Congratulations, Paul! Read your article, and I agree with the second paragraph, wherein you touch upon the current drawbacks of treating depression with conventional available drugs. Although I am not conversant with chi kung practices as you described, I can appreciate their value. For me simple meditation with focus on breathing, has generated greater awareness and control of my body, and led to general well-being. As a pharmacologist I have studied drugs and molecular/cellular pathways. At the end of the day, I tend to believe that the body has to heal itself. Medical interventions provide a necessary helping hand. Natural techniques of prevention and well-being go a very very long way in giving us a strong chance at continued good health. Thanks so much for sharing your knowledge :)
Thanks for your..lengthy comment ("small is beautiful"? well, not always true:):). I had a friend who had a schizophrenic onset many years ago. With my little knowledge in psychology and psychotherapy, I shared and empathized with his experience which he kindly shared and entrusted onto me (some quite similar to deep spiritual experience as I read in relevant literature), and I encouraged him to seek, and later persist with, psychiatric help. Now he is on regular medication, with his very occasional "encounters" (now much milder), and he is leading a perfect normal life with a regular job. He is happy and a contributing person to people around him as well as to society at large. Modern psychiatric drugs are indeed powerful, but for long term healing and well-being, nature, which include human perception and cognition, certainly has its marvelous contributing effects.
Congratulations, Paul! Read your article, and I agree with the second paragraph, wherein you touch upon the current drawbacks of treating depression with conventional available drugs. Although I am not conversant with chi kung practices as you described, I can appreciate their value. For me simple meditation with focus on breathing, has generated greater awareness and control of my body, and led to general well-being. As a pharmacologist I have studied drugs and molecular/cellular pathways. At the end of the day, I tend to believe that the body has to heal itself. Medical interventions provide a necessary helping hand. Natural techniques of prevention and well-being go a very very long way in giving us a strong chance at continued good health. Thanks so much for sharing your knowledge :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for your..lengthy comment ("small is beautiful"? well, not always true:):). I had a friend who had a schizophrenic onset many years ago. With my little knowledge in psychology and psychotherapy, I shared and empathized with his experience which he kindly shared and entrusted onto me (some quite similar to deep spiritual experience as I read in relevant literature), and I encouraged him to seek, and later persist with, psychiatric help. Now he is on regular medication, with his very occasional "encounters" (now much milder), and he is leading a perfect normal life with a regular job. He is happy and a contributing person to people around him as well as to society at large. Modern psychiatric drugs are indeed powerful, but for long term healing and well-being, nature, which include human perception and cognition, certainly has its marvelous contributing effects.
ReplyDeleteGreat article Paul - thanks for sharing with everyone!
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome, as always (and good luck with your 100 days)!
ReplyDelete