Don't worry, be happy!

I shall start this post by responding to one of the search queries that led someone to this blog. Sudarshan Kriya, the yoga form by Art of Living cures depression in 70% of the cases within 1 month, as shown by the research conducted in AIIMS, Asia's biggest hospital.

It's nice and pleasant outside. A light drizzle that took a heavier form, and then stopped. A nice productive start of the day, coding a college compiler assignment. Followed by a nice hot mug of lemon tea :)

Stretching the psychopathology and recognizing ourself from the illness is not easy, I never said it was, but most who have never been there disagree. Oh yes, I forgot to tell you that my college started last week. It's been really hectic, especially considering the fact that I've been this busy after 2 years of break! A renewed sense of hope, courage and confidence is keeping me going. I already had a few friends from this batch, and they are keeping me happy. But then they were there earlier too :S Why are we happy and when are we happy? Is it an incident, a special person, or an environment conducive to happiness? I can get down, low and depressed even if a lecture I like is canceled, or a professor I don't like takes a lecture at the end of a tiring day. And I don't mean just frustrated, rather, down in the dumps. These are all triggers, environment variables that function on an underlying weakness. Beware though, this weakness is not of character, but of biology. Why would I or anyone want to be in the dumps, or as my friend used to say, hold a dumpster party? Do we think negative? There are thoughts yes. But over the years, I 've realized that they are merely thoughts generated by my brain that I really don't want and could do without. Just like those voices. These thoughts, again, are triggered by those triggers, and start a chain reaction by acting as triggers themselves. I, now, refuse to act on those thoughts; but am I happy then? No. I'm aware, and thats the step to remaining alive. There's not much I can do to push my dopamine, seratonin and other yet undiscovered stuff to work properly, except take my meds and do any alternative therapy that helps. And wait...

These states of happiness and depression, mania and withdrawal, are the emotions that all Eastern philosophers have really tried to explain. "Don't worry, be happy". Simple to speak. I'm sure you would pull out your hair if your loved one can't even follow this. But when I think of someone in depression, what reminds me of their state is - "Not only do I not know the answer, I don't even know what the question is..." (Metallica). It's like they have forgotten what happiness is, what it feels like, and what leads to it. So I ask you - How do you remain happy? How can you not be depressed? And, how do you come out of depression? Each person is different, with different neurobiology. But there's one factor that I've seen common in all my friends who are ill, and myself, which gives us a sense of hope, battling through that emptiness of bleak, dark, and decaying gardens with unseen rotting corpses of love. Yes. Love. Love and support in any form, by any being keeps us alive. It's something that gives us hope, not surprisingly, as it gives to everybody else.

I'm not saying that medication is not required. I was depressed enough to have killed myself even in love and with medication till my dosage was adjusted. The neurochemistry is a bad bad thing. What I'm saying is that if you don't have love and support, the chances of lowering the dosage of medication over time are not so good. So...

Don't worry, be happy!