Antidepressants? 34.3>54 TWICE

[Serafena]

I always try to respond when i ask a question bc I am so grateful to get responses, so I beg your pardon that a year has gone by and I haven't responded. The issues of health actually really resonate with me. I have Lyme disease and mold sensitivity, and I have learned that exposure to mold can definitely cause depression. In summer months, the depression worsens, perhaps because mold is worse in the summer due to the humid region where I live.

I did eventually end up going on antidepressants, over the winter, so about six months from when I originally posted. I continue to struggle with my health and depression. There is also a lot of mold in our food supply, particularly in the US, so perhaps the issues of food are also relevant.

 

[marybluesky]

ElleKaye, I started taking antidepressants last winter, too; after struggling with a progressive, annoying depression for months. I strongly believe that it was the right choice, as nothing else worked for me. I had been suffering from dark thoughts and emotions for a long time & at that point, couldn't enjoy anything. Literally anything.

 

[peterg]

It's not so spooky to get the same cast twice in sequence. (The odds for 3 coins are 1/1073 which I calculated using a short formula and also a long step by step method).
The reason for the repetition is because of the importance of the question.
And also because the cast answered both questions :
Small people advance with vigour and get their horns entangled in a fence (robbed of their power).
The junzi (sees it as a trap and) avails of absence. That's a negative, a no.

Perhaps one gets tired of a problem and decides to take a charge at it. The cast advises a slower safer approach.

A meditative technique I find very useful as a remedy for insomnia and stress-thinking is to stop thinking actively with engagement, and instead focus on establishing a smooth tidal breathing tempo. The optimal time for this is about an hour (sitting on the floor/on your heels/standing).
I also do stretching exercises several times a day every day.
Group walking and group cold water swimming may be an effective remedy for depression. It's a safer way to alter brain chemistry than taking ssri's which can be very hard to stop taking.

Recommended translations and commentary : Tuck Chang (@iching123.com) and Lynn (@labirinto ermetico. Download is in English without the intro chapters).
I find these useful for dealing with complex problems as a process taking time. (My first recourse is the verbatim word by word Ritsema & Karcher and Bradford's volume two @hermetica.info which are complementary).

 

[dfreed]

I did eventually end up going on antidepressants,

Thanks for the update. All Yi interpretations aside, I think it's good you're paying attention to what your body/mind needs.

If you stay on your meds and for how long is up to you, and doing other things related to diet, exercise, activities, community, therapy all help. My minor medical advice (from experience) is that if you do decided to go off anti-depressants that you do so gently and as recommended by your doctor.

Best, D

 

[redoleander]

It’s interesting to me that you mentioned being “strong” in your original post. I’m connecting that to the line you received; I think maybe it’s saying you don’t have to choose the most vigorous or energetic option (do it all on your own) and maybe the anti-depressant can just be something helpful without struggling too hard.

the alternative to that would be if the anti-depressant is the “too strong” thing, like maybe it has side effects or is going too strongly in one direction when you need a more holistic approach (which I would see as using a “net”, like coming at it from all sides). Obviously that could include the anti-depressant too. It’s not really either/or so maybe this answer is saying that it’s a multi-pronged approach and don’t be so hard on yourself about needing extra help.

think of it as a strategic and somewhat gentle approach, whatever combination that would be.

54 could just be that you feel stuck where you are and don’t have a lot of options; taking these steps makes some headway.