About to leave the Church

[Allan]

Never forget that you are in a life and death pitched battle with an angelic being.  You stand absolutely zero chance of winning this battle by yourself.  Take advantage of the supernatural graces that can flow from the sacraments.

Your one, true enemy does not sleep, get hungry, take time to use the john or get bored.  He wants your soul and he will do anything to get it.  Anything (even use someone self-styled as a "heckler" to tell you not to pray).

[per_passionem_eius]

 

[dymphna17]

This is a thought for all the suffering souls:

Jesus permits the spiritual combat as a purification, not as a punishment. The trial is not unto death but unto salvation. St. Padre Pio

 

[LongfellowDeeds]

I would recommend seeing a priest and a doctor. The priest can help clear up any spiritual ailments you might be having. If you think you might be suffering from depression or something like that, mention that to your priest. Let him know if you plan on going to any doctor for a medical evaluation, and plan a followup appointment for after the doctor visit. If the doctor recommends some medication to help some underlying medical issue, whether it's  anxiety or depression or whatever, take it as he prescribes. Then go talk to your priest and tell him whether any of your anxieties have gotten better. If so it may be purely medical in which case the priest is a good person to talk to for empathy and personal advice. If the medication doesn't work then it would perhaps be best to discuss with your priest if you are suffering any spiritual ailements and if so what practices can be done. If the priest does not think you have any spiritual ailements then it is time to go back to your doctor and inform him that the medication he gave you isn't helping. If he thinks it necessary he'll prescribe you something else to better combat whatever ailement you are diagnosed with. But always remember, even if just a medical ailement, to pray constantly. God will not let you go through this alone. All of Heaven is there for you. Remember that. My prayers for you, SimplyCatholic. 

This.

[Richard C]

All I can do is pray for you, but you have my prayers as well.

[Phillipus Iacobus]

[formerbuddhist]

It sounds like this might be case of some sort of demonic oppression of some sort. I noticed the part about constant and relentless thoughts assualting you... That sounds like it could be demonic to me. You certainly have my prayers. I'm just a simpleton Catholic with little faith in science and medicine so take my advice with a grain of salt but I suggest getting some old rite holy water or epiphany water and drinking a little bit each day, praying in front of the Blessed Sacrament and making sure you stay close to the confessional. Confess these thoughts, not that they are mortally sinful per se but because you need the graces from the sacrament to fight this battle.

[Allan]

It sounds like this might be case of some sort of demonic oppression of some sort. I noticed the part about constant and relentless thoughts assualting you... That sounds like it could be demonic to me. You certainly have my prayers. I'm just a simpleton Catholic with little faith in science and medicine so take my advice with a grain of salt but I suggest getting some old rite holy water or epiphany water and drinking a little bit each day, praying in front of the Blessed Sacrament and making sure you stay close to the confessional. Confess these thoughts, not that they are mortally sinful per se but because you need the graces from the sacrament to fight this battle.

You know, this is excellent advice about sacramentals.  Have a priest bless them using the traditional blessings which often contain a minor exorcism prayer.  Just google Roman Ritual Blessings.  Olive oil, salt, water, a properly blessed (and exorcized) St. Benedict medal, Rosary and Crucifix.  The enemy hates that stuff.

[ggreg]

I'm not sure why I'm even posting this.  maybe it's a grace, I don't know.  I don't know much right now.  I don't know why I should go on persevering.  Everything is going wrong, from bad to worse, and every time I try, I just seem to slide further back down.  I think I was better spiritually--and in other ways--before I was baptized.  My life has been a nightmare.  The nightmare's so bad now I'm not sure I care anymore what happens next, in this life or the next.  Everything feels hopeless.  I would do anything if I could get back my certainty of a God who is Love.  I would do anything, endure anything, if I had this faith, could believe in this truth. 

Without having this, there's no reason to do it--endure patiently, hope, try, anything.  If this isn't the truth, nothing matters to me, it all comes down to the same nothingness in the end, and there's no point in not enjoying/comforting oneself as much as possible until everything just fades away. 

I want to know this nightmare has not been for nothing--or worst of all, for a monster.  And I am plagued by constant, unrelenting thoughts that that's exactly what any real supreme being is: an inconceivably evil monster. 

I know how you feel.  Thing is the alternative is worse, so you might as well suck it up.

In my experience, 20% of one's mood is neurochemical, 70% is down to a lack of backbone and strength of a positive will and 10% is bad luck.

Whenever I met depressed people who think their life is a nightmare I can normally lay some of the blame at their door.