Understanding the Mental Health Crisis 

I've suffered from mental health problems since my youth, and one time I was suffering from suicidal ideation; in desperation, I went to confession and the priest just blew me off saying he didn't have time to talk with me and to make an appointment. I was so hurt by his carelessness that I wrote him a letter about it and never heard back from him. Eventually, I left that church and found a better catholic church to attend with a more caring priest. What's the lesson? There are good priests and bad priests in the church, and you don't give up on Jesus because of the sinful actions of a priest. Fortunately, I found a good caring psychiatrist that really helped me and I'm very thankful to Jesus and the prayers of St. Dymphna for helping me.

St. Dymphna, patron Saint of those who suffer from anxiety, pray for us🌹🙏

Eucharistic Adoration is super powerful, God is good!

My dad was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia and manic depression when I was 10. Living with him was a roller coaster ride for a long time. I was Miss diagnosed with schizophrenia a few years ago and thank goodness for the company I worked for they sent me to a neuropsychologist ad he ordered a PT scan and found outthat I have dementia. We also have to realize that the brain is an organ and has chemicals that it needs to function properly and mild depression may be able to be worked out with proper counseling and spiritual guidance but if it gets worse then medication should be considered along with counseling.

I have healed almost fully from anxiety with prayer and holy oil, salt but especially deliverance prayers against evil, satan, and witchcraft. I would say I am at 96% better since. ❤ I pray for all who suffer from anxiety I suffered it for almost 15 years and now I see the light. Thanks be to Jesus

I cant imagine how my mental health would have been if I was not Catholic. I went through very difficult situations in my childhood that haunted my teenage and early adulthood life. But thanks God, the Catholic church is here. The Church has got the answers. The mass, the Eucharist, the confession and Adoration are my medicines. I cant imagine someone being in the situation like mine and lack spiritual help that I have. It must be a Disaster.

Here is an honest man who just happens to be a bishop of his faith community. He has good knowledge with practical application that any human person regardless of religion or not can get hope from. The world needs people like this man . Thank you Sir!

I can attest to the fact that at the heart of psychological problems are spiritual problems. I spent eight years in therapy trying to address anxiety and anxiety attacks. What was behind them was a complex of spiritual problems. But I absolutely needed help getting past them.

It’s not just young people. As someone in my mid 60s, I got used to the isolation of Covid and very comfortable being by myself.

I believe many are unhappy because their kids are sooo different from them. So many have kids adult children who are so lost so you can’t talk to them about anything that matters then you have to watch the train wreck unfolding in the way they carry on. It’s painful. They aren’t interested in what older adults have to say. It’s isolating because these young people have been uncultured to believe that every answer is within them so they really don’t think they need anyone so that leaves older generations feeling very hurt and brokenhearted. Family has fallen apart so goes the world. That’s why people feel lonely. They feel no one has their back

Hello everyone! Very interesting and important theme. The best greetings from Ukraine!

13:20 "..at bottom, every psychological problem is a spiritual problem" - Carl Jung. If we are convinced that there is a God and that He loves us and is waiting for us, then everything else is secondary.

Yes, yes, yes Bishop Barron. I used to say to my daughter 'I want a hug, not a text'. I regularly use texting for logistical purposes: 'I'll meet you at Starbucks - 5 pm - see you',... but this fine tool has badly hampered true relationships - God save us :)

I work on a deliverance team. These kids need true deliverance from the spirits of depression and suicide. They operate in tiers and enter at different times in a person's life. Rejection is the root of alot of this.

On examination most of my toxic stress come from my impatience and false pride. Being "humble and gentle of heart" in Christ indeed make the "yoke and burden" of my daily duties and the ups and downs of my life "easy and light".

DEAR BISHOP BARRON, please help me pray for All our Children, specially for Our daughter and family…THANK YOU…🙏🙏🙏

I strongly believe mental health is often (not always) related to spiritual health. I have worked in mental health and a spiritual void exists when I have walked into the wards.

God gives wisdom, knowledge and happiness to us all. Even as we are faced with our toughest battles God is there for us. That’s why I keep faith as I struggle to provide for my children. I’m a single mom. Both of my sons are special needs. I started homeschooling them so my hours to work are limited. As I struggle to buy groceries and as I struggle to pay my rent I know God is with me. He’s the only reason why I made it this far. Lord continue to keep us safe.

Bipolar1 here. Was misdiagnosed for 40 yrs & went psychotic. In the midst of it as an atheist raised Jewish Jesus came to me, Mary led me to His Church & somehow led me to find a doctor who could re-diagnose me & get the right meds. Even w all the bad stuff w the pharmaceutical industry, I still thank God for modern medicine. My priest asked me to talk to him about mental illness & addiction so he can be a better pastor to the parishioners. 😊 However it do believe that much of what we see w the explosion of mental illness especially in those under 30 is to due w a lack of meaning & purpose as a result of having no faith practice.

I’m glad to hear this being addressed! God bless you Bishop!

Yes Bishop Barron. It happened to me. I heard it . Come to me…my depression eventually lifted and with medical help(on the side) i learned that i am loved and have received much healing by Jesus. I am now committed to make Jesus first and central to my life as i am becoming more grateful.

You know. I was raised heeish, baptised by my father's family that are catholics. Always had a connection to catholicism, became a Christian at age 27 in israel, now a catholic. Word on fire is excellent, Bishop Barron is a great teacher. Thank you Bishop

Hi Bishop Barron and Brandon I find the litany of humility deals directly with anxiety,fear,desire and pride and in no particular order It is immensely powerful because it speaks directly to the mother of virtues which is humility and all we need to do is be reminded of Our Lady's yes to the Lord via the angel appearing to her and coupled with the Lord accepting His Father's will.All of this is fundamentally grounded in humility.Thats my two cents worth❤

Major treatment resistant depression and terrible anxiety for 30 years. Found out i was misdiagnosed all those years. I have serious OCD/ scrupulosity. It is a eidely misdignosed and misunderstood mental illness. I am so so grateful to God for my Catholic counselor ( familiar with OCD) HER WISE counseling has literally changed my life. If you have intrusive thoughts about things repulsive to you, wether religous in content or sexual or harm, ( afraid you will kill or hurt someone) find a good catholic counselor . I am 66 now ive been medicated hospitalized given several rounds of ECT's for many years, just treating the terrible depression and anxiety. God is healing me, a good priest ( my spiritual director) actually diagnosed me. Praise King Jesus!

St. Dymphna was the daughter of a king in Ireland, therefore she was a princess. Her mother, the queen died, and the king sent his representatives to gather women who might make a good replacement. But the king was suffering from profound mental illness. He rejected all the women brought to him. Finally his twisted consultants suggested his daughter, Dymphna. But Dymphna had consecrated herself to God and would remain a virgin. When the king looked upon his daughter he only saw his former wife, the queen. St. Dymphna, rejected the overtures of her father and begged him to consider someone else. The king persisted and she had to flee the country, crossing over to mainland Europe - Belgium. She used her fortune to build a hospital. The king discovered her because of her good works, killed the priest who defended her, then having become enraged at his daughter's continued rejection beheaded her.

Confusion and lack of truth today in the church, as leaders fear ridicule, adds to the pain and suffering. A church ran by a bunch of Dostoyevsky’s Grand Inquisitors. Thank you Bishop for speaking the truth!

First, I truly love all your videos Bishop Baron; I first ran across you when you interviewed Shia LaBeouf and his role in the Padre Pio movie. Secondly, I support the notion that the lack of religion / a general belief in God - has contributed to the modern-day mental health crisis- in both children and adults.

Thank you so much for addressing this issue. I'm a GenXer dealing with bipolar, you have confirmed what I have been saying since the advent of smartphones and the use of texting today.

35 years sobriety,71 years old Cradle catholic and when I put myself in rehab,found my faith in the 12 steps and my recovery ❤️‍🩹 thank you Jesus!I love my catholic faith 🙏🏽❤️

Thank you Bishop

Regarding answering the phone and the door, I still get nervous about that, in a way I can't quite explain. However, I'm completely comfortable chatting with people in other situations. There's just something about the ringing of the phone: the expectation on me to answer and the inability to see the other person's face, that combines to make me nervous. Weird, but I'm not certain what inspires this reaction in me. I've never had anxiety or anything, and like I mentioned, I'm fine in other situations. Thanks for the insightful talk. This is such an important topic, and I'm very grateful to you for helping me and others to keep our eyes fixed on that which is eternal and true, not just our own selves.

Congratulations Bishop Barron on 1 million subscribers. We thank God for this milestone. Thank you for sharing your extensive knowledge and unpacking the word of God for us

Loved the responsed at 18:45. I also like that Bishop Barron have never taken a political side (26:35). These days it takes courage to be like that. This can result in taking attacks from both left and right, which has happened in the past. But by not siding with either side I believe he can be closer to the truth, and to God. God bless him for that and protect him.

An enlightening video on today's society. Thank you.

I’ve had an anxiety disorder the majority of my life. I just recently made a huge step towards recovery. Healing it has truly taught me about faith and God. To heal it you have to move through it. You have to have faith to do that. To fight the fear, that fear that God tells us not to do. You have to keep fighting the fear and blindly walk through, that takes faith. You have to trust that what’s on the other side you can handle. If it’s really big, you really have to give it to God. Also, the fear needs to be behind you. It has to be bigger than the fear that’s holding you back. It needs to be bigger to help push you through. And faith that it can turn out ok. Anxiety is the worst. It really is a place of darkness, a separation from God. You can hear him, feel him. The other side though, is rich and light and you can feel Gof again. Depression is the same way.

Couldn't have come at a better time. Thank you.

The crisis was coined a second pandemic by the surgeon General because people who are suffering are facing family ties being broken. COVID isn't the only reason that this is happening. Communication breakdown, illnesses divorce, lack of the "professionals" ability to properly help the one present to receive the help. Usually, it's not just the person seeking help that needs help. Most of the time, it's the whole family that needs the help. Another mental health Saint to reflect on is St. Kateri Tekakwitha. My daughter Amanda borrowed her name for confirmation and had to give a good reason for picking her because she was just a Venerable at the time. Now she's St. Kateri Tekakwitha.

I believe that a large percentage of people are living with the serious lifelong effects of unhealed trauma, especially childhood trauma from abuse (C-PTSD). Unhealed trauma is the root cause of most mental health issues. It's not something you can just "forget about" easily or heal overnight. And it's a cycle in many families, passed down like an illness. To heal, you basically have to rewire your brain and regulate your nervous system through daily practices. It takes so much time and energy that most people simply don't have because they're trying to survive.

Thank you Bishop Barron. The Mental Health Pandemic is something that has been on my mind for some time and one, if not, thee most important issue in the Church. I have reflected that Mental Health, a disease of the mind and soul, affects our ability to reason, our understanding, our will, and ultimately, the formation of our conscience. This means that it involves our understanding of mortal sin, whether mental health begins with sin or with the condition of our mind. This also affects the judgment of those with a sound mind. Much prayer, study, and openness is needed.

Timely presentation . God bless you dear Bishop

Thank you bishop

It is so true your take on the posts we see on social media showing how wonderful everything is in these peoples’ lives while you, yourself are dealing with all the difficulties of life. This can be really hard at times for some to see when they are dealing with life’s hardships.

A friend of mine was an Army chaplain here in Australia. He said they had to give recruits classes in verbal communication. That saddened me for them.

Monsignor Shea has a great talk at SEEK 2024 on RU-vid …offers unique insight. Thank you for talking about this…we all saw it coming…but darkness works in the shadows

Baruch de Spinoza on emotions is a helpful guide. I feel meditation on the passion of Christ is one which aids recalibration.

I love this discussion, my understanding is natural human beings on the plane. Thanks for clearing hope everyone watch this video.

I so needed this today, thank you 🙏

JESUS is the ultimate healer, what’s an amazing person you are Bishop Barron, I truly love the sermons you give and the simplicity and truthfulness hidden beneath the words you bring out to people to reflect how wonderful and great our almighty Heavenly Father. GOD is blessed through your life and surely you are bringing young people to JESUS!

20:00 so true, thanks for show its importance

Praise be to God

My dear daughter has been suffering from mental illness for more than 5 years. She finds peace in daily Mass which she attends without fail. As a mother what is my role when I see her still alienated!

Big big God bless you 💘🙏

I think that not all depression is spiritual. I suffered from Major Depressive Disorder for 49 years. I was blessed to have Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) treatment in 2016 and 2018, where strong electromagnetic waves are targeted at a specific spot in the prefrontal cortex. This treatment has completely eliminated my depression. The part of my brain that regulates mood was physically inadequate. I was not able to really grow and deepen my interior life until after I had this treatment.

-"Social Media separates us from the real world" - Community is central to having a healthy mental state? "Because God is Love" "Connection and relationship are very important" -Every psychological problem is the spiritual problem of "False worship". -"We need psychologists to be sure but we also need soul doctors"

Class! Greetings from a psychiatrist from Holland.

Excellent. I learned a lot. Thank you.

I have been saying it for several years now, especially as pertains to gun violence. We are disconnected from each other, from ourselves, and from God.

Would be great to hear more from Bishop Barron on just war theory.

I had a very dark time in my life and what really helped was Stefan Molyneux of Freedomain Radio, extensive journaling, and finding God. That trio got me through my darkness. Daily prayer 🙏 where I thank God for all he’s given me and pray for those less fortunate than me really gives me a strong spiritual bearing.

Try to come to God with prayer in Adoration, attending Mass regularly. Offer it up the Lord! You will see the miracle happen ❤❤❤! Thank you Bishop for this helpful topic! May God bless you tremendously and abundantly! Thank you Lord! We truly love You!

I so agree with Bishop Barron

Really appreciate this video.

God bless you 🙏

Glad to see the catholic church is looking into the mental issues social media brings. Spirituality certainly will help, but things need to happen at a personal level for this new pandemic I treated correctly.

Aspergers. My boys never fit in the catholic church or care. But as, mom, I pray on their behalf!

Thank you.

Excelente Show

The Church can help by not reducing the current problems of people to simply mental health issues. When proper Faith and grace is denied to people the bodily health fails as well. We need spiritual health too. The healing grace of the sacraments and the support of the faith community.

Whilst I agree with Jung's point that all mental issues are spiritual issues (or words to that effect) I think we ought to also suggest secular ways of overcoming these issues alongside the spiritual ones, e.g. Therapy, etc. God bless all those struggling ❤

"All psychological problems are spiritual problems" - 100% found that true. Twice had mental health episodes (schizophrenic-type) which only got better after I turned to God. First time, I'd never gone to church and as a result got baptized in Catholic Church. Second time, after a long-term relationship ended and I'd fallen away from faith - got back to confession/Mass and got well. That's my story. When you acknowledge any situation in which you have no power, pray.

So grateful for your work. Wondering if social media is the tool used to avoid the suffering rather than the cause. Often an inability to forgive or trauma is at the root of the illness. Wondering if a key to unsealing the “hermetically sealed dynamite” that we as the Church are sitting on, might be to deal with this issues more productively. Wondering if the IFS concepts especially as dealt with in the book Litanies of the Heart might be a step in the right direction.

Muchas gracias

I haven't gotten to watch this yet. What I've run into is diet has a large amount to do with the mental health crisis. So much hyper palatable foods are eaten that aren't really food. Seed oils which we didn't eat until within the last hundred years. Also, an aversion to meat and fat has harmed people.

Now I want to hear a way more in-depth discussion of the listener's "just war" question. It makes me think of the extreme case of total war against Nazi Germany, and things like the bombing of Dresden.

The human mental care and, Christian's faith, Loving peoples. Very Important.

You should try to interview Johnathan Heidt. His new book The Anxious Generation is coming out March 26th and certainly very pertinent to this conversation.

Your use of social media is a positive connection with your viewers. I am glad you are a positive force on social media.

We do not own our life. We did not create it and we have no human right to destroy it. We were created by the One with the Divine Nature and only Him can take that back. No matter how big your problem in life is, if you know that God is bigger than it, you will be able to overcome it and you will be stronger and more resilient. The bigger your problem is the faster you should be asking for God's help. May His mercy and love be your comfort during these challenging times.

We are made BY God and FOR God. We are lacking physically, mentally and spiritually until we are RECONNECTED to Him. On the cross Jesus, through His death disconnects us to the matrix of Satan and makes way to connect us to His OWN.

Overall, I thought this presentation was great (as usual for Bishop Barron!). However, I was surprised and dismayed by the affirmation of Jung's claim that all psychological problems are ultimately spiritual problems. This has the false implication that if anyone is suffering from depression, anxiety, etc., it is for spiritual reasons. Yet there are many very devout people who pray regularly, make use of the sacraments (including daily Eucharist), and live holy lives, but who nonetheless experience depression, anxiety, and other mental health problems. I don't know how that can be true if all psychological problems are spiritual at root (but maybe I'm misunderstanding something). Also, Jung's claim is in tension with the claim, for which we have substantial evidence, that many forms of mental illness have their roots in brain chemistry. So, I was surprised by the endorsement of this controversial claim, without any mention of its controversial aspects.

Pray for my niece Natalie.

Interesting to note, in Spanish, the Priest can also be called Cura (ie. El Cura). I was reminded about that with the "Cura Animarum".

Quick comment on the "just war" part: "I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and wages war." -Revelation 19:11

Love is METAphysical, can we as Catholics work harder on social media to spread this good word of true connection and willing the good of the other?

Along with people needing God, human connection, and purpose...one huge contributing factor is sleep deprivation. Kids are not only on their phones all hours of the night, but they are also consuming energy drinks, caffeine, sugar, etc. that is not good for their sleep. And- dare I say- that school starts too early in the day. Kids (teenagers especially) need way more sleep than what they are getting.

hi Greeting and Blessing

Depression and anxiety are symptoms of the absence of faith. I’m not talking just about belief. I was practicing Catholic, receiving sacraments… everything changed when I started to develop my prayer & contemplative life, and found a way to be aware and relate to the assistance God always has on offer for us. Jesus leaves us alone unless we seek him out- this is experienced for me as both an internal opening and giving over my decisions as well as active participation in Catholic life. The worst part of social media is it fills your attention- cuts you off from that internal relating. We should be fasting from it routinely so we can keep it in check.

I suffered from major depressive disorder and social phobia, was on medical leave for 3 months last year and the demon is still in my head...

Interesting question from the listener. At the beginning, the Bishop said that surrogacy is an example of 'means justifying the ends' , which is treacherous. I can't help seeing 'just wars' through the same lens: it is a treacherous, slippery slope.

I believe many are unhappy because we are being abused by governments, big pharma, big agriculture, big tech, the media, Wall St and elites. I have struggled with some as well and getting help with a therapist and getting back to my faith.

I have my own young people, daughter 12 yrs old and son 9 yrs old. I always remind them that this gadgets are just tools and micro chips, and that they are bigger than this. We pray the Rosary to guide us everyday, me and my wife to grow and keep the faith!

Had a night where i had evil thoughts andan overwhelming feeling of love came over me and thinking of christ the evil thoughts subsided

Word.

Please pray for Hannah M.

Pope Barron?

Thank you for sharing interview with me in this topic of mental health in the youth. And Media. That was addressed in this video and also about the unethical use of a surrigett woman to be used to carry a child by non union of the opposite sex and being forth life via test tube or artificial in simulation via a visit to medical doctor for this method of fertility. As what the Catholic Church stands in this area in scripture and the laws of God via interpretation and unnatural means . This was addressed and discussed by bishop Barron . This topic has been active since 1960s as this scientific method was being in progressive Lab experiment s. And was ethical also then as well and currently . With selective DNA for infants eye color or hair color or other traits to be introduced via DNA . Instead of natural selection as God s Creation but instead man made with the touch of God absence as His breath and touch creates life into existence. So lines are definitely shown by God in this regards. In my memory of my bio ethics class I took in college in the 1970s. As a Medical . Health science career for radiologic technology it was a requirement in my course curriculum . I really was learning about this issue in healthcare as a healthcare future worker how I felt about this. And I gave it to God Almighty in prayer . As it was out of my scope of knowledge in faith at that point in my life . In regards to this topic . Yet it present s itself once again in 2024 . And my faith has grown since then . I still stand firm as I shared about it above . Again I give it to God Almighty for this is for His enlightenment to give to doctor and therapist and lab assistant s and other health care workers to acknowledge this important and sacred issue of life by God vs made by man- made . My prayers are with God Almighty in Jesus Christ name Amen alleluia alleluia. His love and MERCY. In this regards. Thank you for sharing this video today with me. I hope soon in the future or sooner this will be clarified and will not be an issue for DNA and other changes of humanity to avoid mutants vaccines that may alter life forms as God leads . He's in charge not man . Today in 2024. God bless and I have hope for good results trusting in Jesus Christ name in God Almighty also amen alleluia alleluia. 😊❤️🙏✌️🌵☀️🇺🇲♥️

thanks for this accepting of the insights and worj C G Jung did and now what is the next step using his methods as an help with the described deepening Dante .-process in a fruitful combination to the traditional church work ? Obviously some people need both .. this have been known for a long time but still its mostly used by therapists and behind paywalls . Why not start more creative groups in churches farytales and dreamgroups, paintinggroups ..helping people learn and practice some of the work Jung and many others have developed, where people even can support each other .Soo tragic that people still mostly get heavy kemical treatment for emotional suffering and there is still a use of electrical chocks .

If still reading comments of this program, would you pls post book/author that Bishop Barron mentioned w/ study of youth, mental issues, social media. Thank you.

It would be interesting to have the data or studies supporting a growth in mental health problems cited. Has there been a real growth or might people just be more open to reporting mental health problems? Might social media influence people to self diagnosis and report problems that are exaggerated?

If i have relation problem, that's just that. There is no need to make a spiritual problem out of it. These are two different kinds that may in cases or usually be connected, because the fast majority doesn''t have a healthy spiritual live. But whatever the distinction you make, you'll have two work two ends. Three if you will. For that watch the video.