IS IT LOSING HOPE OR IS IT DEPRESSION by Sh. Dr. Ali Al-Barghouthi

Trouble is inevitable in the life of this world; this is how Allah has decreed it and He has made it a place of trials and tests, and a bridge to the Hereafter.

Even the best of His creation, the prophets, were never free of troubles. Life is never plain sailing for anyone, young or old.

You may have reason to rejoice one day, then reason to feel sad for many other days; this is how it always is in the life of this world and this is how people are all the time.

But when these feelings of sadness and loneliness or bad moods persist and prevent us from:

• Living a normal life
• or carrying out the duties that are required of us,
• or fulfilling the rights of others,
• or they cause us to neglect the blessings of Allah which He has bestowed upon us and fail to give thanks for as we should,
• at that point sadness moves from being something natural to being a case of weakness and sickness that needs to be treated.

The Cure:

• There is no greater remedy for that than patience and fearing Allah,
• and thinking positively of Allah, the Lord of the Worlds,
• putting one’s trust in Him,
• delegating one’s affairs to Him and turning to Him in all times of calamity.

If the state of grief worsens and leads to some level of depression,

• then in addition to this spiritual remedy, showing patience, putting one’s trust in Allah and always remembering Him, medical attention from a knowledgeable and trustworthy specialist is also needed.

The symptoms # 1 of depression include the following:

• always feeling sad, anxious and in a bad mood
• loss of interest and lack of enjoyment in activities that people usually enjoy
• constant pessimism and feeling helpless in the face of life’s problems
• feelings of guilt, worthlessness and social alienation
• inability to show or express feelings towards others or to accept feelings from others

The symptoms # 2 of depression include the following:

• trouble sleeping, such as insomnia, sleeping too long or waking up too early
• eating problems (overeating or loss of appetite)
• chronic physical pain from which no remedy brings relief
• weepiness
• getting tense quickly; hyperactivity and not being able to calm down and relax
• constant feelings of tiredness and inability to do any physical activity
• inability to concentrate, remember or take sound decisions

If four or more of the symptoms mentioned above are present, then you should consult a specialist in psychology, as mentioned above.

In addition to seeking medical treatment, you should try to keep yourself busy with useful activities,

• such as reading Quran and other books,
• and engaging in hobbies and so on.

Do not forget some natural remedies that will re-energise you and help the brain to regain energy, such as honey and dried fruits.