feeling depressed after becoming atheist

[finalyawake]

i just became atheist and now i am really depressed..... can i have some advice

[Minimalist]

Cheer up.

[NoraBrimstone]

Depressed or just a bit down? If you are just feeling down just talk to some like-minded people and se and do things that cher you up til you feel better. If you are actually depressed, go to your Doctor and get it treated before you end up a suicide risk.

[goddamnit]

Honestly, I am not sure if you will find happiness without religion (or with it). But hey, if you do find a way to be happy without religion, at least you'll know deep down that it is genuine happiness and not based on lies.

[Xyster]

Remember your happieness befor was self generated had nothing to do with a god. Rejoyce in the fact that your life is now YOURS, your free from thought crime, your free from the tyrany of the sin of being human and you are free to do ANYTHING on SUNDAY........(or sat depending on denomination)

[Tempus]

This doesn't belong in introductions. There's an 'Anxiety/Depression/Mental Illness Support' thread here: http://atheistforums.org/thread-10302-page-26.html
If you have anything specific worrying you about atheism, religion or philosophy, you could ask it in the forums dedicated to those subjects.

[Jeffonthenet]

What reason did you become an atheist? Perhaps if your reasons were incorrect and atheism is false, you will regain your happiness. If God does exist and is the source of all goodness, it is no surprise that you lost your happiness when you lost your faith in God.

[Forsaken]

i just became atheist and now i am really depressed..... can i have some advice

Just became an atheist? I thought it was a prolonged process; gradual transition from delusion to rationalism on a day-to-day basis. Yours was pretty quick; sounds more like an escape than a thought-process. Anyway, think about the freedom you have achieved; freed from the shackles of phantasm.

[Brian37]

i just became atheist and now i am really depressed..... can i have some advice

When I grew up I was raised Catholic. I had just as much sadness and even some points of depression over issues other than religion. Nothing has changed since I became an atheist. Emotions over a lifetime are never static and can change from day to day or even hour to hour, because we are not static.

The sadness or fear some who leave theism feel, is post partum. You can fell a loss of something you found comfort in. You can have that same feeling of loss with a friend, a job, or pet.

But if you are depressed, the issue may not be your new found atheism. You may have a real medical condition you might want to see a doctor about. There is absolutely nothing wrong with seeking help for any reason when you get depressed. That is a mental health issue, not a religious one.

[Angrboda]

First, let me preface by saying that I am not a doctor or healthcare professional, so take any advice profferred with a huge grain of salt; if in doubt, consult an actual professional first, before following any advice from non-professionals like myself.

Grief and depression are natural responses to stress and change. You've moved into something new, yet also left behind what was likely comforting and familar. That loss has to be dealt with, whether it was a real, tangible thing, or merely an appearance that you'd grown accustomed to. I am not a doctor, but I would suggest that the grief and depression will resolve itself over time. Grief accompanying great change is natural.

I see a range of responses among atheists, from shock and fear at the absence of a tangible source of meaning (what one referred to as "facing oblivion"), to atheists who are closer to my own view, that life itself is meaningful enough on its own.

It will likely take time to get used to having left behind that which was left behind, and to acquire new comforts that come from a humanistic and non-religious worldview.

I'd suggest there are likely three stages involved. First, when the loss is acute because you are too close to the separation, and are measuring everything against that backdrop. Second, a deeper sense of loss as you come to terms with the fact that you have suffered a loss, and it will take time for your body's own healing processes to deal with it; this is the grief reaction, and should resolve itself on its own over time. If it does not, seek professional counsel. The third is the slow process of replacing what was lost with things which can ably take their place, by building new truths from your new culture into your world.

If any of this rings true, I would suggest several things. One, devote time to learning about atheism and related cultures (humanism, secularism, skepticism), from reading books to watching Youtube videos; anything to educate yourself. Write about your feelings and thoughts; journal. Talk to people about it; forums aren't particularly helpful in this regard, as they are rather detached from you — seek out groups or professionals in your community you can talk with. Get involved; nothing grounds a person better than doing good, helping others, and sharing one's self.

This last I hesitate to mention, but if the above is on the mark, maybe. You might investigate the nature of grief in general, on the supposition that it might help place your feelings in context. This may or may not be useful for you, but Elizabeth Kubler-Ross' work on the five stages may be relevant, as it is a similar process.