Conquering Depression

Heavenly Wisdom from God-illumined Teachers on Conquering Depression - St. Herman of Alaska Brotherhood

What's the angle?
   The library office at Richmond Hill has a dozen or so books from the press of St. Herman of Alaska Brotherhood, mostly Russian Orthodox stuff, or things based on the Philokalia. Really cool. 
   This book begins with a very brief testimonial about Maria of Gatchina, who, during a paralyzing illness, was blessed with the spiritual gift of "consolation of the sorrowing." People from all around came to her for illumination, comfort, and counsel. Later she was imprisoned for her faith and died a martyr.
   The rest of the book is made up of teachings and prayers about depression from the Orthodox tradition, from Paul, early Greek writers and desert fathers, on up to the 20th century. The bulk of the excerpts come from 18th-20th century Russian monks.

What is depression?
   I loved both the unity and variety of this book. Depression, dejection, despondency, insensibility, sorrow, grief, despair, gloom: the authors witness to all these and more. Is this depression in the modern, western sense? Definitely so, at least by DSM criteria.
   Mostly what the monks address are prolonged periods (weeks, months, or years) of low or sad mood, a feeling of spiritual disconnection, a loss of the hope or sensitivity to life, loss of energy for their normal activities, feeling like their lives are pointless, overwhelming guilt or shame. The only criterion that doesn't appear here is suicidal ideation or attempts (except when in reference to Judas).
   Despondency may be the word most used in this collection. I'm not sure, maybe dejection or depression. I'm guessing "acedia" or a Russian version of that is the key orthodox term in play.

What causes depression?
   Again there is diversity, with common threads. Here are some diagnoses:

• the devil or a demon of gloom is attacking you, draining you, clouding your spirit and dulling your mind, trying to convince you to give up the monastic life
• God is punishing or disciplining you for some sin
• God is testing your faith; will you love God in the bad times as well as the good?
• God is forming you with the hammer of suffering and deprivation
• you're thinking too much about yourself, about what you lack, or about your past sins.
• it's part of the natural up's and down's of monastic life

Practically, it might be your fault, it might be the devil's fault, or it might be God's fault, but one way or another depression is always defined or explained vis-a-vis God. For the monastic, God is the ultimate reference point, and every experience is caused or allowed by God and, to the eye of faith, leads to God.

How do you "conquer" depression?
   You don't. According to most of these writers, if you live right, then eventually it goes away, or God sends you consolation in the midst of it. I'm not sure why the editors chose "conquer." "We are more than conquerors." It fits with the spiritual battle language, but "resist" or "endure" appear more often here. Here are some treatments:

• Repent! Drop to you knees and pray for forgiveness and begin again. Perhaps you know you have sinned or been forgetful of God. Perhaps God will reveal a hidden sin to you. (this seems a dangerous tack for someone who is depressed, but I guess it worked for many of these folks) In any case, the monk's life is one of constantly (re)turning to God.
• Resist! Don't give into the despair. Don't leave your cell, or abandon your calling. Keep up your prayers, even in the sorrow or pointlessness. Eventually you will come out of the dark cloud.
• Be humble. Bear your cross patiently. "By your endurance you will save your souls." Jesus has "sanctified the road of suffering with his feet."