[VDAu5p33]

Yesterday an attack of gloominess overcame me. I recited salawat 100x, normally this would give me relief, but for once it didn't work. Finally in the afternoon I decided to practice Tai Chi, I had to force myself to do it, and the gloominess left.

I have had a history of depression in my teenage years, and sometimes still become gloomy. Optimism is such a strange state of mind, in my opinion. I look at naturally optimistic people and think they are like Aliens.

Most of the time, I am not gloomy, but not exactly cheerful, but neutral about 95% of the time.

Anyway, from what I have read of the Sahabah, they seem to have a wide range of personalities... just compare Umar (ra) with Abu Hurayrah (ra) etc... There is room for Muslims of very different personalities. I wonder if there is room in the ummah for a gloomy Muslim.

(Was there a Sahabah who was naturally gloomy? I really don't know. There are thousands of Sahabah with great variety of characters, maybe there is one I haven't heard of?)

...

Anyway, the attacks of gloominess is annoying because I cannot get anything done. There seem to be different kinds. One sort of attack is like an endless chain of negative words in my head endlessly and continuously putting me down. I'm not schizophrenic because I know it's my own thoughts, it's not external. But it's like my brother's TV that I don't know how to turn off because he has six different remotes for all the devices attached to the TV. I press this and that button on this or that remote and the TV just keeps going!

Another sort is like heaviness and an evil feeling in my chest, with no words or cause, like yesterday.

Some people like to shout "Jinn!" or "Sihr!", but I don't think this is either. It could be bad past experience. It could just be bad digestion. It could be early warning of a physical illness that will hit next week. I remember a time feeling out of sorts for 2 weeks before being hit by adult chickenpox. wAllahu a'lam. If it is Jinn, why would Tai Chi give me relief?

I don't even know what I am asking... maybe my brain and heart could use a good antivirus, registry clean, defrag and debugging, because I cannot reformat and reinstall...

Is optimism a Sunnah? That will be a very hard thing for me to accomplish. Neutral is the best I can do at the moment, to function. Is that all right?

(I am "neutral" at the moment, alhamduliLlah.)

[teodaschwartia]

Yesterday an attack of gloominess overcame me. I recited salawat 100x, normally this would give me relief, but for once it didn't work. Finally in the afternoon I decided to practice Tai Chi, I had to force myself to do it, and the gloominess left.

I have had a history of depression in my teenage years, and sometimes still become gloomy. Optimism is such a strange state of mind, in my opinion. I look at naturally optimistic people and think they are like Aliens.

Most of the time, I am not gloomy, but not exactly cheerful, but neutral about 95% of the time.

Anyway, from what I have read of the Sahabah, they seem to have a wide range of personalities... just compare Umar (ra) with Abu Hurayrah (ra) etc... There is room for Muslims of very different personalities. I wonder if there is room in the ummah for a gloomy Muslim.

(Was there a Sahabah who was naturally gloomy? I really don't know. There are thousands of Sahabah with great variety of characters, maybe there is one I haven't heard of?)

...

Anyway, the attacks of gloominess is annoying because I cannot get anything done. There seem to be different kinds. One sort of attack is like an endless chain of negative words in my head endlessly and continuously putting me down. I'm not schizophrenic because I know it's my own thoughts, it's not external. But it's like my brother's TV that I don't know how to turn off because he has six different remotes for all the devices attached to the TV. I press this and that button on this or that remote and the TV just keeps going!

Another sort is like heaviness and an evil feeling in my chest, with no words or cause, like yesterday.

Some people like to shout "Jinn!" or "Sihr!", but I don't think this is either. It could be bad past experience. It could just be bad digestion. It could be early warning of a physical illness that will hit next week. I remember a time feeling out of sorts for 2 weeks before being hit by adult chickenpox. wAllahu a'lam. If it is Jinn, why would Tai Chi give me relief?

I don't even know what I am asking... maybe my brain and heart could use a good antivirus, registry clean, defrag and debugging, because I cannot reformat and reinstall...

Is optimism a Sunnah? That will be a very hard thing for me to accomplish. Neutral is the best I can do at the moment, to function. Is that all right?

(I am "neutral" at the moment, alhamduliLlah.)

Walaikum as salam,

If you keep yourself, busy with positive and productive things, organize yourtime well, then you can combat these whisperings . Also it seems sometime anger builds in yourself, and you get stuck with what they call hadees-e-nafse. I know you cant always keep yourself busy with Ibada and worship and zikr, so whatever free time you have besides that, takeup some hobby, do exercise, or find a sports for that free time. Get connected to some scholors in your area, or join some effort of deen, its all about how your spend your time. So keep yourself busy with worship or some other healthy activity. Wasalam.

[panholio]

السلام عليكم

I understand you completely brother. I sometimes think about my state and get like this, I wouldnt say depressed but I think gloomy is the perfect word for it, the ability to not get anything done affects me too and I usually end up wasting my time.

I think the cure is as pir baba stated is to occupy yourself, try to identify what it is that gets you in that zone, and avoid it. And work out ways to get yourself out of that zone for those times you find yourself in it.

For me its thinking about my place and state in religion and shaythaan and my nafs have a jolly good time keeping me on a downer, so I try not to think about that aspect of religion as much as possible.

[VDAu5p33]

Walaikum as salam,

If you keep yourself, busy with positive and productive things, organize yourtime well, then you can combat these whisperings . Also it seems sometime anger builds in yourself, and you get stuck with what they call hadees-e-nafse. I know you cant always keep yourself busy with Ibada and worship and zikr, so whatever free time you have besides that, takeup some hobby, do exercise, or find a sports for that free time. Get connected to some scholors in your area, or join some effort of deen, its all about how your spend your time. So keep yourself busy with worship or some other healthy activity. Wasalam.

What is "hadees e-nafse"?

[shodulsilfeli]

Yesterday an attack of gloominess overcame me. I recited salawat 100x, normally this would give me relief, but for once it didn't work. Finally in the afternoon I decided to practice Tai Chi, I had to force myself to do it, and the gloominess left.

I have had a history of depression in my teenage years, and sometimes still become gloomy. Optimism is such a strange state of mind, in my opinion. I look at naturally optimistic people and think they are like Aliens.

Most of the time, I am not gloomy, but not exactly cheerful, but neutral about 95% of the time.

Anyway, from what I have read of the Sahabah, they seem to have a wide range of personalities... just compare Umar (ra) with Abu Hurayrah (ra) etc... There is room for Muslims of very different personalities. I wonder if there is room in the ummah for a gloomy Muslim.

(Was there a Sahabah who was naturally gloomy? I really don't know. There are thousands of Sahabah with great variety of characters, maybe there is one I haven't heard of?)

...

Anyway, the attacks of gloominess is annoying because I cannot get anything done. There seem to be different kinds. One sort of attack is like an endless chain of negative words in my head endlessly and continuously putting me down. I'm not schizophrenic because I know it's my own thoughts, it's not external. But it's like my brother's TV that I don't know how to turn off because he has six different remotes for all the devices attached to the TV. I press this and that button on this or that remote and the TV just keeps going!

Another sort is like heaviness and an evil feeling in my chest, with no words or cause, like yesterday.

Some people like to shout "Jinn!" or "Sihr!", but I don't think this is either. It could be bad past experience. It could just be bad digestion. It could be early warning of a physical illness that will hit next week. I remember a time feeling out of sorts for 2 weeks before being hit by adult chickenpox. wAllahu a'lam. If it is Jinn, why would Tai Chi give me relief?

I don't even know what I am asking... maybe my brain and heart could use a good antivirus, registry clean, defrag and debugging, because I cannot reformat and reinstall...

Is optimism a Sunnah? That will be a very hard thing for me to accomplish. Neutral is the best I can do at the moment, to function. Is that all right?

(I am "neutral" at the moment, alhamduliLlah.)

This is not a spiritual issue, this is a physical/medical issue. Try to get full vitamins, change your diet and exercise outdoors 3 times a week for 1 hour per day.

[97dYA9L3]

brother,

Optimism and having hope are sunnah. Gloom and doom are definitely not a sunnah.

Here's the soultion:

1) Exercise with weights or do cardio.

2) Don't let your attention constantly shift, limit web browsing and related activities. Rapid attention shifts causes unhappiness.

3) Take vitamins, minerals, fish oil.

4) Make dhikr.

5) Make friends and have a social life.

6) Practice Tai Chi and other things if it helps you.

[gugqgbyzlp]

Look at your surroundings...often it is music that affects or a nostalgia of the past that affects gloominess. Also if its really cloudy or raining and not very bright it may be seasonal affective disorder (SAD) and you could counteract this by getting a UV lamp. Get out of the house more, don't be on the computer all the time.

Those things I find are the reason for 90% of gloominess. Usually its not khawf of Allah. But if you are definitely dealing with gloominess, I suggest you read Salawat Nasab Sharif which is absolutely amazing and can be found in the books of the awliya. Also you can try these duas from the Sunnah for anxiety and depression that I put together with some brothers: http://duapower.com/prayersofhappiness/index.html

[Rjvpicux]

Something that has helped me with my gloominess and even depression.

لا حول ولاقوة إلا بالله
'La hawlawala quwwatta illah billah'

"There is no initiative or capability except from Allah."

Also HasbunAllahu wa ni'amal wakeel. Whenever we remind ourselves Allah the Almighty is our protector then such gloominess disappears.

[gugqgbyzlp]

^Yes, there is a hadith that hawqalas are cure for 99 problems, the least of which is anxiety. It works.