Msgr. Charles Pope is the pastor of Holy Comforter-St. Cyprian, a parish community in Washington, DC. He attended Mount Saint Mary’s Seminary and was ordained in 1989. Msgr. Pope writes thoughtful, relevant, (near) daily blog posts for the Archdiocese of Washington, DC, which can be read here. His pieces are frequently carried by New Advent and Big Pulpit.
Monsignor graciously agreed to contribute a personal piece detailing his own journey to psychological and spiritual healing through the process of overcoming anxiety and depression.
When I was growing up older folks often spoke of a “mid-life crisis.” Hitting forty was usually the critical period they had in mind. These days I’ve noticed it hits a lot sooner. Maybe it’s because we live in a “youth culture” that forces the questions of aging and being successful a lot quicker. Maybe it’s just the stress. But these days, there’s just something about the mid-thirties that hits a lot of folks. I was no exception. My mid-thirties were difficult years for me—years filled with anxiety and self-doubt.
A friend recently asked me how someone might know when they may be ready to consider taking medication for emotional or psychological concerns. This is an important question and one that strikes at the heart of a complex and still emerging field of research. I first want to emphatically note that I am not a psychiatrist or medical doctor and what follows is 
Our culture is obsessed with happiness. From a purely individual perspective, happiness seems to be the obvious and ultimate goal. Quite often, the second highest goal is avoiding pain or sadness. Pursue happiness, avoid pain: seems like common sense, right? Too bad its a really poor prescription for actual living.