is secondary) it is 100% guaranteed you will have a happier life, you'll see.