Is despondency really a mortal sin?

[Basil the Great]

Doing a quick Google search..... I cannot be certain, but it looks like I probably found my info on the Orthodox website, orthodoxinfo.com. Hence, I guess I should have posted my thread there, so sorry. Nevertheless, this is an important topic and so it is probably not a bad idea to discuss it here.

I think that there is a very fine line between the apparent Orthodox mortal sin term "despondency" and the Catholic mortal sin term "despair". The two words are very similiar in meaning, at least they certainly can be, depending upon the situation, although despair would appear to be a bit more serious. Despondency is probably just a step above despair and that can certainly lead to suicide. Since the EOC and the RCC share most of the same Church Fathers, this teaching must have a common foundation. For practical purposes, I am not sure if there is a difference between the RCC using the term despair and the EOC warning against despondency. The teaching is effectively the same thing. I guess it just boils down to understanding it corrrectly.

 

[WarriorAngel]

Basil i am sure as a general depression and not from any distrust in God - it is not a sin.
Its a sin when it relates to distrust in God...

To simplify what i posted earlier. Make sense?

 

[benedictaoo]

Doing a quick Google search..... I cannot be certain, but it looks like I probably found my info on the Orthodox website, orthodoxinfo.com. Hence, I guess I should have posted my thread there, so sorry. Nevertheless, this is an important topic and so it is probably not a bad idea to discuss it here.

I think that there is a very fine line between the apparent Orthodox mortal sin term "despondency" and the Catholic mortal sin term "despair". The two words are very similiar in meaning, at least they certainly can be, depending upon the situation, although despair would appear to be a bit more serious. Despondency is probably just a step above despair and that can certainly lead to suicide. Since the EOC and the RCC share most of the same Church Fathers, this teaching must have a common foundation. For practical purposes, I am not sure if there is a difference between the RCC using the term despair and the EOC warning against despondency. The teaching is effectively the same thing. I guess it just boils down to understanding it corrrectly.

Common sense goes a long way Basil. No Church accept a really messed one would teach clinical depression, a chemical imbalance in the brain, is a sin.

 

[Basil the Great]

Common sense goes a long way Basil. No Church accept a really messed one would teach clinical depression, a chemical imbalance in the brain, is a sin.

As usual, bene, your answers make a lot of sense.

 

[Basil the Great]

Basil i am sure as a general depression and not from any distrust in God - it is not a sin.
Its a sin when it relates to distrust in God...

To simplify what i posted earlier. Make sense?

Yes, distrust in God would be a serious sin. Agreed.

 

[JoabAnias]

Doing a quick Google search..... I cannot be certain, but it looks like I probably found my info on the Orthodox website, orthodoxinfo.com. Hence, I guess I should have posted my thread there, so sorry. Nevertheless, this is an important topic and so it is probably not a bad idea to discuss it here.

I think that there is a very fine line between the apparent Orthodox mortal sin term "despondency" and the Catholic mortal sin term "despair". The two words are very similiar in meaning, at least they certainly can be, depending upon the situation, although despair would appear to be a bit more serious. Despondency is probably just a step above despair and that can certainly lead to suicide. Since the EOC and the RCC share most of the same Church Fathers, this teaching must have a common foundation. For practical purposes, I am not sure if there is a difference between the RCC using the term despair and the EOC warning against despondency. The teaching is effectively the same thing. I guess it just boils down to understanding it corrrectly.

Its OK, no need for the source if its too much bother because the answer is the same either way. Any source can raise questions like this.

Pray for the gifts of discernment and wisdom and re-read that section in the Catechism on sin linked up above until it makes clear sense. I'm sure the distinctions between mortal and venial sin will really help bring you a more certain understanding of Gods Mercy.

Are any of the explanations helping?

 

[benedictaoo]

Yes, distrust in God would be a serious sin. Agreed.

Look at it like this; the sin of apathy, despondency and despair are not connected to the words in a medial sense and these are all symptoms of depression.

If there isn't anything wrong with you and you willfully choose to have apathy or you are indifferent, then that is sinful.

With that said, depression can also be brought on from a person living a life of serious sin or guilt and when you do not trust in God to forgive you, you fall deeper into the illness. The depression would be a nice gift of Satan, the wages of sin is death. All sin carries a consequence and depression surely is one of them and depression kills as we all know too well.

It would just behoove us to say why a person suffers from depression. It could be from a chemical imbalance, it could be from stress, we do not know.

We know that all illness is due to sin and the fallen world in which we live... When we get sick, we aren't committing any actual sin of our own but we suffer an effect of the fall. So its sin only in that sense.

The devil wants to kill us all, both physically and spiritually so technically he can use your illness to attack you and get you mad at God and that anger can bring you to a place of despair and despondency.

Its just impossible to sift through what is what when you are dealing with illness and disorders of the brain.

So confess any "sin" ie, bad feelings you have and put it all in God's hand and trust, know He is mercy itself.

 

[WarriorAngel]

Glad if i could be of any help...if i was.
Peace

 

[Lady Bug]

well even without a chemical imbalance in the brain it is hard to trust God all the time. sometimes I can't help but either get angry at him or think that his justice is screwed up and upside down. I'm sorry if some people never have a problem with that.

sometimes I just wonder if I should even bother hoping to go to Heaven because these sins are not going to disappear anytime soon. they're part of my emotions somehow. if God didn't like it he should get rid of it.

 

[BAFRIEND]

It is certainly NOT a sin:

"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."
Matthew 5:3 NIV

you misunderstand the meaning of the beatitude

 

[benedictaoo]

well even without a chemical imbalance in the brain it is hard to trust God all the time. sometimes I can't help but either get angry at him or think that his justice is screwed up and upside down. I'm sorry if some people never have a problem with that.

sometimes I just wonder if I should even bother hoping to go to Heaven because these sins are not going to disappear anytime soon. they're part of my emotions somehow. if God didn't like it he should get rid of it.

Those feelings are normal for the fallen beings we all are. Its part of what the fall gave you and I But we have to fight against them with what He says in is word and through the teachings of the Church.

Is a choice to assent to it even if the feelings don't always back that up, eventually through grace, the feelings will catch up to what we know.

But the main point is, there is a spiritual problem called despondency and there is a medial condition called depression and the two should not be seen as the same.

 

[WarriorAngel]

well even without a chemical imbalance in the brain it is hard to trust God all the time. sometimes I can't help but either get angry at him or think that his justice is screwed up and upside down. I'm sorry if some people never have a problem with that.

sometimes I just wonder if I should even bother hoping to go to Heaven because these sins are not going to disappear anytime soon. they're part of my emotions somehow. if God didn't like it he should get rid of it.

If things creep in, and they do, i say 'go away, i love the Lord' and it goes away.

I have bouts of depression and its hard getting out of bed and moving... and thinking and all the good stuff depression can yield. But life is hard and thankfully if not for God - we would not have tomorrow with God in Heaven... [and the pain here will be forgotten.]

SO give it a 'meh' to the thots and chose to think of the merit we receive in suffering for God and He makes us lighter.
Or...carry on, and see how it works out for you.
Obviously it isnt working hun.

Its hard - but worth it. Immediate gratification isnt all its cracked up to be.

Peace be with you...always in my prayers.

 

[WarriorAngel]

Also - there could be some meds to help you...wellbutrin is supposedly good but expensive...or get samples from the doc.

 

[benedictaoo]

I tried that... it was prescribed by a OBGYN who did weight loss on the side and the combo of antidepressants with Adapex (sp?) was his own Phen-Phen after the FDA took it off the market.

Make a long story short, I asked for wellbutrin based on my own research of it.

Its used to treat smoking and ADD as well. I have neither but this is what I preferred as oppressed to Zolft.

Make a even longer sort short- a nurse practitioner friend of mine prescribed WB for my husband for his smoking and at the time my ADHD son was 10, a doctor prescribed him that for his ADHD.

Make a long story short some more, the side effect of it was irritability to the point where we all had to stop taking it.

All three of us were snapping at each other and looking back, it was 12 years ago, it was kinda funny. I remember my husband taking a meatball off a plate I was holding and thinking to myself, "if he doesn't hurry up and get this meatball off this plate, I'm going to throw this plate against the wall..."

anyway, thought I'd share. Some of these meds, you trade one set of symptoms for others.

I remember the drug gave me depression and I remember thinking, if this is what the sick ppl have to get them better, they ain't getting better.

 

[balesom]

anyway, thought I'd share. Some of these meds, you trade one set of symptoms for others.

I remember the drug gave me depression and I remember thinking, if this is what the sick ppl have to get them better, they ain't getting better.

You too, eh? When I took Wellbutrin, I traded depression for depression. It never got better, just worse. I had been on a few antidepressants in the past, and they never did anything harmful to me. I was on a high dose of Zoloft, and it made me feel mildly better. Recently (two years ago), I took Wellbutrin, Celexa, and something else to try and help my depression. Just got a bit worse. Then I was given Prozac, and was nearly bedridden from depression. You know there's a problem when someone comes to your place every afternoon to make sure you're okay.

Since then, my doctor put me on a diet and exercise, and it's helped the most. I've since fallen away from it, and need to get back on. Which I think I'm going to do today.

 

[benedictaoo]

I didn't nor have I ever had depression but after I took Zolft, I felt depressed. WellButrin just made me irritable as heck.

Shame on me for taking it to lose a few pounds of vanity weight. It was a long time ago and me and some co workers at the time all went to this crazy OBGYN and he prescribed it.

I distinctly remember being at work and saying I was going to go get some coffee and to slit my wrists. I was joking of course but I remember it making me depressed.

The point of it was to mellow out the effects of the stimulant we were also prescribed.

 

[WarriorAngel]

I took welbutrin for depression after my nephews died back in 2002 and i felt great and lost a little weight.
BUT i couldnt afford it. It cost out of pocket $100 a month and so i quit and went on zoloft and had some really weird side effects...thats when the tingling in my hands started, and now i dont want anything at all and just get past the issues and force myself to feel confident and even going to work [sales ] i have a hard time wanting to face the rejection on top of it.

My son was on two meds for depression because he couldnt cope with ppl belittling him for being short - which now he is average height... but the meds made him NASTY!
He got in a fight with me and i took him off them and he hasnt been like that since.

The Rosary brings me up - so thats my antidepressant now.

 

[Lady Bug]

Well after having tried 2 antidepressants in the past, Celexa and Zoloft (not together) and having them both making me wanting to literally murder people out of the clear blue (yes, you heard me) and exacerbating my suicidal thoughts, I'm not crazy about them. I don't believe that these drug companies care one iota about making you better on these things. There's just something about these pills that gives me the feeling that I should stay away. Those things make me homicidal. And I'm not crazy about taking a chance with a 3rd attempt because by the grace of God I was able to control those impulses.

And no, I'm not that type of person. those drugs drastically changed my personality and I know some will say "you probably need to try another drug," blah blah. I'm sorry. That's something no one can make me do.

 

[benedictaoo]

Sounds like my typical experience with meds and my own son.

I would like for my son who is now 22 to try wellburtin again to see if it, as an adult, to see if it helps with his adult ADD and his now bad smoking habit that I could kill him with my bare hands for.

My sister tried Prozac for her fatigue and depression that is associated with PMDD and sadly what works for her is B/C pills.

 

[benedictaoo]

Well after having tried 2 antidepressants in the past, Celexa and Zoloft (not together) and having them both making me wanting to literally murder people out of the clear blue (yes, you heard me) and exacerbating my suicidal thoughts, I'm not crazy about them. I don't believe that these drug companies care one iota about making you better on these things. There's just something about these pills that gives me the feeling that I should stay away. Those things make me homicidal. And I'm not crazy about taking a chance with a 3rd attempt because by the grace of God I was able to control those impulses.

And no, I'm not that type of person. those drugs drastically changed my personality and I know some will say "you probably need to try another drug," blah blah. I'm sorry. That's something no one can make me do.

Yep.