Mental Health issues

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StranraerHibby

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I hope this topic is allowed in the spirituality forum…

I should start by thanking everyone for the warm welcome I have received since signing up to Catholic answers - I have been made very welcome.

I attended my first mass on Saturday evening, then morning mass on Sunday. I felt so much better than I have for many months.

However, today my low mood has returned. I’m really disappointed because I thought I was finally starting to shake the depression with thanks to God.

Does anyone have any advice or scripture that may help me out?

Thank you in advance,

Andrew
 
Did you check your vitamin D level? It might seem silly but if our body cannot support us, it is very challenging to do emotionally.

Can you ask to meet with the priest and discuss about your issue? Jesus will speak through priest to reach you.

Continue to pray and ask God to heal all source of this depression and to give you peace.

I pray for you!
 
Chantal25 said:
Did you check your vitamin D level? It might seem silly but if our body cannot support us, it is very challenging to do emotionally.

Can you ask to meet with the priest and discuss about your issue? Jesus will speak through priest to reach you.

Continue to pray and ask God to heal all source of this depression and to give you peace.

I pray for you!
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Thank you for the reply. I’ve been on tablets for a long time but probably got over exited after mass at the weekend thinking I was cured already!

I have mass tomorrow night and I’m sure that will be of great comfort to me. I will try and speak to the Priest after the service.
 
Andrew, praying for you to feel better! Glad to hear you plan to talk to the priest. You may even want to make an appointment so you are not rushed in speaking with him. And, please see the doctor if your depression does not lift soon. Here is a scripture for difficult times that youu can use as a prayer. May God bless you and give you strength!

Psalm 143:7-8
New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (NRSVCE)

7 Answer me quickly, O Lord;
my spirit fails.
Do not hide your face from me,
or I shall be like those who go down to the Pit.
8 Let me hear of your steadfast love in the morning,
for in you I put my trust.
Teach me the way I should go,
for to you I lift up my soul.
.
 
StranraerHibby said:
I hope this topic is allowed in the spirituality forum…

I should start by thanking everyone for the warm welcome I have received since signing up to Catholic answers - I have been made very welcome.

I attended my first mass on Saturday evening, then morning mass on Sunday. I felt so much better than I have for many months.

However, today my low mood has returned. I’m really disappointed because I thought I was finally starting to shake the depression with thanks to God.

Does anyone have any advice or scripture that may help me out?

Thank you in advance,

Andrew
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I am not trying to discourage you but, sometimes God gives us breaks from an extended illness. I have severe depression also. Prayers offered. :gopray2:
 
There are a few things to be aware of. First, there will always be mountain tops and valleys. You will have great highs and equally great lows throughout your entire spiritual journey. Second, please be aware that the closer you get to God, the more the Enemy wants to persuade you away. I think you will find among many converts here within the forum that they have had very similar experiences! As soon as an interest is expressed in knowing our Lord more intimately, bouts of depression, anxiety, irrational thoughts and fears, these all can come to the surface.

I caution you not to blame every negative thing that comes your way on the Evil one, but I also bid you to at least be aware that he is very real, and he truly does NOT want you to find God.

Jesus suffered the weight of every sin upon his shoulders, along with the weight of the suffering of each and every man, woman and child that had ever and ever will exist. Can you imagine that? You and I, we bear the weight of our own burdens. He bore it ALL. I am so happy and excited for you that you are seeking truth. Take your suffering, your depression and your sadness, and give them to God. Giving them to God does not mean you won’t feel them anymore; it may even mean you feel it more intensely for awhile. But no matter what is thrown at you, do your best to stay the course. You are in my thoughts and prayers, and I know you can overcome whatever setbacks get put in your way!
 
StranraerHibby said:
I hope this topic is allowed in the spirituality forum…

I should start by thanking everyone for the warm welcome I have received since signing up to Catholic answers - I have been made very welcome.

I attended my first mass on Saturday evening, then morning mass on Sunday. I felt so much better than I have for many months.

However, today my low mood has returned. I’m really disappointed because I thought I was finally starting to shake the depression with thanks to God.

Does anyone have any advice or scripture that may help me out?

Thank you in advance,

Andrew
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Hi Andrew! Welcome to CAF. Always nice to find a fellow Brit on here 👍

I am so pleased you have already begun to feel the healing powers that the Mass can bring. Healing is a journey though and it might not happen in the way you would want or expect it to. Everything is running to God’s plan, at His own pace. That means progress might be slower than you like, but you need not lose heart at this very early stage.

I’m also glad you are considering talking to the priest. I too would urge you to make an appointment, as this will give you more time to talk to him.

Today is the World Day for the Sick in the Catholic Church, as well as the feast of Our Lady of Lourdes. I will pray for you on this most holy of days. I too have mental health problems and struggle with them. At today’s healing service, my confessor read the following piece of scripture:

“Come unto me, all you who labour and are overburdened, and I will you rest. Shoulder my yoke and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in my heart, and you will find rest for your souls. Yes, my yoke is easy and my burden light”.

Matthew 11: 28-30

🙂
 
For fears, and maybe it also helps with depression, I really like Psalm 118, starting with verse 10
 
StranraerHibby said:
I hope this topic is allowed in the spirituality forum…

I should start by thanking everyone for the warm welcome I have received since signing up to Catholic answers - I have been made very welcome.

I attended my first mass on Saturday evening, then morning mass on Sunday. I felt so much better than I have for many months.

However, today my low mood has returned. I’m really disappointed because I thought I was finally starting to shake the depression with thanks to God.

Does anyone have any advice or scripture that may help me out?

Thank you in advance,

Andrew
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Andrew, if you haven’t already, I would recommend considering seeing a psychiatrist. I have a personality disorder called Borderline Personality Disorder and it makes my moods fluctuate very frequently, especially when I am very stressed.
 
Holly3278 said:
Andrew, if you haven’t already, I would recommend considering seeing a psychiatrist. I have a personality disorder called Borderline Personality Disorder and it makes my moods fluctuate very frequently, especially when I am very stressed.
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Thanks a lot for the reply. I have been seeing psychiatrists and psychologists, doctors and nurses for two years but last night it just was all too much for me. I went to my bed early and prayed, I had about an hour of sleep and when I rose this morning I was in such a bad mood that I cancelled my doctors appointment.

Mass is on tonight at 19:00 so I hope that helps.

Thanks again

Andrew
 
Justicia_et_Pax said:
Hi Andrew! Welcome to CAF. Always nice to find a fellow Brit on here 👍

I am so pleased you have already begun to feel the healing powers that the Mass can bring. Healing is a journey though and it might not happen in the way you would want or expect it to. Everything is running to God’s plan, at His own pace. That means progress might be slower than you like, but you need not lose heart at this very early stage.

I’m also glad you are considering talking to the priest. I too would urge you to make an appointment, as this will give you more time to talk to him.

Today is the World Day for the Sick in the Catholic Church, as well as the feast of Our Lady of Lourdes. I will pray for you on this most holy of days. I too have mental health problems and struggle with them. At today’s healing service, my confessor read the following piece of scripture:

“Come unto me, all you who labour and are overburdened, and I will you rest. Shoulder my yoke and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in my heart, and you will find rest for your souls. Yes, my yoke is easy and my burden light”.

Matthew 11: 28-30

🙂
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Thanks for the reply - and yeah always nice to come across another Brit!

I’ve got mass tonight at 7 and I’m genuinely looking forward to it. Every time I have a couple of good days I end up having one or two really awful ones.
 
WaitingForJesus said:
Andrew, praying for you to feel better! Glad to hear you plan to talk to the priest. You may even want to make an appointment so you are not rushed in speaking with him. And, please see the doctor if your depression does not lift soon. Here is a scripture for difficult times that youu can use as a prayer. May God bless you and give you strength!

Psalm 143:7-8
New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (NRSVCE)

7 Answer me quickly, O Lord;
my spirit fails.
Do not hide your face from me,
or I shall be like those who go down to the Pit.
8 Let me hear of your steadfast love in the morning,
for in you I put my trust.
Teach me the way I should go,
for to you I lift up my soul.
.
Click to expand...
👍 that is beautiful
 
Let me suggest The Imitation of Christ, by Thomas Kempis. This is a great book that will likely alter the way you worship, along with lots of guidance in the spiritual life.
 
Thank you everyone for the kind words of advice. I’m attending mass tonight and meeting the priest tomorrow so things are looking up 😃
 
After an 11 year dance with severe bipolar disorder, I can say I’ve been through some ups and downs. An emotional roller coaster.

There are at least two ways to ride that roller coaster, at any given moment.

We can either hang on to the safety bar in fear …



… or we can throw our arms into the air and go “Yeehaaa!”

youaretrulyloved.com

This domain may be for sale!
www.youaretrulyloved.com

Alan
 
The basics, as anyone can tell you, are look at your diet. How much do you exercising? Do you go out w/your friends and try to be social? Church is good for that! Do you try to get outside and into the fresh air? Change your environment?

We shouldn’t look for miracles. We should expect them, but we shouldn’t count on them showing up just because we ask. In my situation, I was a victim and had no control over many of the things that happened to me. I still had to deal with the emotional fall-out of what I experienced.

Since I struggle w/depression/anxiety/PSTD, I understand what it’s like to want to feel good for more than a couple of days at a time. These days I strive to be the best version of myself that I can be on any given day. Sometimes, I utterly bomb out, but I keep trying.

From reading your post, I fear that you are setting yourself up for disappointment if you don’t get “a cure” for your mood problems from the Lord. Yes, we are told to expect miracles, but the miracles we get aren’t always in the form that we expect them or would like.

Nobody is ever happy all the time. Some people, like me, are just melancholy and subdued. I’m not “depressed” these days, but I’ve been through a lot and that has skewed how I view the world. I’ve accepted that depression/anxiety is just something that I’ve struggled with for years and that it’s not going to be fixed overnight. I can change my attitudes and behavior to make it less of a problem for today/in the future, so that’s what I work on.
 
StranraerHibby said:
Thanks for the reply - and yeah always nice to come across another Brit!

I’ve got mass tonight at 7 and I’m genuinely looking forward to it. Every time I have a couple of good days I end up having one or two really awful ones.
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Hi Andrew,

I hope Mass was a good experience for you again and that things go well with the priest.

That said, I would read Kal2012’s post carefully and take heed. I’m worried about you cancelling your doctor’s appointment. Please do try and make another one soon, if you can. It’s very important to keep all aspects of life healthy and in balance. That goes for spiritual as well as health 🙂
 
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