Mental Health

Dealing with Stress, Anxiety and Depression

Introduction
 Mental health refers to cognitive, behavioral and emotional
well-being
 Facts:
Suicide rate in the US in 2018
 Age-adjusted suicide rate was 14.2 per 100k individuals

 48,344 Americans died by suicide

 Suicide is 10th leading cause of death in the US
 On average there are 132 suicides per day

Suicide rate in the UK in 2018

 Age-adjusted suicide rate was11.2 per 100k individuals

 17.2 per 100k males and 5.4 per 100k females die by
suicide

Suicide rate in Japan in 2019

 20,169 deaths in Japan by suicide

 No. 1 cause of death among 15-39 years old, c. 39% die

by suicide
Introduction
 Facts:
Divorce rate in the US in 2018
 782,039 marriages ended in divorce

 Divorce rate: 2.9 per 1,000 married couples

 Almost 50% of all marriages end in divorce
 80% of marriages head towards divorce within first 4 years

Divorce rate in the UK in 2018

 90.871 marriages ended in divorce

 Divorce rate: 7.5 divorces per 1,000 married couples

 Unreasonable behaviour was the common reason

Divorce rate in Japan in 2017

 212,260 marriages ended in divorce

 Divorce rate: 1.8 divorces per 1,000 married couples

Introduction

 In our attempt to follow the examples of the developed

nations or the western culture, we forget that every coin has
two sides – we cannot choose just one side and leave the
other
 We've seen a leap in technological advancement. However, a
question that needs to be addressed is whether our life has
actually improved?
 Despite making such advanced progress, why are the
wealthiest of nations still falling prey to such sufferings
due to mental illnesses?
 As we increasingly imbibe the western practices, we cannot
remain isolated from the fallouts of it in the form of stress,
anxiety and depression
C.A.U.S.E. of Stress, Anxiety and Depression
Controlling Attitude: Are we the controllers in the real sense?
C
 When we act according to a controlling mindset, it becomes easier to fall prey to depression
 This includes people who are perfectionists or those who have an excessive enjoyment seeking attitude
Block

Controlling Attitude Unrealistic

Expectations
Perfectionism

Stress, Anxiety
Excessive Frustration
and Depression
Enjoyment Seeking

 This pre-occupation with me and mine can lead us to developing unrealistic expectations
 However, are we the Supreme Controller or Supreme Enjoyer? Answer is NO
 In Krsna Leela, you can see many examples of people who tried to change their fate and ended up digging
a greater hole for themselves such as Kansa
 Solution: Being Krsna Conscious and realising our true position as an insignificant servant of the Lord
C.A.U.S.E. of Stress, Anxiety and Depression
Association: What type of association are we surrounding ourselves with?
A

Lotus Flower Dew Drop

Earth Mud

Water
drop Oyster Pearl

 Life is all about association

 A water drop that falls from the sky when falls on the petal of Lotus becomes a dew drop, when falls on
sand becomes mud, and when it falls inside an oyster becomes a pearl, the same water droplet
 Plants study; Albert Einstein’s lectures on Theory of Relativity
C.A.U.S.E. of Stress, Anxiety and Depression
Association: What type of association are we surrounding ourselves with?
A
Bad Association

People Virtual World

 Imbibing negative practices and behaviour  Growing impersonalism / alienation

 Weakening relationships
Smoking Gambling Intolerance
 Lack of physical and emotional support
Drugs Drinking Anger  Idolising media projections without assessing right
and wrong

 Solution: When we come to Krsna Consciousness, we come across a community where people are not
envious of each other and are rather happy to see the other succeed
 This is the family of true well-wishers who stand by you in all times of need
C.A.U.S.E. of Stress, Anxiety and Depression
Unhealthy Lifestyle: What kind of lifestyle do we follow in our lives?
U
 What we eat, when we sleep and what kind of surroundings we live in affects our mindset
 Such unregulated lifestyle can also send us into depression

Eating Habits Unhealthy Sleep Routine Digital World

 Junk food – garbage in,  Oversleeping / Unregulated  Bringing reel life into real life
garbage out sleeping  Addiction to digital world of
 Gross body and subtle body  Importance of proper rest and intoxication binds our
 E.g.: agitating vs saatvik food rejuvenation intelligence

 Solution: A Krsna Conscious lifestyle helps a person to lead a regulated life. Devotees eat sanctified food
offered to Krsna which helps in elevating their consciousness and purify one’s existence leading to
cultivation of mental and physical strength.
C.A.U.S.E. of Stress, Anxiety and Depression
Spiritual Vacuum: Are we catering to our spiritual needs?
S
 Spiritual vacuum leads to depression

 If we don't have any spiritual substance in life then any

difficult situation can blow and tear us apart at anytime
 We are all spiritual beings having a human experience,
NOT human beings having a spiritual experience
 While we focus on our packaging, the material body, by
exercising in the gym, we forget to feed the inner content – a
gymnasium for the mind
 Till the time we don’t address the spiritual quotient in life, an
emptiness will remain
 These unfulfilled spiritual needs become the reason for
melancholy and people, unaware of this, try to seek
satisfaction through the means of smoking, drugs, alcohol,
gambling etc.
C.A.U.S.E. of Stress, Anxiety and Depression
Spiritual Vacuum: Are we catering to our spiritual needs?
S

 Solution: Spiritual vacuum has to be filled with something

tangible and that is the presence of Krsna in our lives
 It is important that we follow our Vedic culture and not adopt
western culture mindlessly
 When we become spiritual, all the success, trophies, and
certificates take a backseat in our life since we know this is
all temporary happiness
 A research was conducted by IIM Ahmedabad involving
thousands of professional to study who are the happiest
people in India. The results of the research said devotees
of Krsna
C.A.U.S.E. of Stress, Anxiety and Depression
Embracing Problems: Are we attached to our problems?
E
 Sometimes we’re so attached to our problems that we
are not willing to let go of them
 One can't always be online. We need to go offline to
take rest and rejuvenate ourselves. Similarly, when
dealing with difficulty we also need to go offline at times
by letting go of our problems
 E.g.: Cooking halwa

 Solution: Spiritual life is the standpoint from which

every other aspect of life including family life, personal
life, work life and social life can be managed effectively
Conclusion

B D

• As a passenger in a flight, we have no control over the takeoff, the landing or even the turbulence during the journey
• What is in our hands is what we choose to do during the journey – whether we sleep, read, eat, watch movies etc.
• Similarly in our life, we have no control over birth, death or the problems which come our way as we go through the
journey of life
• The only aspect that we can control is the choices that we can make
• Therefore Krsna Consciousness is about learning how to make the right choices in life
• When we learn to make those right choices, our life becomes fulfilled and happy despite all the turbulence
surrounding us
Prevention is Better than Cure…
• Many times when people get into depression, they ask how to combat depression

• However, it’s not about what we do when we are into depression, it is about what choices do we make when we
are not in depression
• Are we busy in enjoying your lives or have we invested in cultivating your spiritual strength so that later, if
and when we are in depression, we have the strength to combat it
• When we become Krsna Conscious, the big issues in our life start appearing trivial and insignificant before us. We
realize what the real problems of life are
• Thus by embracing Krsna Consciousness we understand the road to being truly happy

• Lets chant and BE HAPPY