Finding Happiness and Overcoming Depression

[Shin]

 

I know that many people in all walks of life struggle with depression, and some of our family here.

It's a very easy thing to sink into, and yet not easy to be in.

I'd like to post this little thread for hints and tips towards overcoming depression, that readers might be able to contribute from their own experiences.

I'm going to post a standard disclaimer now, this is not a place for personal direct medical advice, that would involve liability and be irresponsible. We aren't medical doctors, just people trying to offer helpful advice. In regards to any and all suggestions if they involve any significant potential risk, you should consult your doctor. Disclaimer over.

This can be a place for general tips, suggestions and hopeful insights. That is what I hope. 

 
 

[Shin]

I know I've had low points in my life, I know in fact, life is often unsatisfying.. only God is satisfying.. I know this, and I know that much of life is unsatisfying because it is supposed to be so. We are supposed to give it up, and turn more directly to God for our happiness.

I know that also there's a price to be paid for that happiness, often we have to give up and go through difficult times to after a fashion, spiritually be worthy of the reward of spiritual happiness rather than the material happiness.

So if you're going to try something new for God, and at first it's difficult, I want to say, keep trying! And keep trying in a good way.

A good way? A way that is hopeful, rather than black.

When you read of the sorrows of the saints, that sorrow is mixed with peace and love of God, so there is not a pitch blackness, or frustration, that gets in the way of that Communion that can bring you what you need to have the strength to go on.

You need the peace to smile.   So much of what gets in the way is of our own habit -- we think we should feel badly, perhaps, though we do not admit it, it is a habit.. and a bad habit.. But building up new habits of happiness is what is necessary to give people the strength to live their lives for God and well.  

Light exercise.. walking out of doors, or even simply looking out the window, getting the sunshine admiring the outdoors.. not getting stuck in the same tasks for long periods of time.. hopeful prayer and meditations.. proper eating habits and detachment from material sources of happiness..

All these things I see as key towards a happy life and happy spiritual life.

If you spend a lot of time on the PC, try to cut down a bit, or take significant breaks and come back to it after them, and you'll be happier.

On another thread fish oil capsules were recommended. I highly recommend these. They are pretty much harmless and can be taken in large doses.. They stimulate brain activity and produce a slightly more positive mindset.. in a healthy way. The health benefits many articles go into..

I am not someone who follows after health fads, or likes to take regularly anything -- I would not recommend them if I did not in fact, see a real actual effect from taking them, both immediate and useful. If I have a headache, wake up feel 'this is going to be a tough day' on my mind, a mental grind.. I take a handful of these, and it's an easier day. Simple as that.

If the standard capsules are too large for you, there's something called 'krill' fish oil that is much smaller and easier to take.

Let me see.. that's all for now.. more in a bit.

 

[Patricia]

I've been going through anxiety attacks lately especially about the unknown future. My faith holds me up, as it has held me up all these years. And holy perseverance is a grace I ask during the Rosary because I know how weak I can be. I get very anxious driving on the freeway since Im not too used to it, so I invoke St. Joseph before my drive and thank him when I reach back home safe. When I feel down in the dumps, going out definitely does wonders even just going to the store or to the park with my kids. Another release of tension is knitting and crocheting. I just learned those and is a great stress buster. You can combine that with prayer.
I call a close friend sometimes. We have been friends since first grade, so its nice to talk about our childhood and remember those days, which helps me.
Family prayer time also makes me feel good.
 
Must try the fish oil capsules! Does anyone have other suggestions for handlling anxiety attacks?

[Shin]

I've been going through anxiety attacks lately especially about the unknown future. My faith holds me up, as it has held me up all these years. And holy perseverance is a grace I ask during the Rosary because I know how weak I can be. I get very anxious driving on the freeway since Im not too used to it, so I invoke St. Joseph before my drive and thank him when I reach back home safe. When I feel down in the dumps, going out definitely does wonders even just going to the store or to the park with my kids. Another release of tension is knitting and crocheting. I just learned those and is a great stress buster. You can combine that with prayer.
I call a close friend sometimes. We have been friends since first grade, so its nice to talk about our childhood and remember those days, which helps me.
Family prayer time also makes me feel good.
 
Must try the fish oil capsules! Does anyone have other suggestions for handlling anxiety attacks?

Oh I always pray before a trip to, and say thank you after. And I know, I've been saved many a time from difficulties this way.

St. Michael, St. Christopher, St. Anthony, St. Raphael, orate pro nobis.

That is what I say. St. Michael for protection, St. Christopher for the journey, St. Anthony for finding the way, St. Raphael the friend.

Just recently I was terribly lost, going in the opposite direction I should have -- but God sent a fine fellow with a GPS who helped me by having me follow him back home. Deo gratias. Another time, my car was stuck on the railroad tracks.. stalled right there.. well, it ends happily, it started up again after several minutes, without a train.. Another time, a pipe was blocked and backing up into the engine.. I was told the whole thing could have exploded.. but, no.. found out in the nick of time..

Every journey.. I put it into the hands of God.. and if something does go wrong.. it will turn out alright in the end.

[Patricia]

Nice prayer, I'll say that next time I drive.
We dont fully realise how God protects us. I remember some years back . My husband parked at a gas station and went in leaving the rest of us in the van. I realised the car was still in drive mode and inexperienced that I was tried to move it to 'park' without pressing  down the brake. I was on the passenger side with my daughter on my lap. The car began moving backwards. I was shell shocked and couldn't move. There were two men standing outside the gas station talking to each other. At that time of the night they were a God send. One of them, quite a plump man moved quickly for his size , opened the driver's door, put his foot in and on the brake , and parked the car. There we were, parked awkwardly and just seconds away from hitting the gas pump behind us.
I was so shocked, I couldnt even think clearly to thank the man. He went to his friend, finished his conversation and left as if nothing had happened. Finally when I could breathe, I thanked his friend. I still say a little prayer for the man I could never thank. Its funny, that my husband didnt realise what was happening and comes out to see five scared people and his van parked where it wasnt before.

[Brigid]

I agree with Shin about the fish oil. My Psy.doc greatly endorses the omegas especially from fish oil (most places have the "burp free" capsules too). I don't notice the change in me right away, but after a week or so I do notice a little lift (besides supposedly helping to feel the arthritis less which probably helps with my mood).

Fr. Groeschel was asked, since he is a priest/monk and a psychologist, what he thinks someone in a very deep depression (especially ongoing) should do. He said, "Get to a good psychiatrist who has very good training (apparently not all do) with medications." I feel that he is a very good person to know about psychological and many spiritual things, so I did and it has really helped. It also helps me not to feel guilty about availing myself of sound medical help when needed.

[Bailey2]

I tried three times to put a post here.  This is my professional specialty.  I can't do it without being an educator, rather than one who has "tips." 
So all the posts above are good.   

[dj808]

Sometimes depression can be spiritual in nature. I've posted several writings from Kathleen Norris' Acedia and Me on my site, which I have found very rewarding and helpful.

dj

[edited for content - administrator]

[Brigid]

I tried three times to put a post here.  This is my professional specialty.  I can't do it without being an educator, rather than one who has "tips." 
So all the posts above are good.   

Educator's good. I like education!

[Bailey2]

Re: education about depression?  I am thinking that this is a spiritual forum so that's why I refrain.... unless told otherwise by the powers at be   
Shin started this thread .........

[Bailey2]

I forgot:  it's a bit dated now but

Surviving Depression: A Catholic Approach by Sr. Hermes.

[Shin]

Re: education about depression?  I am thinking that this is a spiritual forum so that's why I refrain.... unless told otherwise by the powers at be   
Shin started this thread .........

Do as you like.

[Bailey2]

Sometimes depression can be spiritual in nature. ]

Depression, like all illnesses, always has a spiritual component.  But it always has a biological, psychological, and social component also since all human experiences contain all those things.

There are too many kinds of depressions to get into here but the things mentioned in this thread will help all of them to more or less degree in terms of prevention and/or lessening the severity of an episode.  (Depression is chronic usually with remissions and flare ups)  

There is a misconception of depression being just about ones mood.  "The blues" is not the illness of depression.  Depressive illness has other symptoms: loss of the ability to concentrate, feeling like one is in a tub of molasses trying to get out of it (serious biological fatigue), disrupted sleep, slowly diminishing ability to think rationally and thus make sound decisions, and loss of enjoyment of things that used to be enjoyable.  Key to knowing when to get medical help is when these symptoms are interfering with one's ability to live life.  

PET scans, fMRI, SPECT imaging all show changes in brain structure and function with the presence of depression.  It is also pretty evident with this same technology that learning new coping skills, increasing positive social supports, and medicine ALL can positively change brain function and structure in the healing process.  It simply depends on the individual situation and needs.  Some need medicine; others don't; some need medicine for life (definitely true for bipolar illness), others only long enough to stabilize symptoms so that the person can wrap those other supports around him or herself.  ALL would do well to increase social supports and learn new and improved coping skills for life stresses.  

Spiritual aspects?  The illness can distort ones healthy sense of guilt, sense of trust in forgiveness, and increase the sense of unworthiness to a very unhealthy level that robs the person of joy.  These things are not sin in this case but the result of the thinking distortions mentioned above.  On a positive note, even while ill, a person calling out to God even if in anger or seeming despair (usually this is a symptom of loss of rationality) is a sure sign of a faith filled relationship with God........ read Job and Psalms and one sees the exact same kind of emotional intensity in the God-man relationship.  

Acadia as in the catechism is a reference to prayer, temptations in prayer and so on.  It has nothing to do with depression.  One who is depressed (not the blues remember), is not lazy, sinful, weak in faith, or any such thing; anymore than is a person struggling with cancer.  It's the opposite.  

And I often get flack for this one: demons have nothing to do with moods.

OK enough rambling or I'll write a book.

[Brigid]

Bailey,

I love your 'tub of molasses' analogy - it's great. When I'm feeling lazy, weak, super irritable but guilty about it, etc. I call myself feeling like 'pond scum'.I'm also so glad to hear someone say that it's not 'the blues'. That is such a prevalent idea out there. Pessimism or apathy is certainly not 'the blues'.

It's also good to hear a professional verbalizing that depression has both spiritual and material (for lack of a better word) aspects. That's all too infrequent, it seems. Separating our state from the spiritual realm may be part of the problem. Maybe the depressed person's inner 'connection' with Him is broken and concupiscence  allows the physical to follow? Does that sound right to you? 

[Bailey2]

Maybe the depressed person's inner 'connection' with Him is broken and concupiscence  allows the physical to follow? Does that sound right to you? 

Maybe the depressed person's inner connection with Him is still intact but that person irrationally thinks He is not there, when in fact He is always there.   
Concupiscence is a given.  I'm not sure what it does.  I guess it does different things to different people.  My experience has been that when I am fighting God, which I do more often than serenely "follow,"  it makes my illnesses or acceptance of my illnesses more difficult.  But even when seemingly in perfect union with His will, my ailments don't go away.  So I'm not sure sin in any form contributes to illness, mental or otherwise.  I'm not sure how to think of this.  Hmmmmmmmm............  nite.

[Shin]

That was a nice context you put things in Bailey2.

I enjoyed reading all of it it provokes a good deal of thought! About acedia, how people who are depressed feel and think..

But care to explain further the last comment? Because you know the ordinary role of demons is temptation, and this has to do with influencing what we feel as well as what we think.

Have you ever read Fr. Ripperger's "Introduction to the Science of Mental Health"? If you haven't, I highly recommend it. It rebuilds the science of psychology in Catholicism from the start, from the ground up.