Religious Organisations

Can religious organisations help people who are suffering from depression?

The answer is "yes". You can go to a church service on a Sunday and let yourself be carried along by the singing, the words and the prayers. Or you could go to spend time in the tranquillity and quietness of a mosque or a temple.

You can also talk to   religious leaders. At all religious organisations, there will be someone who you can contact and talk to. Religious counsellors have many such discussions and consider it to be an important part of their work. You will be welcomed with open arms.

Counsellors do of course differ. Doctors do too. If you should find that you don't meet with understanding, you can go to another counsellor.

Can you go to a religious counsellor at the same time as you are receiving treatment?

Normally, the answer is "yes". But it would be natural for you to tell the counsellor that you are receiving treatment. It would also be sensible to tell the person who is treating you that you are talking to a counsellor. This would be particularly wise if you are having regular discussions with him or her.

In some situations, it can be confusing to be having regular discussions with a psychotherapist and a religious counsellor at the same time. You can talk to the counsellor and your psychotherapist about this problem. Together, you will be able to find a solution.

Discussions with a religious counsellor

It is difficult to be a person if you are suffering from depression. Depression is an illness which raises many existential questions.

You will also often have to fight feelings of inferiority, self-hatred or guilt.

You may be feeling as though you are a bad person. You might be feeling that other people don't want to have anything to do with you.

It can be difficult to keep the hope and to keep on believing in your faith . You may therefore need to talk to a religious counsellor.

The counsellor can support and help you with discussions. Many counsellors have a lot of experience of talking to people who are depressed. It is apparent time after time that it can help to talk about what hurts. And together you will be able to find the resources for life.

To believe is a part of our life and our psyche. When you are finding life difficult, it can also affect your belief. It's the same for everyone. So it is therefore not so surprising that for some people it is particularly difficult to believe or to see any meaning in anything when they are depressed.

When your depression treatment starts to work, your emotional life and belief will generally return to as they were before. Even if you continue to experience problems when you have recovered, they will rarely be of the same intensity as during the illness.