demons bothering husband QUESTION from Corinne on November 27, 2002 This could be a long one so bear with me. My husband says that he has been bothered by ghosts/demons since he was little. He can walk into a house/room and sense spirits and can sometimes tell you how old, male or female. He also says he is bothered by little demons. He says they laugh at him and grab at his feet when he is sleeping. He says that he is scared to sit up at night and watch T.V. alone because of these demons. A couple years ago, his sister told him to burn rue seeds to scare them away. Then I think he briefly talked to a priest who told him not to do this.
Recently, he found this site on the internet from another person who has his own explanation for these demons. He was very animated while reading this and was swearing quite a bit when he was explaining this person's theory to me. While he was reading this, he jumped up and said, Did you hear that? I heard nothing and we were both in the same room. He said that our linen closet door rattled.
I told my husband that he needed to talk to someone about this (psychologist, priest) and he got very angry and said that I had lost faith in him because I didn't believe him. I admit, it is hard to believe when I have experienced none of this. This morning he was yelling and crying and refused to talk to me. This is putting a strain on our marriage and we haven't even reached our one year anniversary. I printed out some prayers from this site, but is there anything else he can do for help? Is it demons or is it psychological? He says these demons have plagued him all his life and, honestly, I think he is at his breaking point.
Thank you.
ANSWER by Mr. Joe Meineke on December 3, 2002 Dear Corinne,
I am sorry to hear that he is not receptive to your advice. There is certainly nothing wrong with your suggestion that he see a priest or a psychologist, but I understand how these things can be taken the wrong way when suggested. Perhaps you can explain to your husband that this is not about an issue of trust - it is about getting help for problems that are sometimes bigger than we may be able to handle. It is not a sign of weakness to seek help; it is quite the opposite.
Unfortunately, we cannot answer the question, Is it demons or is it psychological? Normally, we have our clients fill out an extensive questionnaire to help us determine as best as possible what may be going on, and even then, it can take much discernment and a considerable amount of time and prayer to come to any conclusion.
Can demons cause the types of problems that your husband is experiencing? Absolutely. On the other hand, so can the human mind. A psychological evaluation is usually necessary in cases such as these to help make a determination about the cause. Perhaps with your prayerful and loving support, he will come to the same conclusion.
It sounds as though you are doing the right things, namely praying the prayers from the Spiritual Warfare Prayers Catalogue and encouraging him to seek help. In addition to prayer, you should also encourage him to stay close to the sacraments and to offer up his suffering in union with the suffering of Christ. Also, if he is willing, you can have him contact us after the first of the year to request a personal consultation.
We will remember you and your husband in our prayers.
God bless you,
Joe Meineke Assistant to Bro. Ignatius

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