For those who face the challenges of depression and anxiety, what role can religion play?
Donna Ingraham is a mental health advocate who uses her personal experiences with depression to help others find a path to recovery. She has made presentations at a number of events at several parishes in the Camden Diocese as well as at the St. Pius X Spiritual Life Center, Blackwood.
Connecting with people in crisis has been a calling for Donna. In 1991, her conversion to Catholicism enabled her to add another dimension to her work. “I always felt at home in the Catholic Church when I would attend weddings or Mass with friends,” Donna said. “I felt God calling me, especially in the Eucharist.” Donna said that her strengthening faith in Christ Jesus and Mary helped her later, when the darkness of depression settled over her.
Donna found comfort in the church, and in her network of friends as she got involved in the RCIA, the choir and other activities.
“I was used to opening up Scripture because of my ministries and I found great comfort especially in Jesus’ teachings and his great love for the outcast. I discovered a Mother that would envelop me in a motherly love and never judge me.”
As her moods worsened, she sought help. “I knew with every fiber of my being that God directed me to this help that I needed,” she said, explaining that she was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. For Donna, the path to wellness began with a proper diagnosis — and then an acceptance of the situation. “I believe that we have to have our spiritual eyes and ears open for God’s presence in people and situations that will bring us to health and wellness.”
Being under the care of mental health providers is critical, and Donna provides literature and contact information and an array of other resources when she speaks at prayer breakfasts and other workshops. “The more a person learns about his or her condition, the more hopeful they will feel,” Donna said.
Hope goes hand-in-hand with spirituality. During her own struggle with depression, Donna sought help from a Catholic therapist in order to draw support from the traditions and rituals that had become her own. She encourages others to find that kind of support, and to read Scripture, attend Mass and pray.
“When a person is absent of joy, feeling isolated and detached, she might want to think about where God is in all of that,” Donna said. “Have a conservation with God. Speak plainly and naturally to him like you would anyone else and unite with his suffering as he unites with yours.”
“The heart of a person with depression can be more aware, more compassionate, kinder and gentler because they know firsthand the suffering,” Donna said. “They can be the Divine Mercy Christ for others. The Lord let me know, a long time ago, that by my suffering, he would heal others through me. I have encountered many people in need of hope and healing.”
Donna Ingraham is available to speak to parishes and organizations. She can be reached at etcnj@comcast.net or 856-313-4829.
at the bottom and then tap “Add to Home Screen”