What do Islamic scholars say on the topic of using drugs to alter moods (i.e. depression alleviation)? AFAIK, I’ve been taught (and learned) that one should live according to the life ascribed by the Quran and the Sunnah (I am a witness to its effectiveness), which results in an overall feeling of self-contentment. But what happens if one chooses drugs such as the SSRI/SNRI to alleviate their coniditon (and does not establish daily prayers simultaneously)? Would this be considered unIslamic and shirk?
The reason why I ask is because one of our patients (at a psychotherapy clinic) is an extremely depressed Muslim, who believes it is Islamically forbidden to consume mind altering substances, thus is unwilling to take any medications advised by us. We put him on some other trails, but he failed time and time again.
His explanation is: lack of faith >> depression >> lack of will >> lack of faith.
He is stuck in this continuous loop and is looking for a way out. And I’m running out of answers. Scientifically speaking, his condition is associated with a neurological chemical imbalance.