Was talking with a friend of mine, and in doing so, came to realize something important about depression.
Depressed people take their rage and anger out on themselves. It's pretty much a 24 / 7 stream of self-loathing. It is also very time-consuming and sucks up a lot of energy.
Now on the flip side of the depression coin is the AGGRESSION of those said to suffer from what is labled as "Sudden Rage Syndrome (Bobby Knight, for head basketball coach at the University of Indiana is the text book example)". Folks so labeled take their hostilities, angers, disappointments, frustrations out ON OTHERS. I like to think that these folk (I am the son of one) also deal with unresolved issues of loss, issues similar to my own.
I also like to think that my choice, to take my rage, frustration, guilt, etc out on myself, is the lesser of evils, not that the Lord looks down upon me kindly for my self-directed infliction of emotional pain, suffering, wounds, attempted murder, etc. Such (altogether too human) responses to "LIFE" must cause the Lord great pain, and bring tears to His eyes. He sends his archangels to save us.
But what of those others, who direct their meanness and destructive impulses out upon others. WELL, again, such (altogether too human) responses to "LIFE" must cause the Lord great pain, and bring tears to His eyes. He sends forth angels to save them; to make them cast their visions inwards; to make them look in the mirror. And when they come to realize the gift the angel has brought to them, they will begin to redirect their anger - inwardly, unto themselves
So, how do these cycles ever end? What is the secret to breaking them? FORGIVENESS! We have been forgiven ALL OUR SINS. To fully understand what this means, and not merely to be able to mouth it as a platitude (after all, we memorized it in catechism, and repeat it weekly in church service) BUT WE MUST FIRST FORGIVE OURSELVES (usually for our "sins" of OMMISSION). Until we forgive ourselves, we quite simply are NOT in a position to forgive others.
This is so similar to how Jesus answered when asked by the Pharisees, "What is the greatest commandment?" "That you love the Lord your God with all your heart; with all your strength. And the second of these is like unto the first: That you love your neighbor as yourself."
