The Sickness unto Death

Overview

“For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” 2 Timothy 1:7

The real “sickness unto death,” includes angst, dread, fear, boredom, vertigo, and anxiety is at the heart of so much despair, especially since the start of the pandemic. According to Kierkegaard, despair is not a suffering of the self, but is a misrelation in the self itself and, goes to the very core of an individual’s existence to not a physical death but despair—a kind of spiritual death, which stems from profound discontent, or a similar persistent debilitating malaise of the mind, spirit, or soul that produces a decline in mental, physical, or societal health and that may culminate in a dissolution of an ability to embrace one’s self. Emily Dickenson’s poem reveals-

The difference between despair

And fear – is like the one

Between the instant of a wreck-

And when the wreck has been-

The mind is smooth-no motion-

Contented as the eye

Upon the forehead of a bust-

That knows-it cannot see-

What is the difference between anxiety and despair?

Anxiety is the mark of human freedom and the condition for the possibility of despair. Despair is the wrongful use of freedom through the failure to choose to be oneself.

Common anxiety signs and symptoms include:

Feeling nervous, restless or tense.

Having a sense of impending danger, panic or doom.

Having an increased heart rate.

Breathing rapidly (hyperventilation)

Sweating.

Trembling.

Feeling weak or tired.

Trouble concentrating or thinking about anything other than the present worry.

What does despair feel like physically?

Despair is a very intense feeling of hopelessness. The feeling can be described as a mix of misery, discouragement, anguish, agony, and distress. For those with depression, this feeling is often associated with suicidal thoughts.

Five ways to cope with anxiety that has led to despair:

1. Take your despair on a walk once a day, do your best to go out of the house for some fresh air.

2. Give your sorrow words.

3. Honor your despair.

4. Seek out fellowship.

5Avoid toxic positivity.

“I said to my soul, be still and wait without hope, for hope would be hope for the wrong thing; wait without love, for love would be love of the wrong thing; there is yet faith, but the faith and the love are all in the waiting.” T. S. Eliot

© Ozimkiewicz