20 year zen practitioner here. Don't expect meditation or buddhism to make your problems go away. If you have an acute mental problem like depression, bipolar

20 year zen practitioner here. Don't expect meditation or buddhism to make your problems go away. If you have an acute mental problem like depression, bipolar syndrome or are suicidal get professional help first. Then go study buddhism. Some teachers will even ask you to sign a waiver acknowledging this.