Terence

BTW, the Benzo I've taken is Xanax and, like Lulu, a small .25mg dose.

Energy normally wasted on anxiety being put to more productive use could certainly be one way of looking at it. For me, it has not been so much an issue of energy, or even desire, because those motivators are usually present; it's more an issue of the meds ability to help set aside the anxiety that then allows me to accomplish things I really already wanted to do anyway. I wonder also if it could be a matter of timing and/or why, exactly, one is taking the medication in the first place? For example, I have taken these medications in the morning to assist in dealing with anxieties of getting out of the house, doing work, running errands, interacting with others... in short, accomplishing things during the day. While others may take these meds in the evening to deal with anxieties which might more commonly be encountered at night such as fear, intrusive thoughts, or being alone, which could lead to a sense of calm thereby permitting them to sleep better?

No, sir! By your own account, the ‘Religion and Spirituality’ topic was added to this forum per your personal request, and others were invited to contribute. However, each time another member has offered their own perspective on the subject you yourself have been the one to assume the pulpit and declare to us all, again and again, that Jesus and Buddha and a few other people have already said all there was to say on the subject a long, long time ago if we would only wake up and listen. My own contribution to the discussion in the form of a link to an alternate perspective on religion was dismissed by you as mere ‘words’. At which point you once again took it upon yourself to remind us that Jesus and Buddha and a few other people have already said all there was to say on the subject a long, long time ago if we would only wake up and listen. I agree, YOU were NOT talking about the disciplines of mathematics, astronomy etc.. and I never said you were. BUT I WAS! And that is the whole point. I was attempting to bring into the dialogue my own personal perspective, topics I felt you had left out of the equation. And once again you felt compelled to remind us that Jesus and Buddha and a few other people have already said all there is to say on the subject a long, long time ago if we would only wake up and listen. It is abundantly clear to me that there is simply no room in your thought processes for the opinions of others. So, what say we simply cut to the chase and rename the topic of ‘Religion and Spirituality’ to ‘Jesus and Buddha and a few other people have already said all there was to say on the subject a long, long time ago if we would only wake up and listen’, and call it a day?

To be fair, there were drawings too ;). Why words? Words are the medium of the forum are they not? Why open the topic if you don’t want it discussed? If you’ve already decided all that can or should be said on the topic was previously voiced 2,500 years ago? Not all would agree that nomadic goat herders from millennia past who believed the Earth was flat and did not know where the Sun went at night espouse the definitive conclusion on the subject. Are the religious texts not simply filled with words as well? The myriad interpretations of those texts are precisely why the dialogue remains pertinent today. The article was clearly not intended to be a piece of investigative journalism into how/why/if religion was or is a factor in humanity’s past/current conflicts. I see it as one individual’s attempt to reconcile and expound upon their personal internal struggle with levels of consciousness as they relate to the mind’s propensity to revert to a primitive understanding of the world around it… and to, hopefully, move beyond that understanding to a higher state. You ask, “God, when will it end?” There are those who would answer that ‘it’ will end when Mankind and each individual amongst us makes the conscious decision to look within and to the disciplines of mathematics, astronomy, science, philosophy, psychiatry, technology, chemistry, biology, engineering, art, music… for guidance and enlightenment, rather than relying upon ancient scripture written by men who’s understanding of the world around them would be dwarfed by the knowledge of today’s average ten-year-old child. I would respectfully disagree with the premise the referenced article is not about religion. Perhaps it is inconsistent with a particular interpretation of religion or even just a simple belief in an all-powerful deity, but, to many who do not hold such fantastical supernatural beliefs it may very well be all about understanding religion as an outdated belief system created by Man to fill a void at a time in history when our ignorance of the physical world surrounding us exceeded our capacity for comprehension and, hence, the Gods, many thousands of them, were created to explain away these perceived inconsistencies of life. Then, these ‘Gods’ and their stagnant doctrines were perpetuated and forced upon the masses with dire and deadly consequences to squelch the progression of human knowledge for centuries. As a species and as a society, we have long since achieved the means to move beyond this stage of ignorance… and yet there are those who continue to cling to ancient beliefs. Why? I cannot fathom. As you mentioned, the beliefs seem designed only to divide and conquer and have been doing a remarkable job to date. It has been postulated that 11:00am on Sunday morning is the single most segregated hour in American society today. There are words of wisdom to be found within the religious texts but one must sift through oceans of chaff to discern them. They are bound together not by the auspices of religion but rather by the paper, ink, and glue that form the bindings of the texts themselves and they demand to be addressed, contemplated, and understood as a whole. Indeed, it would seem religion is the organism which attempts to treat the texts as a buffet from which each faction can pick and choose those words, passages, and teachings which support any given sect’s particular beliefs. In so doing, religion thereby is the agency coddling the baby whilst casting away the dirty bathwater which forms the bulk of the body of work.

Religion for the Nonreligious

Taming the Mammoth: Why You Should Stop Caring What Other People Think

Hello, I'm not new to anxiety, depression, or the medication-merry-go-round, but I am new to this group. Just looking for a few like-minded folks to chat with