Despair

[missionseeker]

How do I know if I am guilty of despair? Is there a difference between despair and depression? If there is, what is it? Or should I just go to confession? And how do I quit despairing(if, in fact, I am despairing)?

[franciscanheart]

nick will be the best one to answer this i believe.... despair is when you feel there is nothing to be done about life and the problems you face. despair is pretty much at the end of your rope to the point that suicide is a thought. ((i may be way off but thats what i remember of it))

[missionseeker]

not at suicide. but the rest ...

I don't think i will get to suicide either just so you know.

Edited November 12, 2005 by missionseeker

[Paphnutius]

If you are talking about the sin of despair against hope it is when someone positiviely gives up the attempt to attain to eteranal salvation because he judges that attainment impossible or too difficult for him.

This might sometimes denying that God wills all to be saved, or saying that God wills all to be saved, but he himself cannot be saved (the human in despair that is).

Depression, while although serious, I am not sure is a sin unless one wallows in it and attempts to prolong it.

This is not to be confused with discouragement. Despair against the virtue hope is a sin of defect of the virtue. If one is truly in despair as said above, one should certainly go to confession. If one is having problems with being depressed, one still should seek spiritual guidance from his or her pastor or other director. The director should know what next step, if any, should be taken.

[phatcatholic]

nutty nailed it. if i could add my 0.02....

despair is also a sin against the Holy Spirit if it includes thoughts of being too unworthy to be forgiven by the Lord or if it views the Lord as disinterested in forgiving us. it is "unforgiveable" in the since that it compels a person to avoid availing themselves of the Lord's forgiveness, and no sin can be forgiven that is not confessed.

[seneca]

I know whay you're speaking about...I've been fighting against depression and dispair for a few years now...and its quite the uphill battle.

How do you know you''ve fallen into dispair? I think you'll know, thats why the good Lord gave us a concience...For me its when I want to give up the fight in life...and when I loose all hope. (Depression is the feeling, dispair is the discission)

Never allow yourself to fall that far. If you feel down , do something to lift your spirits...do sports, eat healthy...anything good to keep your spirits up. I always go and buy an ice cream or a bar of belgian chocolote when I feel down...but thats me.

Take vitamins daily as well, they do help to reduce the intensity as well as promote overall good health. Lastly rememeber that God will never abondon you, even if it feels that way.

[phatcatholic]

good post seneca

to phatmass!!!

[seneca]

Thanks phatcatholic

Have to excuse my spelling sometimes...English is not my first language

[Paphnutius]

[quote name='seneca' date='Nov 12 2005, 11:00 AM']Thanks phatcatholic

Have to excuse my spelling sometimes...English is not my first language
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You are doing a lot better in English than most native English speakers do. :

Also, I found that running helps when I feel overwhelmed, especially with someone else.

[cmotherofpirl]

[quote name='seneca' date='Nov 12 2005, 12:00 PM']Thanks phatcatholic

Have to excuse my spelling sometimes...English is not my first language
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What is your first language?

Depression can be a physical ailment, but despair is beyond even that. Despair means you have given up.
Make sure you are physically healthy ,and go to confession.

[missionseeker]

Thanks y'all. I am just depressed. Right now.

[missionseeker]

I feel like God gave me stuff to deal with and I am not dealing with it well. I feel like I failed. Not unforgivable, though. I don't know what's wrong with me. Never felt like this before.

[Paphnutius]

Well a lot of times a good long confession or session with a spiritual director is a step in the right direction. If you feel like you failed, it is often best to tell someone who knows how to help and understands.

[missionseeker]

I plan on confession. Unfortunately, the nearest place is over an hour away.

[phatcatholic]

don't worry, some people pray that long before they enter the confessional anyway. so you can spend the drive up there doing a thorough examination of conscience and praying to the Holy Spirit that he will help you to make a perfect act of contrition.

[missionseeker]

A good confession with a good priest is worth a long drive. I feel so much better. We used to go to Birmingham when my dad worked there and went to EWTN for confession. One time all the EWTN priests were on a retreat and they had a substitute from one of the churches. He was deaf. I was confessing and he was YELLING at me that I didn't know how to go to confession and lots of other things. He so nerved me out thta I have no idea if i confessed everything or anything. Worst confession ever. There should be something in Canon Law that says deaf preists should not do confession.

[photosynthesis]

[quote name='missionseeker' date='Nov 12 2005, 10:03 PM']I feel like God gave me stuff to deal with and I am not dealing with it well. I feel like I failed. Not unforgivable, though. I don't know what's wrong with me. Never felt like this before.
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if you ever need to talk, you can always IM or PM me. I can try to be a good listener

[missionseeker]

Thanks. I'll remeber that.

It'll be PM cuz I don't have IM.

[photosynthesis]

[quote name='missionseeker' date='Nov 13 2005, 11:59 PM']Thanks. I'll remeber that.

It'll be PM cuz I don't have IM.
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no worries!

[seneca]

[quote name='cmotherofpirl' date='Nov 12 2005, 05:20 PM']
What is your first language?

Depression can be a physical ailment, but despair is beyond even that. Despair means you have given up.
Make sure you are physically healthy ,and go to confession.
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Thanks for the welcome. My first language is Afrikaans. A from of Dutch found in South Africa.

[b]missionseeker
[/b]
The most important thing is to never give up. Dont ever give up no matter how down you'e feeling.

Edited November 14, 2005 by seneca