Depression & Anxiety

I will lie down in peace, and sleep comes at once for You alone, Lord, make me dwell in safety - Psalm 4:9

If you have a depressed mood, then think of Christ on the cross, hated and despised, and reflect on the fact that all who would be Christians must suffer rejection by the world and die on the cross with Christ, in order to be resurrected with him to everlasting life.

If you have excessive worry (called anxiety in clinical terms), then say what the Church says every night at Night Prayer—“Into your hands, Lord, I commend my spirit”—as it is said in Psalm 31, just as Christ himself said as he died on the Cross (Luke 23:46).

If you have trouble sleeping (called insomnia in clinical terms), then use the time to study and pray.

If you have trouble concentrating, then say the following simple, repetitive prayer—The Jesus Prayer—while excluding all other thoughts from your mind. (To exclude anyimages from your mind, focus on the image of your own heart inflamed with love for God and neighbor.)

“Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy upon me.”