These moods shall pass too.

[Thanisaro85]

One thing about depression + anxiety. When the mode kicks in, one might became very obsessed or on a thought or thoughts. Accompany it is a hopeless and devastated feeling that never seems to go away. The world became so lonely to live in and view became superb narrow.

With mindfulness of the mood and with one day of normal mood next day, one can realise the extreme thoughts on the previous day is absurd and scary. Its like a split personality. But do we even realises it?

With a normal mood, one tends to brush off bad incident easily or felt less severe. But when the doom day mood kicks in, even the smallest event will make it seems like the whole world is coming to get you. A small issue will be many times amplified. Decisions making or actions at then can be destructive.

With good foundation of mindfulness and some memories( on the characteristic of the moods). It allow us to make comparison for what will we do if we are in 2 different mood. And that, hopefully, will deter us to do something that is damaging too ourselves or those beside us, if we falls into the 2 moods .

May we remember, all moods shall pass too  and we have the strength to overcome those dark days and not defeated by it.

[Matthew]

Hi Thanisaro,

One of the key factors in both anxiety and depression is your locus of self-esteem. An external locus of self-esteem is positively related to these problems, and an internal locus is protective against falling into these states.

When we are practicing mindfulness we are paying attention to body and mind: this strengthens the internal locus. We look to our own internal felt sense of things to anchor our perceptions of self, the world and our outlook on life. When we are less mindful we are more likely to be put off balance by a perceived slight, or insult, or lack of respect: we might become more externally focused in how we perceive ourselves.

I wonder if this duality is related to what you are discussing? Have you heard of these ideas before? Can you see a relationship to the 'split personality' aspect of your experience?

M

[Thanisaro85]

Hi Matthew,

I check up the word locus but i don't think i understand think i can understand completely in what you've wrote.

Your words are simple but i failed to comprehend them( the first 2 paragraphs), my bad. No i have not heard of what you mentioned. I will appreciate if you could elaborate further.

The split personality is just a observing of myself, is like how can i feel such a huge difference from yesterday to today. What a distinct feeling.

I wrote the thread for 2 reasons. One is the thoughts that make feel me wow, my mind can go so extreme when i got into that mood. Like leaving my family and dying alone, the next day when i resume, i was like, is it that necessary with those thoughts. Is like my journal.

The 2nd reason i wrote these is for those members who 1. Have the symptoms themselves but can't see this clearly themselves and keep submerging them in the hopeless mood 2) and also to those members who might not have depression and anxiety, hopefully they can understand people whom they love and sympathised but can't seems to grasp what is going on.

Also as something i can revisit here again maybe half a year later.

[Matthew]

Hi Thanisaro,

Locus means the place where something resides or occurs. You can replace the word locus with the word 'centre' in what I wrote above and the sense of what I wrote won't change, yet you might understand more naturally.

[mobius]

I understand and sympathies completely. I go through this all the time and particularly right now, in the extreme. One minute I feel elated and at peace, the next everything feels terrible.

I know for one thing; doing something, anything (well not anything, positive things) whether meditating or working, playing etc, helps. Sitting around or just day/dreaming thinking does not help at all. I mean right now, even while doing something or being mindful the object of obsession will often come back, but at least then I can acknowledge it and go back to the meditation or whatever I'm doing. If I'm not occupied or busy then it's just thoughts spiraling out of control.

For me, just the knowledge of "this too shall pass" is helpful; doesn't make it go completely away, but it helps.

[Matthew]

For me, just the knowledge of "this too shall pass" is helpful; doesn't make it go completely away, but it helps.

This too shall pass mobius

[dharma bum]

I find the problem with thinking that this too will pass is that sometimes things don't pass. So if you set up expectations that your current mood will pass, then you might get frustrated if it doesn't.

[raushan]

I find the problem with thinking that this too will pass is that sometimes things don't pass. So if you set up expectations that your current mood will pass, then you might get frustrated if it doesn't.

I think the purpose of this quote "this too shall pass" is to be non-attached in all the situations whether it's unpleasant or pleasant. Not to get attached with any of it.

To me it seems that you tell yourself this too shall pass in the hope that things will get better in the future. If you enquire about it you will find that you are trying to escape from your current situation. You aren't staying in the present. You're hoping that the future would be better. And that's exactly the opposite of the meditation.

In meditation, any form of escaping should be avoided. However painful a situation becomes I guess we have to be equanimous there.


The reason that we shouldn't escape from it becuase then only we can see the actual truth behind the things.