Great quote on Anxiety/Depression

In light of medic's post I decided to post a quote from St. Francis de Sales, the patron saint of journalists, writers and authors.

He says this about depression:

"Sadness is that mental pain which is caused by the involuntary evils that afflict us...when the soul is conscious of some evil, it is dissatisfied because of this and sadness is produced. The soul wishes to be free from this sadness, and tries to find the means for this."

He says this about anxiety:

"Anxiety comes from an irregulated desire to be delivered from the evil we experience. Therefore, above all else, calm and compose your mind. Gently and quietly pursue your aim."

Sales died in 1622 so you can guess when it was written. Circumstantial evidence seems to indicate that he had at one time suffered from depression.

I believe he was trying to explain or define something that afflicted many people, including himself, with little understanding of what it was or why it was experienced. So to comfort his parishoners, this is what he told them. Interestingly, he also seems to find a connection between anxiety and depression, without any understanding of psychology.

Cheekydeeky