Healing.....yes!

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I have suffered as long as I can remember (since my teens at the least) from depression, ranging from severe symptoms (suicidal, mood swings teetering on bipolar) to ‘mild’. My confirmation saint is St. Dymphna, and I ‘chose’ her long in '83, long before I knew I had this illness. Even after returning to the Faith a year ago, I had some episodes, that weren’t as traumatic, but still exhibited signs deep enough that I needed treatment. However, the medicines are hard for me to take, as they make me have sometimes severe side effects (migraines, nausea, etc.). I haven’t taken any medicine in over 6 months because of the side effects, but obviously had, until recently, had some effects of depression.

Holidays and other family times have always been a stress trigger for me, and caused me great difficulty in dealing with my loved ones around me, which in turn made me hate myself for causing them pain. Hence, Christmas and such were difficult for me, because no matter how grateful I was for the gifts, or the joy of family, I still lashed out and made it difficult for everyone around me.

Late last fall, I attended my first ‘healing’ Mass; I received the anointing oil and blessing of the anointing of the sick, and I prayed to be healed of this illness. I didn’t ‘dwell’ on this, but I asked for the healing, and prayed about it, then put it out of my mind as far as not focusing on it.

Christmas arrived; my symptoms and more depression did not. I had a small moment, but it passed quickly; always before, it took a lot of time and pain recovering from it, for me and my family.

I realized recently that my life has almost been ‘normal’. Yes, this is the first Christmas where God was in my heart for the true meaning of Christmas in many, many years, but even before, when we were very close to the Faith and to God, I had these issues surface. This was the first Christmas where I was both close to God and since receiving the healing.

I truly believe that I have been healed. Whether this healing is a temporary reprieve, or a permanent one, I praise you Oh Lord! You are so Good, so Loving, so Wonderful. Thank you Father for this healing. Words cannot express what I’m feeling. Although not worthy, You have cured me of this illness for at least today, and, I pray, for all days forward. May I be an example to others of Your Love!
 
That is so wonderful to hear! Thank you for sharing and thanks be to God. May he continue to bless you abundantly!
 
God is so good, isn’t he! We are so grateful for His Merciful love, especially when it is expressed so eloquently through the intercession of the saints. It’s so good to know we have friends in heaven. (Of COURSE, our best friend in heaven is the all knowing and merciful Trinity, because without God we wouldn’t even have breath.)

Your wonderful testimony is very important. I am certain that it will bring hope to so many who struggle with despair and depression. There are many people struggling in our midst on this forum who struggle with these particular adversities and your words will encourage many to persevere in prayer.

May your New Year be bright, and may you be an instrument of peace and reconciliation through the help of our Savior.

PAX!!!
 
That’s great! I shall share your post with a few friends of mine. They are suicidal and suffer from depression as well, and it takes a lot of energy to always keep them optimistic. It hurts to see them suffer so much. Hopefully, this post of yours will give them light within their struggles.
 
WaitingForJesus said:
That is so wonderful to hear! Thank you for sharing and thanks be to God. May he continue to bless you abundantly!
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marlap2 said:
God is so good, isn’t he! We are so grateful for His Merciful love, especially when it is expressed so eloquently through the intercession of the saints. It’s so good to know we have friends in heaven. (Of COURSE, our best friend in heaven is the all knowing and merciful Trinity, because without God we wouldn’t even have breath.)

Your wonderful testimony is very important. I am certain that it will bring hope to so many who struggle with despair and depression. There are many people struggling in our midst on this forum who struggle with these particular adversities and your words will encourage many to persevere in prayer.

May your New Year be bright, and may you be an instrument of peace and reconciliation through the help of our Savior.

PAX!!!
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God IS so good! 🙂 I shared this today of course not to raise myself up, but to share the Glory of God, our Father, our Savior, our Spirit. In the past, I have looked at others’ healings with a wary eye, with some doubtfulness. Blessed are those that have not seen, but still believed. I have fallen into the Thomas category, and He has shown me. But I know my healing to be true. Whatever discernments He has gifted me with, and His Gifts of healing, wisdom, understanding, are through Him and Him alone.

I have numerous other ‘issues’ that I would love to be healed of, but this one has been the most important one in my life.

Side note: I posted a prayer request last night for those suffering from seasonal illnesses such as the flu, etc, as my husband and I have been very ill from it the last two days (and I’m kinda a wimp); this morning, we both woke up, not completely healed, but clearly more healed than a normal night of sleep would generally afford us, given the severity of our illnesses.

Many, many of my prayer requests that have been answered in the manner I prayed for were not in repeated prayers and requests for them, but of praying for it, giving it to God, and having Faith that He would answer it in His Time, His Manner and His Way. Jesus, I trust in You!

Don’t be afraid to pray and ask for that which you need.
 
Shortney said:
That’s great! I shall share your post with a few friends of mine. They are suicidal and suffer from depression as well, and it takes a lot of energy to always keep them optimistic. It hurts to see them suffer so much. Hopefully, this post of yours will give them light within their struggles.
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There are no promises that God will heal any of us of our maladies; it’s in His Time, not ours. I had often prayed to be healed of this, and other things. It was when I finally was given the anointing of the sick that I was healed. I know there was a reason for my suffering and illness, just as there is a reason for me sharing this with this forum. Sometimes the answers He gives us are to see a counselor, or use the medicines He has provided us. For today, for me, this is the answer. Praise be to God!
 
ccmcmg said:
There are no promises that God will heal any of us of our maladies; it’s in His Time, not ours. I had often prayed to be healed of this, and other things. It was when I finally was given the anointing of the sick that I was healed. I know there was a reason for my suffering and illness, just as there is a reason for me sharing this with this forum. Sometimes the answers He gives us are to see a counselor, or use the medicines He has provided us. For today, for me, this is the answer. Praise be to God!
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The Anointing of the sick is a specific sacrament for people nearing death.I believe you probably received a special blessing or the charism of healing. Often times they are confused.God bless
 
ccmcmg said:
There are no promises that God will heal any of us of our maladies; it’s in His Time, not ours. I had often prayed to be healed of this, and other things. It was when I finally was given the anointing of the sick that I was healed. I know there was a reason for my suffering and illness, just as there is a reason for me sharing this with this forum. Sometimes the answers He gives us are to see a counselor, or use the medicines He has provided us. For today, for me, this is the answer. Praise be to God!
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Christina, when I first read your post, I was thinking you had gone to a healing mass and you received a blessing with oil. I have been to these where we all went forward and received a blessing with oil for healing spiritual or otherwise. But, they told us it was not the sacrament of anointing of the sick…which I believe is reserved for those with serious illness that puts them in danger of death. I ask because I have a young friend with schizophrenia, and I have been thinking of taking him to a healing mass. But, we haven’t had any with the oil blessing around here for quite some time. Your post has encouraged me to do some more looking a little farther out.

A few days ago, I thought of trying to get our priest to give him the anointing of the sick. Although I plan to ask, I suspect the answer to that will be no as he is very conservative and tends to be very much by the book. And, in the case of my friend, he is not so ill as to be in the hospital at this point. He is on medication which controls his symptoms so he is no longer psychotic. Despite the illness he is very devout/prayeful, and he seems generally at peace. But, his cognitive function is quite terrible. He can’t remember things, is easily confused, and because of these difficulties isn’t able to maintain a job.

I am wondering if you or anyone here is aware of a person in this kind of situation receiving anointing of the sick.
 
cjforJesus said:
The Anointing of the sick is a specific sacrament for people nearing death.I believe you probably received a special blessing or the charism of healing. Often times they are confused.God bless
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I believe that’s the last rites/extreme unction; the healing of the sick has been clarified further; catholic.com/tracts/anointing-of-the-sick has more information, and also says:
Does a person have to be dying to receive this sacrament? No. The Catechism says, "The anointing of the sick is not a sacrament for those only who are at the point of death.
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And: usccb.org/prayer-and-worship/sacraments/anointing-of-the-sick/
americancatholic.org/Newsletters/CU/ac0196.asp

Depression/mental illness can be very deadly; who among us knows the hour of our death, and the cause? Perhaps if I had not received this, it would have been my final hours.

Another good article: americancatholic.org/Newsletters/YU/ay1292.asp

Nonetheless, it was through this healing oil and blessing, whatever you wish to call it, that I was healed. Many parishes do offer this sacrament, and recommend it to their parishioners, whether at deathbed or during illness.

For the record, I received the sacrament while as near to a state of Grace as I could possibly be. I had received the Sacrament of Reconciliation a mere hour beforehand, and prayed two Rosaries. I drove through an ice storm to get to this Mass and anointing! 🙂
 
ccmcmg said:
I believe that’s the last rites/extreme unction; the healing of the sick has been clarified further; catholic.com/tracts/anointing-of-the-sick has more information, and also says:

And: usccb.org/prayer-and-worship/sacraments/anointing-of-the-sick/
americancatholic.org/Newsletters/CU/ac0196.asp

Depression/mental illness can be very deadly; who among us knows the hour of our death, and the cause? Perhaps if I had not received this, it would have been my final hours.

Another good article: americancatholic.org/Newsletters/YU/ay1292.asp

Nonetheless, it was through this healing oil and blessing, whatever you wish to call it, that I was healed. Many parishes do offer this sacrament, and recommend it to their parishioners, whether at deathbed or during illness.

For the record, I received the sacrament while as near to a state of Grace as I could possibly be. I had received the Sacrament of Reconciliation a mere hour beforehand, and prayed two Rosaries. I drove through an ice storm to get to this Mass and anointing! 🙂
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Thank you for the articles!
 
ccmcmg said:
I believe that’s the last rites/extreme unction; the healing of the sick has been clarified further; catholic.com/tracts/anointing-of-the-sick has more information, and also says:

And: usccb.org/prayer-and-worship/sacraments/anointing-of-the-sick/
americancatholic.org/Newsletters/CU/ac0196.asp

Depression/mental illness can be very deadly; who among us knows the hour of our death, and the cause? Perhaps if I had not received this, it would have been my final hours.

Another good article: americancatholic.org/Newsletters/YU/ay1292.asp

Nonetheless, it was through this healing oil and blessing, whatever you wish to call it, that I was healed. Many parishes do offer this sacrament, and recommend it to their parishioners, whether at deathbed or during illness.

For the record, I received the sacrament while as near to a state of Grace as I could possibly be. I had received the Sacrament of Reconciliation a mere hour beforehand, and prayed two Rosaries. I drove through an ice storm to get to this Mass and anointing! 🙂
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Yes you received a healing blessing. The Anointing of the Sick is not used for depression or mental illness.The Sacrament used to be a deathbed sacrament but priests do give it to those seriously ill in hospitals and such. Healings from depression and such can occur through prayers also.

Many priests are confused about this and I think the vatican has offered some guidelines.The catechism has some good info to clarify the difference between a priestly blessing and the Sacrament of Anointing of the sick.
 
cjforJesus said:
Yes you received a healing blessing. The Anointing of the Sick is not used for depression or mental illness.The Sacrament used to be a deathbed sacrament but priests do give it to those seriously ill in hospitals and such. Healings from depression and such can occur through prayers also.

Many priests are confused about this and I think the vatican has offered some guidelines.The catechism has some good info to clarify the difference between a priestly blessing and the Sacrament of Anointing of the sick.
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If you’ll read the links I provided, you will see that in fact, the Vatican and the Catechism have clarified the Sacrament, and indeed it is offered for mental illness among other things. There is no need to argue about that when it is right in front of us on links provided by the Church herself.

I know what I received and experienced. 🙂 I know how and when I was healed. Thank you for sharing your thoughts.
 
WaitingForJesus said:
Thank you for the articles!
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In addition to the links provided, etc. I’d just like you to know that I’ve been given the Anointing of the Sick twice, once in 2012 and once in 2013, on the Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes both times. I suffer from schizoaffective disorder, depressive type, and the sacrament was deemed necessary by my confessor, who gave it most willingly :o
 
Justicia_et_Pax said:
In addition to the links provided, etc. I’d just like you to know that I’ve been given the Anointing of the Sick twice, once in 2012 and once in 2013, on the Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes both times. I suffer from schizoaffective disorder, depressive type, and the sacrament was deemed necessary by my confessor, who gave it most willingly :o
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Thank you for sharing this. I am so glad you were able to receive the sacrament. May our Lady continue to watch over you always.
 
For the record:

I spoke with two different priests (not on purpose; the 2nd one just happened to come up last night).

I DID receive the actual Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick.

Thanks.

(So far, still so good! Praise Jesus!!!)
 
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