[Gozmand]

My first question would be: How did the chickens feel about being moved out of their nice safe, secure home?

Alas our poor chickens! We tried. God knows we tried. We received some chicks from a local elementary school science project. We kept them warm and safe in our house until we thought they were old enough to go out into the chicken coop. We put them there with plenty of food and water. We went away for the weekend, and when we came back, they were all dead! Our poor chickens! We decided that we were not chicken farmers after that!

Father Seraphim wrote:
For our part it demands patience and lots of coffee, but...what about the Holy Spirit? Ah yes, the Holy Coffee. What would I do without coffee? How many times have I been too tired to pray, only to have a cup of that Blessed Joe, and be able to put my hands to the plow?

Pray for me, a sinner (and for my coffee)

Jim

[Civilrecordzz]

i'm bipolar too.

[hotsaucemidl]

i'm bipolar too.

I am sorry to hear this. I hope that your medicine is indeed helping you, and that the side-effects are not too debilitating. I take seroquel and abilify in small quantities (since I am very sensitive to the medicines). Some mornings I am not even able to get out of bed. At other times, my brain goes into overdrive, and I end up doing way more things than I should. It can be very difficult. My wife has to constantly question my motives, especially when I start a new "project" to make sure that I am not being "manic". Sometimes I am, and sometimes I'm not, but it can be a scary roller-coaster ride for the whole family. The medicine definitely helps though. Bi-polar disorder is becoming so widespread that one wonders if there is something wrong with the water we drink or something (perhaps there is not enough lithium in our diets?). I know far too many people who also struggle with this...both Christian and not.

I will pray for you.

Jim

[GECEDEANY]

Bi-polar disorder is becoming so widespread that one wonders if there is something wrong with the water we drink or something (perhaps there is not enough lithium in our diets?). I know far too many people who also struggle with this ...

I am a Toolmaker by trade, and have been employed with the same company for approximately 13 years. In my department, known in the facility as 'the Tool Room', there are two dozen Tool-Makers, and each one has his/her own work-bench. The benches are arranged in rows at the back of the shop, and mine is located in the second row from the back. In this row, there are four benches: mine is second from the left. My neighbour to my immediate right, whose name is Mike, was diagnosed as bi-polar, I believe, about 3 years ago, and has been off work ever since, until just recently, returning only last week for the first time.

While he was off work for three years, Mike's bench remained vacant, even though there was a shortage of benches in the shop. Then, just over a year ago, a new Tool-Maker, named Brad, came to work for us. He was not given his own bench, but was asked to share one with someone else, which he did, for about half a year. Then a conflict (of sorts) occurred and he was moved out of that first bench into Mike's vacant bench. Brad did not know anything about Mike, or Mike's medical condition; as they had never met and Brad is a quiet man, more-or-less, and so most persons in the shop are not inclined to speak to him for long.

Some months after Brad had moved into Mike's bench, we were working fairly close together in the Die Repair area, and he struck up a conversation with me about 'life after death', which was uncharacteristic of him. I'm not sure how or even why, but during that conversation, I disclosed to him Mike's medical condition. I did so spontaneously, and recognize it was wrong to do so; but to my surprise, Brad took that opportunity to disclose to me his own medical history. He too was diagnosed as bi-polar around the same time as Mike, if not just a short time earlier and, if memory serves me right, I seem to recall him saying he was away from full-time work for nearly the same length of time as Mike was, before returning.

Dear Jim, thank you for your humble explanation. I am sorry that my words appeared ambiguous and offensive. I won't try to explain them any further than to say they were sincere and not meant to be provocative. It seems I have a bad habit of speaking too freely and it always gets me into trouble, without failure. The irony, though, is that I am generally a quiet person, and strive most of the time to avoid talkativeness. However, I have my moments when the flood-gates are opened, and the torrents flow. This is especially true of me during times of great agitation. Knowing now the circumstances of your life, a prayer hut makes perfect sense to me; and I must agree with the others regarding it's 'spiritual' beauty.

wretched Theophilus

[HaremShaih]

Bi-polar disorder is becoming so widespread that one wonders if there is something wrong with the water we drink or something (perhaps there is not enough lithium in our diets?). I know far too many people who also struggle with this...both Christian and not.

Jim

From the pastoral evidence I would say this is completely true. Disorders of all sorts are much more evident than previously.

Of course this could be due to a greater awareness about these problems on the part of society; or a greater sensitivity or 'self-awareness' on the part of the individual.

These two things could come into play but I would also say that apart from this these disorders are objectively speaking much more widespread from the clear evidence we see within our parishes and monasteries.

Here we are not talking only about psychological disorders but also about passionate addictions of various sorts which are also far more widespread and serious. Also speaking in general one sees greater behavioural problems in children and a level of nervous agitation more than previously. Like Jim I also ask a similar question about what we are seeing before us and its causes as often there is, as in the example of children, no direct evidence of a problem with the parents.

Apart from direct causes to these problems which the Church needs to take into account there is also I think a spiritual sensitivity that all share in and which makes them sensitive to the spiritual atmosphere of the society around them. Society has its own environment: as we drive down a freeway surrounded by a myriad of other vehicles with unknown to us humans inside each of them we are going through a very unique experience that affects us in often unknown but powerful ways. Combine this with all the sights and sounds associated with this experience and we see something far more powerful going on in our lives than the usual comment that the drive to work was very stressful this morning. Another way to think about this is to consider the social experiences of our grandfathers or those even beyond them and how they were 'different people' than us.

There could also be a spiritual side to this experience which goes beyond the tangible. Perhaps in some way we are each affected by the 'passion level' of society in unseen ways which go beyond the level of direct contact. Beyond the level of the obvious- eg agitated parents produce agitated children- it could be that an agitated society produces agitated people in more subtle and spiritual ways than we are generally aware of.

In Christ- Fr Raphael

[Gypejeva]

Fr. Raphael,

I agree with everything that you say here. I have found for myself that a combination of medication and spiritual discipline helps me out immensely. I would not do without either one. I think that there is a spiritual side to this thing (as with most all things). I also agree that our society "infects" us in so many ways, that it is difficult to untangle the web and actually point to the "causes" of the phenomenon.

The best thing we can do is draw near to God, resist the devil, try to get our house in order, discipline our actions and thoughts, and take whatever medicine is prescribed by our doctors. Get counseling if you must, but I have found by experience that a more directive "Logos" centered counseling that focuses on changing behavior, and not just regurgitating memories is far more effective. Interestingly, the counseling that most often gets recommended for people struggling with these kinds of mental disorders is Cognitive Therapy, which is pretty much what I am talking about, but lacks a specifically spiritual dimension.

Just some food for thought from a sinner who in seeking bread, has gone through a lot of different things in the psychiatric and psychological realms.

In Christ,

Jim

[scewDeasp]

i didn't mean to derail the thread... sorry!

i think that doctors are getting better at diagnosing things. of course there are some who seem to jump the gun. my doctor took a good while to diagnose me as bipolar and didn't do so until i almost committed suicide. i also think that people are becoming much more aware of themselves, which can be a good or bad thing. proper doctors can put a stop to people wanting to diagnose themselves however.

but anyway, i agree... i luckly found God only a month before we started looking for medication (not yet diagnosed as bipolar). i would not be alive now if it weren't for God intervening in my life and i give Him all the credit for helping my doctor find me the right medication(s). i find my strength in Him, for a little while i tried to do it myself but failed miserably. it's only when i am strong in the Word each day that i can function normally (or as close as i can get right now).

i think a prayer hut is a great idea. if i could set up a room somewhere filled with things that reminded me of Him, that would be awesome....

[Borrinas]

i think a prayer hut is a great idea. if i could set up a room somewhere filled with things that reminded me of Him, that would be awesome....

Not to take away anything from Jame's effort. A private chapel is certainly a nice thing. But most Orthodox homes have (or should have) at least a prayer corner with a small table, a few icons, perhaps a candle or lampada. It can be as simple or elaborate as space and resources allow. Mine has icons of Christ and the Theotokos as well as my patron saint (Herman) on the wall, with a small lampada, over a half-circle shelf where I keep my pomyanik, prayer book, holy water and holy oil, and I was blessed to receive a small bit of earth from the original gravesite of St. Herman.

It is the place for morning and evening prayer, or quiet contemplation. Mine, I am afraid, is a bit cramped, but we do what we can. I think it is good to have an icon in each and every room of the house, but I think everyone can at least manage an icon corner somewhere.

A picture of an admittedly elaborate corner can be found here (you need to scroll down a bit):
Widipedia Article on Orthodoxy

[Knongargoapex]

why "should" people have a corner set up? why not make it something bigger and better? why "should" there be an icon in every room?

[EarnestKS]

Please note I said "at least" which I don't think rules out something "bigger" or "better" but it begs a question: Is bigger "better"? What is "better", I would think, would be whatever resources and circumstance allow.

I did NOT say an icon SHOULD be in every room, I just said I thought it was a good idea. It reminds us that the prayers of the saints are with us where ever we are. Your mileage may vary.