My last post on Catholic Forums..psychological/spiritual and apologetics

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Many many people suffer from psychological and “mental” problems who are Christians and that includes Catholics. Please believe that God loves you and will help you through any type of illness you may have whether it is mental or physical. Gues I am old fashioned but I think God ministers to us through medical professionals and He expects us to get the help we need whether it is counseling or medication. I am not sure what comments you may have read on this forum but anyone who subscribes to the theory that someone who suffers from depression, bi-polar or any other kind of illness is being punished must be from the dark ages. I have chronic depression and go to a support group that has many wonderful Christian people. All of them seek the help of medical professionals, work on behavior modification to deal with their issues and then meet afterwards to have Bible study.

Many people who comment on such things are ignorant of the facts and just do not have firsthand knowledge of such things. I am sure if we could have met Pope John Paul, he would have blessed both of us and certainly would not have taken such a view. In fact when I see the final days of the Pope, I am reminded of how much God loves us all in spite of our infirmities.
 
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gelsbern:
I just have to put my 2 cents in.

I am considered clinically depressed. My serotonin levels are too low. My doctors have put me on Prozac, Zanac, and many other types of antidepressants, but the never worked. It was after I prayed one night, “God, I give up, I feel like dying, but I leave it all to you to do with me as you want” Since then, I no longer feel depressed, even though the chemical levels have not changed. I feel sublime peace, and as long as I keep God as the center of my life through prayer, and spiritual meditation, I do just fine and dandy. If I forget about God and start worrying about my life, then I can start to feel depressed.

Yes human medicine is good, but it is but sugar water compared to the healing power of God. It’s too bad too many people have such little faith in God. After all didn’t He say “Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.” (Matthew 10:29-30)

There is peace in the Lord, you just have to let him in.
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Dear gelsbern,

I hear what you’re saying about serotonin levels,
and, yes, the SSRI’s just don’t cut it as well as I
might hope.

May I call one thing to your attention? There are
people * who have both a genetic
load for depression [biochemial deficits] and a
history of substantial trauma at an age when
critical faculties just aren’t there to help negotiate
such injury…which was ongoing and fairly severe.

All this has done is to make me closer to God,
Who, for His own good reasons, does not choose
to alleviate the symptoms such conditions created
in me. I don’t question God about *why *all this is
the case. [In fact, my attitude is why not?]

My father had schizophrenia, so I can almost count
on the fact that my brain structure may not be all
that it could have been. It’s a triple whammy.
Biochemical, brain structure, psychological trauma
as a child.
There are different ways to walk with God. The
Orthodox monk, Staretz Silouan, received an
understanding from God that went: Keep your
mind in hell, and despair not." This is not talk
for the weak-hearted I think. It tends to make
one’s knees buckle. But then, on one’s knees
is a position of prayer, huh?
God may bring relief and serenity. It is His gift.
So is: Your mind will be in hell, but despair not.
This is a form of mystical theology. I don’t understand
it; I live it.
Thanks for responding and be well, OK?
reen12
 
Dear urban legends,

Do you think that 8 years of therapy constitutes
sufficient cooperation with the medical world? 🙂
Yes, I take the medications recommeded. Do you
know how many people require 8 years of therapy?
Not many, I think. :nope: How about 12 days hospitalization
to get me steadied out? [some of the dearest human
beings I’ve ever met were patients in that hospital.
It was like looking at Jesus, wearing a crown of
thorns.]

And, yes also, to the realization that the Holy Father
would have loved us and understood. He would not
have added to our burden through ignorance,
misunderstanding, and misemphasis. He most
certainly would have encouraged us to look at the
value of redemptive suffering. But, then, the man
was a marvel, and probably a saint.
[Have you noticed that understanding saints aren’t
exactly thick on the ground?:whistle: ]🙂

My guess is that behavior modification can be
really useful…I subscribe to the earliest form of
Transactional Anaysis, because I find the concepts
useful in dealing with dissociation and emotional flooding.
[if anybody’s got a quick fix for depersonalization or
derealization, tell me! {just kidding.}]:o

I’m glad to hear about the support group. Now
that’s what I call doing something creative to
address problems.

Thanks for responding, and God love you, urban legends,
reen12
 
Hi Reen,

I’m so sorry that you are leaving…I wish you would reconsider…
I feel that God led you here for a reason…
Bless you,
Annunciata:)
 
Hi, Annunciata,

Happily, NightRider posted to this thread last
night, and helped me mightily. I’ll finish posting to
this thread, take a rest, and then be back.

Thanks for your concern, Annunciata,

Maureen [reen12]
 
we’re sorry you’re thinking about leaving. we’re praying for you.

:blessyou:
 
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reen12:
Hi, Annunciata,

Happily, NightRider posted to this thread last
night, and helped me mightily. I’ll finish posting to
this thread, take a rest, and then be back.

Thanks for your concern, Annunciata,

Maureen [reen12]
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Geraldine is awesome! I’m so glad…🙂
 
Maureen,
Okay, I have to admit that I have no personal experience with what you are going through, although have spoken to many who have.
I guess the only advice I can give is to try to keep your eyes on the risen Christ, and when you are really up against it, on the crucified Christ.
I don’t know how posting on the CA forum could be harmful unless you take something personally. That should never be done.
There was a thread a while back about insulting posts. My rersponse was, “You can’t insult me. I just consider the source and move on.” My point is that only God’s opinion of us is worth any consideration, and that includes flattery as well as insults. No big heads, no hurt feelings, because in the end, only God counts.
I don’t know if you can take that attitude, as you seem very sensitive, especially toward others. It’s worth a try. Will pray for you and look forward to lots of new posts from you in the future.
 
Hi, Strider, good to hear from you.

Yes, you’re right. I do take some stuff personally.
*Reaaalllllyyy *personally. That’s why I thought
I’d take a break at the close of this thread,
an idea NightRider offered.

[Besides, we’re having the kitchen renovated
this week:crying: ] To keep things in perspective,
I’m going to go now and listen to an episode of
the old Shadow radio program. Or maybe
Charlie Chan.

[You know, Strider, I think praise is *more difficult
to negotiate than insults.]

Maureen
 
Reen12,

Just to let you know after reading your posts and the others’, I can sincerely say I ‘feel’ a lot of your pain. You see, I have emotional issues also. Much trauma as a child (as I am an adult of alcoholic parents with much violence and bloodshed)…was kicked out of the convent because I stuttered and was diagnosed by a fly-by-night doctor in emergency one night because of bad dreams as a schizophrenic. This hung over my head for many, many years (as my dad was also diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia) and my mom did not want me in the house at all and had to live at my grandmother’s. During that time I received psychiatric help and the psychiatrist was furious that I was diagnosed as such (which was untrue)…and received physotherapy for 9 months and was diagnosed with anxiety neurosis. I was given a good bill of health and he left me his home phone humber in case I ever needed him again.

I married a wonderful man who remained with me through many years of Crohn’s disease and I lived on prednisone for most of those 20 years…which can lead to psychotic episodes. I received a healing of my Crohn’s in Israel from the Lord when I was there…and have been prednisone free for 2 years!

To this day, I am still very sensitive about my sensitivy and I get mad at myself. but the umbrella of mental illness hangs over my head forever, it seems. It is so strange as the body can get sick but not the mind…people are very ignorant in this matter.

What has helped is the fact that many of our saints have suffered from some kind of mental illness. St Therese, St Ignatious and so many others…and yet God used them all for the good of His kingdom. And this is what propells me…most people who think they have it altogether are not nearly as together as they think. It has been my expeirence that those who are sensitive by nature can be very sensitive to the Lord’s inspirations. The Lord uses our weaknesses and makes them our strengths, as St Paul tells us in the bible.

Please do not leave…you will receive mcuh grace from a lot of people on this forum. So many are so kind and loving…🙂

Christ is risen…truly He is risen!
Shoshana
 
Reen12,

You seem to have an in-depth knowledge of medicine and psychology.

But it seems to me, in my personal opinion, if you had less knowledge of such things, you would be happier.

I went through a spiritual crisis last year. (And I experienced the ancillary manifestations that go with it; depression, anger, despair, doubt, difficulty sleeping, etc.) I trusted the Lord as best I could under the circumstances, I tried my best, and He pulled me through it!

And would you believe it, He did it without a couch or a prescription!

Thal59
 
Hi, Thal59,

Sorry about my smart-aleck post to you above. I’m
glad that you posted again.

You had a spiritual crisis last year? Did you find
your faith even stronger as you emerged from the
crisis?

You know, Thal, I have a physical condition known
as fibromyalgia. I told the rheumatologist that it’s
not too bad, and that I need little in the way of
medication to deal with it.
He told me that I didn’t know how lucky I was,
that that was enough to deal with the physical pain.
Later, I read about people who have the same
diagnosis who have had to quit work, or change
jobs, who can hardly drag themselves to get going,
or remain going, during the day.

There may be a parallel here. Those who experience
clinical depression sometime need medication to function.
[go to work, take care of their families, grocery shop.]

My heart goes out to those with fibromyalgia who
have to take much more medication than I do.
I’m grateful to God that I don’t have it that severely, yet.
Couldn’t you consider doing the same with the
life of the mind? Be grateful to God that you didn’t
require medication? Pray and have compassion on
those who cannot function without medication?

Knowledge can be an immense help in dealing with
life’s difficulties. At least now, when I experience
“emotional flooding” I know what it is and how to
deal with it. [or at least *begin to deal with it.🙂 ]
Before I knew what it was, I tended to feel panic.
Now I just feel scared. Hope this point is clear.

Thanks, again, for posting, Thal59,
reen12
 
Hey Reen, your posts are very deep most of the time, and to be honest, over my head. From what I can tell though, you are a very nice and genuine person. I hope you don’t leave…just dont take things personally here, thats all.
 
Hello, Shoshana,

I managed to roll by your post and just saw it.

You had to take prednisone for 20 years???
How did you do it??? God bless your husband
for his love. To hear that you have been prednisone
free for two years is indeed a great healing.

Yes, I hear you on your father having paranoid
schizophrenia. Oh yes.

What could that emergency room doctor have
been thinking of??

I’m going to finish posting to this thread and
take a break from the forums for a while.
Then I’ll come back, renewed, and post away again.
God be with you Shoshana. I’m grateful to you
for giving me your time and your prayers,

Maureen [reen12]
 
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reen12:
Hi, Annunciata,

Happily, NightRider posted to this thread last
night, and helped me mightily. I’ll finish posting to
this thread, take a rest, and then be back.

Thanks for your concern, Annunciata,

Maureen [reen12]
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Thank you, Maureen! and you helped me mightily, too. God bless you!

Geraldine
 
God created the doctors who administer the medication. God created the intellect of the doctors who administer the medication. And God created the raw materials that we use to create the medicine that is administered by the doctors. It’s all spiritual! Anyone with an illness should seek treatment and know that it is all from God. 🙂
 
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reen12:
I’ve been reading some threads dealing with
persons having psychological difficulties within
the faith.

The parallel? Researchers today are looking into
brain structure, chemical messengers called
neurotransmitters and a host of other factors
that may generate psychological difficulties…independent
of a person’s religious beliefs or lack thereof.

I agree to a point. I’m no expert but I do believe that In some cases mental illnesses can have nothing to do with a person’s spiritualuality and can be treated by medication. However…

The “phlogiston” theory of our own day, I believe,
is to treat some psychological difficulties as if
these are generated by spiritual difficulties.

… many psychological difficulties are indeed caused by a lack of spirituality. It’s been proven that Catholics that go to confession and the sacraments regularly have significantly less depreression and have a better outlook on life.

reen12
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reen12:
Hi, Strider, good to hear from you.

Yes, you’re right. I do take some stuff personally.
*Reaaalllllyyy *personally. That’s why I thought
I’d take a break at the close of this thread,
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I can sympathize. I have a tendancy to take things too seriously. I get hurt easily by what people say to me. It doesn’t help me to run away though (Which is what I end up doing …alot). It would help you much more (as it would help me) to learn to just take the slings and arrows in a humble way. People will always have their opinions and we can’t just go and hide from all that. A few years ago I was told I had panic disorder, I went on medication for about 2 years, it made me so sad I couldn’t stand to take it anymore, I want to be me again. So now I have been off it for about 2 years and I only had one panic attack last year.

It is good to have faith in God, yes, however God also gave us the knowledge to help ourselves and each other. We must use it!

I don’t know you well, topic creator, but please don’t leave. You seem like a very nice and intelligent person.
 
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