Why do people offer me offer me religious advice when I want help with depression?

Question

Its a medical condition not a spiritual one.

I am at ease with myself spiritually. I dont have any deep rooted spiritual concerns, I am very at peace with myself in many respects, people assume depression is caused by a spiritual crisis, when its only one part of my personality.

Answer 1

I understand you perfectly... I was so depressed some time ago, and when i say depressed is really depressed, with medications and stuff like that. I'm still into that but much less. My mom died because of depression, and her mom never recognised my mom was ill even after her death saying "Oh yeah, she was a little nervous".
After so long, it was discovered i had depression too, i started been treated. And she still didn't recognise i was sick. I called her once because she was doing silly stuff that was depressing me even more... and i told her so many things. Still she seemed not to understand, so i decided to go a bit more detailed, and strong. I told her that she didn't know what was to have a knife on your neck with your hand shaking just about to kill yourself. My grandma (sometimes she doesn't deserve the title) said, "Oh, I don't like that at all. You need to visit a priest". I wanted to shoot me in that moment... what is so difficult to understand? Depression IS an illness that affects your whole system not only your mind and soul, you need a DOCTOR! not a priest.
However, I'm a very spiritual person and i do believe a priest or a person dedicated to religion can help as a support to find peace in your life, but it won't ever under any circumstance replace the role of a DOCTOR! If a person has cancer you won't just pray for it to pass and do nothing. You would take the person to the doctor AND pray if you want. Seems that people can't understand that depression is not just being down... is far more.

Answer 2

If you are depressed then I suggest you are not at ease with yourself. I don't know if anything is a purely medical condition and out of all the problems you might have I would say that depression must count as the one where the boundaries between medical and spiritual are very blurred. If you are not at ease with yourself then there has to be a 'spiritual' or psychological dimension to it. Counselling might help, especially if you have no one you feel you can confide in. Anti-depressants obviously can help but they only serve to numb the feelings not deal with the root cause. Depression can be thought of as bottled up or repressed anger. What are you angry about in your life? Do you feel powerless in your life in some way?

I hope you can regain your equilibrium soon, in the meantime try not to avoid how you feel, confront it and DO something about it. Often just doing some simple things like the washing up or going for a meditative walk in the fresh air can help. Don't overdo it - keep it simple. Good luck.

Answer 3

I suppose they offer this advice either because it has helped them through depression or because they have not been deeply depressed. In my expierience I have found help through the medical establishment as well as a spiritual family for support. The spirit and the body( the target of medicine) are not mutually exclusive, thus prayer often times brings relief. Religious advice on the other hand usually leads to guilt or furthur depression. It leaves the depressed person with no tangible way of breaking the cycle of negative thoughts. God can and will heal depression because it is within his power. It is important however, to seek medical attention just as you would if afflicted with any other medical ailment. People often look at depression as controllable because it is a mood disorder. This may be true if the patient receives counseling. Most comments that depressed people hear are not helpful, which can be very discouraging. This is why it is best to consult a professional

Answer 4

I think that what people answer is based on their own personalities and beliefs. Therefore people who are very religious, find solace through religion, or even justify their existence via religion think that by showing you the way they deal with beginnings of depression, they are helping you.

You see depression as a medical condition and separate it from your religious side. Some people don't, and think that religion can help in all aspects, may be especially in cases of depression.

Furthermore, chances are, religious people are more likely to respond to questions about depression rather than the 'common' man (not devout). The link they used to answer your question would most likely be the general list of questions, rather than specifically related to psych or health. Another group would be people interested in psych, and another is people who have had a similar experience.

Therefore I guess you'd have 3 main types of answers, with many answers from the third group resembling those from the first because many people get out of depression via religion.

Eventually, it's up to you to decide which of the answers, or what combination of parts of the answers suit you best.

Answer 5

Really it's a you problem that can't be cured unless you handle it. It's a condition that deals with the mind and heart. Depression is serious. I was depressed for a long time. And the reason why people offer religious and it's not even religion but offer you the advice of asking God to help is because sometimes we can't get rid of stuff by ourselves and by being a christian our answers to problems is God. And thats who helped me by seeking him and reading the Bible. But it's your choice. But I will tell you this. Depression is sometimes bought on you by the people who your around. I'm studying to be a psychologist and I was depressed for a long time. If you need someone to talk too please feel free to email me. [e-mail] Because I really have alot to say on the issue that can't be read in books.

Answer 6

You will get religious advise whatever your question is about, (mainly from Christians) plus if you are really unlucky you will get 3 or 4 pages of cut and paste from the New Testament , no wonder there are so many suicides in the world.
Some one has suggested you ask an atheist for advise,I'm an atheist, my advise is stay clear of the religious nuts, you will feel better for it!

Answer 7

Being that religious is being in a state of surrender to a set of simple ideas, and brings with it the need to convince one's self that one has made a good decision. That leaves the deeply religious motivated to tell others about their religion as much as possible, and they're indiscriminant about how they do it.

In plain English, they offer you religious advice to make themselves feel better about their own decision, and they do so with utter disregard for you.

Answer 8

I, for one, find religious advise (just pray to feel better) worse than snake oil to make someone feel better. The best advise is talk. Psychologists are people you pay to talk to. I find it's best to have a friend to confide in. Someone who won't give you answers, just a friendly ear to your woes. I saw a therapist and realized the waste of cash it was and went to my friends instead. I tell others to keep their god to themselves.

Answer 9

maybe they feel like their religion helped them through some difficult times?
Personally when I suffered from clinical depression it was therapy, talking to people and medicine from the doctor that pulled me through.
Atleast people care enough to try and help - even if it is in the "wrong" way.

Good luck x x

Answer 10

It is more of psychological condition which needs regular medication.You need to see a Psychiatric and follow his advice in letter and spirit.However you need not to be over-awed due to this condition.This is a common problem and needs to be cured.