Alex
asked
Ken Dickson:
Hello, Ken: Why do you think manic-depression is our current "go to" malady?
Ken Dickson
Hello Alex,
Because of increased awareness and understanding, bipolar disorder is being diagnosed more frequently. That’s what a doctor might say. However, I see it differently. I believe, especially in highly developed cultures, that we have reached a critical mass, a kind of psychological break-point brought on by our own cultural practices, and that drugging patients may in fact prevent them from crossing the threshold to a better life.
I hope that in the near future, psychiatrists and psychologists will take a fresh look at alternate approaches to managing thoughts and emotions. Based on my own experience and that of a few others I know, I believe that it is possible to learn to manage thoughts and emotions through a combination of meditative and rational practices leading to a calm mind and healthier body.
The potential exists to end many physical and mental disorders brought on by chemical imbalances triggered by “false emergencies” of thought without the use of medication. Books like “Rewire Your Brain,” by John B. Arden, Ph.D and “The Instinct to Heal,” by David Servan-Schreiber, Md, Ph.D support this theory.
Thank you for the thought-provoking question.
Because of increased awareness and understanding, bipolar disorder is being diagnosed more frequently. That’s what a doctor might say. However, I see it differently. I believe, especially in highly developed cultures, that we have reached a critical mass, a kind of psychological break-point brought on by our own cultural practices, and that drugging patients may in fact prevent them from crossing the threshold to a better life.
I hope that in the near future, psychiatrists and psychologists will take a fresh look at alternate approaches to managing thoughts and emotions. Based on my own experience and that of a few others I know, I believe that it is possible to learn to manage thoughts and emotions through a combination of meditative and rational practices leading to a calm mind and healthier body.
The potential exists to end many physical and mental disorders brought on by chemical imbalances triggered by “false emergencies” of thought without the use of medication. Books like “Rewire Your Brain,” by John B. Arden, Ph.D and “The Instinct to Heal,” by David Servan-Schreiber, Md, Ph.D support this theory.
Thank you for the thought-provoking question.
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