Despair to Acedia
A quick reminder that under the heavy robe of genocide, war, climate crisis, societal turmoil and every day life all of us are consciously and/or unconsciously feeling the weight. We experience the pain of the world physically, spiritually, emotionally and intellectually. Our sleep, dreams, appetite, drinking habits, ability to concentrate, our motivation, exercise plan, level of fatigue and social life all can suffer.
Currently anxiety disorders are the highest reported mental health issue in the USA (43 million Americans, MHA 2024). One in five Americans suffer from some diagnosable mental disorder, (NIMH, 2024). 40% of Americans deal with an untreated mental illness, (MHFA, 2024).
An annual poll carried out by the APA indicated that in 2024, 43% of those polled feel more anxious than the previous year. In 2023, 37% of those polled indicated they felt more anxious than the previous year. In 2022 the percentage was 32%.
Ookami Mori
When such weight is carried for an extended period of time clinical depression may appear. And, when that extended period of time becomes years than despair can appear. Despair is best defined as, A Loss of Hope. I no longer remember the source but there are three kinds of despair. This is very important and I hope you will take a moment to consider.
One type of despair is characterized by a person forgetting they have a self. Fascinating isn’t it? A person becomes so scattered in their negative thoughts about the world, becomes so lost in their feelings of anxiety and hopelessness that they forget ‘who they are and what they stand for…’
A second type of despair is characterized by a person not wanting to be themselves. One becomes so disgusted by one’s own thoughts, feelings and/or behaviors that they hate themselves.
A third type of despair is characterized by a dissociative feeling that one is no longer themselves. A person begins to ask themself questions, “Who am I?’ or “Who have I become?” or “How could I have done this, thought this?”
And then, finally, a person moves from despair to Acedia. Not the Acedia of Thomas Aquinas also known as sloth. No, this acedia is different. Acedia of the 21st Century is a spiritual depression so deep that a person finds themself stating, “I don’t care and I don’t care that I don’t care.
Jill Battaglia
Acedia does not respond to the usual therapeutic techniques and does not respond to anti-depressant medications. A person suffering from Acedia must be awakened from their deep spiritual sleep. Acedia is a hopelessness beyond hopelessness. A person is utterly without energy, care, hope or the motivation to do anything. They are even too spiritless to harm themselves.
I have studied Acedia for 25 years now and have witnessed the numbers of people suffering from Acedia to have multiplied 1000 fold. One psychiatrist who has studied Acedia states that Acedia is now a pandemic. A country of people who don’t care … lost in their phones, dark rooms, video games and feelings of not caring enough to even do anything.
A person cannot self-diagnose Acedia. That would take some sense of care and energy. Those suffering from Acedia have neither. Others may be able to point out your Acedia or you can witness it in others. It is a most frustrating disorder to deal with so it is important to find a therapist who is familiar with Acedia. Therapists may deny its existence because it doesn’t fit the clinical models of licensure … but it does exist. And it takes a special kind of therapist to treat this malady.
Take care of yourselves. If you have questions let me know.
Thomas J Balistrieri, Ed.D. LMHC (rtd)
That form of despair I surely relate to… In my case I’ve lost a sense of identity. Not feeling engaged nor happy … new uncomfortable feelings of anxiety and roiling sadness. I know it is ok to feel grief but I don’t have anywhere to put it. Feeling helpless where at all other times in my life I was a change agent … even in failure I was heard. This… this… is just energy sucking.
How about wanting to not care because one's heart is so full of grief?