Distress and depression
We have received comments from readers who tell us that our ideas caused them to
be distressed and depressed. If you are one of those readers you need to
consider the following. As human beings become anxious they often lose their
focus and misinterpret what they are reading. If you understand what we are
saying, there is absolutely no reason to be depressed by our ideas.
Why not? First, we may be wrong. What we conclude to be true and correct may not
be. Yet beyond the fact that we cannot be sure we are right, the fact is that if
we are right, for the vast majority there is nothing to fear or dread. This fact
is extremely difficult to accept if you are searching for meaning in your life,
you do not believe that there is a life after death, and you are discouraged or
depressed before you start reading. When you read our ideas they may touch raw
nerves, and you may stop understanding what we are saying.
Either there is a life after death or there is no life after death. If there is
no life after death and we are correct when we conclude that physical death
annihilates our past, present, and future, then there is absolutely no reason
whatsoever to be even the slightest bit distressed or depressed. If physical
death annihilates your past, present, and future, then after your physical death
you are consumed by a totally peaceful void, with absolutely no pain or sorrow
or other negative result. There is no logical or rational way whatsoever to
conclude that there is any negative consequence if your ultimate end is a
nihilistic death.
If your mind is not receptive and clear, then you may have a violent reaction to
our conclusions about death if there is no life after death, a reaction that
ignores the fact that there cannot be anything to fear about such a death. It is
human nature to attack anything that suggests that our life today may be
destroyed by death, yet that reaction can have no rational basis in logic. If
your past, present, and future is annihilated by your physical death, after your
death you will not suffer pain or sorrow or regrets or anything negative at all,
period.
Furthermore, if your past, present, and future is annihilated by your physical
death, that fact can have no affect whatsoever on today, on now. If a nihilistic
death lies in your future, it cannot affect your present at all. You can live
every day, from now to the moment of your death, to the fullest. It is very
important to understand that every person who is unwilling to believe that there
is a life after physical death can live a positive life for the rest of their
life, loving their neighbor, doing that which is good, with the hope that
physical life does have meaning and purpose. There is no reason whatsoever for
those who are unwilling to believe that there is a life after physical death to
be depressed, there is every reason for them to do that which is good and live
the most positive life they are willing to live. If you are unwilling to believe
that there is life after physical death, there is every reason for you to do
that which is good and live a positive life, with the hope that your life may
have meaning and purpose.
Many who are deeply depressed believe that their lives are meaningless, and to
escape the pain of living they seek the peace of suicide
(if you are suicidal
visit www.areason.org). If you are suicidal it
may be very difficult for you to accept the fact that if there is no life after
death and we are correct when we conclude that physical death annihilates our
past, present, and future, there is absolutely no reason whatsoever to commit
suicide. If your physical death is a nihilistic death, there is no reason to end
your life now because you will experience the same “peaceful” end if you die
next year, or twenty years from now. Your mind may be too clouded to understand
what we are saying, yet if you are suicidal you must take whatever time it takes
to fully understand, and you must seek immediate professional help (see below).
If on your physical death your past, present, and future are annihilated, there
is absolutely no reason whatsoever to commit suicide, because all the physical
and emotional pain you suffer in your life, now or next week or next year, will
be annihilated whenever you die, even if your death does not occur for many,
many, years. It is simple logic that if no matter how far in the future a
nihilistic death occurs, it causes all pain that you ever suffered to be as if
it never happened, then there can be no logical reason whatsoever to commit
suicide now to avoid future pain, period. Committing suicide necessarily
eliminates all possibility of finding meaning and purpose in your life. You
cannot know if a nihilistic death awaits you or not. Even if there is a
nihilistic death in your future you cannot know that there is, so there is no
reason whatsoever not to live for the possibility, no matter how remote you may
believe it to be, that in the future you will find meaning and purpose, and
perhaps happiness, in your life.
No matter what we may think or you may think right now, there is always a
possibility that your life has meaning and purpose. If there is a life after
death, or if there is no life after death, there is always a possibility that
sometime in the future you will find meaning and purpose in your life. If in
fact there is a life after death then there is every reason to live for the hope
that you will enjoy a peaceful existence after death. If in fact there is no
life after death then there is every reason to live for the hope that your
physical existence has meaning and purpose. Even if there is no life after death
and physical death annihilates our past, there is no reason whatsoever not to
live for the possibility your physical existence has meaning and purpose right
now, simply because during your physical life on earth you can never, never,
know with any degree of certainty whether your life has, or does not have,
meaning.
If you are depressed and suicidal it is extremely difficult for you to see the
absolute fact that there is absolutely no reason not to live every moment of
your natural life for the possibility that you may find meaning and purpose and
happiness in your life. There can be no reason whatsoever to commit suicide and
eliminate the possibility that your life has meaning and purpose. There can be
no reason whatsoever to eliminate the possibility that you will eventually find,
if not joy and happiness, at the very least peace and contentment in your life.
We have readers who indicate that they are distressed and depressed by the
possibility that they may have committed the eternal sin. If God exists and if
there is an eternal sin, then God gives us the choice to commit the eternal sin
or not to commit the eternal sin, period. It would seem that those who have not
committed the eternal sin would be distressed if they believed that they might
have committed the eternal sin. It would seem that the very fact that someone is
distressed by the belief that they may have committed the eternal sin may
suggest that they have in fact not committed the eternal sin.
It seems that physical and mental disease may cause extreme anxiety and
depression, and may lead a person to believe that they have committed the
eternal sin and that they will live in hell after their death when in fact they
have not committed the eternal sin. It appears that mental illness may cause a
person who has not committed the eternal sin to believe that that they may have
committed the eternal sin. If you are distressed and depressed by the
possibility that you have committed the eternal sin, then you need to talk with
those who have not committed the eternal sin, including ministers and religious
counselors. If there is any chance at all that you are suffering from physical
or mental disease, you also need to consult health professionals. Talk to
several people, especially mental health professionals if there is any
possibility of mental problems, so that you may better determine what you have
and have not done. It can be very difficult to find qualified professionals, and
even when you do find them, it can be very difficult to tell them about your
fears. Find qualified professionals and talk to them. You need to overcome any
reluctance you may have to talking with those who might help you, and be willing
to allow them to help you decide what you really believe is true. Seek
professional help now!
If you do not yet understand the fact that there is no reason whatsoever to be
disturbed or depressed by our conclusions, including our conclusion that if
there is no life after death, then your past, present, and future may be
annihilated on your physical death, then you still do not understand what we are
saying. Please take as much time as you need to reread and carefully think about
what we are saying, until you satisfy yourself that there is in fact absolutely
no reason to be depressed by our conclusions, and absolutely no reason
whatsoever for any human being to commit suicide.
DEPRESSION IS A MEDICAL CONDITION, IF YOU ARE DEPRESSED, FOR ANY REASON, YOU
MUST SEEK PROFESSIONAL HELP NOW!
(from the National Mental Health Association website
- http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/go/suicide):
Life is full of good times and bad, of happiness and sorrow. But when you are
feeling "down" for more than a few weeks or you have difficulty functioning in
daily life, you may be suffering from a common, yet serious medical illness -
called clinical depression.
You are not alone
Every year more than 19 million American Adults suffer from clinical depression.
Young or old, man or woman, regardless of race or income - anyone can experience
clinical depression. Depression can cause people to lose the pleasure from daily
life. It can complicate other medical conditions - it can be serious enough to
lead to suicide. Yet this suffering is unnecessary. Clinical depression is a
very treatable medical illness. So why don't many people seek the help they
need? Clinical depression often goes untreated because people don't recognize
the many symptoms. They may know some symptoms, such as sadness and withdrawal,
but they are unaware of others, including anxiety, irritability, and
sleeplessness. Some incorrectly believe that only people whose depression lasts
for months, or who have completely lost their ability to function, have "real" -
or "clinical" - depression. Many people even wrongly think that depression is
"normal" for older people, young adults, new mothers, menopausal women, or those
with a chronic illness. The truth is, clinical depression is never "normal," no
matter what your age or life situation. Also, people need to know that treatment
for clinical depression really works - and to learn how to go about finding the
treatment they need.
Clinical Depression can be Successfully Treated
Clinical depression is one of the most treatable of all medical illnesses. In
fact, more than 80 percent of people with depression can be treated successfully
with medication, psychotherapy or a combination of both. Only a qualified health
professional can determine if someone has clinical depression. But knowing the
symptoms of clinical depression can help you as you talk with your health
professional.
As with many illnesses, if treatment if needed, the earlier it begins, the more
effective it can be. And, early treatment increases the likelihood of preventing
serious recurrences.
You Do Not Have to Cope with Clinical Depression on Your Own
Some people are embarrassed to get help for depression, or they are reluctant to
talk about how they are feeling. Others believe that depression will go away on
its own. You can't just "Tough it out!" Help is available.
Talking to friends, family members and clergy can often give people the support
needed when going through life's difficult times. For those with clinical
depression such support is important, but it is not a substitute for the care of
a health professional. Remember, clinical depression is a serious illness that
you do not have to treat on your own.
Depression (from the National Institute of Mental Health
www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/depression/index.shtml):
A depressive disorder is an illness that involves the body, mood, and thoughts.
It affects the way a person eats and sleeps, the way one feels about oneself,
and the way one thinks about things. A depressive disorder is not the same as a
passing blue mood. It is not a sign of personal weakness or a condition that can
be willed or wished away. People with a depressive illness cannot merely "pull
themselves together" and get better. Without treatment, symptoms can last for
weeks, months, or years. Appropriate treatment, however, can help most people
who suffer from depression.
Also see: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/depression.html
LifeNotes Copyright 1988-2009 Compact
Library Publishers Inc. [Last edit