Pray--Don't be Jealous

Sometimes, clients fuel their depression for the dumbest of reasons. One such example I remember well.

Some background first. He was a man in his fifties; he has spent most of his life on the street. He was abused as a child and has suffered from depression his entire life. He has also consistently abused alcohol and many illegal drugs—including Meth and Cocaine. These drugs made it possible for him to medicate his depression and feel important. But now he is very much clean and sober—and unhappy as well.

He is clean and sober because he is on parole for shoplifting and other crimes. And he has to stay that way to avoid going back to prison.

He once told me, in regard to his depression: "I've come to the conclusion that nothing can be done about my depression."

This client then told me that—of all things—seeing interracial couples makes him angry; that is, when he sees an attractive white woman with a black man. He is white.

He has had hundreds of sex partners over the years—almost all of which were heavily involved in the drug scene.

He explained that—when he sees a mixed couple—he is jealous of the black man and angry at the white woman for "betraying her own race." Can you imagine a dumber reason to give the devil a stronger foothold? Can you imagine an easier sin to avoid?

I told him to just make a point of praying for the couple and the problem would resolve itself. Doing so would clearly, to some extent, reduce the client's depression.

He said that was a "big step" and he'd have to think about that.

However, the next session he said "I feel happy" "I haven't felt this good in a long time." "It's a miracle!"

I'd like to say that it was my therapeutic intervention—but such was not the case. His doctor had added another drug to his drug cocktail: Abilify.

This client did have the sense to recognize that his improvement was unlikely to be permanent. But for now he does feel good—and there is no need to worry about what God does or does not want.

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