The Orthodox Church on depression and despondency: attitude and opinion

Main causes and signs of depression

Depression, as a disease that everyone knows about, has appeared quite recently. Some 50 years ago, the blues and despondency were called a whim, which can be cured by work. Doctors around the world have proven that depression is a disease associated with a violation of a person’s mental and mental state with a loss of the desire to live.

How to overcome despondency?

The Church has warned since Solomon that despondency undermines health (Proverbs 17:22)

Scientists characterize depression as burnout syndrome, chronic fatigue, despondency, blues, and neurotic conditions. All this concerns the soul and body only when the spirit is defeated, spiritual life and communication with God are disrupted.

Why does this happen or the main causes of the disease

How does despondency and disappointment, during which the feeling of joy disappears, turn life into a gray existence?

Any person who has “the ground knocked out from under his feet” can lose his full perception of life.

It could be:

• hereditary disease;
• dismissal from work;
• poverty;
• debts;
• betrayal;
• difficult childbirth;
• sick child;
• treason;
• constant criticism in the family.

There is no end to this list; any stress can cause illness.

When to contact specialists

Television is filled with continuous cataclysms and horror stories, and the exit is closed with seven seals, but only for those who do not read and do not try to understand the Bible.

One of the components of the manifestations of a depressive state is mental disorders:

• A sick person often yearns for no reason, suffers over the smallest trifles, and is constantly in a depressed state bordering on despair.
• A mentally unhealthy person constantly emanates a feeling of anxiety; it seems that all the nerves in him are internally tense. These people live with thoughts of death and depression.
• A constant state of irritability is mixed with feelings of guilt and self-reproach.
• A sick person is constantly dissatisfied with himself, he has low self-esteem and absolutely no self-confidence.
• A depressed state does not allow the patient to enjoy even the most pleasant memories and reduces interest in the life around him.

Any ailment of the patient himself or one of his family members causes fear, panic and the most pessimistic forecasts.

Helping a depressed person

Reacts to changes in the psyche and body:

• Regular lack of sleep as a result of poor sleep, insomnia, drowsiness during working hours are characteristic signs of despondency and blues.
• With depression, a person either does not eat anything, leading himself to anorexia, or engages in gluttony, eating every moment of apparent trouble.
• An incorrect attitude towards food intake affects the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract.
• Low self-esteem minimizes sex life.

Changes in behavior and thinking ability:

• passivity;
• privacy;
• alcohol and other addictions;
• thoughts of suicide;
• inhibition in reactions and expression of thoughts.

Every Christian is familiar with all these manifestations at a certain stage of life.

Attention! If more than five of the above signs do not leave you within 15 days, it is time to seek help first of all from your spiritual father. But we should not forget that clinical depression is treated by a psychiatrist.

What signs can be used to determine that a person is sad?

Dejection is a condition that can be identified by both external and internal signs. There are two main gradations. They can also be used to determine the presence of despondency. The first includes the emotional characteristics that are inherent in this state. The second includes physical manifestations.

What is the emotional state of a person when he is depressed?

1. Feelings of pity and resentment for oneself.
2. The impossibility of expecting anything good. A person who experiences despondency is in bad shape.
3. Anxious mood.
4. Bad feelings.
5. Low self-esteem. A person thinks that there is no happiness in life.
6. What previously brought positive emotions does not bring any joy in a state of despondency.
7. An indifferent attitude towards everything that happens appears.

What physical features appear when you are depressed?

1. There are problems with sleep.
2. A person begins to eat a lot or, on the contrary, his appetite decreases.
3. Fatigue appears quickly.

Major mistakes in treating depression

Often relatives do not believe in the seriousness of the disease and leave the mentally ill person alone with their problems, emphasizing their negativism. It is dangerous that such an attitude can lead to suicide. It is much easier to get rid of the patient by sending him to the hospital.

Even if doctors insist on hospitalization, relatives should surround the patient with their love and increased attention. There is a popular belief that psychiatric hospitals are akin to prisons. In these treatment facilities, many people are treated for basic addictions, smoking, drugs, and even computer games.

Advice! If necessary, you need to take medications and do not treat them as chemical poisons. After all, God often blesses the minds and hands of doctors.

Prayers for spiritual ailments:

• Prayers for fear, fear and anxiety
• Prayer to Nicholas the Wonderworker from anxiety for the future
• Orthodox prayer to calm the soul and body

Conquering the disease

How can you overcome despondency? This can be done through three basic practices that can help a person cope with this condition.

1. Help from a specialist, namely a psychologist. If a person is depressed, the doctor may prescribe special medications. They will help you get out of this situation.
2. Religion and faith in God help people reassess values ​​and look at life differently.
3. Supporting the spirit through sports activities. It is necessary to exercise and lead a healthy lifestyle.

Dejection is a state in which a person feels depressed and unwanted. At the first manifestations, an effort should be made to get out of apathy. You can’t give in to despondency; you need to force yourself to switch to other activities and stop self-searching.

Help from God is a reliable remedy

Medically, depression is treated with antidepressants. The Church in no way denies medical assistance, but only with parallel consultation with a spiritual mentor. Following the example of St. Luke, many doctors begin the day with prayer. The Gospel of Luke was written by the apostle, evangelist and physician rolled into one.

Prayers to Saint Panteleimon pulled people out of the black disease. Many icons have power over the forces of darkness, because despondency, melancholy, and depression are spirits, so every Orthodox home should have images of the Mother of God.

Prayers before the icon “Quiet my sorrows”

Hope to all the ends of the earth, Most Pure Virgin, Lady Theotokos, our consolation! Do not disdain us sinners, for we trust in Your mercy: extinguish the sinful flame burning in us and water our parched hearts with repentance; Cleanse our minds from sinful thoughts, accept the prayers offered to You from the soul and heart with sighs. Be an intercessor for us to Your Son and God and turn away His anger with Your Mother’s prayers. Heal mental and physical ulcers, Lady Lady, quench the illnesses of souls and bodies, calm the storm of evil attacks of the enemy, take away the burden of our sins, and do not leave us to perish until the end, and comfort our broken hearts with sadness, let us glorify Thee until our last breath.

Icon of the Mother of God “Quench My Sorrows”

Prayers before the icons of the Mother of God “Unexpected joy”

Oh, Most Holy Virgin, the All-Blessed Son of the All-Blessed Mother, the Patroness of this city and holy temple, faithful to the Representative and Intercessor of all who are in sins, sorrows, troubles and illnesses! Accept this prayer song from us, unworthy of Your servants, offered to You, and like the sinner of old, who prayed many times before Your honorable icon, You did not despise him, but You gave him the unexpected joy of repentance and You bowed Your Son to His many and zealous ones. intercession for the forgiveness of this sinner and erring one, so even now do not despise the prayers of us, Thy unworthy servants, and beg Thy Son and our God, so that all of us with faith and tenderness who worship before Thy celibate image will grant unexpected joy for each need: as a shepherd to the church - holy zeal for the salvation of the flock; a sinner mired in the depths of evil and passions - all-effective admonition, repentance and salvation; for those who are in sorrow and sorrow - consolation; those found in troubles and bitterness - their complete abundance; for the faint-hearted and unreliable - hope and patience; in the joy and contentment of those living - unceasing thanksgiving to God the Benefactor; to those in need - mercy; those who are in illness and long illness and abandoned by doctors - unexpected healing and strengthening; for those who were waiting for the mind from illness - return and renewal of the mind; those departing into eternal and endless life - memory of death, tenderness and contrition for sins, a cheerful spirit and firm hope in God's mercy. Oh, Most Holy Lady! Have mercy on all who honor Your honorable name, and show everyone Your all-powerful protection and intercession; abide in piety, purity and honest living until their last death in goodness; create evil good things; guide misconceptions onto the right path; Make progress in every good work that is pleasing to Your Son; Destroy every evil and ungodly deed; in bewilderment and difficult and dangerous circumstances, invisible help and admonition were sent down from heaven; save from temptations, seductions and destruction; protect and preserve from all evil people and from enemies visible and invisible; floating float; for those who travel, travel; Be the Nourisher for those in need and hunger; be the Cover and Refuge for those without shelter and shelter; Give clothes to the naked; for those offended and suffering from untruths - intercession; invisibly justify the slander, slander and blasphemy of those who suffer; expose slanderers and slanderers before everyone; Unexpectedly grant reconciliation to those who are bitterly at odds, and to all of us towards each other love, peace and piety and health with long life. Preserve marriages in love and like-mindedness; spouses who exist in enmity and division, die, unite to each other and establish an indestructible union of love for them; to mothers and children giving birth, grant permission quickly; educate infants, young ones to be chaste, open their minds to the perception of every useful teaching, instruct the fear of God, abstinence and hard work; Protect from domestic strife and enmity of half-bloods with peace and love. Be the Mother of motherless orphans, turn them away from every vice and defilement and teach everything good and pleasing to God; those who have been seduced into sin and uncleanness, having revealed the filth of sin, bring them out of the abyss of destruction. Be the Comforter and Helper of widows, be a rod of old age. Deliver us all from sudden death without repentance, and grant us all the Christian death of our life, painless, shameless, peaceful and a good answer at the terrible judgment of Christ, having ceased in faith and repentance from this life with the angels and all the saints, create a life; To those who died a sudden death, beseech Your Son to be merciful; for all the departed who have no relatives, who beg for the repose of your Son, be a constant and warm Prayer Book and Intercessor; Yes, everyone in heaven and on earth leads You as a firm and shameless Representative of the Christian race, glorifying You and Your Son with His Originless Father and His Consubstantial Spirit, now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Icon “Unexpected Joy”

Prayers before the icons of the Mother of God “Joy of All Who Sorrow”

Oh, Most Holy Lady Theotokos, blessed Mother of Christ God, our Savior, joy to all who mourn, visitation to the sick, protection and intercession of the weak, widows and orphans, patroness of the sad, all-reliable comforter of sad mothers, strength of weak babies, and always ready help and faithful refuge for all the helpless! You, O All-Merciful One, have been given grace from the Almighty to intercede for everyone and deliver them from sorrows and illnesses, since you yourself have endured fierce sorrows and illnesses, looking at the free suffering of Your beloved Son and Him crucified on the cross, seeing, when the weapon predicted by Simeon, the heart Yours has passed: in the same way, O Mother of children, listen to the voice of our prayer, comfort us in the sorrow of those who exist, like an intercessor faithful to joy. Standing before the throne of the Most Holy Trinity, at the right hand of Your Son, Christ our God, you can, if you desire, ask for everything useful to us: for the sake of heartfelt faith and love, we fall to You, as the Queen and Lady: hear, daughter, and see, and incline Your ear, hear our prayer and deliver us from current troubles and sorrows: You are the Joy of all the faithful, as you give peace and consolation. Behold our misfortune and sorrow: show us Thy mercy, send comfort to our hearts wounded by sorrow, show and surprise us sinners with the riches of Thy mercy, give us tears of repentance to cleanse our sins and quench the wrath of God, and with a pure heart, good conscience and With undoubted hope we resort to Your intercession and intercession. Accept, our All-merciful Lady Theotokos, our fervent prayer offered to You, and do not reject us, unworthy of Your mercy, but grant us deliverance from sorrow and illness, protect us from all slander of the enemy and human slander, be our constant helper all the days of our life , as if under Your maternal protection we will always pursue goals and preserve Your intercession and prayers to Your Son and God our Savior, to Him belongs all glory, honor and worship, with His beginningless Father and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos “Joy of All Who Sorrow”

Prayers before the icons of the Mother of God “Protection of the Blessed Virgin Mary”

O Most Holy Virgin, Mother of the Lord of the Highest Powers, Queen of Heaven and Earth, our city and country, our all-powerful Intercessor! Accept this singing of praise and gratitude from us, unworthy Thy servants, and lift up our prayers to the Throne of God Thy Son, that He may be merciful to our iniquities and add His grace to those who honor Thy all-honorable name and with faith and love worship Thy miraculous image. We are not worthy of being pardoned by Him, unless You propitiate Him for us, the Lady, for everything is possible for You from Him. For this reason, we resort to You, as to our undoubted and speedy Intercessor: hear us praying to You, cover us with Your all-powerful protection and ask God Your Son as our shepherd for zeal and vigilance for souls, as a city ruler for wisdom and strength, for judges of truth and impartiality, as a mentor reason and humility, love and harmony for a spouse, obedience for children, patience for those who are offended, fear of God for those who are offended, complacency for those who grieve, abstinence for those who rejoice: for all of us is the spirit of reason and piety, the spirit of mercy and meekness, the spirit of purity and truth. To her, Most Holy Lady, have mercy on Your weak people; Gather those who are scattered, guide those who have gone astray onto the right path, support old age, educate young ones with chastity, raise infants, and look upon us all with the care of Your merciful intercession; raise us up from the depths of sin and enlighten the eyes of our hearts to the vision of salvation; be merciful to us here and there, in the land of earthly arrival and at the Last Judgment of Your Son; Having ceased in faith and repentance from this life, our fathers and brethren began to live with the Angels and all the saints in eternal life. For you are, Lady, the Glory of the heavenly and the Hope of the earthly, You, according to God, are our Hope and Intercessor of all those who flow to You with faith. We therefore pray to You and to You, as the Almighty Helper, we commit ourselves and each other and our whole life, now and ever, and forever and ever. Amen.

Analyzing the disease, which in its scope is already equated to the level of cardiac lesions, it is difficult not to notice that among mentally unbalanced people there are no representatives of happy Christian families. These people have learned to rejoice in any situation. The Bible says “Rejoice” 365 times; God Himself gives instructions to find a grain of joy in every little thing.

People suffering from despondency and loss of joy in life should read the book or watch the movie “Pollyanna” about a girl who knows how to find a grain of joy in every situation. So, when asked what to be happy about if your leg is broken, a disarming answer was given - be glad that your other leg is healthy.

According to the theological doctor and psychiatrist Vasily Kaleda, before the onset of illness, Christians lose contact with God, neglect prayers, fasting and the Sacraments.

Orthodoxy has the strongest stimulants to endure adversity with the help of the Savior, filling with the power of His love during the sacrament of Communion.

Then all problems will be perceived as tests to confirm fidelity and involvement in the Holy Trinity. The faith-strengthening prayer of the Optina elders is a reliable anchor of peace.

Prayer of the last Optina elders at the beginning of the day

Lord, let me meet with peace of mind everything that this day will give me. Lord, let me completely surrender to Your Holy will. Lord, at every hour of this day, instruct and support me in everything. Lord, reveal to me Your will for me and those around me. Lord, whatever news I receive during the day, let me accept it with a calm soul and the firm conviction that everything is Your Holy will. Lord, Great, Merciful, guide my thoughts and feelings in all my deeds and words; in all unforeseen circumstances, do not let me forget that everything was sent down by You. Lord, let me act wisely with each of my neighbors, without upsetting anyone or embarrassing anyone. Lord, give me strength to endure the weariness of this day and all the events during it. Guide my will and teach me to pray and love everyone unfeignedly. Amen.

Prayer of the Optina Elders

Depression is especially terrible for the psyche of children and youth, whose Orthodox values ​​are not sufficiently formed. In this case, all hope for recovery rests with the love of the family and a wise counselor.

Even the most faithful Orthodox Christians experience mental pain, melancholy and confusion in days of deep upheaval, but the feeling of God’s protection gives strength to live on.

For some believers, Orthodoxy during depression becomes a religion of fear and sorrow, led by the Terrible Judge. This is Satan's lie. God is Love, we are His children, and He will never give us more trials than we can bear.

Since the fourth century, the Holy Fathers have warned against a spirit of despondency and disappointment in the Church.

About spiritual life in Orthodoxy:

• How to fast before communion
• Is it possible for Orthodox Christians to go to churches of other religions?
• Catechism in Orthodoxy

Dejection is a sin. Religious point of view

There are two types of despondency. The first type is a state that completely consumes a person and causes loss of spirit. And the second type of despondency is associated with anger and irritability. Regardless of the type, despondency is a sin.

A person who is in this state may begin to blame other people for his misfortunes. The more he plunges into himself, the more he blames others. Also, the number of people who are considered culprits is increasing. A person develops anger and hatred towards all people with whom he comes into contact in one way or another.

You should understand: everything that happens to us is a consequence of our actions. If someone finds himself in a situation that makes him uncomfortable, then he created it himself. In order to get out of it, you need to start acting differently.

You also need to remember that the more angry you are at circumstances or an unfavorable situation, the worse it will be. And if you accept everything humbly, the situation will resolve itself. There is no need to drive yourself to despair. It can lead to thoughts of suicide.