Good question about despair. I had wondered the same thing myself. Is despair an "I can't make things better" emotion, that is somewhat independent of your own ability, whereas depression is very focussed on my hopelessness.
Oh, and I was trying to be clever so your comment was entirely appropriate Ali. But it also had an element of truth.
Talk about a lot of comments for a very short blogpost!
Yes, I don't really know, but it does seem that despair is more like 'this situation is hopeless' and depression like 'I am hopeless'.
Ah, yes, the unpredictable world of blog comments. There are probably a lot of depressed people out there who will make no attempt. I took mine down because I got all insecure about it! :)
Depression. There's a hole in my world and I'm falling down it. There's a gap in my tooth where something should be. There's a shelf with nothing left to eat on it. It’s an empty CD case. It’s a car with no petrol. There's no hope left. There's no hope left.
Great post... it took me a while to get it! Someone once told me that CS Lewis wrote that "the greatest sin is despair"... if he did, I don't know that I agree. Manic depressives like me take comfort from characters as diverse as Job to Christ who fell to despair and depression, and I think suicidal urges are pretty normal to us (sorry of this seems morbid, I seem to have a number of suicidal friends, and had a quite sad and frustrating conversation last night with one of them, knowing that offering any hope is in itself hopeless.
Thanks for your comments Georgina and Matt. Georgina, I appreciate the picture of emptiness you paint. Matt, I think you're right - we need to be very careful labelling depression a sin. I guess it raises the question, do you think Biblical Hope of heaven is of any assistance to those suffering depression?
Yep, as a chronic sufferer of depression (currently going through a particularly difficult time of it) it absolutely is, well, to me. What use is there being here if here is all there is? What great comfort have I in the many rooms in my Father's house, where a little room with my name on the door stands a-ready, chocolate on the pillow. How I long for it. How I long for it.
That's too funny! I had a good laugh
ReplyDelete"I'm hopeless at this kind of thing"
ReplyDelete...and everything else.
Ali - I suppose if Iwas really depressed I wouldn't have posted anything!
ReplyDeleteSimone - you know me better than I know myself
life is hard.
ReplyDeletejust for us introverts
ReplyDeleteHah! I thought you were being clever (and succeeding!) - so apologies if not!
ReplyDeleteI just had a go at one on my blog.
he was. I thought it was clever, just would have a added a few words on the end.
ReplyDeleteYes, I wonder how this differs from despair ...
ReplyDeleteGood question about despair. I had wondered the same thing myself. Is despair an "I can't make things better" emotion, that is somewhat independent of your own ability, whereas depression is very focussed on my hopelessness.
ReplyDeleteOh, and I was trying to be clever so your comment was entirely appropriate Ali. But it also had an element of truth.
Talk about a lot of comments for a very short blogpost!
Yes, I don't really know, but it does seem that despair is more like 'this situation is hopeless' and depression like 'I am hopeless'.
ReplyDeleteAh, yes, the unpredictable world of blog comments. There are probably a lot of depressed people out there who will make no attempt. I took mine down because I got all insecure about it! :)
Put it back up Ali please :)
ReplyDeleteDepression.
There's a hole in my world and I'm falling down it.
There's a gap in my tooth where something should be.
There's a shelf with nothing left to eat on it.
It’s an empty CD case. It’s a car with no petrol.
There's no hope left. There's no hope left.
Great post... it took me a while to get it! Someone once told me that CS Lewis wrote that "the greatest sin is despair"... if he did, I don't know that I agree. Manic depressives like me take comfort from characters as diverse as Job to Christ who fell to despair and depression, and I think suicidal urges are pretty normal to us (sorry of this seems morbid, I seem to have a number of suicidal friends, and had a quite sad and frustrating conversation last night with one of them, knowing that offering any hope is in itself hopeless.
ReplyDeletePS incidentally CMF is Matt Cardier... can't seem to post comments under my own name at the moment...
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comments Georgina and Matt.
ReplyDeleteGeorgina, I appreciate the picture of emptiness you paint.
Matt, I think you're right - we need to be very careful labelling depression a sin. I guess it raises the question, do you think Biblical Hope of heaven is of any assistance to those suffering depression?
Yep, as a chronic sufferer of depression (currently going through a particularly difficult time of it) it absolutely is, well, to me. What use is there being here if here is all there is? What great comfort have I in the many rooms in my Father's house, where a little room with my name on the door stands a-ready, chocolate on the pillow. How I long for it. How I long for it.
ReplyDelete