Fr. Turbo Qualls: Finding Hope Amidst Despair

From the outset of my channel I wanted to have a focus on mental health, as I am a person who suffers from a serious mental illness and I can sympathize with others who likewise suffer. In today's stream with Fr. Turbo Qualls we are going to be discussing what is termed by the field of mental health 'depression.' Depression often has a spiritual component to it and can variously be referred to as 'despondency,' 'despair,' or the more precise Greek term 'accidie.' Moreover we understand despondency to be a passion, which means that it is a sin which we can struggle against, thereby giving us agency in the battle with this illness. If you were to go to a psychiatrist they would tell you that depression is caused by a chemical imbalance and that the solution is to take a drug to fix it. If you were to go to a spiritual physician (a priest) he would probably tell you a different story and give different, spiritual medicines. This doesn't mean that pharmaceutical medicines don't have their place, it just means that we aren't completely helpless when we are faced with this struggle. In todays interview we will be discussing the issues surrounding these different types of situations. When is medication appropriate and when is in inappropriate? How can life in the Church help a person to overcome depression? What about despondency that is the result of sin? There is much to discuss.

Fr. Turbo is the rector of St. Mary of Egypt Orthodox Church in Kansas City, Missouri. He is the star of the well know podcast called ‪@TheRoyalPath‬ and a beloved spiritual father to many. He also has a masters degree in the field of mental health, which makes him particularly well suited to speak about the topic of this stream.

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