Mark asked:

If I have been depressed for years and all treatment has resulted only in my being able to perform the
most basic functions, i.e. I am unable to have relationships of any consequence; steady employment
is out of the question; I have, over the years, tried the following: university education, traditional
"therapy", three years at the Carl Jung Institute, rebirthing, Swami Muktananda, ten years at a
cloistered Benedictine monastery, ordination to the Roman Catholic priesthood, EST, every
anti-depressant known to medical science: the list is really too long for such a forum as this — if all of
these things have not worked, nothing is working, I'm just at the end of my rope, don't I have the right,
even the responsibility or obligation perhaps, to use suicide as a merciful option? I just think this is a
perfectly rational solution. Help me.

============

Well as you no doubt realize, this is a philosophy forum and not a clinical psychology forum. But I'll
say something about this problem anyway. Chronic depression is an extremely bad and sometimes
insoluble problem. I see your attempts at solutions as basically going into two categories: religious,
and pharmacological. There are other categories of possible solutions.

Category one: physical

Drugs: usually work reasonably well; if they don't for you, then that's not a great sign, but there are
always new ones coming out.

Shock therapy, i.e., electroconvulsive therapy. Well, usually I highly disapprove of this, because I
think it causes some brain damage. There are recent varieties which are not supposed to; I find that
hard to believe, but that's what is claimed. As an absolute last resort, before suicide, I'd try it.

Exercise: goodfor depression. Take up some intenseform of exercise: running, weightlifting
(preferably both).

Category two: emotional

Religion: you tried it and it didn't work. However, you might give Buddhism a try... find an old and
reputable monastery, NOT some guru.

Traditional therapy: no way this works for chronic depression. Same for EST.

Cognitive and/or philosophical therapy: doesn't sound like a good bet for you, but you might try it.

Group therapy: I'd say this was a reasonably good candidate for you, to get you into something new,
and see that there are others in your situation, maybe even to find a relationship. If you can, possibly,
get into a good relationship; that goes a long way to help depression.

Category three: situational

Drastically change your location and living situation: i.e., move to another country andget a job.
Given the above, it looks like you've tried the equivalent and it didn't work... but I'd be depressed by
British winters, myself.

Suicide: always an option, in my very strong opinion. Everyone should have the right to end their life,
if they wish. However,this is something I disapprove of, not so much on ethical grounds as on
pragmatic ones. That is, the world is vast, possibilities are enormous, and time keeps moving. Things
change. Unless you are in truly enormous pain and there is really no other way out (i.e., you're a
terminal cancer patient, you're being tortured, etc...), I believe it is better to wait things out.

So where are we? Group therapy; exercise; cognitive therapy; Buddhism; shock therapy; and maybe,
hopefully, there's a new drug out that might help. In addition, there is a reasonably good possibility
that as you age, you will improve. Wait for that. The fact that you have been able to attempt these
solutions, and that you are writing to this forum, indicates that you can take action, and want to
change. Go with that.

Here is a book just out which might also help:

"Depression is a Choice: Winning the Battle Without Drugsby A. B. Curtiss Hyperion, New York.
2001"

Steven Ravett Brown

Mark has my deepest sympathy, but I'm afraid that as a philosopher I am not competent to help him. I
wonder, however, if he would consider a relevant philosophical question. He is attempting to find a
means to an end, which is relief from depression. He emphatically does not want to try one more
thing that fails. My question is: How does Mark know that suicide is not one more such inadequate
means to his chosen end? My hope is that this question will induce in him enough agnosticism about
"what comes next" to stave off his fateful decision, at least one more day. For after the first suicide,
another is not an option, as might be another religious order or another antidepressant. Suicide is the
unrepeatable option. (Should one ever find oneself saying, "Well, suicide didn't work. What shall I try
now?," one is already in a state beyond any help that I know of.) So to the degree that rationality still
commands the allegiance of one who is deeply depressed, to that degree it is rational for him to
ensure that he is not about to go from the frying pan into the fire.

Tony Flood

You did all those things! And you haven't given up hope? This is very inspiring. If only more people
were driven to find happiness with such perseverance. I suggest you read the philosopher Seneca for
wisdom, and Plato's Early Socratic Dialogues for amusement.

Rachel Browne

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