Pastor depressed
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Hi Revolution - nice to meet you!
You are in the right place I believe to ask the hard questions, and have them answered to.
Identity crises are always difficult. I work in Mental Health and there is one thing we teach ALL of our patients:
IT'S OK TO BE SELFISH AND TAKE CARE OF YOUR OWN HEALTH! If you don't take care of yourself, how can others rely on you in future, especially if you have a family? You can't take on everybody's burdens, and expect to solve everyone's problems - it is just not possible. You will become ill. Even Pastor's need a break away from the cares of their parish, and to have a wee holiday! Nobody is superhuman, and it is not a sin to be selfish at times. Your mental health is just as important as your physical health.
Perhaps you need to learn to delegate your work? Ask others in your parish to take on some of the load. Explain that you are stressed and need their help to support the Parish doing God's work. You are NOT weak doing this - asking for help is a sign of strength. Enlist family and friends' support. Write a diary too - you can then reflect back on this, and problems don't become so magnified & burdensome, if shared with others or in some other form. If you don't like writing, record your thoughts. Exercise helps to, even if it's just doing 10 minutes inside the house - gets all the blood pumping and those happy hormones racing.
Ask your parishioners to pray for you, and also try to find out re outside sources of help, such as social workers etc.
I would also get some counselling and if you can't afford it, there are many free ones on the internet; do you have Lifeline where you are, they are a free mental health crisis support team? Talking and sharing your concerns with others is like 98% of the way to working through your problems.
I will say a wee prayer for you and please, let us all know how you go.
Cheers
You are in the right place I believe to ask the hard questions, and have them answered to.
Identity crises are always difficult. I work in Mental Health and there is one thing we teach ALL of our patients:
IT'S OK TO BE SELFISH AND TAKE CARE OF YOUR OWN HEALTH! If you don't take care of yourself, how can others rely on you in future, especially if you have a family? You can't take on everybody's burdens, and expect to solve everyone's problems - it is just not possible. You will become ill. Even Pastor's need a break away from the cares of their parish, and to have a wee holiday! Nobody is superhuman, and it is not a sin to be selfish at times. Your mental health is just as important as your physical health.
Perhaps you need to learn to delegate your work? Ask others in your parish to take on some of the load. Explain that you are stressed and need their help to support the Parish doing God's work. You are NOT weak doing this - asking for help is a sign of strength. Enlist family and friends' support. Write a diary too - you can then reflect back on this, and problems don't become so magnified & burdensome, if shared with others or in some other form. If you don't like writing, record your thoughts. Exercise helps to, even if it's just doing 10 minutes inside the house - gets all the blood pumping and those happy hormones racing.
Ask your parishioners to pray for you, and also try to find out re outside sources of help, such as social workers etc.
I would also get some counselling and if you can't afford it, there are many free ones on the internet; do you have Lifeline where you are, they are a free mental health crisis support team? Talking and sharing your concerns with others is like 98% of the way to working through your problems.
I will say a wee prayer for you and please, let us all know how you go.
Cheers
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Having 20 books published is quite impressive. Hopefully, you are recovered from the nervous breakdown. There are times that you have to let go and let God. I have, with the grace of God reinvented myself a few times but have never struggled with my identity. Glad to have you join us. Welcome to CC.
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