Despair is the greatest sin. Orthodox faith - despondency - alphabet

10.10.2019

, is a mournful, oppressed state of the human heart, caused by the influence of various unfavorable factors on it.

Synonyms for this word: despair, boredom, sadness, sadness, sadness, melancholy, blues.

In Orthodoxy, despondency is considered the 8th deadly sin.

Mortals sins directly destroy the human soul, and as a result, the body. Dejection is otherwise called evil laziness. Under the influence of this passion, a person becomes lazy and cannot force himself to do any saving work. Nothing pleases or consoles a person; he believes in nothing and hopes for nothing. It is not for nothing that it is said that “a sad spirit dries up the bones.”

Dejection is like a sin does not come from our Creator, but, like other similar negative ones, originates from the underworld.

Feeling despondency Almost all people are susceptible, but are obsessed with it in spirit become, mainly, those who are prone to feelings of self-pity, increased vulnerability, resentment, self-condemnation, constant self-indulgence, and inflated self-esteem. It is difficult to communicate with such people. They see in everything a reason on the part of other people to offend more, to reproach, to belittle. Sinfulness at whining puts its stamp on the face of such a person, a kind of cliché that shapes his spiritual world with all the ensuing consequences. As are the thoughts in a man's heart, so is he.

The Bible often refers to the heart and implies spirit person.

By carefully studying the Scriptures, we can see that spirit a person consists of three components: conscience, intuition, and the ability to perceive the voice of God.

The soul also has three components: mind, feelings, will.

In other words, a person is spirit , containing the soul, and placed in the body.

Dejection, as one of the varieties sin, penetrates the soul, takes root there, then spreads like a viral infection beyond its borders and infects spirit person, which has an extremely negative impact on his spiritual and physical health.

Proverbs 17:22 “A cheerful heart does good as medicine; sad spirit dries out the bones."

As is known, bones the person is kept bone the brain, in which the blood and immune system cells mature, which are essential for the proper functioning of the entire body. A deficiency of this substance leads to serious illnesses. Observe carefully a person who lives permanently in despondency, sadness, sadness, depression. His gait, speech, gestures, complexion, gaze, and manner of communication will tell a lot about him.

External signs of a sad spirit

Apathy
Insomnia or excessive sleepiness
Lack of appetite or vice versa - overeating
bowel dysfunction, increased fatigue
decreased sexual needs

Proverbs 15:13 A cheerful heart makes a cheerful face, but with a cheerful heart spirit of sorrow despondent.

Recently, doctors are increasingly coming to the conclusion about the direct influence of a person’s spiritual and mental state on his physical health.

How to protect yourself from the spirit of despondency?

Ps.41:6 "Why are you sad, my soul, and why are you troubled? Trust in God, for I will still praise Him, my Savior and my God."

The psalmist asks a question to his soul. He does not hide from the problem, does not close his eyes to it, but out loud asks the question to his soul: “Why are you discouraged and why are you embarrassed?”

This implies:

1 A mental problem cannot be ignored. It must not be allowed to spread into our spirit. She needs to look into her eyes, figure it out: where the wind is blowing, what are the reasons for its occurrence.

2 Command your soul, that is, make a volitional decision, to place trust in your Creator, who has a way out of any situation for a person. But that is not all. You must also make a decision, no matter what state you are in, to immediately begin to glorify God and your Savior. Believe me, the darkness in your soul will instantly dissipate, and in the light of His love a way out of any dead-end situation will be revealed to you. Don't let the spirit of despondency dominate you.

Gal.6:9 Let us not become weary in doing good, for in due season we will reap if we do not give up.

In his Epistle to the Galatians, the Apostle Paul inspiredly commands us to do good to those around us, first of all to our own by faith, and, moreover, not to lose heart. Why? Yes because sin of despondency can nullify all a person’s efforts in his good deeds and not bear fruit. We can weaken if we allow it spirit of despondency dominate us. You must always control your thoughts, examine them, where do they come from, who is their owner?

James 1:17 "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights..."

From this passage of Scripture we see that everything that is best, everything that is perfect, everything that is good comes to man from God. This is for us as a guideline for filtering our thoughts. Everything that is not from God, and this is sorrow, crampedness, torment, despondency, etc., must be given to the Heavenly Father in prayer for spiritual support. It is very good if confirmed believers in God pray for you.

Here is a sample prayer for liberation from the spirit of despondency.

Lord, I come to You in the name of Jesus Christ. You see my heart. It's captivated spirit of despondency. I confess to You that I sinned when I allowed this unclean spirit into your heart. I can't, God, get rid of it myself. Cleanse me, O God. Sanctify by Your Spirit. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I command you, spirit of despondency, leave me, go away. I am a child of God and you have no part in me. The Lord Jesus paid for me with his blood shed on Calvary. I have been redeemed from slavery to sin and am free. In the name of Jesus. Amen.

Having said this prayer from a pure heart, believe that God has heard you and the solution to your problem is already available. Start acting by faith: regardless of the situation in your life, trust God completely, glorify Him, read the Bible, do good to people. Find some ministry in the local church you attend. And you will see: freedom will come into your life like dawn, and joy, like the morning rays of the sun, will warm you, and all your previous problems will melt away like steam, like thick fog. May God bless you and give you peace. Amen.

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All the best. Sincerely,


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Question No. 1783
How to deal with the sin of despondency?
Dmitriy , St. Petersburg, Russia
27/01/2005
Hello. Oleg!
Please tell me how to deal with the sin of despondency (self-pity)?
Thank you in advance.
Answer from Father Oleg Molenko:
Dejection is a severe and extremely painful passion. Behind her stands a giant demon, one of the three giant demons: despondency, oblivion and ignorance, which primarily prevent a person from truly coming to God. That is why we must fight these demons and defeat them.
First, the demon of oblivion is overcome. It is overcome by the unceasing memory of God, which is produced by the unceasing Jesus Prayer and contemplation of God. As he overcomes oblivion, the ascetic of repentance overcomes ignorance: about God, about the path of salvation, but above all about himself and his true state. From true to And By seeing himself in the light of grace, a person throws off the charm of conceit, goodness, pleasing to God, and being saved that had previously shrouded him and begins to zealously care about his salvation and eternal destiny. Through the action of grace, a terrible picture was revealed to him about himself, about his relationship to God - that he was His enemy, an abomination to Him, lost and very far from Him. Through such self-knowledge, a person also discovers the general decline of human nature, which he begins to see in all people. From this to And Afterwards, he stops condemning people, and begins to love them in a godly and unhypocritical manner with pity, sympathy, compassion, all possible prayer and help, incl. and wise reproof for the salvation of them or others.
From such a saving And Depression and emotion, a person comes into contrition and weeping for himself and other people, primarily for those close to him and those he knows. From this contrition, true humility and humble thinking about oneself are born in the soul, which results in the first blissful state of spiritual poverty. This state brings a person out of despondency, otherwise called evil corruption. From the side of the demon and its influence on the soul, this passion is called despondency. On the part of a person who has succumbed to this passion, it is called evil laziness. A person who has succumbed to despondency becomes cold towards all saving deeds and spiritual actions. He falls into spiritual apathy, indifference and becomes motionless and lazy for any good deed. Self-pity, self-justification, resentment towards everyone and everything for one’s torment, blaming others, painful pride, pain from temporarily defeated vanity and conceit requiring compensation - all this overwhelms a person who has succumbed to despondency. Thoughts about the uselessness of faith, the feat of repentance, the struggle with passions, or the impossibility of living so selflessly and intensely in Christ and succeeding - overwhelm the despondent person and he approaches despair.
From despondency one step to despair, and from despair one step to irreparable eternal destruction. He abandons prayer as helpless, abandons the reading of Scripture as useless, abandons the reading of the holy fathers and their lives as convicting him and supposedly unrealizable on him or unattainable, and therefore futile. Everything spiritual and saving becomes not a joy to him, but a burden. He begins to feel burdened and irritated by the presence of other, closest and previously loved people, as well as other necessary everyday things, surroundings and circumstances. A person tries to drown out despondency with entertainment, sinful acts, fun, but he only ends up in a worse state. That is why the passion of despondency, as it kills the soul and threatens life, is generally rightly called a mortal sin. Already at the first signs of its manifestation, one must immediately confront it and resist it in every possible way, calling on God and His saints for help.
Despite the commonality of the manifestation of the passion of despondency, it has different reasons for attacking the human soul. There is despondency from an arbitrarily sinful life, when everything gets boring. In Rus', this condition was called blues or Russian blues. There is despondency from a demonic attack, due to their envy or other motives. There can be despondency from high asceticism in solitude, and there can be despondency due to arrogance, ascetic pride, or foolish undertaking of feats beyond one’s strength. For those who live in obedience, there is despondency for self-indulgence or humiliation (even in thought) of their elder. There is despondency among ascetics of repentance from the instructive and purifying abandonment of God.
Such a painful hellish state must be experienced. It is allowed by God according to his strength and in moderation for the sake of great spiritual benefit. In other cases, when we ourselves are to blame for the attack on us by the demon of despondency, we must oppose it with the available means. Such means are: invigorating yourself by singing strengthening and encouraging church prayers and chants; let us prepare ourselves even to die for the sake of God and even His one commandment; repentance for sins that led to despondency; repetition of suitable sayings from the Psalter, Scripture or the holy fathers that strengthen the soul.
For example, it is good, sitting with your eyes closed, quietly out loud, with attention to the words of a prayer or saying of Scripture, to repeat this prayer or saying several dozen times until the soul, through this repetition, enters the field of truth. The truth will free the soul from the oppression of active passion or sorrow.
For example, you can repeat the words of the Lord from the Gospel of John:
John 14.1 :"Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, and believe in Me" .
You can also repeat words from the Psalter:
Ps.41 :" 6 Why are you depressed, my soul, and why are you embarrassed? Trust in God, for I will still praise Him, my Savior and my God.
7 from the land of Jordan, from Hermon, from Mount Zohar.
8 The deep calls upon the deep with the voice of Your waterfalls; all Your waters and Your waves passed over me.
9 During the day the Lord will show His mercy, and at night I have a song to Him, a prayer to the God of my life.
10 I will say to God, my intercessor: why have you forgotten me? Why do I walk around complaining about the enemy’s insults?
11 As if bruising my bones, my enemies mock me when they say to me every day, “Where is your God?”
12 Why are you sad, my soul, and why are you troubled? Trust in God, for I will still praise Him, my Savior and my God." .
You can repeat any of the phrases I underlined. You can search for yourself and find for yourself something similar to these sayings, which has the most impact on this particular state.
One must also contrast despondency with self-sacrifice, self-reproach (following the models of the holy fathers or created by oneself), mortal memory, memory of the rewards of the righteous, and other thoughts and words that console the soul.
Sometimes you can drink a little dry wine, because wine gladdens the human soul.
Sometimes take a walk in nature, contemplating God's creation. Sometimes you can listen to good music, for Saint David also drove away the demon of despondency from King Saul by playing a musical instrument. You can give room for appropriate humor and harmless jokes. So the Monk Seraphim sometimes joked in the choir, thereby amusing the brethren and removing the spirit of despondency from them. Sometimes you just have to sleep.
Fundamentally, the memory of God overcomes despondency most of all:
Ps.41, 7: " My soul faints within me; therefore I remember You ". That is why we must take care most of all to instill in ourselves the memory of God through doing the Jesus Prayer!
The final victory over the spirit of despondency is in our time a great success in spiritual life. It takes a person to a new level of spiritual life - living in the spiritual world, when the grace of God is scooped up with spoons. At this level there can only be slight sadness about previous sins that have already been mourned and forgiven, contrition about still manifesting infirmities, grief about the death and delusion of other people, grief about the state of the modern world, about the universal mass retreat. There is also a place for the reproof of apostates who rebel against God, against His Church, for prayer in His name, against the vessels of the Holy Spirit and for the path of salvation - the path of patristic repentance. But all this does not violate the inner peace, does not blind, does not darken the soul, but keeps it in humility and striving for God and pleasing God. A cheerful soul succeeds in the knowledge of God and in the acquisition of wisdom and grace.

If we consider despondency based on the biblical canons, then at all times it has been classified as a mortal sin. For what reason is despondency a sin and if it is a sin, then how to overcome it? I became very interested in understanding this issue and I invite you to do it together.

Falling into a state of melancholy, sadness, despondency, sadness, a person does not think at all about the possible consequences that these negative, destructive emotions are fraught with.

Some even attribute to this state some subtlety of the mysterious Russian soul. But psychiatry experts say that when a person is in a depressed state for a long time, depression develops, which means a serious danger to his health and even life. Various researchers put the figure at 20% - exactly the same number of people around the globe who suffer from depressed morale.

As for the Church, it has long added despondency to the list of major sins. Next we will figure out what caused this.

What is despondency in Orthodoxy

Let us turn to the statement of Victor Trostnikov, professor of the Russian Orthodox University John the Theologian, who says the following:

“Despondency is classified as a mortal sin exclusively in Orthodoxy. For comparison, Catholics included sadness in this list, but only Orthodoxy singles out despondency as a separate sin.

It is for this reason that in Orthodoxy there are only 8 mortal sins, and not 7. At first glance, it may seem that sadness and despondency are one and the same. If we look in more detail, we establish that sadness is a passing sensation related to some unpleasant incidents, but this feeling is temporary, passing in nature.

And if we are talking about despondency, we should note that it appears in the form of a protracted, chronic condition, and there are often no obvious factors for it. Dejection is precisely a state of mind; it is quite capable of visiting you even if outwardly everything looks quite well. At the same time, a person will not be able to give himself an intelligible answer to the question of what he really needs.

Be that as it may, the Church calls both sadness and despondency mortal sins. A layman must perceive all types of tests sent to him, having a complete soul, being filled with faith, hope and love in his soul. In the opposite case, he begins to renounce the whole, does not recognize this whole, and therefore condemns the teaching about God, the world and humanity. This is one of the variations of lack of faith. When the spirit is left to its own devices, and the individual is automatically doomed to various pathologies and suffering.”

All mortal sins have a destructive effect on the physical and spiritual shell of a person. It is not for nothing that despondency is known as “evil laziness.” When an individual begins to be influenced by this passion, he becomes lazy and finds it difficult to motivate himself to perform any actions. He also does not experience any joy or consolation, and loses faith and hope in the best.

It is not for nothing that there is a saying that “a dry spirit can dry up the bones.”

A sad spirit withers the bones

sleep is disturbed (a person suffers from insomnia or excessive drowsiness);
appetite changes (increases or loses);
there are problems with the intestines (constipation);
sexual potential is noticeably reduced;
the general energy state decreases, the person begins to become more tired of the usual physical and mental stress;
Various types of uncomfortable pain sensations arise in the torso.

As a result of such a conflict with oneself, even organic pathology can arise. Thus, sin begins to penetrate the physical body of a person.

Modern medicine offers methods of healing from depression, however, the famous specialist in this field, Polishchuk, who is a Doctor of Medical Sciences, also advises using spiritual and religious methods of psychotherapy.

He expresses the following opinion about treatment for despondency: “If someone who suffers from depression came to me and asked for a way out of this state, I would definitely recommend him not just to visit the temple of God, but to search for his personal spiritual mentor in one of the monasteries.

Of course, this option will be more difficult, since it requires effort to search, but as a result, they will not just listen to you for a couple of minutes, but will try to establish the true source of mental suffering. Conversations with spiritual mentors last for several hours, and sometimes the convert is offered to stay within the walls of the monastery for a certain time in order to endure fasting and begin to heal his soul.”

Father (Berestov), who is a hieromonk and the head of the Orthodox Counseling Center of John of Kronstadt, as well as a doctor of medical sciences, is confident that a person who dreams of healing this ailment not only on a physical, but also on a spiritual level, must definitely seek help from Holy Church.

After all, it is Orthodox medicine that is called upon to save a person, to free him from internal sins that destroy body and soul.”

Although from another point of view, believers who have suffered from depressive conditions should not neglect official medicine, because according to St. Theophan the Recluse, “medicine and medicines were given to us by the Almighty, and to refuse them means to reproach the Creator.”

What can lead a person to the mortal sin of despondency?

It becomes clear that despondency can seriously harm both our physical body and cause damage to our immortal soul.

But why does this passion arise? The main factors that provoke despondency include the following:

Loss of meaning in life.
A condition when a person has no control over his life.
Lost faith in yourself and in the Almighty.
Laziness.
Lack of responsibility.
Loss of joy.
Disappointment (in oneself, other people, ideals, life in general, and so on).
Constant feeling of guilt.
Reluctance to admit one's own mistakes.

Of course, perhaps the most important point of all listed is the meaning of life. Until a person has found the answer to the question of why he lives on Earth, what his true purpose is, all attempts to achieve happiness will fail.

As a result of this, internal blocks of consciousness begin to arise, manifesting themselves in the form of irresponsibility, lack of faith in one’s own strengths, self-hatred and a complete refusal to move forward, neglect of one’s capabilities.

For what reasons does the sin of despondency arise according to Orthodoxy?

The Orthodox Church names its specific factors for the emergence of this passion:

tests sent to man by God so that he could improve spiritually;
wounded pride;
vanity;
loss of faith;
godlessness;
little spiritual life.

Due to a disrupted lifestyle and unwillingness to observe morality, people find themselves in a state of spiritual crisis, from which getting out is already quite problematic.

Dejection provokes a vicious circle: the individual is in a depressed state, he has no desire to perform any actions, such idleness plunges him even more into a state of despondency, forces him to do even less, which ultimately is fraught with an even greater state of despondency.

The Holy Fathers claim that from time to time each of us may encounter a state of natural melancholy. Thanks to mental suffering, moral virtues are cultivated in the individual. And when a person copes with a state of despondency, he begins to improve himself spiritually and becomes closer to the Creator.

Therefore, we can view the sin of despondency as a test sent from above that must be overcome.

How to deal with despondency

If you do not take any action, then a state of despondency can provoke deep depression. Doctors note that often getting out of depressive states is quite problematic (sometimes impossible) without outside help.

Modern psychology and medicine offers various methods and means that eliminate such conditions. But the church has always advised people who have experienced despondency to find a way out in prayers. But, as a rule, all prayers are said alone with oneself, which means that a person unconsciously withdraws even more from the world around him. Loneliness is also complemented by an internal feeling of guilt. The effect of such “therapy” will ultimately be very doubtful.

What do modern doctors advise people in the fight against despondency? Famous psychoanalysts, psychiatrists and psychologists strongly recommend improving your life through active activities - relaxation, acquaintances, entertainment. It is very easy to trace the effect of such a recommendation - you simply do not have enough time to be sad and yearning.

Of course, there are especially advanced situations when a person came to the doctor too late and already requires drug therapy. In the fight against despondency, one should not forget that it often leads to protracted depression, and it can end very badly.

Therefore, contact a specialist as soon as you notice the initial symptoms of this pathology in yourself or one of your family or friends.

How to protect yourself from despondency?

The most effective remedy for despondency is moderate physical activity and maintaining an active lifestyle. When a person is exposed to stress, he gets rid of all the negativity accumulated in the body and becomes calm, plus more confident in himself and his abilities.

In addition, in the life of every athlete, no matter whether he is a professional or an amateur, there is always a goal. In some cases, it does not manifest itself as clearly as in others and is more of a struggle with oneself.

But even beginner athletes, when they leave the gym, think: “Today I managed to complete such and such a load. And tomorrow I will be able to accomplish even more (run faster, lift more weight, etc.). And this is the goal, which is the main salvation from the state of despondency. And it is completely unimportant what purpose is meant.

Also try to surround yourself with positivity in all its forms - let there be exclusively cheerful people, good movies and exciting events in your life. If life sends you little positivity, start attracting it yourself.

Interesting expert answers to questions about despondency

It is very interesting to receive information from smart people who understand the topic of the issue. We present informative discussions by Yuri Shcherbatykh, who is a professor of psychology at the Moscow Institute of Humanities and Economics, as well as a Doctor of Biological Sciences and the author of the monograph “The Seven Deadly Sins for Believers and Non-Believers.”

—Who is more often tempted than others by the sin of despondency?

— These are mostly melancholic people with low energy. For example, factors that lead to prolonged sadness and despondency in melancholic people will cause fits of rage in choleric people, and in sanguine people - only fleeting dissatisfaction.

Many famous personalities have experienced bouts of blues. Of the latter, we can name famous writers and poets - Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol, Nikolai Alekseevich Nekrasov and Guy de Maupassant.

— Besides temperament, what else influences the development of mental suffering?

- The main factor can be called the people around us, especially those close to us, who are capable of unjustifiably causing us offense, insulting, slandering, or simply being inattentive where we want to receive attention to our person. Speaking specifically about the last case, the real reason for despondency is a completely different sin of pride.

In addition, our physical well-being often leads to a state of hopeless melancholy: apathy, pathologies, regular lack of sleep. It also happens that a person falls into a depressive state when he begins to make increased demands on the Universe.

The passion of despondency often attacks people on the threshold of a certain age - at forty, fifty or sixty years. At such moments, a person suddenly feels that she has lived her life absolutely in vain and there are more failures than successes.

— What is the danger of despondency for physical health?

— The state of despondency becomes dangerous if it reaches the point of depressive disorder. Indeed, as a result of such a depressed state, various types of biochemical disorders begin to appear in the central nervous system - first of all, the exchange of neurotransmitters (substances that affect indicators of mental activity) deteriorates.

It is noteworthy that very vivid and characteristic symptoms of depression are shown in the Bible by King David: “I am all bent and drooping, I complain all day long. I am exhausted and lamented beyond all measure, I scream because my heart is constantly tormented. My heart begins to tremble, my strength has left me, I don’t even have light in my eyes.”

— Have doctors managed to cure depression?

— Yes, American researchers were able to identify serotonin, which is a biologically active substance that affects a person’s mood. And based on it, many medications have been invented to help fight depression.

- How to eliminate this pathological defect?

— Don’t forget that depression cannot be cured with antidepressants, alcohol or drugs; on the contrary, the condition will only worsen. Also remember that your enemies and competitors will easily take advantage of the world’s sorrow. Don’t be surprised if more cheerful colleagues easily leapfrog you on the career ladder, and the girl you love can’t stand the constant grumbling and complaints and finds herself a more cheerful and active guy. Therefore, try to live in such a way that your enemies become despondent, and you remain a complete optimist.

Make changes to your lifestyle - instead of the usual sedentary work, find something more interesting and active, stop drinking alcohol and spending time on the couch, actively expand your social circle. And, of course, let there be a maximum of sports and walks in nature in your life.

Set a life motto for yourself: “Less self-pity and as many smiles as possible!”

And to end the topic, watch this interesting video:

From what do despondency and its products arise?

Dejection arises from distrust of God, so we can say that it is the fruit of lack of faith.

But what, in turn, is distrust of God and lack of faith? It does not arise by itself, out of nowhere. It is a consequence of the fact that a person trusts himself too much, because he has too high an opinion of himself. And the more a person trusts himself, the less he trusts God. And trusting yourself more than God is the clearest sign of pride.

The first root of despondency is pride

Therefore, according to the Monk Anatoly of Optina, “despair is a product of pride. If you expect everything bad from yourself, then you will never despair, but only humble yourself and repent peacefully.” “Despair is the accuser of unbelief and selfishness in the heart: he who believes in himself and trusts in himself will not rise from sin by repentance” (St. Theophan the Recluse).

As soon as something happens in the life of a proud man that exposes his powerlessness and unfounded trust in himself, he immediately becomes despondent and despairs.

And this can happen for a variety of reasons: from offended pride or from something that is not done our way; also from vanity, when a person sees that his equals use O greater advantages than him; or from the constraining circumstances of life, as the Monk Ambrose of Optina testifies.

A humble person who believes in God knows that these unpleasant circumstances test and strengthen his faith, just as the muscles of an athlete are strengthened during training; he knows that God is near and that He will not test him more than he can bear. Such a person, who trusts in God, never loses heart even in difficult circumstances.

The proud man, who relied on himself, as soon as he finds himself in difficult circumstances that he himself is unable to change, immediately becomes despondent, thinking that if he cannot correct what happened, then no one can correct it; and at the same time he is sad and irritated because these circumstances have shown him his own weakness, which a proud man cannot bear calmly.

Precisely because despondency and despair are a consequence and, in a certain sense, a demonstration of unbelief in God, one of the saints said: “In a moment of despair, know that it is not the Lord who leaves you, but you the Lord!”

So, pride and lack of faith are one of the main causes of despondency and despair, but still far from the only ones.

St. John Climacus speaks of two main types of despair, arising from different reasons: “There is despair that comes from a multitude of sins and aggravation of conscience and unbearable sadness, when the soul, due to the multitude of these ulcers, plunges and, from the severity of them, drowns in the depths of hopelessness. But there is another type of despair, which comes from pride and exaltation, when the fallen think that they did not deserve their fall... The first is cured by abstinence and trustworthiness; and from the latter - humility and not judging anyone.”

The second root of despondency is dissatisfaction of passions

So, as for the second type of despair, which comes from pride, we have already shown above what its mechanism is. What is meant by the first type, “coming from a multitude of sins”?

This type of despondency, according to the holy fathers, comes when any passion has not found satisfaction. As St. John Cassian writes, despondency “is born from the dissatisfaction of the desire for some kind of self-interest, when someone sees that he has lost the hope born in his mind to receive some things.”

For example, a glutton suffering from peptic ulcers or diabetes will be depressed because he cannot enjoy the desired amount of food or the variety of its taste; a stingy person - because he cannot avoid spending money, and so on. Despondency is accompanied by almost any unsatisfied sinful desires, if a person does not renounce them for one reason or another.

Therefore, St. Neil of Sinai says: “Whoever is bound by sadness is overcome by passions, because sadness is a consequence of failure in carnal desire, and desire is associated with every passion. He who has conquered passions is not overcome by sadness. Just as a sick person is visible by his complexion, so a passionate person is revealed by sadness. He who loves the world will grieve much. And whoever does not care about what is in the world will always have fun.”

As despondency increases in a person, specific desires lose their meaning, and what remains is a state of mind that seeks out precisely those desires that cannot be achieved, precisely to feed the despondency itself.

Then, according to the testimony of the Monk John Cassian, “we are subjected to such grief that we cannot receive even our kind persons and relatives with usual friendliness, and no matter what they say in a decent conversation, everything seems untimely and unnecessary to us, and we do not give a pleasant answer to them, when all the bends of our heart are filled with bilious bitterness.”

That’s why despondency is like a swamp: the longer a person plunges into it, the harder it is for him to get out of it.

Other roots of despondency

The reasons that arouse despondency in non-believers and people of little faith have been described above. However, despondency attacks, although less successfully, on believers. But for different reasons. Saint Innocent of Kherson writes in detail about these reasons:

“There are many sources of despondency - both external and internal.

Firstly, in souls that are pure and close to perfection, despondency can occur from their abandonment for a time by the grace of God. The state of grace is the most blissful. But so that the one in this state does not imagine that it comes from his own perfections, grace sometimes withdraws, leaving his favorite to himself. Then the same thing happens to the holy soul as if midnight had come in the middle of the day: darkness, coldness, deadness and at the same time despondency appear in the soul.

Secondly, despondency, as people experienced in spiritual life testify, comes from the action of the spirit of darkness. Unable to deceive the soul on the way to heaven with the blessings and pleasures of the world, the enemy of salvation turns to the opposite means and brings despondency into it. In this state, the soul is like a traveler suddenly caught in darkness and fog: it sees neither what is ahead nor what is behind; doesn't know what to do; loses vigor, falls into indecision.

The third source of despondency is our fallen, unclean, weakened nature, deadened by sin. As long as we act out of self-love, are filled with the spirit of peace and passions, until then this nature in us is cheerful and alive. But change the direction of life, get off the broad path of the world onto the narrow path of Christian self-sacrifice, take up repentance and self-correction - immediately an emptiness will open inside you, spiritual impotence will be revealed, and heartfelt deadness will be felt. Until the soul has time to be filled with a new spirit of love for God and neighbor, then the spirit of despondency, to a greater or lesser extent, is inevitable for it. Sinners are most subject to this kind of despondency after their conversion.

The fourth, ordinary source of spiritual despondency, is lack, especially cessation of activity. Having stopped using its strengths and abilities, the soul loses vitality and vigor, becomes sluggish; the very previous activities contradict her: discontent and boredom appear.

Dejection can also occur from various sad events in life, such as the death of relatives and loved ones, loss of honor, property and other unfortunate adventures. All this, according to the law of our nature, is associated with unpleasantness and sadness for us; but, according to the law of nature itself, this sadness should decrease over time and disappear when a person does not indulge in sadness. Otherwise, a spirit of despondency will be formed.

Dejection can also occur from certain thoughts, especially gloomy and heavy ones, when the soul is too indulged in such thoughts and looks at objects not in the light of faith and the Gospel. So, for example, a person can easily become despondent from frequent reflection on the untruth that prevails in the world, on how the righteous here grieve and suffer, while the wicked are exalted and blissful.

Finally, the source of spiritual despondency can be various painful conditions of the body, especially some of its members.”

How to deal with despondency and its consequences

The great Russian saint, Venerable Seraphim of Sarov, said: “You need to remove despondency from yourself and try to have a joyful spirit, not a sad one. According to Sirach, “sorrow has killed many, but there is no benefit in it (Sir. 31:25).”

But how exactly can you remove despondency from yourself?

Let us remember the unhappy young businessman mentioned at the beginning of the article, who for many years could not do anything about the despondency that gripped him. From his own experience he was convinced of the truth of the words of St. Ignatius (Brianchaninov): “Earthly entertainments only drown out sorrow, but do not destroy it: they fell silent, and again sorrow, rested and, as if strengthened by rest, begins to act with greater force.”

Now it’s time to tell you in more detail about that special circumstance in the life of this businessman, which we mentioned earlier.

His wife is a deeply religious person, and she is free from that gloomy, impenetrable melancholy that shrouds her husband’s life. He knows that she is a believer, that she goes to church and reads Orthodox books, and that she does not have “depression.” But in all the years that they were together, it never occurred to him to connect these facts together and try to go to church himself, read the Gospel... He still regularly goes to a psychologist, receiving short-term relief, but not healing.

How many people are exhausted from this mental illness, not wanting to believe that healing is very close. And this businessman, unfortunately, is one of them. We would like to write that one fine day he became interested in faith, which gives his wife the strength not to succumb to despondency and maintain the pure joy of life. But, alas, this has not happened yet. And until then, he will remain among those unfortunates about whom St. Demetrius of Rostov said: “The righteous have no sadness that does not turn into joy, just as sinners have no joy that does not turn into sadness.”

But if suddenly this businessman turned to the treasury of the Orthodox faith, what would he learn about his condition and what methods of healing would he receive?

He would learn, among other things, that there is a spiritual reality in the world and there are spiritual beings at work: good ones - angels and evil ones - demons. The latter, in their malice, strive to cause as much harm as possible to a person’s soul, turning him away from God and from the path to salvation. These are enemies who seek to kill a person both spiritually and physically. For their purposes, they use different methods, among them the most common is instilling certain thoughts and feelings in people. Including thoughts of despondency and despair.

The trick is that demons try to convince a person that these are his own thoughts. A person who is an unbeliever or has little faith is completely unprepared for such a temptation and does not know how to relate to such thoughts; he actually accepts them as his own. And, following them, he comes closer and closer to death - in the same way, a traveler in the desert, mistaking a mirage for a true vision, begins to chase him and goes further and further into the depths of the lifeless desert.

A believer and spiritually experienced person knows about the existence of the enemy and about his tricks, knows how to recognize his thoughts and cut them off, thereby successfully confronting demons and defeating them.

A sad person is not the one who experiences thoughts of despondency from time to time, but the one who is overcome by them and does not fight. And vice versa, free from despondency is not the one who has never experienced such thoughts - there are no such people on earth, but the one who fights with them and defeats them.

Saint John Chrysostom said: “Excessive despondency is more harmful than any demonic action, because even if demons rule in someone, they rule through despondency.”

But if a person is deeply struck by the spirit of despondency, if the demons have gained such power in him, then it means that the person himself has done something that gave them such power over him.

It was already said above that one of the reasons for despondency among non-believers is the lack of faith in God and, accordingly, the lack of a living connection with Him, the source of all joy and good. But lack of faith is rarely something innate to a person.

Unrepentant sin kills faith in a person. If a person sins and does not want to repent and renounce sin, then sooner or later he inevitably loses faith.

Conversely, faith is resurrected in sincere repentance and confession of sins.

Non-believers deprive themselves of the two most effective ways to combat depression - repentance and prayer. “Prayer and constant meditation on God serve to destroy despondency,” writes St. Ephraim the Syrian.

It is worth giving a list of the main means of combating despondency that a Christian has. Saint Innocent of Kherson speaks about them:

“No matter what causes despondency, prayer is always the first and last remedy against it. In prayer, a person stands directly in the face of God: but if, standing against the sun, one cannot help but be illuminated by light and feel warmth, much less spiritual light and warmth are the direct consequences of prayer. In addition, prayer attracts grace and help from above, from the Holy Spirit, and where the Comforter Spirit is, there is no place for despondency, there sorrow itself will be turned into sweetness.

Reading or listening to the word of God, especially the New Testament, is also a powerful remedy against despondency. It was not in vain that the Savior called to Himself all those who labored and were burdened, promising them peace and joy. He did not take this joy with Him to heaven, but left it entirely in the Gospel for all those who mourn and are discouraged in spirit. He who is imbued with the spirit of the Gospel ceases to grieve joylessly: for the spirit of the Gospel is the spirit of peace, tranquility and consolation.

Divine services, and especially the holy sacraments of the Church, are also a great medicine against the spirit of despondency, for in the church, as the house of God, there is no place for it; The sacraments are all directed against the spirit of darkness and the weaknesses of our nature, especially the sacrament of confession and communion. By laying aside the burden of sins through confession, the soul feels lightness and cheerfulness, and by receiving the flesh of the Lord’s body and blood in the Eucharist, it feels revived and joyful.

Conversations with people rich in the Christian spirit are also a remedy against despondency. In an interview, we generally emerge more or less from the gloomy inner depths into which the soul plunges from despondency; In addition, through the exchange of thoughts and feelings in an interview, we borrow from those talking to us a certain strength and vitality, which is so necessary in a state of despondency.

Thinking about comforting objects. For a thought in a sad state either does not act at all, or circles around sad objects. To get rid of despondency, you need to force yourself to think about the opposite.

Engaging yourself in physical labor also drives away despondency. Let him begin to work, even reluctantly; let him continue the work, although without success: from movement, first the body comes to life, and then the spirit, and you will feel vigor; in the midst of work, the thought will quietly turn away from objects that make me sad, and this already means a lot in a state of despondency.”

Prayer

Why is prayer the most effective remedy against despondency? For many reasons.

Firstly, when we pray during times of despondency, we thereby fight against the demon who is trying to plunge us into this despondency. He does this so that we despair and move away from God, this is his plan; when we turn to God in prayer, we destroy the tricks of the enemy, showing that we did not fall into his trap, did not surrender to him, but, on the contrary, we use his intrigues as a reason to strengthen the connection with God that the demon tried to break .

Secondly, since despondency in most cases is a consequence of our pride, prayer helps to heal from this passion, that is, it pulls out the very root of despondency from the ground. After all, every humble prayer asking God for help - even such a short one as “Lord, have mercy!” - means that we recognize our weakness and limitations and begin to trust God more than ourselves. Therefore, each such prayer, even pronounced through force, is a blow to pride, similar to the blow of a huge weight, which destroys the walls of dilapidated houses.

And finally, thirdly, and most importantly: prayer helps because it is an appeal to God, Who alone can truly help in any, even the most hopeless, situation; the only one who is able to give real consolation and joy and freedom from despondency. "
The Lord helps us in sorrows and temptations. He does not free us from them, but gives us the strength to easily endure them, not even to notice them.
If we are with Christ and in Christ, then no sorrow will confuse us, and joy will fill our heart so that we will rejoice both during sorrows and during temptations” (Rev. Nikon of Optina).

Some advise praying to the guardian angel, who is always invisibly next to us, ready to support us. Others advise reading an akathist to the Sweetest Jesus. There is also advice to read the prayer “Rejoice to the Virgin Mary” many times in a row, with the hope that the Lord will certainly give peace to our soul for the sake of the prayers of the Mother of God.

But the advice of Saint Ignatius (Brianchaninov) deserves special attention, who recommended repeating such words and prayers as often as possible during times of despondency.

"Thank God for everything".

"God! I surrender to Your Holy will! Be Your Will with me."

"God! I thank You for everything that You have been pleased to send to me.”

“I accept what is worthy according to my deeds; remember me, O Lord, in Thy Kingdom.”

The Holy Fathers noted that it is especially difficult for a person to pray in despondency. Therefore, not everyone will be able to fulfill large prayer rules at once, but everyone can say those short prayers that St. Ignatius indicated, it is not difficult.

As for the reluctance to pray in despondency and despair, we need to understand that this is not our feeling, but a demon instilled in us specifically for the purpose of depriving us of the weapon with which we can defeat him.

Saint Tikhon of Zadonsk speaks about this reluctance to pray when despondent: “I advise you the following: convince yourself and force yourself to pray and to every good deed, even though you don’t want to. Just as people whip a lazy horse to make it walk or run, so we need to force ourselves to do everything, and especially to pray. Seeing such work and diligence, the Lord will give desire and zeal.”

Of the four phrases proposed by St. Ignatius, two are phrases of thanksgiving. He himself explains why they are given: “In particular, thanks to God, sorrowful thoughts are driven away; When such thoughts invade, thanksgiving is pronounced in simple words, with attention and often - until the heart brings peace. There is no sense in sorrowful thoughts: they do not relieve sorrow, they do not bring any help, they only upset the soul and body. This means that they are from demons and you need to drive them away from yourself... Thanksgiving first calms the heart, then brings it consolation, and subsequently brings heavenly joy - a guarantee, a foretaste of eternal joy.”

In times of despair, demons inspire a person with the idea that there is no salvation for him and his sins cannot be forgiven. This is the greatest demonic lie!

“Let no one say: “I have sinned a lot, there is no forgiveness for me.” Whoever says this forgets about the One who came to earth for the sake of the suffering and said: “...there is joy among the angels of God even over one sinner who repents” (Luke 15:10) and also: “I came to call not the righteous, but sinners to repentance” (Luke 5:32),” teaches St. Ephraim the Syrian. While a person is alive, it is truly possible for him to repent and receive forgiveness of sins, no matter how serious they may be, and, having received forgiveness, transform his life, fill it with joy and light. And it is precisely this opportunity that demons try to deprive a person of, instilling in him thoughts of despair and suicide, because after death it is no longer possible to repent.

So “none of the people, even those who have reached the extreme degree of evil, should despair, even if they have acquired the skill and entered into the nature of evil itself” (St. John Chrysostom).

Saint Tikhon of Zadonsk explains that the test of despondency and despair makes a Christian more careful and experienced in spiritual life. And “the longer” such a temptation continues, “the greater the benefit it will bring to the soul.”

An Orthodox Christian knows that just as much as the sorrow of all other temptations is greater, those who endure sorrow with patience will receive a greater reward. And in the fight against despondency, the greatest crown is bestowed. Therefore, “let us not lose heart when grief and sorrow befall us, but, on the contrary, let us rejoice more that we are following the path of the saints,” advises St. Ephraim the Syrian.

God is always next to each of us, and He does not allow demons to strike a person with despondency as much as they would like. He gave us freedom, and He makes sure that no one takes this gift from us. So at any moment a person can turn to God for help and repent.

If a person does not do this, it is his choice; the demons themselves are not able to force him to do so.

In conclusion, I would like to quote a prayer composed by St. Demetrius of Rostov just for people suffering from despondency:

God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Father of mercies and God of all consolation, who comforts us in all our sorrow! Comfort everyone who is grieving, saddened, despairing, or overwhelmed by the spirit of despondency. After all, every person was created by Thy hands, wise by wisdom, exalted by Thy right hand, glorified by Thy goodness... But now we are visited by Thy Fatherly punishment, short-term sorrows! - You compassionately punish those you love, and you are generous and considerate of their tears! So, having punished, have mercy and quench our sorrow; turn sorrow into joy and dissolve our sorrow with joy; Surprise us with Thy mercy, O Lord, wondrous in counsels, Incomprehensible in destinies, Lord, and blessed in Thy deeds forever, amen.

Dejection - what is despondency and how to fight despondency?

Dejection - what is despondency and how to deal with despondency? Here is the real story of one of our contemporary. He is 35. He is a fairly successful businessman. He has a beautiful and modest wife and a little daughter, a large apartment in Moscow, a dacha, two cars, many friends... He has what many people strive for and dream about. But none of this pleases him. He forgot what joy is. Every day he is oppressed by melancholy, from which he tries to hide in business, but to no avail. He considers himself an unhappy person, but cannot say why. There is money. Health, youth - there is. But there is no happiness.

He is trying to fight, to find a way out. He regularly visits a psychologist and goes to special seminars several times a year. After them, he feels relief for a short time, but then everything returns to normal. He says to his wife: “Even though this doesn’t make me feel any better, at least they understand me.” He tells friends and family that he suffers from depression.

There is one special circumstance in his situation, which we will talk about a little later. And now we have to admit that, unfortunately, this is not an isolated example. There are many such people. Of course, not all of them are in such an outwardly advantageous position, so they often say: I’m sad because I don’t have enough money, or I don’t have my own apartment, or the job is wrong, or the wife is grumpy, or the husband is a drunk, or the car is broken, or no health, and so on and so forth. It seems to them that if only they could change and improve something a little, then the melancholy will go away. They spend a lot of effort on achieving what they think they are missing, but they barely manage to achieve what they want when, after a brief joy, melancholy sets in again. You can look through apartments, places of work, women, cars, friends, hobbies, but nothing can satisfy this all-consuming, hopeless grief once and for all. And the more wealthy a person is, the more, as a rule, it torments him.

Psychologists define this condition as depression. They describe it as a mental disorder that usually occurs after negative events in a person's life, but often develops without any apparent reason. Currently, depression is the most common mental illness.

The main symptoms of depression: depressed mood, regardless of circumstances; loss of interest or pleasure in previously enjoyable activities; fatigue, “loss of strength.”

Additional symptoms: pessimism, feelings of guilt, worthlessness, anxiety and fear, inability to concentrate and make decisions, thoughts of death and suicide; unstable appetite, disturbed sleep - insomnia or oversleeping.

In order for a diagnosis of depression to be made, the presence of two main and two additional symptoms is sufficient.

If a person finds these symptoms, what should he do? Many people go to psychologists. And what do they get? Firstly, soul-searching conversations, and secondly, antidepressant pills, of which there are a great many. Psychologists say that depression can be successfully treated in most cases. But at the same time they recognize that this is the most common mental illness. There is a contradiction here: if the disease is successfully treated, then why does it not disappear, and the number of patients even increases over time? For example, smallpox has been successfully eradicated, and for a long time there have been no people who fell ill with it. But with depression the picture is exactly the opposite. Why?

Is it because only the manifestations of the disease are treated, while its true foundations are still preserved in the souls of people, like the roots of weeds that again and again produce harmful shoots?

Psychology is a young science. It received official registration only 130 years ago, when in 1879 W. Wundt opened the first laboratory of experimental psychology in Leipzig.

Orthodoxy dates back 2000 years. And it has its own view of the phenomenon that psychology calls “depression.” And it would be a good idea to familiarize yourself with this view for those who are really interested in the possibility of successfully getting rid of depression.

In Orthodoxy, the word “despondency” is used to denote this state of soul. This is a painful condition in which a melancholy mood penetrates the soul, becoming permanent over time, a feeling of loneliness, abandonment by family, friends, all people in general, and even God comes. There are two main types of despondency: despondency with complete depression of spirit, without a feeling of any bitterness, and despondency with an admixture of feelings of anger and irritability.

This is how the ancient holy fathers of the Church talk about despondency.

“Despondency is relaxation of the soul and exhaustion of the mind, slandering God - as if He is unmerciful and unloving of mankind” (Rev. John Climacus).

“Despondency is a grave torment of the soul, an unspeakable torment and a punishment more bitter than any punishment or torment” (St. John Chrysostom).

This condition also occurs among believers, and among non-believers it is even more common. The elder said about them: “A person who does not believe in God and in the future life exposes his immortal soul to eternal condemnation and lives without consolation in this life. Nothing can console him. He is afraid of losing his life, suffers, goes to psychiatrists, who give him pills and advise him to have fun. He takes pills, gets stupid, and then goes back and forth to see the sights and forget the pain.”

And here is how Saint Innocent of Kherson wrote about this: “Do sinners who are not concerned about the salvation of their souls suffer from despondency? Yes, and most often, although, apparently, their life consists mostly of fun and pleasure. Even in all fairness, it can be said that internal discontent and secret melancholy are the constant lot of sinners. For conscience, no matter how much it is drowned out, like a worm, eats away at the heart. An involuntary, deep premonition of future judgment and retribution also disturbs the sinful soul and upsets for it the insane pleasures of sensuality. The most inveterate sinner at times feels that there is emptiness, darkness, ulcer and death inside him. Hence the irrepressible inclination of unbelievers to incessant entertainment, to forget themselves and be beside themselves.

What to say to unbelievers about their despondency? It is good for them; for it serves as a call and encouragement to repentance. And let them not think that any means will be found for them to free themselves from this spirit of despondency until they turn to the path of righteousness and correct themselves and their morals. Vanity pleasures and earthly joys will never fill the emptiness of the heart: our soul is more spacious than the whole world. On the contrary, as time goes on, carnal joys will lose their power to entertain and charm the soul and will turn into a source of mental heaviness and boredom.”

Someone may object: is every sad state really despondency? No, not everything. Sadness and grief, if they are not rooted in a person, are not a disease. They are inevitable on the difficult earthly path, as the Lord warned: “In the world you will have tribulation; but take heart: I have overcome the world" ().

“Satan maliciously tries to sadden many in order to plunge them into Gehenna with despair” (Reverend Ephraim the Syrian). “The spirit of despair brings the most severe torment. Despair is the most perfect joy for the devil” (Reverend Mark the Ascetic).

“Sin does not destroy as much as despair” (St. John Chrysostom). “To sin is a human matter, but to despair is satanic and destructive; and the devil himself was cast into destruction by despair, for he did not want to repent” (Rev. Nile of Sinai).

“The devil plunges us into thoughts of despair in order to destroy hope in God, this safe anchor, this support of our life, this guide on the path to Heaven, this salvation of perishing souls... The evil one does everything to instill in us the thoughts of despair. He will no longer need efforts and labors for our defeat, when those who have fallen and lie down do not want to resist him... and the soul, once despairing of its salvation, then no longer feels how it strives into the abyss” (St. John Chrysostom).

Despair already directly leads to death. It precedes suicide, the most terrible sin, which immediately sends a person to hell - a place far from God, where there is no light of God, and no joy, only darkness and eternal despair. Suicide is the only sin that cannot be forgiven, since the suicider cannot repent.

“During the free suffering of the Lord, two fell away from the Lord - Judas and Peter: one sold, and the other denied three times. Both had equal sin, both sinned grievously, but Peter was saved and Judas perished. Why weren’t both saved and why weren’t both killed? Some will say that Peter was saved by repenting. But the Holy Gospel says that Judas also repented: “... having repented, he returned thirty pieces of silver to the high priests and elders, saying: I have sinned by betraying innocent blood” (); however, his repentance was not accepted, but Petrovo was accepted; Peter was saved, but Judas died. Why is this so? But because Peter repented with hope and hope for the mercy of God, but Judas repented with despair. This abyss is terrible! Without a doubt, it needs to be filled with hope for God’s mercy” (St. Demetrius of Rostov).

“Judas the traitor, having come to despair, “hanged himself” (). He knew the power of sin, but did not know the greatness of God's mercy. This is what many do today and follow Judas. They recognize the multitude of their sins, but do not recognize the multitude of God’s mercies, and so they despair of their salvation. Christian! the heavy and final blow of the devil is despair. He represents God as merciful before sin, and as just after sin. Such is his cunning” (St. Tikhon of Zadonsk).

Thus, tempting a person to sin, Satan instills in him the thoughts: “God is good, He will forgive,” and after the sin he tries to plunge him into despair, instilling completely different thoughts: “God is just, and He will punish you for what you have done.” . The devil inspires a person that he will never be able to get out of the pit of sin, will not be pardoned by God, will not be able to receive forgiveness and reform.

Despair is the death of hope. If it occurs, then only a miracle can save a person from suicide.

How despondency manifests itself and its products

Dejection manifests itself even in a person’s facial expressions and behavior: a facial expression that is called sad, drooping shoulders, a drooping head, a lack of interest in the environment and one’s condition. There may be a persistent decrease in blood pressure. Also characterized by lethargy and inertia of the soul. The good mood of others causes bewilderment, irritation and obvious or hidden protest in the sad person.

St. John Chrysostom said that “a soul overwhelmed by sadness cannot speak or listen to anything healthy,” and St. Neil of Sinai testified: “Just as a sick person cannot bear a heavy burden, so a sad person is unable to carefully fulfill God’s works; for this one’s bodily strength is in disarray, but this one has no spiritual strength left.”

According to the Monk John Cassian, such a state of a person “does not allow one to perform prayers with the usual zeal of the heart, nor to engage in sacred reading with benefit, does not allow one to be calm and meek with brothers; makes one impatient and incapable of all the duties of work or worship, intoxicates feeling, crushes and suppresses with painful despair. Like a moth to clothing and a worm to a tree, so sadness harms a person’s heart.”

Further, the holy father lists the manifestations of this sinful painful state: “From despondency are born discontent, cowardice, irritability, idleness, drowsiness, restlessness, vagrancy, inconstancy of mind and body, talkativeness... Whoever it begins to overcome, it will force him to remain lazy, careless, without any spiritual success; then he will make you fickle, idle, and careless in every matter.”

These are the manifestations of despondency. And despair has even more severe manifestations. A person who is desperate, that is, who has lost hope, often indulges in drug addiction, drunkenness, fornication and many other obvious sins, believing himself to be already lost anyway. The extreme manifestation of despair, as already mentioned, is suicide.

Every year, a million people around the globe commit suicide. It’s scary to think about this number, which exceeds the population of many countries.

In our country, the highest number of suicides was in 1995. Compared to this indicator, by 2008 it decreased by one and a half times, but Russia still remains among the countries with the highest suicide rate.

Indeed, more suicides occur in poor and disadvantaged countries than in rich and economically stable ones. This is not surprising, since in the former there are more reasons for despondency. But still, even the richest countries and the richest people are not free from this misfortune. Because under the external well-being, the soul of an unbeliever often feels even more acutely the painful emptiness and constant dissatisfaction, as was the case with that successful businessman whom we remembered at the beginning of the article.

But he can be saved from the terrible fate that befalls a million people every year by the special circumstance that he has and which many of those unfortunate people who drive themselves to the point of suicide in despair are deprived.

From what do despondency and its products arise?

Dejection arises from distrust of God, so we can say that it is the fruit of lack of faith.

The first root of despondency is pride

Therefore, according to the Monk Anatoly of Optina, “despair is a product of pride. If you expect everything bad from yourself, then you will never despair, but only humble yourself and repent peacefully.” “Despair is an accuser of unbelief and selfishness in the heart: he who believes in himself and trusts in himself will not rise from sin by repentance” (St. Theophan the Recluse).

As soon as something happens in the life of a proud man that exposes his powerlessness and unfounded trust in himself, he immediately becomes despondent and despairs.

So, pride and lack of faith are one of the main causes of despondency and despair, but still far from the only ones.

The second root of despondency is dissatisfaction of passions

So, as for the second type of despair, which comes from pride, we have already shown above what its mechanism is. What is meant by the first type, “coming from a multitude of sins”?

That’s why despondency is like a swamp: the longer a person plunges into it, the harder it is for him to get out of it.

Other roots of despondency

“There are many sources of despondency - both external and internal.

Finally, the source of spiritual despondency can be various painful conditions of the body, especially some of its members.”

How to deal with despondency and its consequences

The great Russian saint, Venerable Seraphim of Sarov, said: “You need to remove despondency from yourself and try to have a joyful spirit, not a sad one. According to Sirach, “sadness has killed many, but there is no benefit in it ().”

But how exactly can you remove despondency from yourself?

Now it’s time to tell you in more detail about that special circumstance in the life of this businessman, which we mentioned earlier.

But if suddenly this businessman turned to the treasury of the Orthodox faith, what would he learn about his condition and what methods of healing would he receive?

He would have learned, among other things, that there is a spiritual reality in the world and there are spiritual beings at work: good ones - angels and evil ones - demons. The latter, in their malice, strive to cause as much harm as possible to a person’s soul, turning him away from God and from the path to salvation. These are enemies who seek to kill a person both spiritually and physically. For their purposes, they use different methods, the most common of which is instilling certain thoughts and feelings in people. Including thoughts of despondency and despair.

Saint John Chrysostom said: “Excessive despondency is more harmful than any demonic action, because even if demons rule in someone, they rule through despondency.”

Unrepentant sin kills faith in a person. If a person sins and does not want to repent and renounce sin, then sooner or later he inevitably loses faith.

Conversely, faith is resurrected in sincere repentance and confession of sins.

It is worth giving a list of the main means of combating despondency that a Christian has. Saint Innocent of Kherson speaks about them:

Prayer

Why is prayer the most effective remedy against despondency? For many reasons.

“The Lord helps us in sorrows and temptations. He does not free us from them, but gives us the strength to easily endure them, not even to notice them. If we are with Christ and in Christ, then no sorrow will confuse us, and joy will fill our heart so that we will rejoice both during sorrows and during temptations” (Rev. Nikon of Optina).

But the advice of Saint Ignatius (Brianchaninov) deserves special attention, who recommended repeating such words and prayers as often as possible during times of despondency.

"Thank God for everything".

"God! I surrender to Your Holy will! Be Your Will with me."

"God! I thank You for everything that You have been pleased to send to me.”

“I accept what is worthy according to my deeds; remember me, O Lord, in Thy Kingdom.”

In times of despair, demons inspire a person with the idea that there is no salvation for him and his sins cannot be forgiven. This is the greatest demonic lie!

“Let no one say: “I have sinned a lot, there is no forgiveness for me.” Whoever says this forgets about the One who came to earth for the sake of the suffering and said: “...there is joy among the angels of God even over one sinner who repents” () and also: “I came to call not the righteous, but sinners to repentance” ()" , teaches St. Ephraim the Syrian. While a person is alive, it is truly possible for him to repent and receive forgiveness of sins, no matter how serious they may be, and, having received forgiveness, transform his life, fill it with joy and light. And it is precisely this opportunity that demons try to deprive a person of, instilling in him thoughts of despair and suicide, because after death it is no longer possible to repent.

An Orthodox Christian knows that just as much as the sorrow of all other temptations is greater, those who endure sorrow with patience will receive a greater reward. And in the fight against despondency, the greatest crown is bestowed. Therefore, “let us not lose heart when sorrows and sorrows befall us, but, on the contrary, let us rejoice more that we are following the path of the saints,” advises St. Ephraim the Syrian.

If a person does not do this, it is his choice; the demons themselves are not able to force him to do so.

In conclusion, I would like to quote a prayer composed by St. Demetrius of Rostov just for people suffering from despondency:

God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Father of mercies and God of all consolation, who comforts us in all our sorrow! Comfort everyone who is grieving, saddened, despairing, or overwhelmed by the spirit of despondency. After all, every person was created by Thy hands, wise by wisdom, exalted by Thy right hand, glorified by Thy goodness... But now we are visited by Thy Fatherly punishment, short-term sorrows! “You compassionately punish those you love, and you show mercy generously and look upon their tears!” So, having punished, have mercy and quench our sorrow; turn sorrow into joy and dissolve our sorrow with joy; Surprise us with Thy mercy, O Lord, wondrous in counsels, Incomprehensible in destinies, Lord, and blessed in Thy deeds forever, amen.

Vasily Lvov