Depression is possession?

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immarcie

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I know a few ladies, (not Catholic) who have deep depression and despair like I do.

We do pray for one another but twice now, 2 of those ladies have told me that the devil has my soul and that is why I am like this. One said that there is a “darkness” in one of my ancestors that has not been atoned and I am being punished for that by God.

I just want to add they are fundamentalists and harbor great anomosity towards Catholics.

I simply do not believe their theories but have no idea how to gently counter them.

There is, though, a very tiny part of me that wonders if my state of mind is in fact not caused by a chemical imbalance/my environment, but rather the devil?

I pray faithfully, especially to St. Michael for protection, yet, as I said, I find myself sometimes
wondering.

I know the devil is always looking for our weak points to get a grip on us but in my heart, I feel my faith is strong enough to fight him.

Would anyone mind sharing their thoughts on this??

Thank you…

Peace be with you…
marcie
 
From my own experience, I’d say that depression is more like depossesion - an empty feeling, a lack of closeness to God.

This may be a chimera from the devil, to confuse us into thinking God doesn’t care or doesn’t exist. I don’t believe that depression equals possession. I know there are people who would disagree with me, but I don’t think a Christian can be possessed.
 
It would be a grave mistake for anyone reading this thread with diagnosed depression to feel any worse than they already do. Let’s be kind in our replies. Having spent many years living in KY and meeting fundamentalist who believe the way your friends do, I know what you are up against. I took myself as far away from them and their beliefs as I could get. Depression is regularly discussed on this forum and there are many different views which have been posted but I believe that it is an illness. It needs to be diagnosed and treated like any illness. Prayer is always the first and most important course to take, always, but doctors can and do successfully treat this illness and I believe it is because God gives them the talent to do so.
 
The Roman Catholic church takes demonic possession quite seriously, as you may know. There is, in every diocese, at least one exorcist (specially trained). Before this individual interacts in any way with an afflicted individual, a full psychiatric evaluation must be done and the person must be free of known mental illness or emotional disturbance. The signs of possession are not similar to serious depression, psychotic depression, bipolar illness, or true states of mental illness. I know this because I lived with it for years. My daughter was finally diagnosed, by written evaluation and psychiatric history, as schiz-affective and was developing rapid cycling bipolar disorder. She had other endocrinological issues (bad thyroid, ovarian cysts, hirsutism, etc.) She believed this was all spiritual and was quite secretive about her illness. I do think that Satan can, and might, “climb onboard” a person who is suffering real physical illness (and mental illness IS real physical illness, just like any other), but no, I think (in fact, I know) that the “devil” is not the “cause”, at least not directly. We are in an imperfect world and part of that imperfection is illness and disease, suffering and tragedy, and physical death.

I am well aware of some pentecostal and Baptist teachings on illness. I spent ten years in evangelical Christianity and heard it preached that sickness was the result of “lack of faith”, or in some manner a punishment for the “sins of our fathers” which is mentioned in the New Testament. This does NOT mean that your ancestors’ sins are held against you (or mine, or anyone’s). It means that a person who is parenting a child can visit upon that child the results of his or her (the parent) own sin or failure to acknowledge God and seek His grace through our Lord Jesus Christ. If one is flawed and one does not address these things (and we all are), then one passes on to one’s children the suffering one has experienced in life. It does NOT MEAN that you, as an individual, are held responsible for the sins or failures of your parents or ancestors. That is a false teaching and it is why Protestantism (sola scriptura) FAILS, because there is no body of interpretation and guidance such as we have in the Magisterium.

The Bible also says:

Ezekiel 18:19-20

“Yet you say, ‘Why should not the son suffer for the iniquity of the father?’ When the son has done what is just and right, and has been careful to observe all my statutes, he shall surely live. The soul who sins shall die. The son shall not suffer for the iniquity of the father, nor the father suffer for the iniquity of the son. The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself."

You have a biological disorder that can be helped by medication and therapy. I suggest you consult a competent psychiatrist, perhaps have a written evaluation, and begin medicinal therapy (which can take some time to find the right medications for you, personally). You do not have to suffer. God does not want you to suffer needlessly. Your depression and despair has a remedy, believe me, it does. In order to fulfill your mission here in this place you must be as free of unnecessary torment as possible, if it is in God’s will. Depression is a serious physical illness. It can be successfully treated. God bless you.
 
Certainly most depression has chemical/medical causation.

If you really believe that you might be under demonic attack, talk to an experienced priest, not some anti-Catholic bigot.
 
Pretty good Bonnie! Like “depossession”! Is depression possession? I think it’s definitely a weakness exploited by the enemy. Just a couple observations if I may.

Think I’ve been depressed my entire life. My mom used to say to me when I was a child I was experiencing the crucifixion of my soul. I’m quite sure there’s a pathological or clinical aspect to my depression, and I have recently understood how much of my life is influenced by activities and tactics I have used my entire life to counter it. An even more disturbing thought is wondering how much of my spirituality could be interpreted as nothing more than a response to depression. That, for example, is one of the ways the enemy exploits it in me. Then there’s occasional suicidal ideation, and that’s another way it’s exploited.

For a brief stint (about a year), I consulted and tried anti-depressants. Yes, the episodes of depression ended…and I felt oddly not myself. Two instead of three dimensional. The pain is treatable, but for me it is like insentience. And underneath it all, for me, there is a wound that came with my birth. My own decision is to struggle, and yes, it is very much like a struggle with the enemy, and one in which I absolutely rely on God for the victory.
 
Biggie;10661840 said:
I had that experience too, but I was on antidepressants for quite a few years. I finally realized that I was no longer all there - 2 dimensional describes it perfectly. I weaned myself off the drug - which wasn’t any fun at all. But now I’m actually dealing with the anxiety & depression - and that’s not fun either. But now I can laugh again - the antidepressant took that away from me.
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immarcie said:
I know a few ladies, (not Catholic) who have deep depression and despair like I do.

We do pray for one another but twice now, 2 of those ladies have told me that the devil has my soul and that is why I am like this. One said that there is a “darkness” in one of my ancestors that has not been atoned and I am being punished for that by God.

I just want to add they are fundamentalists and harbor great anomosity towards Catholics.

I simply do not believe their theories but have no idea how to gently counter them.

There is, though, a very tiny part of me that wonders if my state of mind is in fact not caused by a chemical imbalance/my environment, but rather the devil?

I pray faithfully, especially to St. Michael for protection, yet, as I said, I find myself sometimes
wondering.

I know the devil is always looking for our weak points to get a grip on us but in my heart, I feel my faith is strong enough to fight him.

Would anyone mind sharing their thoughts on this??

Thank you…

Peace be with you…
marcie
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It is not, and you are not, and they are nuts.
 
Exactly Bonnie! I wouldn’t want to counsel anyone to not seek diagnosis or treatment. I’m only saying that for me (and apparently you) there’s no avoiding the struggle. Accepting the pain allows me to experience joy also.

And deep emotion, compassion, artistic fervor, etc. etc. Depression is an opportunity for the evil one, yes, but perhaps it is precisely because it is in many ways a call from God to greater depth.
 
Clinical depression is a physical condition:

psycheducation.org/mechanism/12Conclusion.htm

We’re not supposed to give medical advice on these threads, so, if you suspect you have depression seek professional medical help. Also, reseach the condition yourself so you understand the different approaches to resolving it and their success rates.

A good website which I’ve found useful as a starting point:

www.depressionfallout.org
 
Depression is indeed a result of sin, but of Original Sin, not our own personal sin (or any ancestor, for that matter). It is also a perfectly natural part of our human experience within this redeemed, but yet to be saved, existence. I have yet to meet anyone who has never undergone periods of depression, and if I do I shall call him ‘liar’!

Marcie, we have all been ‘atoned’ for by the blood of Jesus, we and all our ancestors. I can only suggest you choose different prayer-mates. Maybe there’s a catholic site somewhere that deals with your particular problem? I wish you well. You are embraced by the sufferings of Christ, and in His arms you are well loved.
 
Depression is not the result of “SIN” although I do understand the concept of St. Augustine called “original sin” and that is what I meant when I said we are in an IMPERFECT WORLD and part of that imperfection is illness, disease, suffering, death (physical), etc.

Sometimes I wonder why I post because in so many instances my contributions are ignored. 🤷

Now to answer what you said further down: psychiatric medication (and I’m talking serious medication, not 20 MG of Paxil, Prozac, et al) has side effects. These side effects can, sometimes, be as bad as the illness they are treating in that they give a flat affect, they numb emotional responses, they interfere with spirituality because they do seriously interfere with the brain’s reactions. That’s what they’re designed to do, interfere with “unhealthy” chemical responses in the brain. I know about mental illness. I’ve seen it. I know more than I ever wanted to know and I wish I could forget it all. I also know mothers of other adult children (some not adult, as a 12 year old for instance) who lost their children because of serious mental illness. This is an agony unlike any other. It is a heavy cross, a terrible, dreadful cross.

So is your illness, a crown of thorns (if you will). I understand your hesitancy regarding medications (and to the person who said we’re not supposed to give medical advice let me say: there’s no medical advice being given - no one is suggesting certain medications and dosages, this s a general conversation.) There are others who have chosen not to take the medication because the effects of the medication are punishing (can be). If you have so chosen, as you seem to have stated, then you are following Christ, you are carrying your cross. You are sacrificing and suffering and can offer that for the souls of others. When I suffer (and I do, and won’t stop, having lost my only child), I know that I am following Him and that, in Paradise, I will follow Him in joy, in great joy. Knowing this helps me to carry my cross, sister. God bless you.
 
ellzeena said:
Sometimes I wonder why I post because in so many instances my contributions are ignored. 🤷
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Please don’t assume that people are ignoring your posts. Personally, if I am interested in a thread, I read every single comment, but I will normally not respond to anyone unless I feel that I have something to add to the discussion; I suspect other people do the same thing. If no one is addressing something that you said, this doesn’t automatically mean that they are ignoring; they might just be reluctant to add their own voice. 🙂

Or, maybe they ONLY want to add their own voice - in that case, they might be ignoring everybody. 😃
 
Depression is not possession. There have been some good comments. The bible says a curse can flow on down to the 4th Generation. So I don’t believe things that ‘run in the family’ like cancer and depression have to happen. You can get into the spiritual warfare prayers and rid yourself of your ancestors sins. Blessings flow on to the 1000th generation.

Depression is a chemical imbalance and treatable. I do also believe its an attack of the enemy. We can combat that and be healed by God. However, don’t ever go off the meds unless your doctor is supervising you just in case you are not ready you can go back to the dose you were on and try again later when you feel ready again.
 
Sounds like your friends don’t know, God loves them, and he never changes.
 
May I suggest you get away from such fundamentalist understandings of sin and punishment? It is really not helpful and not what the church teaches.

I believe that the devil has ways of exploiting our illness and weakness and fragility. He hits us where we are weak. It could be that there is that element atop of your depression, but also that may not be the case. Have you spoken to a Catholic priest about this? If he thought you needed further assistance he would be able to help.
 
Aussieman88 said:
You can get into the spiritual warfare prayers and rid yourself of your ancestors sins.
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I think that’s a Protestant thing (tho not all Protesants), not Catholic. I’ve been a Catholic for many years now & have never heard that from a reliable Catholic source.
Aussieman88 said:
However, don’t ever go off the meds unless your doctor is supervising you just in case you are not ready you can go back to the dose you were on and try again later when you feel ready again.
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Yes indeed. I went off my meds a couple years ago because they weren’t doing me any good. I just recently learned that I didn’t have good medical care - a doctor who is not well versed in mental problems & no insurance. The better solution would have been to try a different med. So back to the doctor I go! Please pray for me - I hate going to the doctor. Hopefully the insurance I have now will pay for it.
 
Bonnie said:
I think that’s a Protestant thing (tho not all Protesants), not Catholic. I’ve been a Catholic for many years now & have never heard that from a reliable Catholic source.

Yes indeed. I went off my meds a couple years ago because they weren’t doing me any good. I just recently learned that I didn’t have good medical care - a doctor who is not well versed in mental problems & no insurance. The better solution would have been to try a different med. So back to the doctor I go! Please pray for me - I hate going to the doctor. Hopefully the insurance I have now will pay for it.
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Please do research yourself on depression, again I found the books by Anne Sheffield extremely helpful as a starting point for understanding depression. And research the treatment approaches to depression- meds with therapy have a significantly higher success rate than either by themselves. You’ll find some doctors biased against therapy and some therapists biased against meds. You owe it to yourself to be an educated consumer. Therapy assists in relearning positive thinking that one was unable to do while the brain was incapable of processing positive thoughts. Unlearn negative thinking patterns that became habitual while depressed.

Some other things that have been found to help in stimulating the brain to produce new neurons-
  • Talking to a supportive listener
  • Exercise
  • Anti-stress programs
Note: Some studies have shown that marijuana can have the same effects as anti-depressants, however, they also counteract other anti-depressants. So smoking pot while taking anti-depressants is counterproductive. I only mention this because depression can result in folks ‘self-medicating’ via alcohol or drugs in an attempt to stimulate some kind of feelings in themselves as counter to the emptiness/deadness/lack of feelings.
 
styrgwillidar said:
Please do research yourself on depression, again I found the books by Anne Sheffield extremely helpful as a starting point for understanding depression.
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It was a book by her that convinced me to go back to the doctor & try different meds. 🙂

I’m also going to talk my husband into reading it - its “How You Can Survive When They’re Depressed: Living and Coping With Depression Fallout.”
 
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