#Kathryn J. Hermes; FSP | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

littleflowerofchrist · 3 years

Text

"When we have the possibility of stepping into the unknown, of risking failure, of beginning to live without the label 'depression' written across our foreheads, we can unconsciously sabotage ourselves so that we remain in the safety net of being able to blame our failure on depression. After all, out of kindness and compassion for our situation, people probably don't expect much from us. Acting with responsibility in a new venture where our success or failure is determined solely by how well we handle ourselves can be very frightening. To accept the challenge of doing what we haven't done for months or years will draw attention. What if we fail? Well, it will prove that we are as human as the next person is. There are some tools, however, that can make the first steps less ominous. ... Next, take new steps, one at a time. Perhaps you feel something stirring inside: I would like to apply for a new position. I wonder if I could teach that class. I would love to work on that project. I would be so happy if I could bring a sense of beauty to our home again. After you settle on a goal, list for yourself the steps you think you should follow to achieve it.

Now rip up the list and begin to enumerate things you wish you could do to achieve your goal. What you wish will probably be more outlandish than what you think you can do, but that's okay. In this part of the exercise the sky is the limit.

Finally, list what you really feel like doing. What do you really see yourself doing? Find a place of prayer: a church, your room, a favorite place outdoors or in a park. One by one, present to God what you have written down: your dreams, your feelings, seemingly far-fetched impossibilities. Pay attention to your initial reaction to these ideas as you present them to God. Do you feel light, happy, excited, confident, and at peace? Or are there some ideas that leave you feeling negative, fearful, closed in on yourself, cut off from God or others? Over several weeks, bring these ideas to prayer, asking God to help you see his dream for you rooted in your heart. As you begin to cross out ideas that leave you with a dead feeling, begin to concentrate your attention on the ideas that leave you with a feeling of life and hope. Ask God to show you how you can best achieve your goal in a way that is good for you, that serves others, and that pleases him. When you and God have decided on a direction, ask him to bless it. As you begin taking steps toward your goal, pay attention to what you feel within your heart. You can repeat steps of this process as often as needed, asking God for direction and strength.

It is strange but true that we 'get' something out of depression, even as it drains us of life. By unmasking our attempts at self-sabotage, we can walk into a future of hope with God's dream for us written in the depths of our hearts."

-Kathryn J. Hermes, FSP in her book Surviving Depression: A Catholic Approach (link to Updated and Expanded Edition), Chapter 6 “I Just Want to Feel Better”, section “Starting with the Basics”, subsection "Dream:, pg. 84-85, 85-86

#quotes #blue #Kathryn J. Hermes; FSP #Surviving Depression: A Catholic Approach #mental health #book notes #quote wall #6/14/20-6/20/20

23 notes · View notes

littleflowerofchrist · 3 years

Quote

Persons suffering from depression experience their own vulnerability in a particularly profound way; an experience no one likes but everyone needs. Jesus made himself vulnerable. He shed tears in his life, died an apparent failure, left this earth with only a handful of followers who had earlier deserted him. As he hung on the cross, he had only his trust in his Father, the one possession of which nothing could deprive him. Jesus made tears sacred because he cried. He knew the agony and the frustration of our problems. He chose to bear all that is human, and as a man with our human nature he brought us with him on his return to the Father. The One who sits at God's right hand knows what it is to cry. He preached an upside-down world in which the poor, the marginalized, the suffering, those who agonize through emotional pain, are the first, the guests of honor, and the privileged. The vulnerability of depression doesn't feel holy. It feels like hell. There seems to be no light toward which to walk. There seem to be no options. There often seems to be no reason to live. Few experiences expose us to our own vulnerability in such a sharp way.

Kathryn J. Hermes, FSP in her book Surviving Depression: A Catholic Approach (link to Updated and Expanded Edition), Chapter 1 “What’s Wrong with Me?”, section “Jesus Made Tears Sacred”, pg. 17-18

#quotes #yellow #Kathryn J. Hermes; FSP #Surviving Depression: A Catholic Approach #mental health #book notes #quote wall #4/5/20-4/11/20

16 notes · View notes

littleflowerofchrist · 3 years

Text

“National traumatic situations and personal trauma, whether one was directly involved in the incident or watched from afar, can lead to depression. Profound disappointment and scandal can lead to disillusionment and depression.

Personal views we hold about ourselves can also trigger depression. Idealistic people are a gift to the human race. Their ideals and values articulate for the rest of us what we can become. Idealistic people, however, can set themselves up for depression. First, they may never seem able to reach their own ideals and neither can anyone else—sometimes resulting in cynicism and depression. Second, idealistic people may actually achieve the ideals they have set for themselves, only to find that they must immediately set new and higher standards to reach. Life becomes an endless chase after utopian dreams.”

-Kathryn J. Hermes, FSP in her book Surviving Depression: A Catholic Approach (link to Updated and Expanded Edition which includes the quote above) on page 12, “What’s Wrong with Me?”, section “What Causes Depression?”

#quotes #blue #Kathryn J. Hermes; FSP #Surviving Depression: A Catholic Approach #quote wall #3/22/20-3/28/20

7 notes · View notes

littleflowerofchrist · 3 years

Quote

At the outset of our pilgrimage on earth as Christians--whether it began when we were infants or later--we were washed in Baptism. These waters are the physical, visible expression of Christ who died on the cross and then was raised up from the grave. All Catholics were submerged into these baptismal waters and, at that moment, came into direct contact with Christ who has died and risen from the dead. At that moment we were infused with new life: Christ's life was poured into us. When the person to be baptized is submerged under the water (or the water is poured on his or her forehead), that person dies and is buried with Christ. As the person rises from the water, he or she rises with Christ to new life. Often all we see, if we attend a Baptism ceremony, is a few drops of water poured on the baby's forehead, and we hear the words, 'I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.' We may not be aware of what is truly happening. At the moment of Baptism, Christ's death and resurrection penetrate the one being baptized. The water and the words put the person into direct contact with the Lord. All of the salvific power of the death and resurrection of Christ is engraved within the person, because Jesus himself lives in him or her now. It is true. It is real. Each day our Baptism brings us again to a radiant newness. Sin and evil can no longer dominate us, because within us is the One who conquers evil; the One who took us all sin, all tears, all sickness, all evil upon himself. Baptism transforms the entire being of the person. You become nothing less than the home of the Holy Trinity, the temple of the Holy Trinity, inhabited by the Most High God. All of heaven is within you! Christ is the Victorious One who in his death and resurrection conquered evil. Death, sin, unhappiness, and destruction cannot have the last word. The last word is the victory of Christ and his triumph and fullness. No longer is there death that cannot bring life, pain that cannot generate fullness, sadness that cannot convert into profound joy. There are no limitations, frustrations, psychological pain, or mood disorders stronger than the Resurrected One. We are the children of the victory of the Resurrection. If only this truth burned within us! If we have the faith, if we keep loving and hoping through the tears, then the joy of the resurrection, the glory of God who is with us, will transform our sorrow into a calm and radiant certainty of God's love. Though now we cannot see the ultimate victory--on this earth we still live in a vale of tears, and unhappiness is part of our human reality--sadness will not remain the last word because we are with Someone who has already conquered death and pain. He has transformed all pain into victory. This is our faith. This is our truest certainty.

Kathryn J. Hermes, FSP in her book Surviving Depression: A Catholic Approach (link to Updated and Expanded Edition), Chapter 8 “I’m Going Crazy!”, section “I Am the Home of the Trinity”, pg. 102-103

#quotes #blue #Kathryn J. Hermes; FSP #Surviving Depression: A Catholic Approach #mental health #book notes #quote wall #5/3/20-5/9/20

4 notes · View notes

littleflowerofchrist · 4 years

Quote

It is only human to have ideals, plans, expectations. And it is only human to feel disillusioned when those ideals aren’t realized, plans are canceled, and expectations aren’t lived up to by us or by the people around us. By becoming aware of how we have frozen other people or a situation into expectations, and by softening the demands we make on others or ourselves, we free ourselves up to rejoice in reality as it is. Reality is where, moment by moment, we discover who God is, who others are, and who we are.

Kathryn J. Hermes, FSP in her book Surviving Depression: A Catholic Approach (link to Updated and Expanded Edition which includes the quote above, unlike past editions) on page 157, “Conclusion: Eight Steps to Inner Peace”, section “Step 4″, subsection “Reality is reliable”

11 notes · View notes

littleflowerofchrist · 5 years

Quote

Each event of the past, whether we consciously remember it or not, becomes present to us now as an emotion. It has what I call an emotional footprint. We may not remember the event, but the emotional footprint makes it clear that we are influenced by that event: our behavior is less free, our mental belief system has been affected. The emotional footprint can be labeled with a feeling word such as anxious or sad, but it also reverberated physically in our bodies as tenseness or tightness in the stomach. Most people flee from these feelings. They flee into work, food, television, drugs, alcohol, or any other addictive behavior. These feelings, when we allow them to arise, are uncomfortable. We don't like uncomfortable feelings and flee tot those we consider more pleasurable. In doing so we miss the opportunity to become free.

Kathryn J. Hermes, FSP in her book Surviving Depression: A Catholic Approach (link to Updated and Expanded Edition which includes the quote above, unlike past editions) on page 151, “Conclusion: Eight Steps to Inner Peace”, section “Step 2″, subsection “Be present to the emotional footprint of your experience”

0 notes