Depressed And Exhausted

[eustace scrubb]

I didn't want to post about this, given that many posters are going through things much more serious, but I have to at this point...

We've been having an insane heatwave in the midwest and it's been incredibly humid during it. So much so that I get sick if I'm out in it for long. This has been effecting my physical, mental, and emotional health. Then there's the persecution I've been experiencing. And having my support network start to fall apart, due to not being able to relate to my Protestant friends like I did before and them not understanding (or in some cases, accepting) where I'm at. Just last night, I had to really dig my heels in when I had a phone call from my mother where she tried as hard as she could to get me to go back to being Protestant. It was really intense and I'm still recovering from it emotionally and spiritually. I also sprained my ankle recently. There's other problems, too, but basically it feels like my world is collapsing in on top of me.

Edited August 9, 2010 by eustace scrubb

[Sarah147]

[quote name='eustace scrubb' date='09 August 2010 - 06:43 PM' timestamp='1281390203' post='2154848']
I didn't want to post about this, given that many posters are going through things much more serious, but I have to at this point...

We've been having an insane heatwave in the midwest and it's been incredibly humid during it. So much so that I get sick if I'm out in it for long. This has been effecting my physical, mental, and emotional health. Then there's the persecution I've been experiencing. And having my support network start to fall apart, due to not being able to relate to my Protestant friends like I did before and them not understanding (or in some cases, accepting) where I'm at. Just last night, I had to really dig my heels in when I had a phone call from my mother where she tried as hard as she could to get me to go back to being Protestant. It was really intense and I'm still recovering from it emotionally and spiritually. I also sprained my ankle recently. There's other problems, too, but basically it feels like my world is collapsing in on top of me.
[/quote]

Stay strong in prayer and turn to Mother Mary.

Can you make friends with Catholics in your area?

You should do your best to eat nutritiously, and even add supplements to help your overall health.

Prayers with you.

God bless you.

[Luigi]

Repeat after me: This too shall pass.

Repeat as often as necessary. You might try smiling while you say it, too - it can't hurt, and it might help.

[CatherineM]

This kind of thing happens many times as you go through the stages of life. It happened to me when I went away to college, and my highschool friends didn't. Some of my best friends in St. Pete drifted away because once our kids quit playing baseball together, we no longer had anything in common. When someone comes out of rehab, they have to make all new friends because they have to distance themselves from their old drinking buddies, or their addict friends. Making friends the first time is hard enough, but having to make friends over and over again is a serious hassle. Part of life though.

Having one issue slam you, and then another and another is a bit like getting caught in a rip tide. If you fight against the waves, you drown. To escape a rip tide, you have to go parallel to the beach until you get into calmer water.

Two months ago, our condo was flooded. We have dealt with the tear down, move out, week in a hotel, move in to a construction zone, then a respiratory infection, then a thrown out back, then dealing with dry-walling and painting, and on Wednesday we have to move out to a hotel again while they do the flooring. We have had to replace our furniture, our sheets and towel, and a million other small things that you don't even realize you own until you go to use it.

I'm hobbled and am going to have the bulk of the responsibility for the un-packing. I won't have to lift everything, just decide where to put everything. I have a choice to give into the depression that most people would in similar circumstances, or not to. Our next door neighbor's condo was also flooded, but only partially, where ours was totally ruined. He has chosen the path of trying to find blame, to find people to sue, to make the contractor's job harder than it needs to be.

I'm trying to focus on the positive. I'm throwing myself into paint and flooring choices. Today we picked out new door hardware. I think the ladies at Home Depot are starting to know us by name. I'm trying to take it all one day at a time.

Take each difficulty one item at a time. Don't focus on everything all at once, because it will be too big. Try to find one positive thing everyday. Remind yourself that you've faced stuff like this before, and will again. You got over those mountains, and you will get over these too. As to trying to find new friends, my husband and I are in the same boat. We signed up for a board game club, but they didn't want us. I guess we are going to try the Canadian Legion next. Keep trying new stuff until something works.

Sorry if this is old. Our electricity went out while I was typing it.

[Laudate_Dominum]

I know life sometimes can get tough. And I know life sometimes can be a drag. But people, we have been given a gift, we have been given a role. And that roles name is Rock and Roll.

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xhWEYj2VSTc[/media]

Hope this helps.

[eustace scrubb]

[quote name='CatherineM' date='10 August 2010 - 11:53 AM' timestamp='1281452002' post='2155256']
This kind of thing happens many times as you go through the stages of life. It happened to me when I went away to college, and my highschool friends didn't. Some of my best friends in St. Pete drifted away because once our kids quit playing baseball together, we no longer had anything in common. When someone comes out of rehab, they have to make all new friends because they have to distance themselves from their old drinking buddies, or their addict friends. Making friends the first time is hard enough, but having to make friends over and over again is a serious hassle. Part of life though.[/quote]

Oh, believe me, I know... when I was a Protestant, I'd have to leave a church and cut ties with some or most of the people there, go to a house church, see it end, go on to a Bible study, see it end, go to a new church, have bad experiences at some of them, lather, rinse, repeat...

Now that I'm not limiting myself to a small number of Protestants, though, things are far more open. I would have started going to a young adults' group already, but literally every day this week has been 100 degrees and humid. That, combined with the ankle injury, family drama, and having some people want to beat me up was just too much in the space of a few days. Fortunately, things have finally calmed down and I'm going to a Catholic charismatic prayer group with a friend tonight. This is instead of going to my men's Bible study, which used to be ecumenical, but has become increasingly Protestant and is now pretty much solidified itself as such. The friend taking me is Catholic and also decided to leave that Bible study, so this could work out quite well. If not, there's a number of them around the city, one of which I might be able to get to via bus.

A friend urged me to leave my house church, as it's not necessarily healthy for me to be there. I'm in the process of forming relationships with other Catholic young adults right now. Right now, I'm tapering off my attendance. The main reason the house church is such a big deal for me is that the people are incredibly loving and going there helped me out a lot. I had some amazing experiences there and saw God move in love and power, but things have changed and due to the lack of structure and not being rooted in Sacred Tradition, negative influences have been creeping in and I no longer belong there. Fortunately, they're an accepting group and I can maintain my social relationships with them, despite our differences. God's used me to improve people's view of Catholicism there through socializing with them outside of the group, so that's encouraging.

[quote]Having one issue slam you, and then another and another is a bit like getting caught in a rip tide. If you fight against the waves, you drown. To escape a rip tide, you have to go parallel to the beach until you get into calmer water.[/quote]

Thank you for that image. It helps a lot.

[quote]Two months ago, our condo was flooded. We have dealt with the tear down, move out, week in a hotel, move in to a construction zone, then a respiratory infection, then a thrown out back, then dealing with dry-walling and painting, and on Wednesday we have to move out to a hotel again while they do the flooring. We have had to replace our furniture, our sheets and towel, and a million other small things that you don't even realize you own until you go to use it.

I'm hobbled and am going to have the bulk of the responsibility for the un-packing. I won't have to lift everything, just decide where to put everything. I have a choice to give into the depression that most people would in similar circumstances, or not to. Our next door neighbor's condo was also flooded, but only partially, where ours was totally ruined. He has chosen the path of trying to find blame, to find people to sue, to make the contractor's job harder than it needs to be. [/quote]

Sorry to hear that you're going through all that... hope you manage to focus on the positive and that your neighbor manages to forgive.

[quote]I'm trying to focus on the positive. I'm throwing myself into paint and flooring choices. Today we picked out new door hardware. I think the ladies at Home Depot are starting to know us by name. I'm trying to take it all one day at a time.

Take each difficulty one item at a time. Don't focus on everything all at once, because it will be too big. Try to find one positive thing everyday. Remind yourself that you've faced stuff like this before, and will again. You got over those mountains, and you will get over these too. As to trying to find new friends, my husband and I are in the same boat. We signed up for a board game club, but they didn't want us. I guess we are going to try the Canadian Legion next. Keep trying new stuff until something works.

Sorry if this is old. Our electricity went out while I was typing it.
[/quote]

What's the Canadian Legion? I hope that works out for you, if it's meant to.

Maintaining positivity is difficult for me, considering that I have chemical depression among other things. However, I generally manage to stay up, except when I'm overwhelmed. Okay, I need to get ready to leave. Hope that things work out for you and your family. Later!

[CatherineM]

[quote name='eustace scrubb' date='10 August 2010 - 05:29 PM' timestamp='1281479375' post='2155486']

What's the Canadian Legion?
[/quote]
In the US it would be like a combined American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars. My husband is eligible to join, and I can be an associate member since I am a lifetime member of my VFW back home.

[eustace scrubb]

[quote name='CatherineM' date='10 August 2010 - 08:04 PM' timestamp='1281481458' post='2155505']
In the US it would be like a combined American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars. My husband is eligible to join, and I can be an associate member since I am a lifetime member of my VFW back home.
[/quote]

Oh, cool!!! I hope that works out for you!!!

[quote name='Laudate_Dominum' date='10 August 2010 - 12:00 PM' timestamp='1281452432' post='2155258']
I know life sometimes can get tough. And I know life sometimes can be a drag. But people, we have been given a gift, we have been given a role. And that roles name is Rock and Roll.

[media][url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xhWEYj2VSTc"]http://www.youtube.c...h?v=xhWEYj2VSTc[/url][/media]

Hope this helps.
[/quote]

LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOLZ

[eustace scrubb]

Btw I had a great time at that prayer group tonight and my friend and I plan to go back. I feel fresh and clean now.

[Luigi]

[quote name='eustace scrubb' date='10 August 2010 - 11:14 PM' timestamp='1281496495' post='2155604']
Btw I had a great time at that prayer group tonight and my friend and I plan to go back. I feel fresh and clean now.


[/quote]

I'm glad you're feeling better. This too [i]did[/i] pass. Personal opinion - one of the defining marks of Catholics is we know how to suffer. Maybe it's part of our Jewish-based heritage, maybe it's the history of martyrdom, maybe it's the Lenten mortifications. You got through this suffering successfully - you're learning.