Renato Farina
Yesterday morning on the radio I heard the unmistakable voice of Pope Francis. He spoke, in affectionate Spanish, “of” but above all “to” a particular category of the least, and to the people who stand next to him suffer as they do, they feel powerless worse than they do. In Italy it seems that three million adults suffer from depression (this is what we are talking about). There are many, but they are not a supportive family, they are people sunk in a solitary abyss, from which they do not believe it is possible to escape, there is no rope to attach to to be pulled up as in the films of speleologists.
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One feels small in the well, like Alfredino Rampi, but with an old head. The affection of those who love you slips away, but woe betide it. You deny your state, you fear that those who love you will lose their patience or sink like you into the icy night, the one that lasts six months, maybe only six months … Getting out of bed is hard, you cling to the images of your loved ones, wash yourself good face, cologne in the face. Advice like, come on, don’t do this, life is good, you are selfish to feel bad, etc. are annoying. And here it is the Pope’s caress. The occasion is a standard circumstance. Each Pontiff at the beginning of the month dictates a prayer intention to a worldwide network. On the doors of the parishes it happens to read it on a sheet of paper, nod yes, and forget about it. We are like this: everyone pursues his own troubles.
This time he did not speak in general. He was talking to me, he had entered my shadows. I pulled the car to the side of the road. I felt grabbed from the inside, like a hug though. He dwelt on this strange suffering, it looks like a luxury disease in Covid times, a matter of the rich while people lie helpless in the street, a pain to be ashamed of and feel guilty about. From the very first moment, instead of speaking from above about his health and his existential certainty, Francis sank down beside the depressed, without giving them a lesson on joy, but simply sitting next to them. Neighbor. 1 6, And here is this caress of the Pope.
You can see that he has been there. He describes it too well, and without having any sheets in front, for not having experienced the acid bite. Invite to go to the doctor, no joke. He himself resorted to it. He was 42 years old and underwent psycho-therapeutic sessions for six months. He also gives practical advice. No placebo formula. The video lasts less than two minutes, it’s like therapy. Here I transcribe the essential. 1. What depression looks like. “Work overload and stress cause many people to experience extreme exhaustion … (hence) sadness, apathy, spiritual fatigue.” 2. How to deal with those overwhelmed by this disease? «We try to be close to those who are exhausted, to those who are desperate, hopeless, often simply listening, in silence! Because we can’t go and say to a person: “No, life isn’t like that. Listen to me, I’ll give you the recipe.” There is no recipe ». 3. Where to find the light? “Alongside the indispensable psychological accompaniment, which is useful and effective, the words of Jesus come to our aid, that:” Come to me, all of you who are tired and oppressed, and I will give you refreshment “”. It is not a magical medicine, a talisman phrase since he is the Pope and must quote the Gospel. For him, for the Pope, it was like this. During the months of treatment, even in depression, he remembered that Christ who had attracted him to the priesthood, an irreducible hope, spes contra spem. 4. Who loves them: listen in silence, direct them to a skilled doctor, and pray. “We pray that people who suffer from depression or burnout (exhausted, burst, dead inside, ed) will find support and a light from everyone that opens them to life.”
PS For information. The mental health disorder, according to a recent study, affects one in ten people, about 792 million people, 11% of the world population. Among the main disorders are depression (264 million, 3%) and anxiety (284 million, 4%). In the worst cases, reports the UN, severe depression can lead to suicide, which is the fourth leading cause of death among young people aged 15 to 29 and affects more than 700,000 people every year. In 2020, in full Covid emergency, the psychological balance of many was put to the test, the fear of the loss of life and work has affected by creating situations of anguish and despair, aggravating serious mental disorders such as depression, panic attacks and anxiety (from vaticannews).
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