P
PoorKnight
Guest
My wife has stuggled with depression through-out her life, but in the last year it seems to have been getting worse. She was recently diagnosed Bi-Polar. Basically, for us, it means that some days she is quite normal; able to laugh, cry, whatever at appropriate situations.
However, every couple weeks she has a few days of Deep Darkness. In these times she wants to give up on God, has total self-loathing, does not want to be around me because she doesn’t think I want someone like her around me, wants to give up on life, feels completely alone and abandoned, wants to give up being a Christian (or a Theist for that matter) as well as other things that scare me!.
She has admitted that she has thought of suicide in these times (yes we have sought psychiatric help). The problem with the medicines is that they take more than a month to even begin to see a benifit - if the side effects aren’t too bad.
She’s on her third medication (we’re praying it works!) and has lost hope that anything will work.
Besides Prayers, I’m asking if there’s anything I can do. I’ve heard of St. John of the Cross’ Dark Night of the Soul but it sounds difficult to understand. I recently saw that St. Therese the Little Flower has something similar that might be easier.
Would getting either of these books be something that might be worth it? Or would I be “pushing” something on her so she’ll never read it?
She knows all I’m trying to do is help, but I get really scared when she starts wanting to give up on God, and says she has no more hope in God or His plan. I try to start reasoning with her about it, but it almost seems to make it worse. Sometimes I wonder if I should just let her rant and not try to reason with her for fear it might push her away.
On top of all this, she is a recent convert to Catholicism (Easter '12) and I also fear she is associating these dark times with her conversion… though she has never said this.
I know God can use this for His good, but I’m frustrated too. I see this all effecting our kids, and puts a huge strain on us as well.
Could this also be a spiritual attack? Is there a way I could help decern this? If I think it is partially so, what next?
Sorry, off my rant… please pray and any advice would be VERY helpful.
Thank you and God Bless
However, every couple weeks she has a few days of Deep Darkness. In these times she wants to give up on God, has total self-loathing, does not want to be around me because she doesn’t think I want someone like her around me, wants to give up on life, feels completely alone and abandoned, wants to give up being a Christian (or a Theist for that matter) as well as other things that scare me!.
She has admitted that she has thought of suicide in these times (yes we have sought psychiatric help). The problem with the medicines is that they take more than a month to even begin to see a benifit - if the side effects aren’t too bad.
She’s on her third medication (we’re praying it works!) and has lost hope that anything will work.
Besides Prayers, I’m asking if there’s anything I can do. I’ve heard of St. John of the Cross’ Dark Night of the Soul but it sounds difficult to understand. I recently saw that St. Therese the Little Flower has something similar that might be easier.
Would getting either of these books be something that might be worth it? Or would I be “pushing” something on her so she’ll never read it?
She knows all I’m trying to do is help, but I get really scared when she starts wanting to give up on God, and says she has no more hope in God or His plan. I try to start reasoning with her about it, but it almost seems to make it worse. Sometimes I wonder if I should just let her rant and not try to reason with her for fear it might push her away.
On top of all this, she is a recent convert to Catholicism (Easter '12) and I also fear she is associating these dark times with her conversion… though she has never said this.
I know God can use this for His good, but I’m frustrated too. I see this all effecting our kids, and puts a huge strain on us as well.
Could this also be a spiritual attack? Is there a way I could help decern this? If I think it is partially so, what next?
Sorry, off my rant… please pray and any advice would be VERY helpful.
Thank you and God Bless