Saturday, September 18, 2010

Depression


Depression is a state of low mood and aversion to activity. Depressed people may feel sad, anxious, empty, hopeless, helpless, worthless, guilty, irritable or restless. They may lose interest in activities that once were pleasurable, experience loss of appetite or overeating, or problems concentrating, remembering details or making decisions; and may contemplate or attempt suicide. Insomnia, waking early, excessive sleeping, fatigue, loss of energy, or aches, pains or digestive problems that are resistant to treatment may be present.


Physiology
Depression is associated with changes in substances in the brain (neurotransmitters) that help nerve cells communicate, such as serotonin, dopamine and norepinephrine. The levels of these neurotransmitters can be influenced by genetics, hormonal changes, responses to medications, aging, brain injuries, seasonal/light cycle changes, and other medical conditions.


Cure
1. Seeking refuge in prayer
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “And seek help in patience and al-salaat (the prayer)…” [al-Baqarah 2:45].
Hudhayfah said: “Whenever the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was grieved by something, he used to pray.” When Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with him) heard about the death of his brother, he stopped at the side of the road – as he was on a journey – and prayed, following the command of Allaah.
Supplication for anxiety and sorrow



2. Understanding the reality of this world
The believer knows that this world is only temporary, that its luxuries are few, and that whatever pleasures exist here are always imperfect. If it causes a little laughter, it gives many reasons to weep; if it gives a little, it withholds far more. The believer is only detained here, as the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said
“This world is the prison of the believer and the paradise of the kaafir.”


3. Making the Hereafter one’s main concern
The concerns of this world overwhelm and confuse people, but if the slave makes the Hereafter his main concern, Allaah will help him to focus and be determined, as was narrated by Anas (may Allaah be pleased with him):
“The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: ‘Whoever has the Hereafter as his main concern, Allaah will fill his heart with a feeling of richness and independence; he will be focused and feel content, and this world will come to him in spite of it. Whoever has this world as his main concern, Allaah will cause him to feel constant fear of poverty; he will be distracted and unfocused, and he will have nothing of this world except what was already predestined for him.’”



4. Relying upon Allaah and entrusting matters to Him
When a person relies upon Allaah and puts his trust in Him, he is not controlled by bad illusions. He trusts in Allaah and hopes for bounty from Him, which protects him from distress and worry, as well as many psychological and physical diseases. Thus his heart gains indescribable strength, relaxation and joy. The one who is truly free from problems is the one whom Allaah has freed and helped to strive against his/her own-self (jihaad al-nafs) by seeking beneficial means of strengthening his heart and dispelling anxiety. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“… And whosoever puts his trust in Allaah, then He will suffice him…”[al-Talaaq 65:3]

i.e., He will take care of everything that is of concern to him, whether it has to do with his religion or his worldly affairs.


5. Constantly anticipating and being prepared for all possibilitiesIf a person is prepared for the possibility of the loss of a loved one, the sickness of a relative, incurring a debt, being overpowered by an enemy, or any other unpleasant possibility that has not yet happened – whilst seeking refuge with Allaah and hoping to be safe from it – then if his fears materialize, their impact will not be so great because he has already anticipated them and prepared himself to deal with them.

One important point that we should make is the fact that many ambitious people are prepared to deal with major calamities in a calm and patient manner, but they are unduly worried and stressed by trivial problems. The reason for this is that they prepare themselves to face major problems, but forget to prepare themselves to cope with minor troubles, which consequently cause them harm. The prudent person prepares himself to deal with both major and minor problems, and asks Allaah to help him and not leave him to deal with it by himself for even the blink of an eye. Thus both major and minor troubles become easier to bear, and he remains calm and serene.



6. The person who is distressed or worried should know that after hardship comes easeSo he should think positively and realize that Allaah will make a way out for him. The more intense his stress and depression is, the closer he is to relief and a way out.
Allaah says in Soorat al-Sharh (interpretation of the meaning):

“So verily, with the hardship, there is relief, verily, with the hardship, there is relief.” [al-Sharh 94:5-6].The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) advised Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with him and his father): “Know that victory (or achievement) comes through patience, and that ease comes through hardship…”



Reference
Dealing with Worries and Stress; English Translation; Book by Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid
Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Hisnul Muslim
See Also

4 comments:

  1. It's amazing how prayer can soothe our hearts. The calmness that engulfs us as we stand before Allah (swt) is something that only we Muslims can understand.

    May Allah bless your work.

    ReplyDelete
  2. It is normal to feel sad due to grief for a lost relative or loved one,
    or due to disappointments and failure like losing a job.
    Surwit notes also that: "The change is nearly as large as you would expect to see from some diabetes-control drugs".

    Robert moore is a health consultant and a guide for Signs and Symptoms of
    Depression.
    Feel free to visit my blog post ; severe depression

    ReplyDelete
  3. The most obvious signs of depression is withdraw and sinking moods.
    Its symptoms include the following:MAJOR SYMPTOMS OF
    DEPRESSIONo Miserable frame of mind over a period
    of time, sometimes in a number of weekso Expresses grief in activities and life in general, and fails to feel
    satisfactiono Disheartened thinking - negative approach about oneself,
    the present and the futureo Difficulty in focusing and rememberingo Under the dilemma in making decisions -
    often even the more simple oneso Feelings of unimportance
    and desperationo Anxiety - a sense of being afraid -
    that something "dreadful" is going to happeno Phobias
    or doubts about specific situationso Loss of appetite and weight
    loss or, alternatively, increased appetite and weight gaino Disrupted sleeping patterns - not much sleep or wanting to sleep all the timeo Feeling weary and lacking in energy and inspirationo Loss of interest in sexo Physical symptoms -
    aches and pains, gastrointestinal upsets, headacheso Incapacity to do the usual everyday activitieso Thoughts of suicide - Various people do not try to find treatment in the early stage
    of depression as they started to observe such symptoms and thought that
    it will just pass away in a period of time, not noticing
    how severe the health problem can be. Diagnosis can be difficult and Manic depression is classed as a chronic relapsing illness so it best
    to work with an experienced Psychiatrist and continue treatmet even when you're feeling better..
    Also visit my blog :: deal with depression

    ReplyDelete