Tag: famous people with depression

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Quotes from Blow Away the Black Clouds

Florence Littauer lost two children and became depressed. She overcame and wrote a book in order to help Other Christians to do the same. 

Here are some quotes describing how she experienced depression. 

“As I sat holding one dying child after another, I lost interest in everything. I once was a gourmet cook, but now I didn’t care if I even ate. I was once a club president, but now I didn’t care if the bylaws ever got straightened out. I had once been a social butterfly, but now I lost all interest in afternoon teas. These former activities went from important to inconsequence. As I tried to suppress my grief, I lost my smile.” (Pg. 22)

I remember walking to the bus stop on a sunny day with the sound of birds chirping and telling myself to enjoy the walk. But, I just couldn’t enjoy anything.

“I got so I would cry if I heard someone laugh. I disliked anyone whose life seemed to be running smoothly. It was not fair that anyone should be happy when I was sad and hopeless ” (pg. 25)

This quote reminds me of how I worked hard to make my sister miserable. I believed that I couldn’t be happy and decided to make my sister feel as miserable as I felt. I guess I wanted company in my personal hell.

The author encouraged the reader to look for his/her strong ability. She lists off some ideas that might be true for that reader. The individual could find one small goal to work on which might decrease the person’s feelings of helplessness. On the issue of housework, she recommended having every member of the family help out. She goes on to talk about organizing the house, working on self-improvement goals and helping others. After this chapter, she writes:

“If you are so distraught that getting organized and raising your self-image are beyond you, perhaps you should seek outside help.”  pg. 90)

I appreciate it when a Christian self-help book is open to seeking help from a person’s doctor, a therapist or some other medical intervention.

Many of us Christians experience doubts in our faith when ever we face hard times and depression. The author describes her experience of losing her faith for a time.

“As an adult I regularly attended church and considered myself a Christian, mainly because I wasn’t anything else, yet when I was faced with the tragedy of two brain-damaged sons, being able to recite the books of the Bible didn’t provide much consolation. I prayed for healing for my sons, but knew it was hopeless. Soonwhatevere faith I had disappeared and I decided there couldn’t be a God if a good person like me was in such a situation.” (pg. 97)

God loves you so much that He will forgive you for doubting your faith. He knows how much we humans struggle with believing in and trusting in a loving God. Doubt doesn’t mean that your faith is weak. It is part of a relationship wth God.

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No Dream is Too High by Buzz Aldrin

While working on a previous post about Aldrin’s struggle with depression and alcoholism, I found some quotes from this book. So, I decided to read it.

Go for your dreams

“One truth I have discovered for sure: When you believe that all things are possible and you are willing to work hard to accomplish your goals, you can achieve the next ‘impossible’ dream. No dream is too high!’ I feel limited by my tendency to cry when stressed out. I have cried at every job that I have ever held. Since my current job is almost a month long so far, this is really saying something. So, I am not sure how far I can get in life. If I could believe that I can do it even under stress, I know that I would be more successful.

“Average people tend to think about merely maintaining the status quo; unsuccessful people think about simply surviving. Innovators and explorers think about what might be possible.” I have been working on thinking about how to get better at my job and make it better for my co-workers.

“Most people don’t like to move out of their comfort zones, but as we all know, change is inevitable. You can resist it and complain about it as an inconvenience, or you can regard change as your chance to do something new.” This quote reminds me of cognitive behavioral therapy which focuses on shifting one’s interpretation of an event. A lot of our emotions are influenced by how we interpret what is happening in our lives. So, shifting our thinking can help us to get our emotions under control.

“Life is a gift, and none of us has any guarantees about tomorrow, so don’t miss the opportunity to tell your friends and family members how much they mean to you.”

“All work is noble, if it is legal and ethical, so do your best, whether you are first, second, or last. Never lose an opportunity, a job, an election, a competition, or anything else because you were too lazy to give it your best effort.”

“I learned that asking for help was not a sign of weakness, but of true strength.”

“No matter who you are or how accomplished you may be, a time will come when you realize that you need help. Don’t be too proud or resistant to seeking help out of fear of embarrassment, reprisal, or other consequences.

“Seeking help when I was suffering with depression after returning from the Moon was a lifesaver for me-perhaps, literally.”

“Fortunately, I found excellent doctors and friends who encouraged me and helped me to recognize that I was not trapped by the past, that I could be responsible for my own decisions, and that my emotional health was much more important than my career.”

“Much more than talent or a pleasant personality, perseverance and persistence will open doors for you, if you simply keep working toward your goal and refuse to give up.”

“Nothing is impossible, but you must have a passion for what you want to do and a plan for where you want to go if you ever hope to get there.“

“But the truth is, if you are afraid to fail, you will probably not accomplish much in life.”

“IF YOU WANT TO DO SOMETHING SIGNIFICANT, something noble, something that perhaps has never been done before, you must be willing to fail. And don’t be surprised or devastated when you do. It is not the end of the world, and untold numbers of people have experienced major failures and have come back from them, not as more successful, but also as better, stronger people.”

“But failure is not a sign of weakness. It is a sign that you are alive and growing.”

“Fear paralyzes in many ways, but especially if it keeps you from responding wisely and intelligently to challenges. The only way to overcome your fears is to face them head-on.”

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Buzz Aldrin and depression

Buzz Aldrin went into outer space and visited the moon. This is such an amazing achievement for him and mankind. Yet he struggled with depression and alcoholism. Here is an article about his life and struggles. He shared his struggles in an interview too.

This story reminds me of a Elijah (1 Kings chapter 18 and 19). He challenged the prophets of Baal to a challenge. He had them set up two altars with sacrificed bulls. He had Baals’ prophets pray for their god to burn the sacrificed bull up. Nothing happened. (Crickets sounds playing here) Then, he has the people pour water three times on the altar for our God. The water filled the trench around the altar. I suspect the wood and sacrifice was dripping wet. Then, he alone began to pray to God. “Then, the fire of the LORD fell and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood and the stones and the dust, and it licked up the water that was in the trench (1 Kings 18:38).” Then, the people believed. A little later, Elijah prayed for rain causing a drought to end. This had to be a high point in his life like when Buzz Aldrin walked on the moon.

But, Elijah ran into death threats and found himself depressed. Buzz Aldrin developed depression and a substance disorder. Sometimes a great experience can lead to a stumble when things get tough again.