Jump to content
Support our work - please give today

There is nothing unique about our suffering. (Tonglen, a compassion practice) http://wp.me/p5nnb-abF

GiaK

By GiaK
in Finding meaning

Recommended Posts

GiaK Rookie

GiaK

Posted
Posted

Original Link  http://wp.me/p5nnb-abF

Below is a status update from Beyond Meds Facebook page. I ended up realizing it’s a good way to consider tonglen and then the rest of this post was created.

 

Ultimately our suffering is important in that it reveals the suffering of others. There is nothing unique about our suffering.

 

 

Posted Image

In coming to realize the truth of the above statement the sting of much of my own “personal” suffering has diminished. Part of how I continue to cultivate this capacity is through meditation. Tonglen meditation is particularly good for this.

 

Tonglen is a method that allows for the development of compassion. Compassion is necessary both for the relief of our own suffering and so that we might serve others towards the end of their suffering too. Compassion, by (Buddhist) definition, is the capacity and more importantly, the willingness to experience both our own suffering and the suffering of others. In other words you might say, you can’t heal what you don’t feel.

 

Tonglen means taking in and sending out. So we take in the suffering — the difficulty whatever it is — and the outbreath we release the suffering out.

 

I have collected several talks and an article on tonglen here. I’ve been studying the art of tonglen so that I might make it my own. I found that listening to and reading from several different teachers is helping me find my own personal version of tonglen. I am sharing some of my finds with you that you might also find your way of practicing this wonderful meditation. You’ll see that all the teachers have different takes on it. This helped me find my own take as well.

 

The COLLECTION INCLUDES MANY AUDIO FILES AND IS LOCATED HERE

Original Link  http://wp.me/p5nnb-abF

Everything Matters: Beyond Meds 

https://beyondmeds.com/

withdrawn from a cocktail of 6 psychiatric drugs that included every class of psych drug.
 

Link to comment
  • 3 weeks later...
MissSerene Rookie

MissSerene

Posted
Posted

I agree that there isn't much unique about the suffering of being a guinea pig for 20th-century pharmaceuticals. If you think about so many treatments in recorded history and the countless people who have been harmed by them, it tells the story. It's hazardous being human. Not to issue a free pass...just to see the truth that we are some among millions.

Current:

 

*Abt 1995, started fluoxetine 20 mg/day, later raised to 40 mg; *Abt 1997, started Klonopin ? mg/day

*Abt [??] started first, very slow Klon taper

*Sept 2016, Klon updosed; swapped fluox for duloxetine/lamotrigine/Seroquel (very small dose of last, for sleep) cocktail

*Early 2018, stopped Seroquel; *2020, started second Klon taper

*Abt July 2022, accidental 33% Klon cut, w/no updose; have been holding for 15 mos

*Mar 2023, abrupt lamotrigine cut from 75- to 50 mg/day; *May-June 2023, abrupt dulox cut from 90 mg- to 60 mg/day

*As of June 2023, taking lamotrigine 50 mg/day, duloxetine 60 mg/day, Klonopin .25 mg/day, metoprolol 50 mg/day, Eliquis 5 mg/day, levothyroxine 75 mcg/day

 

"Forget to remember; remember to forget."

 

Link to comment
MissSerene Rookie

MissSerene

Posted
Posted

Rstate: I prefer to think of this as, there is nothing unique about our situation. A person's suffering can be considered unique because it is theirs. It's the situation that isn't singular.

Current:

 

*Abt 1995, started fluoxetine 20 mg/day, later raised to 40 mg; *Abt 1997, started Klonopin ? mg/day

*Abt [??] started first, very slow Klon taper

*Sept 2016, Klon updosed; swapped fluox for duloxetine/lamotrigine/Seroquel (very small dose of last, for sleep) cocktail

*Early 2018, stopped Seroquel; *2020, started second Klon taper

*Abt July 2022, accidental 33% Klon cut, w/no updose; have been holding for 15 mos

*Mar 2023, abrupt lamotrigine cut from 75- to 50 mg/day; *May-June 2023, abrupt dulox cut from 90 mg- to 60 mg/day

*As of June 2023, taking lamotrigine 50 mg/day, duloxetine 60 mg/day, Klonopin .25 mg/day, metoprolol 50 mg/day, Eliquis 5 mg/day, levothyroxine 75 mcg/day

 

"Forget to remember; remember to forget."

 

Link to comment
Meimeiquest Newbie

Meimeiquest

Posted
Posted

I try to remember that George Washington died of iatrogenic causes.

1st round Prozac 1989/90, clear depression symptoms. 2nd round Prozac started 1999 when admitted to dr. I was tired. Prozac pooped out, switch to Cymbalta 3/2006. Diagnosed with bipolar disorder due to mania 6/2006--then I was taken abruptly off Cymbalta and didn't know I had SSRI withdrawal. Lots of meds for my intractable "bipolar" symptoms.

Zyprexa started about 9/06, mostly 5mg. Tapered 4/12 through12/29/12

Wellbutrin. XL 300 mg started 1/07, tapered 1/18/13 through 7/8/13

Oxazepam mostly continuously since 6/06, 30mg since 12/12, tapered 1.17.14 through 8.26.15

11/06 Lithium 600mg twice daily, 2.2.14 400mg TID DIY liquid, 2.12.14 1150mg, 3.2.14 1100mg, 3.18.14 1075mg, 4/14 updose to 1100mg, 6.1.14 900 mg capsules 7.8.14 810mg, 8.17.14 725mg, 8.24.24 700mg...10.22.14 487.5mg, 3.9.15 475mg, 4.1.15 462.5mg 4.21.15 450mg 8.11.15 375mg, 11.28.15 362.5mg, back to 375mg four days later, 3.4.16 updose to 475 (too much going on to risk trouble)

9/4/13 Toprol-XL 25mg daily for sudden hypertension, tapered 11.12.13 through 5.3.14, last 10 days or so switched to atenolol

7.4.14 Started Walsh Protocol

56 years old

Link to comment
MissSerene Rookie

MissSerene

Posted
Posted

If the father of our country can get through this, so can we! o:))

Current:

 

*Abt 1995, started fluoxetine 20 mg/day, later raised to 40 mg; *Abt 1997, started Klonopin ? mg/day

*Abt [??] started first, very slow Klon taper

*Sept 2016, Klon updosed; swapped fluox for duloxetine/lamotrigine/Seroquel (very small dose of last, for sleep) cocktail

*Early 2018, stopped Seroquel; *2020, started second Klon taper

*Abt July 2022, accidental 33% Klon cut, w/no updose; have been holding for 15 mos

*Mar 2023, abrupt lamotrigine cut from 75- to 50 mg/day; *May-June 2023, abrupt dulox cut from 90 mg- to 60 mg/day

*As of June 2023, taking lamotrigine 50 mg/day, duloxetine 60 mg/day, Klonopin .25 mg/day, metoprolol 50 mg/day, Eliquis 5 mg/day, levothyroxine 75 mcg/day

 

"Forget to remember; remember to forget."

 

Link to comment
MissSerene Rookie

MissSerene

Posted
Posted

Does the inanity of the reply I just typed above tell you how messed up my brain is? I am howling with laughter....!

Current:

 

*Abt 1995, started fluoxetine 20 mg/day, later raised to 40 mg; *Abt 1997, started Klonopin ? mg/day

*Abt [??] started first, very slow Klon taper

*Sept 2016, Klon updosed; swapped fluox for duloxetine/lamotrigine/Seroquel (very small dose of last, for sleep) cocktail

*Early 2018, stopped Seroquel; *2020, started second Klon taper

*Abt July 2022, accidental 33% Klon cut, w/no updose; have been holding for 15 mos

*Mar 2023, abrupt lamotrigine cut from 75- to 50 mg/day; *May-June 2023, abrupt dulox cut from 90 mg- to 60 mg/day

*As of June 2023, taking lamotrigine 50 mg/day, duloxetine 60 mg/day, Klonopin .25 mg/day, metoprolol 50 mg/day, Eliquis 5 mg/day, levothyroxine 75 mcg/day

 

"Forget to remember; remember to forget."

 

Link to comment
Meimeiquest Newbie

Meimeiquest

Posted
Posted

Howling :). Something I would say!

1st round Prozac 1989/90, clear depression symptoms. 2nd round Prozac started 1999 when admitted to dr. I was tired. Prozac pooped out, switch to Cymbalta 3/2006. Diagnosed with bipolar disorder due to mania 6/2006--then I was taken abruptly off Cymbalta and didn't know I had SSRI withdrawal. Lots of meds for my intractable "bipolar" symptoms.

Zyprexa started about 9/06, mostly 5mg. Tapered 4/12 through12/29/12

Wellbutrin. XL 300 mg started 1/07, tapered 1/18/13 through 7/8/13

Oxazepam mostly continuously since 6/06, 30mg since 12/12, tapered 1.17.14 through 8.26.15

11/06 Lithium 600mg twice daily, 2.2.14 400mg TID DIY liquid, 2.12.14 1150mg, 3.2.14 1100mg, 3.18.14 1075mg, 4/14 updose to 1100mg, 6.1.14 900 mg capsules 7.8.14 810mg, 8.17.14 725mg, 8.24.24 700mg...10.22.14 487.5mg, 3.9.15 475mg, 4.1.15 462.5mg 4.21.15 450mg 8.11.15 375mg, 11.28.15 362.5mg, back to 375mg four days later, 3.4.16 updose to 475 (too much going on to risk trouble)

9/4/13 Toprol-XL 25mg daily for sudden hypertension, tapered 11.12.13 through 5.3.14, last 10 days or so switched to atenolol

7.4.14 Started Walsh Protocol

56 years old

Link to comment
  • 1 month later...
Designgirl732 Newbie

Designgirl732

Posted
Posted

I love this! I just started reading Tara Brach and Pema Chodron who talk about this..I wish I had these 'tools' BEFORE I started meds-but that's ok..it's my journey.

Link to comment
Claudius Newbie

Claudius

Posted
Posted

I think there is really something unique about our suffering, and that is that it has been caused by doctors and a criminal industry behind them.

Of course there are many other kinds of suffering and many other big problems that can affect your life. But the way we are dismissed and ridiculized by the professional people who should be there to help us and listen to us makes it pretty unique.

Of course, there are situations which are even worse. It is possible to recover from withdrawal syndrome though it can consume many many years. But there are other diseases, iatrogenic or not, from which no recovery is possible.  I tell myself this each day to put my journey through Hell and beyond into perspective.

10 mg Paxil/Seroxat since 2002
several attempts to quit since 2004
Quit c/t again Oktober 2007, in protracted w/d since then
after 3.5 years slight improvement but still on the road

after 6 years pretty much recovered but still some nasty residual sypmtons
after 8.5 years working again on a 90% base and basically functioning normally again!

 

Link to comment
GiaK Rookie

GiaK

Posted
  • Author
Posted

the post is about being human...not about psych drug withdrawal in particular...

 

part of the point is EVERYONE thinks their suffering is unique...  :P

Everything Matters: Beyond Meds 

https://beyondmeds.com/

withdrawn from a cocktail of 6 psychiatric drugs that included every class of psych drug.
 

Link to comment
btdt Newbie

btdt

Posted
Posted

I think there is really something unique about our suffering, and that is that it has been caused by doctors and a criminal industry behind them.

Of course there are many other kinds of suffering and many other big problems that can affect your life. But the way we are dismissed and ridiculized by the professional people who should be there to help us and listen to us makes it pretty unique.

Of course, there are situations which are even worse. It is possible to recover from withdrawal syndrome though it can consume many many years. But there are other diseases, iatrogenic or not, from which no recovery is possible.  I tell myself this each day to put my journey through Hell and beyond into perspective.

I agree that our suffering and that of others has a stamp of approval from society like it is ok so it continues it would maybe be a bit satisfying if it made a difference and people were stopped being damaged by the drugs but nope it just goes on like our suffering did not happen like we don't exist like we are mute when I am anything but mute .. and they start an entirely new batch of people on these drugs every single day they ignore us. 

I think in that we are unique as we are also burdened with the knowledge this is happening and who else would even know to say if we do not speak to unhearing ears

WARNING THIS WILL BE LONG
Had a car accident in 85
Codeine was the pain med when I was release from hosp continuous use till 89
Given PROZAC by a specialist to help with nerve pain in my leg 89-90 not sure which year
Was not told a thing about it being a psych med thought it was a pain killer no info about psych side effects I went nuts had hallucinations. As I had a head injury and was diagnosed with a concussion in 85 I was sent to a head injury clinic in 1990 five years after the accident. I don't think they knew I had been on prozac I did not think it a big deal and never did finish the bottle of pills. I had tests of course lots of them. Was put into a pain clinic and given amitriptyline which stopped the withdrawal but had many side effects. But I could sleep something I had not done in a very long time the pain lessened. My mother got cancer in 94 they switched my meds to Zoloft to help deal with this pressure as I was her main care giver she died in 96. I stopped zoloft in 96 had withdrawal was put on paxil went nutty quit it ct put on resperidol quit it ct had withdrawal was put on Effexor... 2years later celexa was added 20mg then increased to 40mg huge personality change went wild. Did too fast taper off Celexa 05 as I felt unwell for a long time prior... quit Effexor 150mg ct 07 found ****** 8 months into withdrawal learned some things was banned from there in 08 have kept learning since. there is really not enough room here to put my history but I have a lot of opinions about a lot of things especially any of the drugs mentioned above.
One thing I would like to add here is this tidbit ALL OPIATES INCREASE SEROTONIN it is not a huge jump to being in chronic pain to being put on an ssri/snri and opiates will affect your antidepressants and your thinking.

As I do not update much I will put my quit date Nov. 17 2007 I quit Effexor cold turkey. 

http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/1096-introducing-myself-btdt/

There is a crack in everything ..That's how the light gets in :)

Link to comment
Go to topic listing
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

Terms of Use Privacy Policy

  I accept