Is anxiety/depression a sin?

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Kristie

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Hello,

I feel like I am almost constantly plagued by anxiety and sadness. I look back on my childhood and remember being unhappy/crabby/emotional a lot, and now it seems I have become an unhappy adult.

It doesn’t make sense. I’m 23, have a great job, good friends, a loving family and wonderful fiance. I am active in our parish church and am trying to grow spiritually. But I just don’t understand why I’m so unhappy so often.

Many people ask me, “Why do you choose to be unhappy?” I don’t know what to say. I really don’t know why and I guess I have trouble grasping the concept of “choosing to be unhappy.” I read somewhere that anxiety is a sin. Is it really? And if so, what can I do to lift myself from this?

-Kristie
 
I dont think that anxiety/depression is a sin. I am prone to it myself. I think the way we deal with it is the problem. I try to keep a smile on my face even if I dont feel like it as I think it is not anyone else’s fault that I am in a bad mood.
My friend told me once that Happiness and Love is a decision that you have to make for yourself in the morning.
 
Have you been checked out?
Meds offer many peace of mind and the ability to lead happy lives.
My son struggles with several anxiety - meds have given him his quality of life back.
 
Anxiety and depression are illnesses. There is plenty of medical evidence of this and it’s not something you can simply “choose” to change.

If anxiety and depression are affecting your everyday life in a negative way, and you wish to be happier… then maybe it’s time to seek medical advice.

You say “it doesn’t make sense”… (ie there’s no reason for these emotions)… see a doctor.

I sympathize. I’m prone to anxiety and depression myself. Medication is not morally wrong, it’s treating a medical condition.

God bless.
 
Kristie

I can’t directly answer your question; however, I can offer you some support and share my story with you. My hope is that it will bring you some comfort and help you a little.

I was diagnosed with Major Depression in April of 2003; after an attempted suicide. God flooded my life afterwards and I while I’ve had moments of sadness and depression, I have never felt the hopelessness I once did.

Depression and Anxiety are illnesses. When suffering from an untreated mental illness, you no more “choose to be unhappy” than a diabetic chooses to have high blood glucose levels. For me, medication and therapy were the first step. The second, and most important, was to devote my life to God as I had never done before. I formally joined a church, got confirmed (at the ripe old age of 37) and joined a Renew group. Even my psychiatrist tells me that my relationship with God and involvement with my church are MORE important to my mental health than medication or therapy. She and I continually work to lower the dosage of the medication I take.

So, what does medication and therapy do? It doesn’t “make you happy,” which, is the first misconception a lot of people have. I use this analogy to help explain the roll that medication plays.

*Imagine that life is a mountain and you are a climber. You have a wonderful family, great friends, all the right equipment, maps, directions, training, and everything you need to climb the mountain. However, tied to your waist is an invisible boulder that weighs a ton. No one can see it, not even you. After a time, people start commenting on what a weak climber you are and they can’t understand why you don’t try as hard as everyone else or why you “choose to be a poor climber.” You struggle, because you DO try to climb. You are committed to the journey and want to do well. You don’t understand why.

Then one day, someone tells you they know what can help. You talk to them for several weeks and take the medication they give you and eventually the invisible boulder is removed and you feel lighter and more capable then you’ve felt before.

Now hears the rub for some, because they expect that the medication will give them wings and then they can fly to the top of the mountain. Nope, it can’t make the climb for you, but because your climb has been so hard that’s exactly what you want. As time goes by and you continue to climb the mountain, you see that it becomes easier and easier and you are grateful for the tools you have been given.

One day while I was climbing my mountain, I looked over and saw Jesus. I smiled and said, “When did You get here?” and He replied, “I’ve been here all along. You just couldn’t see Me.*”

Have you spoken to a priest or a therapist? Are you active in your church? These are the first steps. Once you are educated about what is really going on, you can educate others. Most of their comments probably come from ignorance and frustration, not rudeness.

I’ll keep you in my prayers,
Mare
 
MareT said:
So, what does medication and therapy do? It doesn’t “make you happy,” which, is the first misconception a lot of people have.
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I so agree!

This is a HUGE misconception that’s out there.

These types of medication are certainly NOT “happy pills”, they just do not work that way.

Someone who is suffering from this illness has a true medical problem… a hormonal imbalance in the brain. The hormone can be overproduced, underproduced, or just unregulated (comes in spurts)…
Medication serves to normalize these hormones so that you can emotionally react to things normally.

Don’t be afraid… if you need help, just ask.
 
No, the condition of depression or anxiety is not a sin. If it is interfering with your day to day existence then you have a responsibility to figure out what the problem is, though. Talk to your priest and then schedule a physical with your doctor. Acting out of depression – for example, snapping at someone because you’re irritable – can be sinful. There are many things that could be causing your unhappiness and if you remember being this unhappy in your childhood you may have some undiagnosed problem (seizure disorders, for example, can increase your risk of depression).

The question “Why are you choosing to be unhappy?” can feel like a slap in the face when you’re trying to figure out what’s wrong, or even when you know what’s wrong. A very faithful woman once lectured me about being a joyous Christian, without ever asking me what the problem was; she was quite shocked and apologetic when I told her that my father had suicided less than two weeks before. She meant no harm, she was just clueless, but our relationship was fractured because of her embarrassment and my dismissing anything further she had to say. Forgive the people who are challenging you like this; they may not realize that they’re making your burden heavier.

Oh, and pray always. Schedule prayer. It may not help the first time, or it may lift your burden totally. Pray for others, especially. Remember that prayer is God’s way of allowing us humans to supernaturally love each other, and ourselves. Take care.
 
Kristie and others,

Firstly I must make the admission of being of no faith - my reason for signing up (and thus posting) is solely to offer my thoughts on your post Kristie.

If I may introduce myself, I’m Matt Harwood - a Psychological Profiler (criminology) over here in England. Whilst ‘abnormal’ psychology is not my speciality - it intertwines with my work on a daily basis and thus I hope to have at least some authority to answer you concerns…

The ‘sin’ aspect is something I cannot answer (as previously mentioned I have no faith so this word is next to meaningless on a personal level to me), but I would assume by ‘sin’ you mean a voluntary action of which you feel that should cause the feeling of shame in others eyes.

I would like to assure you, speaking as a person here, rather than a professional, depression and anxiety normally arise from buried issues from treatment when you were younger. I myself suffer from anxiety, chronic depression, and schizophrenia. Plus LLI and depersonalisation…derealisation… the list continues! I do not consider these my fault, or of my choice, at all. Not a bit. These are results of childhood conditioning of which, by definition, you have NO control over.

I just wish to make sure you understand none of the feelings you have are voluntary. I personally have even felt suicidal and homicidal in the past, but the true me, would never consider these as an escape method, ever…

My advice to you would include seeing your GP / Doctor as soon as you can, and nip this in the bud before it develops into something chronic. Under the Hypocratic Oath I am obliged to help if you ask me, wish I am more than happy to do so anyway… but I understand if you feel my views do not correlate to those of faith.

If you wish to read up on what I have spoke about, I recommend ‘I’m OK, You’re OK’ by Thomas Harris. Although quite an academic text, it is my favourite reading on Transactional Analysis thus far. TA is a theory / method which describes childhood conditioning very well.

I wish you the very best of luck, please do not hesitate to contact me if you need to. I apologise if my ‘slightly scientific’ posting here has offended anyone, this was not my intent.

Best wishes to all and a very Merry Christmas,
Matt
 
I was diagnoised with severe depression in Jan 2006. I went thru an awful break-up and I felt like my whole world was flipped upside down. I thought…this will pass…this will just last for a few weeks…well, after a few MONTHS I realized that this wasn’t going to pass unless I got some help and I needed to get help fast. I know it was bad when I felt like I couldn’t even get up in the morning. I went to the doctor and was put on the anti-depressant Zoloft. I couldn’t really tell a difference at first. I was still crying everyday…sometimes a few times a day…I felt awful all the time. And then slowly I started to notice that I hadn’t cried in a few days. I have been taking my anti-depressants for almost a year. And with the help of God I hope to be able to stop taking them soon. I’m new to the Catholic religion and I know that, from everything that I have read, God WILL help me get threw everything that goes wrong. Here is a link you might want to look at. Its a depression calculator. You should take the test and then print off the results and see a doctor. Also, I’ve been where you are…if you ever need to talk to someone send me a private message. Its easier to talk to someone who has been in the same boat because they acutally know what you are feeling.

webmd.com/hw/depression/tx4371.asp

I’ll keep you in my prayers…and remember IT WILL GET BETTER! 👍
 
keri6789 said:
webmd.com/hw/depression/tx4371.asp

I’ll keep you in my prayers…and remember IT WILL GET BETTER! 👍
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I applaud your strength and integrity… and although your post wasn’t directed at me in a strange way I’d like to thank you for posting… but a little warning about ‘online tests’.

No form on the internet can diagnose anything. Even a message board, cannot diagnose anything. I even am of the opinion that ‘diagnosis’ is a silly process and no labels need to be given to anyone for anything… but I digress.

Just wanted to add a little footnote to your link. ‘Depression’ is about people and feelings, not buttons and text forms.

Thanks again, take care 🙂
Matt
 
Kristie said:
Hello,

I feel like I am almost constantly plagued by anxiety and sadness. I look back on my childhood and remember being unhappy/crabby/emotional a lot, and now it seems I have become an unhappy adult.

It doesn’t make sense. I’m 23, have a great job, good friends, a loving family and wonderful fiance. I am active in our parish church and am trying to grow spiritually. But I just don’t understand why I’m so unhappy so often.

Many people ask me, “Why do you choose to be unhappy?” I don’t know what to say. I really don’t know why and I guess I have trouble grasping the concept of “choosing to be unhappy.” I read somewhere that anxiety is a sin. Is it really? And if so, what can I do to lift myself from this?

-Kristie
Click to expand...
I doubt if depression is something people “choose”, any more then some “choose” being homosexuals. No, anxiety and depression can be medical problems. About six years ago, after a medical procedure the Moderators will not let me mention, I went into depression.

I also went into therapy, and am now on an anti-depressant, Effexor. Both my Physician and Therapist made it quite clear that the purpose of the medication was not to make me feel better. It was to make me feel normal so I could deal with my problems, which I have.

None of this has anything to do with morals, sin, and/or penance. I also take antabuse for my alcoholism, same line of reasoning.

Just my opinion, not endorsed by my three cats
 
Kristie, may I suggest that in your prayer time, and when you receive the Eucharist, ask the Lord to heal any bad memories you may have that are the root cause of your anxiety/sadness.

It may be something you do not remember, but can cause problems in the way you deal with things later on in life.

Keep praying for healing, and if necessary, as others have suggested, see a doctor. Medication can temporarily help while you deal with the problem, although they are not the final answer to the problem.

God bless…
 
Kristie,

No anxiety/depression is not a sin. For me it is a chemical imbalance and situational problems. I take Zoloft and have for years. I will stay on it for the rest of my life. I tried not taking it five years ago and that was a huge mistake. I was suicidal. I have had problems off and on since I was 15. I am content and happy most of the time with my life and I know that if I did not take the medication I would probably not be here.

God gives us choices. The choice to take a medication in order to be able to function is one of those choices.
 
I became depressed one day when I was ten years old. By age eleven it was full-blown. I continued, extremely depressed, every day until I was 28 years old, and then it lifted. What changed ? I had tried very hard all of my life to love people, but invariably they either disliked me at worst, or were apathetic at best. When I was 28 I finally got fed up, shrugged my shoulders, and started telling myself, over and over again every day, that they would love me someday in heaven.
  • but I’m not sure that really explains why such severe depression ended, or indicates why it began. 😦
    St. Dymphna is supposed to be concerned with fruitcakes like me. She’s a very nice girl ! 🙂 I reccomend praying to her - though I did not discover her until after my depression lifted.
    But since I’m still not all there she’s a great pal.
    If all else fails - and sometimes it does 😦 - just remember that all you have to do is sit on your butt because - GAURANTEED - this WILL CHANGE SOMEDAY !
    Believe that you will go to heaven and that heaven will be a very happy place. You can’t lose !
    I will pray for you. 🙂
 
Oh, and you mentioned you were 23. Just because you are reasonable, rational, and responsible, doesn’t necessarily mean that adolescence has ended for you. I know several people, in addition to myself, for whom the end of depression seemed to coincide with the end of youth. Youth is terribly over-rated. Sometimes old age is much better. It deffinately was for me. I was actually busted on a trumped-up charge, went to jail, and was labelled a felon for the rest of my life - and STILL the depression didn’t return !
 
I have the same stuff. I sort of know what you’re talking about. For me, St. Dymphna and medicine payed off.
Next I’m getting hypnotised.
 
Thank you to everyone for posting your replies, and most of all, thank you for your prayers. I’ll be speaking with the priest from my church soon and then perhaps a counselor. I’ll be praying for everyone here as well.

Merry Christmas,
Kristie
 
I’d like to address the question of ‘why do you choose to be unhappy’?

It sounds just so darn mean, doesn’t it?

But it isn’t. There’s truth to the question.

I suffered/suffer from dysthymia and some anxiety. I had one or two bouts with full-fledged depression, which is called Double Depression when combined with dysthymia (a chronic, low-grade depression). I could characterize these two events as a nervous breakdown.

So what helped me?
  1. Meds. It took some tweaking to get things right, but Better Living Through Chemistry is helpful. Will I be taking meds forever? I don’t know, nor do I care. The future will take care of itself. BTW - the tweaking can be a very painful thing. I was lucky in that only minor changes were necessary for me to stop the pain. But it can take awhile, so please try not to get discouraged. It’s tough to keep trying when sometimes it takes all of your efforts just to breathe.
  2. CBT - more on this later.
  3. I came back home. I was an atheist for 25 years. Now, regardless, I have Hope, and I realize that despite everything, God has blessed me far beyond what I deserve.
Back to the CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy) - I think this is vitally important with or without meds, regardless of the cause of the depression (an incident, a series of incidents, depression since childhood, just an odd chemical imbalance) because depression changes the way you think. Maybe if you aren’t depressed for long, things may go back to normal for you.

As for me, I had a bad childhood and have been under the jackboot of depression for as long as I can remember. With the help of an awesome therapist (who is Catholic, to boot), I learned to look at the way I thought, and to see that HOW I thought helped to influence my emotions. In effect, my thought patterns and habits made my depression worse.

I used to be a pessimistic cynic, who called herself a realist. But, after changing HOW I think, I’m now more of an optimistic and empathetic realist. I even lean towards charitable minded at times - but that’s really the Grace of God at work!

In the beginning, the changes I had to make felt forced and fake. I felt simple-minded. But with perserverance, things started to become second nature, and I realized that I had a big say in my emotional state. No, not a full and complete say, nor is it always steady, but more than I had realized before.

The point I am trying to make here is that you’ll have to fight the black dog of depression using many weapons.
 
Kristie said:
Hello,

I feel like I am almost constantly plagued by anxiety and sadness. I look back on my childhood and remember being unhappy/crabby/emotional a lot, and now it seems I have become an unhappy adult.

It doesn’t make sense. I’m 23, have a great job, good friends, a loving family and wonderful fiance. I am active in our parish church and am trying to grow spiritually. But I just don’t understand why I’m so unhappy so often.

Many people ask me, “Why do you choose to be unhappy?” I don’t know what to say. I really don’t know why and I guess I have trouble grasping the concept of “choosing to be unhappy.” I read somewhere that anxiety is a sin. Is it really? And if so, what can I do to lift myself from this?

-Kristie
Click to expand...
Have you spoken to a doctor or to a couselor about this? I was diagnosed with depression/anxiety myself (I’m also 23!) two years ago, after I struggled with it for almost 10 years ago. I still have the tendancy to think like a depressed person, but I try to fight it now…
Anyway, it sounds as though it could help you to talk to a professional. Call your doctor and tell him/her that you feel depressed, and ask him/her for a list of therapists. He/she can help you, and you could even discuss medication, if you need that at some point. Even if you aren’t clinically depressed, it can be very helpful to talk to someone about your problems, and to get some advice and a different perspective.
 
I suffer from Generalized Anxiety so I know what anxiety is like and there are times when I get depressed as well. Of course for me one of my anxietries includes taking pills for the the anxiety and all the side effects that would occurr so I don’t take them. I just try to cope with it and function but my Catholic faith has really helped me out and here is the rationalization I came up with and it has helped me out tremendously.
  1. As good practicing Catholics our ultimate goal is to one day be with God in Heaven. 2. We are all sinners and probably going to have to go through some sort of atonement be it in this life or Purgatory. 3. If our ultimate goal is to one day be with God in Heaven then everything we do or that happens to us in this life hopefully serves a purpose that can help us along towards that goal. Everything is therefore hopefully a blessing. Any happiness in this life is an added bonus. 4. Most importantly relating to the topic, any suffering including anxiety or depression can just be offered up to God and I’m guessing God takes our sufferings in this life into consideration at our judgement. I’m not saying suffering is desirable though. If one can live a good Catholic life and be blessed with happiness then as I said that is a wonderful added bonus. In fact, happiness and less suffering is still something to strive for in this life but since some suffering is unavoidable, one might as well make the best of it.
The point is I just ask God to help me out through bad times and realize that I have at times turned away from God and sinned and now is a good time to make up for those times by praying more. I turn the negative thought of a depression or anxiety into a positive one like, oh perhaps it is time to just think of God more and God is letting me know that. It is so easy to forget to thank God and pray when things are going perfectly well. Oh, and this doesn’t just work for depression and anxiety for me. It helps with getting sick with any illness. For example, instead of getting all upset about the last cold I got I just prayed to God that it will go away quickly and that I am thankful that the cold had made me think of God more. I also acknowledge that there is no way that any suffering I could have is equivlant to the suffering Jesus had to go through but any suffering even as simple as the common cold is a good reminder of Jesus sacrifice for us all and how we are all called to live good lives and one day be with God in Heaven.
 
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