Was this question prompted by the "ridiculous rant" of Tom Cruise?
David Friedman wrote:
I was just wondering what the right attitude towards anti-depressants
should be in light of the passages from the Writings which say that
hardships/suffering are a good thing.
There are two ways of healing sickness, material means and spiritual
means. The first is by the use of remedies, of medicines; the second
consists in praying to God and in turning to Him. Both means should be
used and practiced (Abdu'l-Baha, Baha'i World Faith - Abdu'l-Baha
Section, p. 375).
By taking anti-depressants when depressed one is obviously making
things easier for themself.
Nothing could be farther from the truth. Anti-depressants are rarely
the cure-all that most people imagine; for some they are ineffective or
only minimally efficacious. There are certainly different degrees and
etiologies of depression, but for severe depression anti-depressants are
usually necessary and may not make things easier, only bearable.
If one doesn't take anti-depressants they would have more hardship,
which is said to lead to more character development. So what to do?
Let yourself suffer?
Depression can be bad enough without doing nothing, which could
needlessly compound suffering and make things even worse.
In the Writings it says that God never burdens a soul beyond their
capacity. Does this mean with or without medical assistance?
With medical assistance. Why else would Baha'u'llah recommend
consulting competent medical professionals when ill?
To consult competent physicians when ill (Baha'u'llah, The
Kitab-i-Aqdas, p. 161).
Marleen
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