The Catholic Guide To Depression

Countless Christians — including scores of saints — have suffered profound, pervasive sorrow that modern psychiatrists call “depression.” Then, as now, great faith and even fervent spiritual practices have generally failed to ease this wearying desolation of soul. In these pages, Catholic psychiatrist Aaron Kheriaty reviews the effective ways that have recently been devised to deal with this grave and sometimes deadly affliction — ways that are not only consistent with the teachings of the Church, but even rooted in many of those teachings. Extensive clinical experience treating patients with depression has shown Dr. Kheriaty that the confessional can't cure neuroses, nor can the couch forgive sin. Healing comes only when we integrate the legitimate discoveries of modern psychology and pharmacology with spiritual direction and the Sacraments, giving particular attention to the wisdom of the Church Fathers and the saints. Here, with the expert help of Dr. Kheriaty, you'll learn how to distinguish depression from similarlooking but fundamentally different mental states such as guilt, sloth, the darkness of sin, and the sublime desolation called “dark night of the soul” that is, in fact, a privileged spiritual trial sent to good souls as a special gift from God. You'll come to know how to identify the various types of depression and come to understand the interplay of their often manifold causes, biological, psychological, behavioral, cultural, and, yes, moral. Then you'll learn about exciting breakthroughs in pharmacological and other medical treatments, the benefits and limitations of psychotherapy, the critical place that spiritual direction must have in your healing, and the vital role that hope — Christian hope — can play in driving out depression.

How would it feel to live through periods of emotional fragility and be surrounded by a supportive community, get up most mornings believing your life has meaning, and be confident that Jesus understands and holds your tears as sacred? It might seem an incredible dream, and almost impossible when we consider the feeling of utter emptiness, the collapse of the will to live, the devastating loss of self-worth that fills the heart of the person who lives with the heavy burden of depression or mental illness. Sr Kathryn Hermes knows the dull ache of depression firsthand and in Surviving Depression offers a practical method to progressively greater health and wholeness. Surviving Depression shows you how to take the first steps to healing and how to build into your life practices that will help you embark on a spiritual journey through the darkness. You will learn how to reconnect with your heart, build connections with others, grow in self-esteem, stop spiraling negative thoughts, and live with more inner peace and gratitude. This edition incorporates additional material that reflects new developments in wellness with regard to depression and is more grounded in the interlinking of God’s life within us and our concrete psychological makeup. Practical tips for friends and family members of someone suffering with depression appear at the end of each chapter, as well as an entire chapter devoted to companioning a depressed friend. Things can be different. Surviving Depression will guide you from the winter of first diagnosis to the spring of new life.

2023 College Theology Society Best Book Award 2023 Catholic Media Association Third Place Award, Theology – Morality, Ethics, Christology, Mariology, and Redemption 2023 Association of Catholic Publishers Second Place Award, Theology Dust in the Blood considers the harrowing realities of life with depression from a Christian theological perspective. In conversation with popular Christian theologies of depression that justify why this suffering exists and prescribe how people ought to relate to it, Jessica Coblentz offers another Christian approach to this condition: she reflects on depression as a wilderness experience. Weaving first-person narratives of depression, contemporary theologies of suffering, and ancient biblical tales of the wilderness, especially the story of Hagar, Coblentz argues for and contributes to an expansion of Christian ideas about what depression is, how God relates to it, and how Christians should understand and respond to depression in turn.

Winner of a 2020 Excellence in Publishing Award from the Association of Catholic Publishers (second place, ministry); 2020 Catholic Press Association book award (second place, family life). Do you struggle to know when or if it's appropriate to step in to help a teen who seems stressed, anxious, or depressed? Do you know the signs to look for to determine whether a teen is in distress? In Helping Teens with Stress, Anxiety, and Depression, Roy Petitfils--a Catholic author, speaker, and psychotherapist--offers his personal experience, advice, and faith to give parents, pastors, and youth leaders the knowledge, courage, and tools they need to step in, make a difference, and be the presence of Christ for teens in crisis. Roy Petitfils knows what it's like to be an addicted, depressed teenager, filled with self-loathing and desperate for help. He describes himself at high school graduation as by far the largest person in his hometown and yet feeling as though he were "stuck in Harry Potter's invisibility cloak." Weighing more than 500 pounds, he was addicted to food and hated himself. Now a leading Catholic voice in youth advocacy and creator of the popular podcast Today's Teenager, Petitfils entered adulthood a very different person than he is today. His life was radically changed by a handful of people in college who reached out in friendship and helped him set a new course. Using personal life lessons and expertise gleaned from more than twenty-five years in youth ministry and private practice as a licensed counselor, Petitfils teaches parents, pastors, and youth leaders what they need to know about mental health issues among America's youth. Whether teens need help coping with healthy levels of stress or face persistent, more serious problems with anxiety and depression, Petitfils will help the adults in their lives get comfortable with stepping in. Petitfils offers information and advice on: the major causes of stress and anxiety in teens today differentiating healthy stress from toxic stress simple steps to take after identifying a hurting kid, beginning with how to assess whether and how to step in the art of listening He explores the support and comfort available through the sacraments, Catholic devotions, different forms of prayer, and reading the Bible. Ultimately, Petitfils identifies how to gently, yet persuasively guide hurting young people to deeper trust in the tender mercies of God.

A compassionate, shame-free guide for your darkest days “A one-of-a-kind book . . . to read for yourself or give to a struggling friend or loved one without the fear that depression and suicidal thoughts will be minimized, medicalized or over-spiritualized.”—Kay Warren, cofounder of Saddleback Church What happens when loving Jesus doesn’t cure you of depression, anxiety, or suicidal thoughts? You might be crushed by shame over your mental illness, only to be told by well-meaning Christians to “choose joy” and “pray more.” So you beg God to take away the pain, but nothing eases the ache inside. As darkness lingers and color drains from your world, you’re left wondering if God has abandoned you. You just want a way out. But there’s hope. In I Love Jesus, But I Want to Die, Sarah J. Robinson offers a healthy, practical, and shame-free guide for Christians struggling with mental illness. With unflinching honesty, Sarah shares her story of battling depression and fighting to stay alive despite toxic theology that made her afraid to seek help outside the church. Pairing her own story with scriptural insights, mental health research, and simple practices, Sarah helps you reconnect with the God who is present in our deepest anguish and discover that you are worth everything it takes to get better. Beautifully written and full of hard-won wisdom, I Love Jesus, But I Want to Die offers a path toward a rich, hope-filled life in Christ, even when healing doesn’t look like what you expect.

This is a Marian Consecration that people don't want to see end. Healing miracles, reunited families, and Catholic conversions have occurred because of the graces that flow from this self-guided retreat. Mary's Mantle Consecration: A Spiritual Retreat for Heaven's Help, endorsed by Bishop Myron J. Cotta, offers an outpouring of grace upon your life and your loved ones. St. Pope John Paul II said that his consecration to Mary was "a decisive turning point in my life." It can be the same for you. Mary's Mantle Consecration comes to us in tumultuous times. Today it is important that we consecrate ourselves to the Mother of God, entrusting our lives to her protection, guidance, and care, inviting her to conform us to the likeness of her Son. There is so much need and brokenness in the world, in the Church, in our families, and in our hearts. By preparing for consecration through the power of the Rosary, a little fasting, and a two-minute daily reading of a beautiful meditation on a virtue or gift of the Holy Spirit (people's favorite part), we can expect heaven's help. This self-guided retreat for consecration is perfect for individuals, couples, families, groups and parishes. It comes with an additional opportunity to dive even deeper into God through a companion workbook with quotes from saints, passages of Scripture, and insightful questions for reflection, called Mary's Mantle Consecration Prayer Journal.

A fierce war rages for your soul. Are you ready for battle? Like it or not, you are at war. You face a powerful enemy out to destroy you. You live on the battlefield, so you can’t escape the conflict. It’s a spiritual war with crucial consequences in your everyday life and its outcome will determine your eternal destiny. You must engage the Enemy. And as you fight, you need a Manual for Spiritual Warfare. This guide for spiritual warriors will help you recognize, resist, and overcome the Devil’s attacks. Part One, “Preparing for Battle,” answers these critical questions: • Who is Satan, and what powers does he have? • What are his typical strategies? • Who fights him alongside us in battle? • What spiritual weapons and armor do we possess? • How do we keep the Enemy out of our camp? Part Two, “Aids in Battle,” provides you these essential resources: • Teaching about spiritual warfare from Scripture and Church documents • Scripture verses for battle • Wisdom and inspiration from saints who fought Satan • Prayers for protection, deliverance, and victory • Rosary meditations, hymns, and other devotions for spiritual combat St. Paul urges us to “fight the good fight of the faith” (1 Tim 6:12). Take this Manual for Spiritual Warfare with you into battle. The beautiful Premium UltraSoft gift edition features sewn binding, ribbon marker and silver edges.

When people die by suicide, they leave behind family and friends who suddenly find themselves mourning the person's loss and wondering what happened. This guide addresses many personal issues related to a death by suicide, including telling others, working through the grief, finding what helps people to heal, and grieving in children and youth. This Ontario guide also outlines practical things that need taking care of, such as arranging a funeral and dealing with the deceased's personal, legal and financial matters. A resource section lists organizations, websites and books that may help.