I'm Depressed--Now What?: St. Dymphna's Guide to Building Your Depression Playbook a Catholic Approach

"When we're feeling depressed, we can't really count on our brains to help us figure out ways to cope," Tighe explains. "But we can pull out a playbook we've put together ahead of time to remind us of the tools we can use to find that peace we so desperately desire."

If you're struggling with depression, you know the feeling well--the heaviness, the exhaustion, the lack of joy, the fears that seem to circle endlessly in your mind. Eventually an honest, urgent question arises:

What do I do next?

In this compassionate and practical guide, licensed marriage and family therapist Tommy Tighe--author of the award-winning St. Dymphna's Playbook--walks with you through that question with clarity, empathy, and hope.

Blending Catholic spirituality, mental-health insights, and practical coping strategies, Tighe invites you to create your own personalized "playbook"--a collection of tools, prayers, reminders, and habits that can guide you toward healing and peace when depression clouds your path.

With St. Dymphna as your patron and intercessor, you'll confront the spiritual questions that depression so often raises: Do I not love or trust God enough? If God loves me, why does he let me feel like this? Is he listening when I pray? If he has a plan for my life, why does it all feel so pointless? Does he want me to suffer? Rather than dismissing these fears, Tighe meets them with honesty and faith, guiding you to bring them before God.

You'll also receive guidance and answers to the everyday questions that surface in the midst of depression:

• How can I get connected to help, and should I look for a Catholic therapist or doctor?
• What if I reach out for help, but I don't find relief?
• How do I find the motivation to go out when I just want to stay in bed all day?
• How do I tell loved ones I'm struggling without pushing them away?
• What should I do if I can't find the motivation to get better?
• What good is it to try to be happy if I know the darkness will come back?
• Is there any real possibility that this feeling of suffering will go away?
• What's wrong with me that I can't handle this?

Each chapter includes:

✔ a short, accessible reflection on a common struggle;
✔ a simple affirmation to repeat in moments of distress;
✔ thoughtful prompts to help you understand your experience; and
✔ space to build your personal coping playbook for difficult days and long-term relief.

Whether you read this book cover to cover or return to it in moments of acute need, you'll discover useful mental-health tools, spiritual encouragement, and a path toward God-centered healing.

Through faith, honesty, and small steps forward, lasting peace is always possible.

Tommy Tighe is a licensed marriage and family therapist and the creator of the Saint Dymphna's Playbook podcast. He is the author of many books, including St. Dymphna's Playbook, The Catholic Hipster Handbook, and Catholic Hipster: The Next Level.

Tighe has appeared on Relevant Radio, EWTN, and the Catholic Channel on SiriusXM. He has contributed to publications including Angelus News, The Catholic Herald, CatholicMom.com, Aleteia, and Catholic Digest.

He lives with his family in the San Francisco Bay area of California.