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The answer to BIID is Zen Buddhism!
Written by Sean on Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Yes, the answer to BIID is to study Zen Buddhism, or so "my" psychiatrist told me recently. Now, this is the guy I had a bad vibe about, as I described to you guys not so long ago. I saw him once. Several weeks ago. He was supposed to get back to me about meeting with his colleagues. He didn’t. Then, he rings me at home one evening.
It was approaching 8pm. He called me. His accent and voice are hard to understand to begin with, but on the phone, it was even more difficult. He apologised for not getting back to me sooner. Fine. The way he spoke was oddly familiar but I couldn’t quite place it. Then it struck me, I knew why it was familliar: he had the inflection and rythm my dad has when he speaks to me and he’s drunk.
He informed me that he tried to get me in front of the clinic’s meeting of psychiatrists, as discussed in our meeting several weeks ago. There had been two opportunities, but it didn’t happen. He said that he would be pretty sure to be able to get me in in early December. I pointed out to him I was probably not going to be available in early December.
He told me that my case was very unusual, very complicated. That he looked more into it and that statistically people don’t respond well to traditional treatments. I pointed out I had already told him that.
He then suggested that I should look into Zen Buddhism! He said it’s more a philosophy than a religion, that it doesn’t matter what religion you are, you can follow Zen . I tried to tell him I was familliar with Buddhism, but he went on about explaining Zen to me! He also spoke about yoga, and when I pointed out to him I’d been practicing Tai Chi for ten years, that I was familiar with these concepts, he said to me to find my own way, that I need to avoid dogma and just find my own way, that eveyrone can be Buddha. I pointed out to him that I’d been trying to find my own way for 25 years now, and while I understood it is a lifelong process, this is not helping.
He asked me about my mood, depression. I said I was doing a bit better, that basically I was still depressed but back to what is "normal" for me.
I had to get off the phone. I did not want to be rude to him, but frankly, his suggestions were less than helpful.
Geeezusss fuck! Colour me purple! The answer to BIID is Zen Buddhism! I am Siddharta, the Budda. I am reaching Nirvana and my corporeal body is irrelevant. Of course! How could I have been so blind, and missed such an obvious answer!
Incre-fucking-dible!
Tags: BIID, Psychiatrist, Zen, Zen Buddhism
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8 Comments
You certainly have a lot more patience than I, Sean. I would’ve stopped listening after I determined he was drunk.
On a wholly serious matter of Buddhism; I honestly wonder what someone like the Dalai Lama would comment on about BIID…I’ve even spoken to the man, wish I had thought about that, then…
Nirvana is the answer to eliminating suffering, so, yes, that would help…but we haven’t gotten there yet.
3 On 26 November, 2008, Claire said:
Getting there’s the hard part.
Oh thank goodness, there is an answer! And thank you Sean for sharing it with the rest of us!! :)
Sometimes, I just don’t understand people.
Maybe this dude would have understood you better if you had started talking like a duck, quack, quack, quack.
Is there any professional standards organization you can report him to?
I don’t think this should pass without being noted. He violated the privacy of your home. He was intoxicated. He was proselytizing. Buddhism is indeed a religion in many parts of the world, as I’m sure you know.
His lack of professionalism is astounding and with an impressionable patient, could be dangerous.
7 On 26 November, 2008, Sean said:
Jen, I have the option lodging a formal complaint with the District Health Board. I’m on a subcommittee of the Board. If I lodge a formal complaint, chances are that they might see the file with the info for which I went to see the quack in the first place. I could also lodge a formal complaint to the Health Commissioner, who would then consider the case, talk with the Health Board, and I’m risking the same issue.
I was going to complain, but upon consideration, it’s just plain too risky for me
I lived between 2000 and 2002 in Japan, in an Zen Dojo and became a novice monk….
It never changed any of my needs
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1 On 26 November, 2008, Claire said:
Aside from the fact that the psy was such a loser, I imagine that if you truly believed the above quoted statement, it would be a great help! How could it not? Seriously.