Posted by celesteloveage on October 15, 2002, at 14:07:39
In reply to Rationalism and Philosophy, not Meds » lawrence s., posted by fachad on October 15, 2002, at 13:06:37
You stated that you work up to 14 hours a day in a factory. I once worked in a factory 10 hours a day and remember that those 10 hours of doing repetetive mindless work gave me alot of time to think, and think, and think. I'm not saying that your work is mindless but if it is...14 hours a day sure can be alot of time spent thinking and analyzing. I know for me personally it was and I also know that that is when I too started obsessing, analyzing, and contemplating the topic of death. I literally became terrified of death and also because of my christian up bringing I thought that God would strike me dead for some of the thoughts I was having. I think we all go through where you are at today and each of us find our own ways to cope with our immortality. For me I worked through my fear by reading books, educating myself on several religious and spiritual belief systems and then choosing to believe what I wanted to rather then what I was raised to believe. Finally I became a volunteer with a hospice spending time helping terminally ill patients. Being with someone as they die helped me realize that death is only the shedding of your body and going onto another plane...to feel a person leave their body after taking their last breath confirms to me we don't die we just merely go somewhere else. Best of luck to you I know that you are going to be just fine.
> Officially, this post is off topic and should be over in PsychoBabble Faith. But you asked the question here, so here is my answer.
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> I had similar fears when I was a child growing up in a Baptist environment where eternal hell fire and damnation were preached.
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> I obsessed on death and going to hell, and all the people that were going to hell even if I managed to "get saved" myself.
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> When I was a teenager, I discovered philosophy, and after much study and serious thought, self honesty, and rational thinking, found that religion was just not true. Others may disagree, but I am convinced that if you take an honest, rational look at religion, you will come out agnostic or atheist.
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> Some fine works to read to free your mind from religious dogma are:
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> The Age of Reason, by Thomas Paine.
> Why I am an Agnostic, by Robert Ingersol
> Atheism: The Case Against God, by George Smith
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> If you only read one thing, read the essay "Why I am an Agnostic" by Ingersol.
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> Now freeing your mind of religious dogma is one thing, but facing death is another matter. Again, philosophy is really the best remedy.
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> There is much written on death, but I think two of the best pieces are:
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> Phaedo, by Plato
> Design for Dying, by Dr. Timothy Leary
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> Phaedo is a record of the conversation Socrates had with his friends in jail on the day he was executed by the Athenians. They sat around and talked about death, and Socrates explained to his friends why he was not afraid to die and how philosophy had prepared him for death. He explained that it is better for a man to die with dignity, than to live badly. Phaedo is a classic of western literature, and I have read and re-read it many times when I find myself dwelling on death.
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> Design for Dying, by Dr. Timothy Leary is a record of Leary's thoughts and feelings on death, and a record of the progress of his own death, after he was diagnosed with prostate cancer. Leary was an eternal optimist, and his bubbling optimism and good humor shines through in this book on death.
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> Meds may help you in many ways, but I do not think they will allow you to eliminate the need to think through the "big issues" for yourself.
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> > I have lost both of my parents: My Mom last july died in my arms. My friend at work passed away last spring.
> >
> > I work next to Apostolics, Baptists, Bornagains. Each one claims that the other sector of religion is going to hell. Now there is all the pedophiles in the Catholic church. And I was raised Catholic. I think about death almost continuosly it seems. It is about as big of a mystery to me as life is. It scares me so bad. I feel doomed. I start to freak out. I feel half alive and sometimes I don't know if I am alive. Ocassionally I have delulusions that I am dead. This seems to happen when things get real bad and I'm lonely like working in a factory for fourteen hours and then driving home in the the dark one hour each way. Nothing seems real. I feel like I'm doing the same thing over and over like being caught in a time warp.
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> > Please don't tell me to go away from the people at work. I already have and the damage is done.
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> > What med. or med combo's should I be on that could help? I have tried many and I am on quite a few already. I tried Risperdal for ruminating thoughts but cound't stand the zombie effect. Also I am a pilot. For me I can barely drive on the stuff and everyone at work could tell I was taking something. right now I'm on Lamictal, Ritalin Lexapro, Klonopin. I'm going insane. please help.
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poster:celesteloveage
thread:123688
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20021012/msgs/123778.html