Depression help

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Fieryjades

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I have been struggling with depression for numerous years, but recently it has been taking a toll on my spiritual life. I haven’t gone to Confession in 3 months, on and off Mass attendance, having trouble praying, and being kind to my family/neighbors.

What can I do to regain my spiritual life in the midst of depression? Thanks in advance.

God love you,
Fieryjades
 
The best I can tell you is talk to your Parish Preist. If he is not easily appoachable or you are a bit embarrassed, try a neighboring Preist. But please I urge you to talk to them. Most will help you. Meanwhile try to Pray even bits at a time. It really does help:blessyou:
 
Hi Fieryjades!

I went through some of what you described and am only just recovering. All I did was opened my heart to God and I read the Bible. That’s it. My sister found this site and I’ve been visiting it ever since. It has answered a lot of my doubts and has made me feel a lot more closer to God because now I’m finally beginning to understand what I believe in.
Try reading the Bible, especially the Psalms, Proverbs and the Gospels. It does help.
All the best!
  • Jomaca
 
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Fieryjades:
I have been struggling with depression for numerous years, but recently it has been taking a toll on my spiritual life. I haven’t gone to Confession in 3 months, on and off Mass attendance, having trouble praying, and being kind to my family/neighbors.

What can I do to regain my spiritual life in the midst of depression? Thanks in advance.

God love you,
Fieryjades
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Fieryjades,
I’ve been suffering with depression on and off for 15 years as I’m 31 this seems like a good portion of my life to have this but I am learning to deal with it one day at a time. I have been taking meds for depression and anxiety for 10 years and they most certainly do help but I still have those days like you are describing but the difference is that I know what it is and I know that it will pass.
I would suggest seeking a good Catholic therapist to talk to, it is amazing how talking to someone about these feelings can make you feel so much better, I never thought it could help but it really does and it is just such a good feeling to tell someone and have them tell you that they understand and then they can give you some really great ideas on how to deal with these feelings, the biggest thing is never give up and never stop Praying, sometimes it can feel like God is just not listening and you think it would be easier to just walk away but that is the illness speaking. I don’t know if you are open to meds but for me they really have gotten me back to who I once was and the bad days are few and the good normal days are finally outnumbering any bad ones, we are all going to have bad days, down days but when it starts to get that you don’t know when the last time was that you felt normal or good, then you have to realize you need help and God gave us some awesome Catholic therapists who are ready to help and if you can’t find one go to your parish and see if they can give you some names.
You will be in my prayers :blessyou: :gopray: :gopray2: :bible1:
 
1st: Get professional help. Depression can be serious and is more than psychological, its often an imbalance in neurotransmitters / neuroreceptors that inhibit a state of normalcy. This does not mean that medication will make you euphoric, but should help restore the natural balance and euthymic state of mood. Of course, for those with bipolar disorder rather and unipolar depression, antidepressants could lead to breakthrough mania. Thus, you should see a competent physician, preferably a psychiatrist since they specialize in use of such medications.

2nd: A book I recommend: “Surviving Depression, A Catholic Approach,” by Kathryn Hermes,FSP. Published by Pauline Books and Media, Boston. Copyright 2003. ISBN: 0-8198-7077-3

Please do not hesistate to write me or others if you need a friend or someone to listen! You have friends here who care. But friends only get a chance to be friends if they are used as such. God gave you this forum for a reason.

May the peace of Christ embrace you and help you over this problem!

Bob
 
Thank you for your kind words and encouragement! I feel less lonely already! A couple months ago, I had a Christian threapist through Catholic Charities, but all we seemed to discuss was doctrinal differences. Does anyone know where I can find information about Catholic threapists?

Thanks again,
Fieryjades
 
Call your diocese and ask for whoever is in charge of family life. They should have a list of therapist.

Love & peace,
Bob
 
Fieryjades, you know that I fight depression, too. At least two counselors I’ve seen in the past three years have told me to journal. I don’t journal nearly as much as I would like to but it is a good way of releasing frustration, and journaling helps me to pray more often because I find that when I write, I sometimes spontaneously write prayers. Remember that you are never alone (depression makes you think you’re alone) and that many people are praying for you!
 
Go to Jesus.

Be still and know God loves you.

He tries you like gold.

Hold fast to His teachings.

Do not despair but take comfort in knowing He is with you at all times.

Reach out to Him in your sorrow.

Ask Him to bring you His peace.

Wait out the storm, abandon yourself, and rest in His Heart.
 
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elizabeth4truth:
Go to Jesus.

Be still and know God loves you.

He tries you like gold.

Hold fast to His teachings.

Do not despair but take comfort in knowing He is with you at all times.

Reach out to Him in your sorrow.

Ask Him to bring you His peace.

Wait out the storm, abandon yourself, and rest in His Heart.
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Elizabeth, that’s wonderful advice! Sometimes I long for peace. Fieryjades, I also recommend praying the rosary daily.
 
Hi Fieryjades,

Thank you for reaching out to us in this thread–that is a great first step to take for dealing with your depression.

I have clinical depression, and take medication for it. Eleven years ago my depression got so bad that I had to seek therapeutic help and have been on meds ever since. They make a huge difference in my well-being. I had been depressed all my life and actually became an alcoholic because I was attempting to self-medicate through drinking. Thankfully, I quit drinking seventeen years ago.

I suffered horrific traumas as a wee child and those traumas altered my brain chemistry. It wasn’t until I was 38 years old that I finally got the professional help I needed. Now, eleven years later, I still have rough days from time to time, but by and large my medication and group therapy have made me a changed person, for the better, truly.

I have tried stopping my meds several times in the course of the eleven years I have been prescribed them, and each time, within three months, I ended up rock-bottom emotionally, suicidal and quite paralyzed, so it is very clear to me I need these meds to lead a “normal” life.

And most of all, my spiritual life improved immensely when I sought help for my depression. I came back to the Church eight years ago, and my relationship with the Lord has been so very healing for me.

I don’t know if anything I am saying here is any help to you, friend, but please know you are in my prayers and Our Lord and His Blessed Mother loves you surely and deeply. God bless you, dear!

Geraldine
 
:blessyou: 🙂 Hi!
Get checked out by a physician and make sure you are medically OK. As written in previous posts, depression can be an imbalance. Eat correctly, take vitamins, get some exercise all in an effort to rebuild yourself at the celluar level up.

Now that the human side is working better - get yourself in the the Confessional as SIN can be a big part of depression. Read uplifting books about miracles, the saints, and conversions.

I’ll put you on my prayer list.
Blessings,
Joanie
 
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Fieryjades:
Thank you for your kind words and encouragement! I feel less lonely already! A couple months ago, I had a Christian threapist through Catholic Charities, but all we seemed to discuss was doctrinal differences. Does anyone know where I can find information about Catholic threapists?

Thanks again,
Fieryjades
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I have a web address or two somewhere. As soon as I find them, I will post them for you. Also, I’ve struggled with depression for a long time. It has gotten so much better due to inner healing prayer. Recovering is a process, not a one time event. A priest I talked with last summer advised meds. I am not on meds at this time, but I was, and it helped at the time.
 
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elizabeth4truth:
Go to Jesus.

Be still and know God loves you.

He tries you like gold.

Hold fast to His teachings.

Do not despair but take comfort in knowing He is with you at all times.

Reach out to Him in your sorrow.

Ask Him to bring you His peace.

Wait out the storm, abandon yourself, and rest in His Heart.
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Your advice brought tears to my eyes! It helped me remember that God’s love is uncondional, timeless, and that He loved me so much that He sacrificed His only Son for me. Thank you for your response and all your responses!

Peace,
FJ
 
The site catholictherapists.com has a partial list, in my area the names there are among those that have been recommended by Catholics I trust when I started looking for additional help for your wife. Ultimately, the struggles with life are a symptom of the thought patterns behind depression, and because of how our thoughts and faith are so tightly joined getting a solid and competent Catholic counselor is vital.

If your current therapist had not established a diagnosis and an identifiable treatment plan that respected your faith within 2 visits, you are wasting your time and money. A competent counselor will focus on trying short-term, intensive treatment approaches to help immediately resolve the symptoms you are facing, re-evalutating your progress every 4-8 weeks and restructuring your treatment approach to address previously unrecognized symptoms or to try a new approach on a symptom not being adequately resolved by prior approaches.

Longer term psychotherapy is required less often, after symptoms are resolved, with a goal to tapering you off within a year or so, and referring you to someone else if your progress does not respond siginficantly to the treatment they can offer. If you’ve been struggling with this for a while you might need it, but the focus at first should still be on intensive treatment to resolve the symptoms with a goal to using occasional folow-up visits to keep the polish on. Lifelong, weekly, “talk therapy” sessions with the same counselor are not appropriate treatment.
 
Today is a bad day. We had to put our dog to sleep. My friend (and former boyfriend whom I had impure relations with) told me that he wants to distance himself from me, so he can learn about himself away from me and that part of was still dedicated to me eventhough he had already decided that the relationship was dead. I feel that Ben betrayed me, excommunicated me, didn’t let me have a say whether or not I wanted to be distanced, or anything. He said it was in our best interests, but I don’t understand it and I can’t seem to stop crying. All I feel is hurt.

Will someone help me?
Fieryjades
 
Fiery, I am sorry about the death of your pet. 😦 As for your boyfriend it hurts, but boyfriends come and go. Take the time to love yourself or try to…
 
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Fieryjades:
Today is a bad day. Will someone help me?
Fieryjades
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Dear Beautiful One,

“Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28

Remember, when you are feeling worst, to reach out to Jesus in your heart and abandon yourself to him, over and over again until the painful time is over.

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are they who morun, for they will be comforted…” Matthew 5:3-4

You are in my heart and prayers, too.

Your sister, Elizabeth
 
My job puts me in regular contact with the psychiatric health care providers. In addition, I have a daughter who suffers from depression. Thus, this subject is near and dear to my heart. I consider those who suffer from mental illness part of the marginalized and ostracized of todays society. These women and men desperately need our support yet many in our society run the other way, intensifying their problems. Our support along with faith, prayer, therapy and medications are critical to handling these disorders. Below are some web sites some of you may find helpful.
 
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