The Pit of Despair
What is this pit? Why does this pit exist?
We are social beings with a matching set of emotional needs that need to be fulfilled as much as our body needs nourishment. When these needs aren’t met, we fall into the pit of despair.
We are also vulnerable to despair when we have been injured by a social, moral or criminal injustice or experienced a relational betrayal. rejection, discrimination, isolation, slander – when we have experienced any of these we can fall into the pit.
And just like body, if we don’t deal with these wounds immediately, these inner wounds can fester - become infected even cancerous.
We know we are in the pit when we suffer uncontrollable anxiety or panic attacks, unmanageable anger or irritability, inability to concentrate because of a cycling brain, unable to function due to a depression and become susceptible to any addiction - emotional eating, pornography, drugs or gambling. All of which are incapacitating. All of this adds to the horror of being trapped in the pit.
I was familiar with this pit when I suffered a depression as a young mother - it was vey dark - something I vowed I'd never fall into again.
We have an entire medical system that knows what to do when we have been injured physically. We have developed an incredible science about our bodies.
But what about our inner self - the unseen self? What if we have been injured inside?
I remember how our support group of parents of murdered children often openly yearned for hospital beds for people with broken hearts.
But we have no hospital beds for such. The multitudes who suffer from these invisible wounds show up in our prisons, psych wards, locked up in their homes or become walking zombies staggering down our streets.
The organizations that are primed to help like counselling - cost money for their services. The churches which really should be on top of this are often preoccupied with other agendas.
It has been said that time heals all wounds. I don't agree. The wounds remain. Time - the mind, protecting its sanity - covers them with some scar tissue and the pain lessens, but it is never gone. - Rose Kennedy
We are social beings with a matching set of emotional needs that need to be fulfilled as much as our body needs nourishment. When these needs aren’t met, we fall into the pit of despair.
We are also vulnerable to despair when we have been injured by a social, moral or criminal injustice or experienced a relational betrayal. rejection, discrimination, isolation, slander – when we have experienced any of these we can fall into the pit.
And just like body, if we don’t deal with these wounds immediately, these inner wounds can fester - become infected even cancerous.
We know we are in the pit when we suffer uncontrollable anxiety or panic attacks, unmanageable anger or irritability, inability to concentrate because of a cycling brain, unable to function due to a depression and become susceptible to any addiction - emotional eating, pornography, drugs or gambling. All of which are incapacitating. All of this adds to the horror of being trapped in the pit.
I was familiar with this pit when I suffered a depression as a young mother - it was vey dark - something I vowed I'd never fall into again.
We have an entire medical system that knows what to do when we have been injured physically. We have developed an incredible science about our bodies.
But what about our inner self - the unseen self? What if we have been injured inside?
I remember how our support group of parents of murdered children often openly yearned for hospital beds for people with broken hearts.
But we have no hospital beds for such. The multitudes who suffer from these invisible wounds show up in our prisons, psych wards, locked up in their homes or become walking zombies staggering down our streets.
The organizations that are primed to help like counselling - cost money for their services. The churches which really should be on top of this are often preoccupied with other agendas.
It has been said that time heals all wounds. I don't agree. The wounds remain. Time - the mind, protecting its sanity - covers them with some scar tissue and the pain lessens, but it is never gone. - Rose Kennedy
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