Overcoming Depression and Despair

[PrayForMe]

Hi,

Some of you may have seen a few of my prayer requests asking for prayers for my depression. This thread is not a prayer request but more of a discussion thread and one for the purpose of asking for advice.

For those who are not familiar with my problems, I’ll give a brief back-story. My depression is situational and was induced by the COVID-19 pandemic. I have (so far) not gotten sick (and by the way, please pray that I don’t!), nor has any of my immediate family, and I’m still employed. But there are various things that have caused me to become depressed and to fall into border-line despair:

1. I’m what some in the psychological world would label “empathic”. It means I feel things very deeply, apparently more-so than the average person. So seeing all the sadness in the world right now - death, sickness, people being separated from one another, the economy tanking, etc. - affects me severely. My own counselor admitted he doesn’t know an easy way for me to overcome that behavioral trait.
2. I am working from home right now (which I HATE doing), and I must say that while I am grateful to not be unemployed… the problem is, working from home makes me feel as if I AM unemployed. There’s no fulfillment or enjoyment in sitting at home completely isolated (the isolation is another cause of my depression, by the way), separated from all my co-workers (whom I had grown fond of) and being away from my office space. I remember being so excited when I was moved from a cubicle to what is now my office, it felt like a life milestone. Now that’s gone for who knows how long. And at the end of the day, I just don’t feel like I even worked. It feels as if I sat in my room staring at my computer for 8 hours. It honestly seems like I have no job right now.
3. Few people in my personal circle have been able to say much to help and many of them don’t act supportive at all. Some are basically telling me to “get over it” and not validating my feelings, which makes me hurt even worse.

Anyway, my prayer and spiritual life have taken a real hit as I move closer to total despair. It seems life is crumbling before my eyes and I’m powerless to stop it. I wanted to ask - what do you all recommend for ways to overcome depression and despair from a Catholic perspective, and how to repair my spiritual life when right now it’s hard to even feel like praying? (By the way, I know some of you would suggest talking to a priest, but the priests in my area haven’t exactly been supportive. In their defense, maybe they’re too busy.)

 

[DeSales111]

For what it’s worth. Try and see everyday as a gift from God, and always keep in mind someone has it much worse than you. Count your blessings, and not your hardships. If you want to dwell on your hardships then do it in a way that includies Christ, as in walking with Him side by side with a cross. Every day is one step closer to eternal life with the Lord, and everything here on Earth is only temporary. Your job, your way of life, those kind of things will always be subject to change at ANY time in your life. I lost an ex Father in - law to murder years ago, I lost a best friend to a stroke, a father to cancer, and a daughter to a miscarriage. The only freedom and remedy, the only relief from depression has been through faith, doing as Jesus said, resting my burdens on Him. I didn’t have to be a prayer machine or feel a certain way, it is just knowing that everything I went through was with Christ. No drugs, no concoction, nor any therapy can take the place of Christ. I do battle depression too, there are many days when alone I will have a complete melt down and sob uncontrollably. This pandemic only adds to already financial and health issues here. I will probably lose my business of 25 years, and if I get the virus, I will probably lose my life. Yes all that is depressing, but deep in my heart there is a joy that nothing can take away my faith or my love for Christ. That will remain through it all.

So you too must keep the faith and the love of Christ burning in your heart. Being isolated a bit more from others is not always a bad thing, it gives us more time to reflect on ourselves and meditate on the life of Christ. And when we think we are very depressed and have it bad, oh my gosh, just think of poor Noah. He had to give up his way of life, his home, his career, his possessions, his friends and extended family. He had to endure isolation, gray skies and rain everyday. But we know how that story turned out. Well, just like for Noah, he weathered the storm, there is a also a rainbow waiting for you too!!! So no matter how depressed and discouraged you feel, don’t lose sight of that. Go get your rainbow!

And while you’re reading this, go ahead and smile a little that at least your home (your office) isn’t full of stinky animals and a cranky family that hasn’t seen the sun in days, weeks, or even a month! Poor Noah! No cable TV, cell phone, hot showers, or nice meals (or cold beer!). I wonder which animal and or who was the first one off of that boat??? Being stuck at home a little more for a while because of Covid really isn’t that bad afterall. Looks like a blessing from the deck of Noah’s boat!!

 

[Tis_Bearself]

With respect to the “isolation from co-workers”, I understand that some of the people on my work team felt the same way when forced to work from home. (Some, not all, because a good number of folks actually prefer not having to come into an office and/or be around a bunch of people or deal with the distractions there like noise and gossip.)

I would suggest you see if there’s some way you can get out and spend time with/ around other people in a safe, happy environment, or even on Zoom. A prayer group, a hobby group, even time in the park with social distancing. Even if you just did it daily on your lunch break I think this would help you as some people really just need to be around other people.