Sr. Kathryn Hermes, a fellow depressive, writes eloquently about how to pray when you’re depressed.
Click here to see Beliefnet’s gallery reprinted from her book, "Surviving Depression: A Catholic Approach."
It begins this way:
When you're depressed, you may discover that the shadows and tempests of that depression alter the way you look at God and the way you believe God looks at you. When you pray, you may be unable to sit still or to keep your mind focused for more than a few moments. Everything may appear to be a huge gaping hole of silence--all so useless. God may seem to be mocking your attempts to pray.I know people who have gone three, five, ten years without "praying," though they were faithful to setting time aside for prayer regardless of its seeming uselessness. In the haunting darkness where all communication had gone silent, they found loneliness, boredom, frustration, anger. Were they praying? Yes.
If this is happening to you, try these forms of prayer and contemplative love.
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I have probably always been depressed, but I could not understand that in the earlier years. I do pray about the things that bother me, but my mind wonders so that I seem to be saying, "thank you, Lord, and Amen", stating one problem or concern at a time. So, my prayers are "piece meals, " it seems. I hope God accepts my sentences and my inability to get a handle on my grief. I know that we all have our crosses to bear. My mind concerns me more and more, and I wonder if the meds have anything to do with this?? Paxil and Wellbutrin...
SOMETIMES i FEEL SO SAD,BECAUSE A GUY I WAS SEEING FOR ABOUT 6 MONTHS STOPPED TALKING TO ME. i SAID SOMETHING THAT HE DIDN'T LIKE AND HE GOT MAD AT ME. i TOLD HIM i WAS SORRY, BUT HE WOULDN'T FORGIVE ME. ITS BEEN ALMOST 7 WEEKS AND HE STILL WON'T TALK TO ME. tHERE ARE DAYS WHEN I DON'T GET SAD ABOUT IT, BUT THEN THERE ARE THE DAYS WHEN I JUST GET SO DEPRESSED AND ALL I WANT TO DO IS CRY. I MISS HIM SO BADLY AND THE WORST PART OF IT IS THAT WE WORK AT THE SAME PLACE AND SO SOMETIMES I RUN INTO HIM AND ALL HE DOES IS IGNORE ME. i PRAY TO GOD TO HELP ME BUT IT DOESNT SEEM TO GET ANY BETTER, I SO DESPERATELY WANT TO STOP THE HURT THAT I FEEL INSIDE AND I WANT TO GET OVER HIM BUT IT IS SO HARD.
hamg in there keep using positive self talk tell yourself you wllll get through it.Use prayer and meditation and twelve step programs,a minestor,doctor/friend talk to people.I find walking and mindfulness meditation helps a lot also HANG IN THERE ED
I pray everyday that the Lord will hear my prayers and lift me out of the depression I feel and bring back the joy I had in life.
Please everyone else pray for me too. Thank you.
HI,
MY NAME IS SUSIE & I NEED YOUR ADVICE. SEE SEVERAL YEARS AGO I FAIL IN LOVE WITH A MAN THAT LIED TO ME AND NOW I AM PAYING FOR IT DEARLY. I HAVE NEVER BEEN ABLE TO TRUST OR MUCH WORST LOVE AGAIN. WHAT DO I DO? I FEEL SO SAD INSIDE TO THE POINT WHERE I THOUGHT ABOUT KILLING MYSELF. HOW CAN I MOVE ON? CURRENTLY I AM DATING SOMEONE BUT I DON'T FEEL I CAN EVER TRUST OR LOVE AGAIN. WHAT DO I DO. I FEEL SO EMPTY INSIDE SO ANGRY... WHY ME!? I ASK MYSELF. I ALWAYS TREAT PEOPLE FAIR AND I AM A KIND PERSON.
WHAT DO I DO? PLEASE ANYONE HELP ME WITH YOUR ADVICE. I AM SO DESPERATE. 5 YEARS OF LIVING LIKE THIS HAS BEEN THE LONGEST TIME IN MY LIFE.
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