posted
I recently read the book "How to be Sick"- which was all about applying Bhuddist philosophy to chronic illness.
I loved it. My parents both have done various meditation courses when I was younger, so I've had exposure to a lot of Bhuddist ideas, but this book as made me want to learn a lot more.
The ideas seem to all be things I've thought about myself, in my efforts to become happy and content with my life even when I am very sick.
Posts: 503 | From Alberta, Canada | Registered: Jun 2009
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posted
I am reading this book right now. I LOVE it. I am not Buddhist, but I have practiced meditations and mindfulness when I was preparing for the birth of my daughter. Because of the practice, I was able to give birth to a baby that weighed over 9 pounds, in less than 6 hours total, without ANY drugs! I have since applied to many aspects of my life. I am seriously contemplating finding a Buddhist temple or workshops or something where I can learn more. I am glad you read this book. I have recommended it to many people. Even though I have not read the whole thing, it has helped me tremendously.
Posts: 427 | From Pacific Northwest | Registered: Oct 2010
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posted
I am not a "Buddhist" per say, but I do read alot about it and try very hard incorporate it in my everyday life.
I often say that I am "lucky" to have gotten sick and before anybody says anything, here is why:
Before I got sick I worked 2 jobs (1 full-time and 1 part-time), was president of the PTO,chaired 6 committees, cleaned incessantly and I had a few other pokers in the fire. I have 2 kids, never sat down and only slept 4 hours a night at most.
Getting sick forced me to slow down and actually enjoy my kids, enjoy my life and focus on what is really important in life. Too bad it took me getting sick to actually slow down (or stop in my case) and smell the flowers.
-------------------- Down on her knees, she wept on the floor. This hopeless life, she wanted no more. Dead in the mind and cold to the bone, She opened her eyes and saw she was alone. ~Seether Posts: 427 | From Rhode Island | Registered: May 2011
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Lauralyme
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posted
Sounds like a great book Thanks for sharing!
-------------------- Fall down seven times, get up eight ~Japanese proverb Posts: 1146 | From west coast | Registered: Mar 2008
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posted
oh I've been really wanting to read this book lately. I am a Christian, but I don't think that you have to be Buddhist to live the lessons in the book :-)
Posts: 844 | From CA | Registered: Apr 2010
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BoxerMom
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I loved that book when I checked it out from the library. Now I want to buy it!
I am not a practicing Buddhist, but I agree with much of Buddhist philosophy.
The book is excellent and should be required reading for everyone, not just the chronically ill!!
posted
Buddhism is not a religion, it is a philosophy. I also have read Eckhart Tolle's books, The Power of Now and A New Earth. In them he explains how practicing Buddhism can actually draw you closer to your own religion, whatever it may be.
I forget all the details (surprise, surprise) but he explains it very well.
-------------------- Down on her knees, she wept on the floor. This hopeless life, she wanted no more. Dead in the mind and cold to the bone, She opened her eyes and saw she was alone. ~Seether Posts: 427 | From Rhode Island | Registered: May 2011
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posted
Hmm. I think I'm probably in the same boat as a lot of you. I've gone to talks on mindfulness and meditation, and considered doing retreats, but I am not exactly a "Buddhist". But SO many of the ideas seem perfect for a life with illness.
mom2kids- I have read some of Eckhart Tolle's books, and am planning on reading the others. They are amazing!
I do know some people (mostly from China) who are Bhuddist, and would say that Bhuddism IS there religion. But thanks for pointing out it is a philosophy as well.
I think that was what I was struggling with. I'd love to learn more about the philosophy, and I know how to do THAT, I was just struggling when I tried to think of it in terms of adopting a religion.
Posts: 503 | From Alberta, Canada | Registered: Jun 2009
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lpkayak
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i had to use meditation for pain relief in the beginning-for 10 or more yrs-b4 i was dx
i like a lot of the buddhist ideas
some of the things i read help me deal emotionally with the whole journey
i have a book"suffering is optional" but thetitle makes me so mad i havent been able to get into reading it
i think i should read it and yours too
-------------------- Lyme? Its complicated. Educate yourself. Posts: 13712 | From new england | Registered: Feb 2004
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posted
lpkayak, don't let the title keep you from reading the book or letting it make you mad. There is a saying or another book or something, can't remember what it is from, but it says "pain is inevitable, suffering is optional".
All people experience pain, whether it is physical, mental or emotional in their lives. It is how you react to it that brings you suffering or not. Here's an example:
My mother had open heat surgery about 10 years ago, she was sick for some time before the surgery but the docs did not know what was wrong with her. She was tired, had no stamina and some other things I can't remember right now.
She had the surgery, recovered and felt great, but she still to this day goes on and on about how much she missed out on before the surgey, how she was sooo sick before the surgery, how she'll never get that time back, blah, blah, blah...
She spends so much time and effort complaining about how bad she felt before the surgery that she cannot enjoy her life or how much better she is now. She is "choosing" to continue suffering now instead of letting it go and enjoying her life now.
That is an example of what I understand "suffering is optional" to mean. Like me and my CLD, I feel like crap most of the time, but I refuse to wallow in my sickness. I try to see the good in it and really try to enjoy the good things in my life.
I don't know if this helps at all or if I'm getting my thoughts accross the right way, I have that problem sometimes...
-------------------- Down on her knees, she wept on the floor. This hopeless life, she wanted no more. Dead in the mind and cold to the bone, She opened her eyes and saw she was alone. ~Seether Posts: 427 | From Rhode Island | Registered: May 2011
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lpkayak
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mom-thanks. i know ppl like your mom...unable to let go of stuff
ive learned not to do that and so the title "bugs me" but i get what you say. i will read it soon. i can see it right from my recliner!
-------------------- Lyme? Its complicated. Educate yourself. Posts: 13712 | From new england | Registered: Feb 2004
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posted
You're welcome lpkayak, I do try to be positive and focus on the good in life, but if there is no bad, you could never find the good. I don't know if that makes sense...anyway there are times when I am having a bad time and I do wallow in it, I just try not to let it last or drag everybody around me down too.
It takes time to change how your mind thinks and when you are sick and miserable it's really hard. I started with Eckhart Tolle's first book and it made so much sense to me that I couldn't stop. I went on to his second book, then a book by the Dali LLama, etc...
Feel free to PM me anytime about this or the Narcissistic Personality Disorder issues (anything you want to chat about really) I'm always happy to help somebody because I always end up being helped in the process.
-------------------- Down on her knees, she wept on the floor. This hopeless life, she wanted no more. Dead in the mind and cold to the bone, She opened her eyes and saw she was alone. ~Seether Posts: 427 | From Rhode Island | Registered: May 2011
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Lauralyme
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posted
This is a great thread
Another great book.....
What Doesn't Kill Us The New Psychology of Posttraumatic Growth
By Stephen Joseph
Probably best to read it when nearing the end of treatment
-------------------- Fall down seven times, get up eight ~Japanese proverb Posts: 1146 | From west coast | Registered: Mar 2008
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I am also not a Buddhist per say, but believe in their philosophies very strongly. The great thing about Buddhism is that its whatever you want it to be: religion, philosophy, science or just way of life.
Its an open minded practical practice that allows you to think for and analyze things on your own and not just believe what is told and conform. I have always been a deep thinker and a non-conformist & Buddhism encourages you to think and decide for yourself.
I`ve always liked the following quote:
"Believe nothing merely because you have been told it. Do not believe what your teacher tells you merely out of respect for the teacher. But whatever, after due examination and analysis, you find to be kind, conducive to the good, the benefit, the welfare of all beings - that doctrine believe and cling to, and take it as your guide."
-Buddha
Posts: 85 | From Northeast | Registered: Mar 2011
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I also like the ideas in the book I mentioned (How to be Sick) about how the Bhuddist idea of life as suffering ISN'T a negative thing, but rather the thing that can allow you relieve the mental suffering that tends to go with physical illness.
If life is suffering, then getting sick is not a tragedy- it is just life. Everyone experiences suffering, and Lyme is just the form my suffering took. And (although I haven't got this down), there is no point in becoming angry or unhappy about it, because it is just life.
Posts: 503 | From Alberta, Canada | Registered: Jun 2009
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Lauralyme
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posted
I'm on page 20 of How to Be Sick ....umm does the author have undiagnosed lyme?
Kinda sounds like it to me when she's had all these perplexing symptoms for 9 years and every medical test she has comes up normal.
-------------------- Fall down seven times, get up eight ~Japanese proverb Posts: 1146 | From west coast | Registered: Mar 2008
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lpkayak
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i like that quote nj guy
nicole-im getting into "syffering is optional" and i like it. its not depressing - the opposite and it guides you
-------------------- Lyme? Its complicated. Educate yourself. Posts: 13712 | From new england | Registered: Feb 2004
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lpkayak
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Member # 5230
posted
i like that quote nj guy
nicole-im getting into "syffering is optional" and i like it. its not depressing - the opposite and it guides you
-------------------- Lyme? Its complicated. Educate yourself. Posts: 13712 | From new england | Registered: Feb 2004
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posted
lpkayak, I knew you just needed to get past the title. I typed a long post the other day, then my computer froze and I am just now getting back. Needless to say, my reply did not post.
I hope you enjoy the book, take care.
-------------------- Down on her knees, she wept on the floor. This hopeless life, she wanted no more. Dead in the mind and cold to the bone, She opened her eyes and saw she was alone. ~Seether Posts: 427 | From Rhode Island | Registered: May 2011
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posted
I am buddhist. I have found that it is critically important to make time to sit especially when I'm feeling very sick. I've been practicing tonglen and metta. The metta is especially helpful to be sure that I extend compassion to myself every day.
If you haven't read the book Full Catastrophe Living by Jon Kabat-Zinn it is a good book about mindfulness in respect to dealing with illness and pain. It has been helpful for me to bring mindfulness to how I'm feeling when I'm in middle of what feels like a physical crisis so I can find space to live in when things start to feel overwhelming.
posted
thanks sofadia
Posts: 503 | From Alberta, Canada | Registered: Jun 2009
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BoxerMom
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posted
Lauralyme - I can't tell you how many illness memoirs I've read and I've been like, "OMG. This person has undiagnosed Lyme."
I always think about contacting the author, but then I read an article by or about her (it's always a woman) and there's a negative reference to Lyme patients, and I know she's already been contacted, more than she cared to be.
I don't know how to handle this situation. I'm too tired and frustrated to write a thoughtful, informative letter and hope it:
1. Reaches the author 2. Contradicts the negative perception of Lyme patients 3. Breaks through the layers of misinformation and denial that prevent people from seeking this diagnosis
So, yes, I think it's likely she has undiagnosed chronic infections. Maybe Lyme and co. But, what to do?
It's difficult to read these books and not act. So sad.
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