Depression… How can I overcome it?

So many people complain of having

lost their drive, or of being frazzled, empty, or worn out. this chronic fatigue, and the growing fatigue, and the growing number of people affected number of people affected by depression and suicide, by depression and suicide, are symptoms of a crisis in are symptoms of a crisis in society itself. society itself.

confronted by multiple experiences of rejection (career setbacks, unemployment, family unemployment, family breakups, loneliness), breakups, loneliness), a person becomes a person becomes vulnerable, as though vulnerable, as though they’re drifting without they’re drifting without bearings. bearings.

When reasons for When reasons for living are lacking, and living are lacking, and living are lacking, and when it becomes harder when it becomes harder when it becomes harder and harder to hold onto and harder to hold onto and harder to hold onto and harder to hold onto a system of solid values a system of solid values a system of solid values a system of solid values a system of solid values (respect for others, (respect for others, (respect for others, (respect for others, concern for the truth, concern for the truth, concern for the truth, concern for the truth, concern for the truth, pursuit of the common pursuit of the common pursuit of the common pursuit of the common

good, refusal to justify the ends by the means), how can you keep your head above water?

aa minor event (a minor event (a reprimand, a disagreement, reprimand, a disagreement, a disappointment, an argument) or something more serious can throw everything off balance overnight. you feel you feel ydifferent than you used to. it’s as if a pit has opened t’s as if a pit has opened t’s as if a pit has opened t’s as if a pit has opened up under your feet…up under your feet…up under your feet…

“I can’t take it anymore…”Depression can cause Depression can cause

lasting damage lasting damage to family life,

emotional life, and social life.

It seems to have become more

common since the second half of the

20th century, and it’s affecting younger

and younger people. But what is this

disease, exactly? How can we recognize and overcome it?

How do we provide support to someone

who is a victim of depression?

Accepting your frailties & wounds… • Jean vanier

To fight this disease, you have to look at where the knots come from and try to understand them. I believe we have to help people discover their frailties and accept them. If you have a skewed view of spirituality, there’s a danger of believing that you have to be perfect to overcome depression. Now, depressed people already have enough of a tendency to consider themselves bad and worthless, without having to compare themselves to perfection. Instead, it’s important to teach them to accept themselves and to help them realize that they’re loved by God just as they are, with their frailties and wounds.

faithmatters

faithmatters The Bible: A treasure trove waiting to be discovered (95BBiB)

Why should I go to confession? (95Bcon)

Depression…How can I overcome it?Depression…How can I overcome it? (95Bdep)

Divorced: How do you rebuild your life? Divorced: How do you rebuild your life? (95B(95Bdiv)

The Eucharist: A great mystery!The Eucharist: A great mystery! (95BeUc)

I’ve lost my faith…I’ve lost my faith… (95Bfai)

How do you read the gospels?How do you read the gospels?How do you read the gospels? (95B (95Bgos)

Living through the ordeal of illnessLiving through the ordeal of illnessLiving through the ordeal of illness (95B(95Billill))

Face to face with suicideFace to face with suicide (95BsUi)

Who is Jesus? (95BW (95BWho)

Why do evil and suffering exist?Why do evil and suffering exist? (95BsUf)

When we’re shaken by deathWhen we’re shaken by death (95Bdea)

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© 2011 By Bayard, inc.

Now, depressed people already have enough of a tendency to consider themselves bad and worthless, without having to compare themselves to perfection. Instead, it’s important to teach them to accept themselves and to help them realize that they’re loved by God just as they are, with their frailties

mattersmatters The Bible: A treasure trove waiting to be discovered

Why should I go to confession? (95B

Depression…How can I overcome it?Depression…How can I overcome it?Divorced: How do you rebuild your life? Divorced: How do you rebuild your life?

©istockphoto.com/tmlgt ©istockphoto.com/Jostein

worn out. this chronic fatigue, and the growing number of people affected by depression and suicide, by depression and suicide, are symptoms of a crisis in society itself.

onfronted by multiple experiences of rejection (career setbacks, unemployment, family unemployment, family breakups, loneliness), breakups, loneliness), a person becomes vulnerable, as though they’re drifting without they’re drifting without bearings.

a minor event (a minor event (a reprimand, a disagreement, a disappointment, an argument) or something

everything off balance overnight. different than you used to. it’s as if a pit has opened t’s as if a pit has opened

breakups, loneliness), breakups, loneliness), a person becomes vulnerable, as though they’re drifting without bearings.

become more common since the second half of the

20th century, and it’s affecting younger

and younger people. But what is this

disease, exactly? How can we recognize and overcome it?

How do we provide support to someone

who is a victim of depression?

common since the second half of the

20th century, and it’s affecting younger

and younger people. But what is this

disease, exactly? How can we recognize

Depression…How can I overcome it?

Depression…How can I overcome it?)

(95Bdep

How can I

I f yoU’re JUst feeling “doWn,” or simply

sad—due to a setback, an ordeal, or a loss—you can still keep up with your day-to-day life. But if you’re depressed, you no longer feel like doing anything, even things you used to like. you trudge you trudge ythrough life. you used to you used to yhave no trouble sleeping, but suddenly you have insomnia. you wake you wake yup in the middle of the night and can’t fall back

asleep. in the morning you get up, exhausted. other nights you’re overcome with a deep sleep that just leaves you drained. you lose your you lose your yappetite, physical effort becomes tiresome, and you experience an overall feeling of weariness and fatigue. you have you have ydifficulty concentrating and doing simple things (work, cleaning, keeping up with mail, answering the telephone, carrying

out plans, making decisions). this feeling of powerlessness is often characterized by an unusual pessimism and a negative attitude that can sometimes lead to thoughts of suicide.

A real diseasereal diseasereal

D epressed people often feel gUilty aBoUt

everything that happens to them, and they can’t just

“shake it off.” they often think or say things like: “i’m worthless” or “ ’m at the end of my rope.”

of course, they’re not worthless, but they can’t manage to get over their mental anguish and stop being down on themselves. absorbed by internal feelings of doubt and powerlessness,

preoccupied with the past and the seemingly crushing problems of the present, depressed people lose interest in their loved ones, making it hard to maintain relationships.

Unlike frustration or despair, which are often temporary, depression is a real disease that can deeply disrupt a person’s life. f recognized, it can be treated and overcome. But how?

Get treatment and reach out

In most cases, antidepressants

(in combination with counseling sessions with a therapist) allow people to get back on track in a few weeks. these medicines don’t resolve existential

problems, but they can help you regain momentum in your life and lower nervous tension.

counseling support can be a great relief. through supportive, attentive care, practitioners help patients express what’s worrying or bothering them and develop a more positive view of themselves and of life. these sessions help clarify the origins and the meaning of the depression.

your friends and family your friends and family ycan also help through caring and conscientious support, especially at the beginning—provided that they tough it out and accept that it may take time.

it’s not helpful to tell a depressed person to

“snap out of it” or “shake it off.” people who are

depressed can’t just wish it away. instead, reach out to meet the person where they are—by striving to understand them from the inside, and taking their disease seriously. try to try to tprovide an alternative to the person’s negative view of themselves and others. help them to gradually get back on a hopeful path.

depression can sometimes reveal a spiritual crisis, although the two should not be confused. turning to turning to t god in prayer, participating in a christian hristian group, or attending a spiritual retreat can help spiritual retreat can help some people on their some people on their path to greater well-being path to greater well-being and recovery. it is often t is often precisely when we are precisely when we are at our weakest that god comes back to us! ••

Depression is a long journey of doubts and trials, but it is also a path toward newfound personal maturity.

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depression statistics• currently, about 8% of american people are depressed. Women experi-depressed. Women experi-ence depression about twice as often as men. twelve percent of women twelve percent of women twill experience depression will experience depression at some point in their lives. at some point in their lives. at some point in their lives. at some point in their lives. it is estimated that 80% t is estimated that 80% t is estimated that 80% t is estimated that 80% of people with depression of people with depression are not receiving treatment. are not receiving treatment. approximately 4% of ado-lescents suffer from severe depression every year.

What about suicide?• more than 90% of people who commit suicide suf-fer from a serious mental illness, most often depres-sion. if someone you know expresses suicidal thoughts while depressed, support them by being affectionate them by being affectionate but watchful. convince them onvince them to seek treatment if they to seek treatment if they aren’t already doing so.aren’t already doing so.

the main treatments:he main treatments:• antidepressants: tthese are essential medicines for are essential medicines for depression. however, they’re owever, they’re not intended to cure the not intended to cure the simple sadness we all have simple sadness we all have sometimes: sometimes: tthey are not happiness pills!happiness pills!• ccounseling: a method based on a supportive based on a supportive based on a supportive based on a supportive based on a supportive relationship between thera-relationship between thera-relationship between thera-relationship between thera-pist and patient, achieved pist and patient, achieved pist and patient, achieved pist and patient, achieved through listening and advice.through listening and advice.through listening and advice.through listening and advice.

how should you take ow should you take ow should you take care of yourself?care of yourself?care of yourself?care of yourself?• eat well, even if you don’t at well, even if you don’t at well, even if you don’t at well, even if you don’t feel like it. feel like it. get back on a regular sleep schedule. regular sleep schedule. force yourself to do some physical exercise. take any take any tmedications prescribed by your doctor. never stop taking medications without consulting your doctor. consulting your doctor. if necessary, attend some necessary, attend some necessary, attend some counseling sessions to get counseling sessions to get counseling sessions to get through the difficult period. through the difficult period. through the difficult period. share your hardships with hare your hardships with hare your hardships with someone you trust.someone you trust.

st feeling

an ordeal, or a loss—you can still keep up with your day-to-day life. But if you’re depressed, you no longer feel like doing

n the morning you get up, exhausted. other nights you’re overcome with a deep sleep that just leaves you

ou lose your appetite, physical effort becomes tiresome, and

at some point in their lives. at some point in their lives. t is estimated that 80%

of people with depression are not receiving treatment.

pproximately 4% of ado-lescents suffer from severe depression every year.

What about suicide?ore than 90% of people

who commit suicide suf-fer from a serious mental illness, most often depres-

f someone you know

•••• counseling: based on a supportive relationship between thera-relationship between thera-relationship between thera-pist and patient, achieved

ow should you take care of yourself?care of yourself?• eat well, even if you don’t at well, even if you don’t

regular sleep schedule. regular sleep schedule. force yourself to do some physical exercise. medications prescribed by

the person’s negative view of themselves and others.

elp them to gradually get back on a hopeful path.

epression can sometimes reveal a spiritual crisis, although the two should not be confused.

od in prayer, participating in a hristian hristian group, or attending a spiritual retreat can help some people on their path to greater well-being path to greater well-being

it is often t is often

who commit suicide suf-fer from a serious mental illness, most often depres-sion.

express what’s worrying or bothering them and develop a more positive view of themselves and of life. hese sessions help clarify

the origins and the meaning of the depression.

our friends and family can also help through caring and conscientious support, especially at the beginning—provided that they tough it out and accept that it may take time.

t’s not helpful to tell

the person’s negative view of themselves and others.

elp them to gradually get back on a hopeful path.

epression can sometimes reveal a spiritual crisis, although the two should not be confused. urning to

participating in a

epressed people often

to them, and they can’t just

’m

despair, which are often temporary, depression is a real disease that can deeply disrupt a person’s life. if recognized, it can be treated and overcome. But how?

Get treatment and reach out

n most casesantidepressants

(in combination with counseling sessions with a therapist) allow people to

sleep that just leaves you ou lose your

appetite, physical effort becomes tiresome, and

real diseasereal diseaserealepressed people often feel gU

everything that happens to them, and they can’t just

“shake it off.” tthink or say things like: “worthless” or “i’m at the end of my rope.”

f course, they’re not worthless, but they can’t manage to get over their mental anguish and stop being down on

Deverythingto them, and they can’t just

“shake it off.” think or say things like: “worthless” or “end of my rope.”

themselves and of life. hese sessions help clarify

the origins and the meaning of the depression.