At the recommendation of my therapist I just watched a new documentary directed by Jonah Hill, looking into the life and work of the psychotherapist Jonah – himself sees – to help him in navigating his journey from depression unto flourishing.
The film is “Stutz.” The documentary is a quirky, intellectual, and intimate look at practice of Dr. Phil Stutz, co- author of The Tools, and Coming Alive.
I love that I watched the film this week.
This week we are coming off of the first Sunday of the Christian lament season of Advent. The season of Advent is comprised of the four weeks anticipating the incarnation of God in the Christ child. As you may know, the theme of first week of Advent often focuses on the absence of hope… aka, despair or depression.
The first week of Advent is literally the first week of the new year in the Western Church calendar. The Christian new year begins with a cry of lament… “How long O Lord, how long must we live in hopelessness?” ” Where does our hope come from?” One of the church’s classic themes of the first week of Advent is lamenting the relative absence of hope in the world. The church year begins in a collective cry of hopelessness… you gotta love that!
Every day I wake up and somehow summon the strength to get out of bed is a small victory. Depression is a weight that I have lived with for most of my adult life. It has taken a toll on my life, my health, my spirituality, and my relationships.
Please, if you are feeling alone, or thinking of harming yourself or are relating with what I’m describing here but have no one to talk with at the moment, please don’t suffer alone. You matter, and there is help. Dial 988 for a free and confidential crisis and suicide lifeline, or visit www.988Lifeline.org.
Peace, dwight
