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| Rest in Peace |
There are far too many suicides in the recovery community because of unnecessary mea culpas… pounding of our chests... for this or that failure to meet standards imposed on us by others… or worse, ourselves… along these lines. Chronic depression requires the kind of help the medical community provides. It is not to be fooled with and I believe I make a grave mistake
and further driving it home when I use the hammer of moral judgment. To determine that I am somehow failing to be the best person I can be might work for milder conditions but chronic depression is a beast that thrives
on guilt… guilt compelled by our sense of failing this or that standard.
A wildly wonderful pro-football player (Junior
Seau) was buried last week because, some suspect, of the depression he
suffered due to a history of head injuries in playing his sport. These
tragedies have physiological causes that can be aided by a healthy spiritual
practice but the chronic condition can only be prolonged without some serious
medical assistance. Having survived more than one serious concussion (and, in my experience, there is no such thing as a mild concussion) I can attest to the fact
that depression is more a physical condition to be treated than it is a
spiritual one.
So please, if you are reading this blog and feel as though you are failing... especially if you have had serious concussion or chemical addictions... perhaps you have returned from combat in Iraq or Afghanistan and find no friends or loved ones who understand... you have a hard time getting out of bed... you have no compelling reason to live and everything you try seems futile... you see no light at the end of the tunnel... please seek spiritual and professional medical help. A phone call to a suicide help line can be the first step out of the darkness. Just make sure you avoid moral condemnation and the kind of supposed help that tells you that you are doing something wrong. There are others who have suffered as you are suffering now and have come out on the other side. We are here to help you.
geo 4,701
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