A 1992 analysis of data from the National Institutes of Mental Health found that “the overall lifetime rate of psychiatric disorder did not differ among Jews as compared to non-Jews, even after controlling for demographic factors.” The study did find that Jews suffer from certain mental illnesses at higher rates, including major depression, dysthymia, schizophrenia and simple phobia, but had lower rates of others, including alcoholism. This finding echoes the results of studies conducted in the 1950s and 1960s that found elevated rates of neurosis and manic depression (now known as bipolar disorder) among the Jewish population. The 1992 analysis found that rates of bipolar disorder, panic disorder, agoraphobia, social phobia, obsessive-compulsive disorder and drug abuse did not differ significantly between different religious groups.
http://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/judaism-and-mental-illness/
Laying the groundwork:
1) What is your impression of how Judaism/Jewish institutions approach mental health?
2) What are some common preconceived notions you are familiar with?
Discussion:
1) How do we hold space for 'bad days'?
2) Does it give us comfort to know that the 'bad days' are coming?
אולם, ידיעה זו לבדה, כי התחלפות ימי
האהבה וימי השנאה דבר טבעי הוא – בכוחה
להפיג הרבה מן היאוש והעצבות.
The very knowledge of the fact that it is
natural to have good days and bad days
has the power to assuage a lot of despair
and sadness.
Rabbi Shlomo Wolbe Alei Shur, Vol. I pg. 35
In general, one must try with all one's might to be joyful always. For it is human nature to be drawn to bitterness and sadness because of the wounds one has suffered -- and every person is full of troubles. So one must force oneself, with a great effort, to be happy always...Now, it is also true that a broken heart is very good -- but only at certain times. So, it is wise to set an hour each day to break one's heart and talk to God, as we do. But the rest of the day, one must be in joy.
Rabbi Nachman
(משלי יב, כה) דאגה בלב איש ישחנה
רבי אמי ורבי אסי,
חד אמר: ישחנה מדעתו
וחד אמר: ישיחנה לאחרים
The Gemara explains another verse in Proverbs: “If there is anxiety in a man’s heart, let him quash it [yashḥena]” (Proverbs 12:25). Rabbi Ami and Rabbi Asi dispute the verse’s meaning. One said: He should forcefully push it [yasḥena] out of his mind. One who worries should banish his concerns from his thoughts. And one said: It means he should tell [yesiḥena] others his concerns, which will lower his anxiety.
Struggle with your sadness, [Rabbi Nachman] says, struggle with your soul....The point is not to rid oneself of struggle, but to accept it as a condition of being human. We are not meant to prevail. We must make room in the soul for an existential condition of lack.
Rabbi Nachman, The Gate of Tears: Sadness and the Spiritual Path
Discussion:
1) What does it mean to "quash" it?
2) What is the meaning of the "good word"?
3) Do you agree with the above instructions?
רבי יוחנן חלש, על לגביה רבי חנינא. אמר ליה: חביבין עליך יסורין? אמר ליה: לא הן ולא שכרן. אמר ליה: הב לי ידך! יהב ליה ידיה ואוקמיה. אמאי? לוקים רבי יוחנןלנפשיה! - אמרי: אין חבוש מתיר עצמו מבית האסורים.
Berachot 5b
R. Johanan once fell ill and R. Hanina went in to visit him. He said to him: Are your sufferings welcome to you? He replied: Neither they nor their reward. He said to him: Give me your hand. He gave him his hand and he raised him. Why could not R. Johanan raise himself? — They replied: The prisoner cannot free himself from jail.
"Pray not for their destruction, rather, pray for them to repent their ways." [B. Berahot 10a]
Suicide
Thousands of years ago, Elijah was in crisis. He was tormented by unfulfilled dreams and dashed expectations. Jezebel, wife of King Ahab, threatened him with death and Elijah saw no future for himself. He was alone and lonely. He was in despair. And, he cried to God, “I have had enough - let me die! I have dreams, goals, and values that I will never achieve. What reason is there for me to live?”
Although Gd often speaks to humanity in the rumble of earthquakes, the roaring of wind and the thunder of storms, Gd spoke to Elijah instead in a stall small voice. And it was the nurturing power of the still small voice that slowly gave Elijah the courage and strength to be able to peek out of his deep abyss.
ברכות ה.
אמר רבא ואיתימא רב חסדא: אם רואה אדם שיסורין באין עליו - יפשפש במעשיו, שנאמר נחפשה דרכינו ונחקורה ונשובה עד ה'
Depression
Berachot 5a
Raba (some say, R. Hisda) says: If a man sees that painful sufferings visit him, let him examine his conduct. For it is said: Let us search and try our ways, and return unto the Lord.
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יזוַיְהִ֧י הַמַּבּ֛וּל אַרְבָּעִ֥ים י֖וֹם עַל־הָאָ֑רֶץ וַיִּרְבּ֣וּ הַמַּ֗יִם וַיִּשְׂאוּ֙ אֶת־הַתֵּבָ֔ה וַתָּ֖רָם מֵעַ֥ל הָאָֽרֶץ:
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כוַיָּ֥חֶל נֹ֖חַ אִ֣ישׁ הָֽאֲדָמָ֑ה וַיִּטַּ֖ע כָּֽרֶם: |
| כאוַיֵּ֥שְׁתְּ מִן־הַיַּ֖יִן וַיִּשְׁכָּ֑ר וַיִּתְגַּ֖ל בְּת֥וֹךְ אָֽהֳלֹֽה: |
| כבוַיַּ֗רְא חָ֚ם אֲבִ֣י כְנַ֔עַן אֵ֖ת עֶרְוַ֣ת אָבִ֑יו וַיַּגֵּ֥ד לִשְׁנֵֽי־אֶחָ֖יו בַּחֽוּץ: |
| כגוַיִּקַּח֩ שֵׁ֨ם וָיֶ֜פֶת אֶת־הַשִּׂמְלָ֗ה וַיָּשִׂ֨ימוּ֙ עַל־שְׁכֶ֣ם שְׁנֵיהֶ֔ם וַיֵּֽלְכוּ֙ אֲחֹ֣רַנִּ֔ית וַיְכַסּ֕וּ אֵ֖ת עֶרְוַ֣ת אֲבִיהֶ֑ם וּפְנֵיהֶם֙ אֲחֹ֣רַנִּ֔ית וְעֶרְוַ֥ת אֲבִיהֶ֖ם לֹ֥א רָאֽוּ: |
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PTSD 17 Now the Flood was forty days upon the earth, and the waters increased, and they lifted the ark, and it rose off the earth. |
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| 18 And the waters became powerful, and they increased very much upon the earth, and the ark moved upon the waters. | ||
| 19 And the waters became exceedingly powerful upon the earth, and all the lofty mountains that were under the heavens were covered up. |
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Bereishit 9:20-27
| 20 And Noah began to be a master of the soil, and he planted a vineyard. | ||
| 21 And he drank of the wine and became drunk, and he uncovered himself within his tent. | ||
| 22 And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw his father's nakedness, and he told his two brothers outside. | ||
| 23 And Shem and Japheth took the garment, and they placed [it] on both of their shoulders, and they walked backwards, and they covered their father's nakedness, and their faces were turned backwards, so that they did not see their father's nakedness. |
Discussion:
1. What can we glean from Noah's experience before and during the flood? Can we relate to any of his experiences?
2. What does his story tell us about Torah's interpretation of dealing with psychological trauma?
Unetaneh Tokef—Let Us Cede Power
On Rosh Hashanah it is written, and on Yom Kippur it is sealed.
How many will pass and how many will be created?
Who will live and who will die?
Who in their time, and who not their time?
Who by fire and who by water?
Who by sword and who by beast?
Who by hunger and who by thirst?
Who by earthquake and who by drowning?
Who by strangling and who by stoning?
Who will rest and who will wander?
Who will be safe and who will be torn?
Who will be calm and who will be tormented?
Who will become poor and who will get rich?
Who will be made humble and who will be raised up?
But teshuvah and tefillah and tzedakah (return and prayer and righteous acts)
deflect the evil of the decree.
Modern Dayenu
Maimonides urged us to care for our bodies so that we would be free to concentrate our energies on God. In the modern world, one of the greatest threats to our physical health is mental stress. Stress causes insomnia, digestive problems, heart disease, autoimmune disorders, depression, memory impairment and countless other complications. As young professionals, we are vulnerable to this stress, but often believe ourselves immune. This year, let us learn how to say “Enough!”
If we agree to serve one volunteer committee, but not two or three…דַּיֵּנוּ
If we work 45 hours in a week, but not 60…דַּיֵּנוּ
If we serve two courses for Shabbat dinner, but not three or four…דַּיֵּנוּ
If we buy a dessert, instead of making one from scratch…דַּיֵּנוּ
If we wash the floor every other Friday morning, instead of every Friday morning…דַּיֵּנוּ
If we clear away the clutter, but don’t dust the shelves…דַּיֵּנוּ
If we buy a gift certificate, instead of spending hours searching for the perfect gift…דַּיֵּנוּ
If we usually schlep to the less expensive supermarket, but not always…דַּיֵּנוּ
If we take on one of the big projects coming up at work, but not all of them…דַּיֵּנוּ
If we go to one of the events organized by our friends this week, but not all them…דַּיֵּנוּ
If we do what we can, and then go to bed at a reasonable hour…דַּיֵּנוּ
Haggadot.com and UCLA Hillel
Discussion:
1) Which, if any, of these modern interpretations of prayer do we relate to?
2) Should we be using this framework for personal prayer?
3) What would you add to any of the prayers as they are written?
Modern Vidui
Ve-al kulam Eloha selichot, selach lanu, mechal lanu, kaper lanu.
For all our sins, may the Force that makes forgiveness possible forgive us,
pardon us, and make atonement possible...
And for the sins we have committed by being so directed toward outward realities that we have ignored our spiritual development.
And for the sins of not recognizing that the deprivation of meaning and spirit is as painful as the deprivation of money or freedom;...
And for the sins of being cynical about the possibility of building a world based on love;
And for the sins of spreading negative stories about people we know;
And for the sins of being passive recipients of negativity or listening and allowing others to spread hurtful stories;..
And for the sins of not giving our leaders, rabbis, educators, artists, and child caregivers the emotional and material support they need to continue to do the work that we depend on them to do.
For these sins we ask God and each other to give us the strength to forgive ourselves and each other.
For the sins we have committed by not forgiving our parents for the wrongs they committed when we were children;
And for the sins of having too little compassion or too little respect for our parents or for our children;
For the sins of cooperating with self-destructive behavior in others or in ourselves;
And for the sins of not supporting each other as we attempt to change;
For the sins of not seeing the spark of divinity within each person we encounter or within ourselves;
And for the sins of not learning from and giving adequate respect and care to our elders and to our teachers;
For the sins of being jealous and trying to possess and control those whom we love;
And for the sins of being judgmental of others and ourselves;
For the sins of withholding love and support;
And for the sins of doubting our ability to love and get love from others;
For the sins of not recognizing the beauty within ourselves;
And for the sins of not recognizing the beauty that surrounds us;
For the sins of not allowing ourselves to play;
And for the sins of being manipulative or hurting others to protect our own egos;
Ve-al kulam Eloha selichot selach lanu, mechal lanu, kaper lanu.
And for the sins of self-absorption, allowing us to be insulated from the loneliness and needs of people around us;
For the sins of focusing only on our sins and not our strengths and beauties;
And for the sins of not adequately rejoicing and celebrating the beauty and
grandeur of God’s creation.
Ve-al kulam Eloha selichot, selach lanu, mechal lanu, kaper lanu.
For all these, Lord of Forgiveness, forgive us, pardon us, grant us atonement.
http://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/modern-sins/