THIS IS A TEST SITE
Mental health concerns in the context of faith:
A Sikh Perspective
Meet Baljit:
Baljit is a Sikh woman and lives with a lot of anxiety and an eating disorder.
Baljit moved to Surrey around five years ago. In her previous community she felt welcomed and supported. There was always a familiar smiling face to meet her when she attended programs at her local Gurdwara Sahib. She knew that every Sunday she would go to the Keertan program and that routine gave her structure to manage her anxiety. At the same time, she was plagued by thoughts of “why me? why do I have to go through life with so much anxiety?”
In the city she was living before, Baljit was comfortable enough to share about her eating disorder just with one or two ladies who did Seva in the Langar. Sitting to share a community meal itself caused her distress. However, after doing Seva, the ladies got together to study Gurbani and reflected on the meaning of suffering according to Sri Guru Granth Sahib. Studying the Gurbani helped Baljit work out a strategy of how to handle her anxieties when everyone sat down to eat Langar.
Baljit remembers this time and shares: “I had friends, I felt loved and accepted, I had hope, my weeks had structure and rhythm, and if the week was hard I knew that I would find comfort sitting in the Sangat. In exploring the meaning of suffering together with other friends I found new insights. I had hope. I never felt alone although I spent many hours on my own.”
When Baljit moved to Surrey, the first thing she did was to search and find the right Sangat, because she understood the benefits of having a strong support system. Because of her anxiety, Baljit can be a bit abrupt and short in temper, and also her physical appearance makes people uncomfortable because she is so extremely thin. She came to a Sunday program and ended up sitting all by herself the entire time. During the Langar she was all alone, and this added to her feelings of anxiety and stress so the one interaction that she did have ended up being harsh and abrupt. All people could see was that she was a woman with mental health issues. Had they stopped for a moment, they would have noticed her true identity, that she is another Sikh, another human being, with the light of God, as much as any other.
Baljit now shares: “I have been living here for five years now. I have no friends in my community, just acquaintances. People talk to me but no one gets close. There are Gurdwaras and Sikh groups everywhere, but I am isolated. I haven’t been able to go to the Gurdwara regularly because instead of helping me with my anxiety, I feel overwhelmed and lost.”
How could this have been different, how could Buljit also receive the benefits that our community offers?
tho karreeai jae kishh hoe dhhin(g)aanai ||
We should feel sad, if God were a tyrant.
tho karreeai jae bhool ra(n)n(j)aanai ||
We should feel sad, if He made us suffer by mistake.
gur kehiaa jo hoe sabh prabh thae ||
The Guru says that whatever happens is all by God's Will.
thab kaarraa shhodd achi(n)th ham sothae ||3||
So I have abandoned sadness, and I now sleep without anxiety. ||3||
prabh thoohai t(h)aakur sabh ko thaeraa ||
O God, You alone are my Lord and Master; all belong to You.
jio bhaavai thio karehi nibaeraa ||
According to Your Will, You pass judgement.
dhutheeaa naasath eik rehiaa samaae ||
There is no other at all; the One Lord is permeating and pervading everywhere.
raakhahu paij naanak saranaae ||4||5||18||
Please save Nanak's honor; I have come to Your Sanctuary. ||4||5||18||
Click here for resources for wellness and recovery in the context of spirituality:
http://www.heretohelp.bc.ca/visions/wellness-vol7/spirituality-a-resource-for-wellness-and-recovery
