Joy of All Who Sorrow


| Home | About Depression | Rescue | Managing Crisis | Reassurance and Love |
| Obtaining Sustenance | Building Strength | Quotes from the Fathers | Fighting Back |
| Logismoi (Advanced Battle Techniques) | Links | Disclaimer | |

Joy of All Who Sorrow

 

Dear Visitor:

The original Joy in Sorrow website was taken down by the owner.

Fortunately, I found it in the Wayback Archive and was able to "save" many of the pages - the content, if not the formating - before it was permanently removed from the Wayback Archive.

Not having to fight depression and despondency myself may be either an advantage or a drawback to the readers of this reconstructed website. Some may not perceive me as having the personal "credentials" to be credible. However, as an Orthodox Christian who has a lifetime of experience with people and as an advanced degree nurse, I have worked with people challenged by depression. Several members of my family have fought against depression with varying success over the years. Two members have attempted suicide, and several friends did commit suicide. I and my family gave support to the families as best we could, and prayed mightily. Those were very difficult times.

I believe these experiences qualify me to be of assistance - at least to the extent of reconstructing parts of the Joy In Sorrow website and, in fact, reorganizing it and adding some new things to it.

Please be patient as I work on this.

A word of warning: This site is very narrowly focused and intended for people who are willing to put in the blood, sweat, and tears to wage Orthodox Christian spiritual warfare. Orthodox Christians should always first discuss the use of websites such as this with their Spiritual Father / Confessor. Anyone already seeing a therapist should check with their therapist about this website before willy-nilly trying to follow all the advice here. The advice is not bad - it is very good - but those in mental pain need to be careful of what they are trying to achieve and in what time frame they are trying to achieve it.

All About Depression

Valid medical information may be found at the following websites:

The thing that all these websites have in common is that they tend to "push pills."

Medication does have a place in treating depression - in fact, for many people it can be life saving.

BUT -

It still will come down to the person needing to learn to deal with the awful thoughts and feelings involved with depression.

AND -

What if medications don't work? What if you can't take them? What if the side effects are too awful for you to take the medications?

Depression is an "all about me" kind of affliction. It probably "results from a combination of genetic and biochemical and environmental and psychological factors" according to the National Institute of Mental Health.

You may not be able to "do anything" about your genetics, but

you CAN change your environment

and

you CAN change your psychology.

Changing these two things will help change the biochemistry of your brain. This is scientific fact.

So, here are some materials to support the spiritual and environmental aspects. The psychological aspects overlap with the spiritual, but are mainly the purview of a therapist.

A website certainly cannot take the place of a good therapist - AND cannot take the place of a Spiritual Father or priest, or attending Divine Services and receiving the Divine Gifts.

First: Rescue

If you are considering suicide - get off the internet and contact your priest or a crisis center immediately. Go do that right NOW!

Second: Managing Crisis

AFTER you are getting help and are no longer on the brink of suicide, here are some supportive materials for crises.

Third: Obtaining Sustenance

Fourth: Reassurance and Love

Fifth: Building Strength

Sixth: Quotes from the Fathers

Seventh: Fighting Back

Eighth: Logismoi (Advanced Battle Techniques)

 

Compiled and formatted by Elizabeth W. Riggs; © 2009

Please see The Great Disclaimer Page!

{More to be added ... later. If you have suggestions for things to be included, please contact me}}