Are You Killing Yourself? 

            Our ancestors lived in a world full of danger. They had many things to be afraid of – Pain, Starvation, Wild animals, diseases and what not. No doubt, they were leading a life full of fear, tension, anxiety and stress.

            Today in contrast, we have all high tech facilities at our finger tips. We have automatic ovens, washing machines, tumbler driers, dish washers, food blenders, vacuum cleaners, television sets, video recorders and the list goes on. We can travel thousands of miles in a matter of hours. These devices were designed for a comfortable living and to make our lives more enjoyable. We’re surrounded by all signs of wealth, which should in fact make our lives free of tension and fear.

            But take a moment to think – are we really leading a stress free life? The fact of the matter is we are surrounded by the gaudy signs of wealth, but we’ve become so dependent on artifacts that when they break down we become aggressive and irritable. And the result is – loneliness, unhappiness, anxiety and depression are now are as common as common cold. Never before in history has there been so much sadness, dissatisfaction and frustration as there is today.

            While in the ancient days, wild animals was the main cause of fear, today probably our society needs each one of us to be frightened. Fear encourages us to accept things we do not like; fear make us do the work we do not enjoy; fear make us spend money on things, we neither want nor need. Politicians, industries, advertising agencies, televisions, newspapers all induce fear and tension into the society for their benefit.

            Politicians and police frighten you of street violence. Doctors frighten you of having regular health checkups. Advertising agencies use fear as a means to push their products through their consumers making them feel that it’s a necessity for them.  So, fear and tension is everywhere and is constantly used to manipulate us. And when this so called ‘20^th Century Blues’ go overboard, people get addicted to tranquilizers and sleeping pills to get over it.

            Strange but its true – today, the world’s biggest addiction problem is not teenagers taking hash; but middle-agers taking sedatives. The tranquilizer is replacing tobacco. This will, perhaps give us even bigger problem as this is supported by the government and the medical community, the sole beneficiary being the drug companies.

            Popularity of Psychotropic drugs has made mental ailments incurable and life long disease. People suffering from fear and stress and other mind related problems has also to undergo the fear and stigma of taking these dangerous often brain, liver and kidney damaging psychiatric drugs for life; whose long term adverse reactions even lead to other life long diseases like diabetes , fits or tardive dyskinesia. Unfortunately only after years of consumption the sufferer realizes that these drugs only work as long as one takes them and once you stop taking them the symptoms are back again. But by then you are already addicted to it. And quite obvious when you keep treating your brain for your mind related problems you are never going to arrive at a solution.

                            Even a lay person with a little knowledge in computers would agree that to clear a virus in the computer software you need not tamper with the hardware or CPU. Treating your brain for mind related problems is like tampering the CPU for clearing virus in your Computer. Unless you use an anti-virus and reboot your system, no amount of working on CPU is going to help. Going by the same analogy, you keep treating your brain and your mind related problems remain as it is or even get worse.

            Modern medicine’s belief that man’s personality, thought and behaviour is nothing but chemical reactions in the brain is fundamentally flawed. Man being merely reduced to animals without soul or spirit is awful. Today its been scientifically proved that human beings are not just bio-chemical machines. Popping in sleeping pills every time the mind goes out of tune is not the effective way of treating one’s mind. The powerful entity called ‘Mind’ is different from brain and it is the ‘Mind’ that controls the brain and body. And mind is controlled by one’s belief system. Change your negative beliefs and you can change your life even, mental ailments are not a great deal at all.

            Most of the people are unaware of the not so popularized alternative treatment options available to them for their psychological problems. These effective treatment options are not as popularized because there’s no drugs involved in it. These treatments often offer a cure from tension, fear and stresses. That’s right, they cure the mind related or personality related problems and often people can’t even believe that such simple therapy procedures would ever cure them off their age old problems and that too in such a short duration.           

            People do have problems in life, sometimes very serious. Mental difficulties do exist, people’s hopes and dreams can be shattered and their methods of coping with this can fail. All they need is a support; and a newer and better coping mechanism. This may not be a medical problem at all.           What you need to understand if you are a caregiver is that, they’re having enough trouble as it is. More than anything they need rest and security. Don’t tell them they have a Psychiatric disease that only a drug can correct. This would only make things worse. 

            I agree some of the problems which people keep with in themselves without sharing with any body and has taken such a bad shape that they can’t even cooperate in a Psychotherapy session; may have to take psychiatric medication. One would be surprised to note that such incidents are only 1-2% of the cases taking Psychiatric help. That simply means majority of the cases being controlled by psychotropic drugs has a solution if the individual wishes to make the choice. 

            We normally tend to forget, there’s always a choice. And we forget that we have the power to choose. And many of us do not make the attempt to choose. Because with choice, of course comes responsibility. You, yourself must be the one who takes the responsibility of maximizing your well being. Think for yourself – are you killing yourself? If yes, then you have a choice. The big question is do you want to make that choice and take responsibility for your life and do you want to come out of this vicious cycle of treating your brain without mind? 

            Most often talk therapy alone may not work. But when advanced Psychodynamic Psychotherapeutic procedures with the help of Energy Psychology techniques and Clinical Hypnotherapy complemented with Bach Flower remedies can do wonders, why not give it a try. It can do no harm to you. All it can do to you, is it might cure you, once and for all.  

 wishing you Success to Stop Existing and Start Living!!

 See you at: www.leapcentre.org