Seeking advice

[occamsrazor18]

Hi all,

This post is directed at Orthodox believers. I am a newly baptized Eastern Orthodox Christian. I came into the church last Sunday on the feast of the Nativity (old cal). I was most recently RC for 2 years before becoming Orthodox, and Protestant (Reformed & Anglican) before that.

I am looking for recommendations for daily and "in-the-moment" practices for managing anxiety and depression. My spiritual father has given me some resources and I have a book on battling depression with quotes from the fathers. I am endeavoring to pray morning and evening prayers daily as well as pray the Jesus prayer when I have moments that don't require my full attention.

1. The situation that prompted my question was something I've experienced regularly for most of my life. I will be fine and then suddenly not. Nothing is wrong, I just feel what I would describe as melancholy. I will feel some kind of sad, down, etc. It doesn't last, but does stick around for some time. I do my best to get through it (distract myself, pray if I can, quote scripture, say the Jesus prayer, etc).

2. The other aspect I would appreciate advice for would be what I call collected anxiety. I'm somewhat introverted, but have a job where I need to service end users quite often. When I get to the end of the day, I'm pretty drained and need to be very careful when I get home to listen and be patient to my kiddos. I can usually pull it off, but it requires a lot of effort. Advice appreciated.

FYI I am prescribed a low dose SSRI, which does help. It helps the general anxiety.

Thanks for any advice and encouragement you can offer.

Regards,
Mark (Mark Eugenikos)

 

[HTacianas]

Hi all,

This post is directed at Orthodox believers. I am a newly baptized Eastern Orthodox Christian. I came into the church last Sunday on the feast of the Nativity (old cal). I was most recently RC for 2 years before becoming Orthodox, and Protestant (Reformed & Anglican) before that.

I am looking for recommendations for daily and "in-the-moment" practices for managing anxiety and depression. My spiritual father has given me some resources and I have a book on battling depression with quotes from the fathers. I am endeavoring to pray morning and evening prayers daily as well as pray the Jesus prayer when I have moments that don't require my full attention.

1. The situation that prompted my question was something I've experienced regularly for most of my life. I will be fine and then suddenly not. Nothing is wrong, I just feel what I would describe as melancholy. I will feel some kind of sad, down, etc. It doesn't last, but does stick around for some time. I do my best to get through it (distract myself, pray if I can, quote scripture, say the Jesus prayer, etc).

2. The other aspect I would appreciate advice for would be what I call collected anxiety. I'm somewhat introverted, but have a job where I need to service end users quite often. When I get to the end of the day, I'm pretty drained and need to be very careful when I get home to listen and be patient to my kiddos. I can usually pull it off, but it requires a lot of effort. Advice appreciated.

FYI I am prescribed a low dose SSRI, which does help. It helps the general anxiety.

Thanks for any advice and encouragement you can offer.

Regards,
Mark (Mark Eugenikos)

Hi Mark. Probably the best advice anyone can give you right now is to talk these things over with your doctor. I can relate to some of the things you've mentioned, especially the transient depression you call melancholy. I had the same thing all my life and never knew it. I thought that was just the way things are. I was prescribed a medication for something completely unrelated that had the effect of smoothing out the low spots. I talked about it with my doctor and the conversation went something like, "hey this is working for what you gave it to me for but I notice this thing is a little better also but now I feel like...". He ended up changing the medication to something different but similar and everything worked out.

Now, keep up your prayers the way you have been but also talk to your doctor about how you're feeling. Maybe he can make a change for you too.

 

[abacabb3]

My personal advice is to follow the regular spiritual disciplines and make it a rule that you are not going to exceed them to super human levels. Fast and pray, but dont kill yourself if you dont uave unceasing prayer (nobody does). Also, be wary of the "blame yourself for everything" mentality from the holy fathers. Its not wrong, but it is for the spiritually mature and also it can prevent issues from being resolved. Being that your issues dont seem interpersonal, id think applying it would be very dentrimental in your case.

 

[ArmyMatt]

I would talk to your priest about any place to go on pilgrimage. regular attendance of the monastic life (silence, prayers, obedience, discipline, etc) can do wonders.

 

[prodromos]

I would talk to your priest about any place to go on pilgrimage. regular attendance of the monastic life (silence, prayers, obedience, discipline, etc) can do wonders.

I second this. If you can develop a relationship with the monks or nuns at a monastery you are able to visit regularly, it does wonders for recharging your spiritual batteries, plus you will have a few other people praying for you on a daily basis.
Also, ask God to introduce you to the right people in your own parish. We've been incredibly blessed in our relationship with one particular couple in our parish