Friday, March 10, 2017

ARE YOU DEPRESSED?

Depression has been called the “common cold” of mental disorders. The Bible does not use the word “depression,” although it describes people whom we might call depressed. It certainly doesn't mention antidepressant drugs. Depression is a widespread condition, affecting millions of people - Christians and non-Christians alike. They may begin to feel useless and even suicidal, losing interest in things and people that they once enjoyed. Depression is often triggered by life circumstances, such as a loss of job, death of a loved one, divorce, or psychological problems such as abuse or low self-esteem. It is therefore important that you aim to work on the causes of your depression, not just the symptoms. Don't just worry about the depression itself; check to see what other problems need attention.
What then is depression and how can one overcome this mental situation?

What is depression?

Most people have felt sad or depressed at times. Feeling depressed can be a normal reaction to loss, life's struggles, or an injured self-esteem.
Depression is a feeling of intense sadness -- including feeling helpless, hopeless, and worthless –it lasts for many days to weeks and keeps you from functioning normally.
Those who suffer depression experience intense feelings of being trapped in sadness, despair, grief, or guilt. When you're depressed, it's hard to see and believe that there is any hope that things will get better. Depression doesn't just affect the mind; it affects the whole being - body, soul and spirit. It can be situational depression (caused by an event, situation, or illness) or chemical depression (an imbalance that can be helped with medicine). You can have both.
Depression often has a physical basis. At the simplest level, we know that lack of sleep, insufficient exercise, the side effects of drugs, physical illnesses, or improper diet can all create depression. Thousands of women, especially, experience depression as part of a monthly premenstrual syndrome (PMS) and some are victimized by postpartum depression following childbirth. Other physical influences, like neurochemical malfunctioning, brain tumors, or glandular disorders, are more complicated creators of depression. There is evidence that depression runs in families and may have a genetic basis.

Examples of people in the Bible who suffered bouts of depression
These were all great men of God.

But, know this
       i.          Realize that you can't base life on your emotions. Christians base life on truth, not feelings. Philippians 4:1 commands us to rejoice (whether we feel like it or not!). And James 1:2 asks us to “Consider it all joy when we fall into various trials.” Notice that James doesn't tell us to feel joyful; he tells us to reckon, to choose to think about your situation as a spot where you can have joy.

      ii.          Faith. Choosing to trust truth rather than your feelings may require a lot of faith. And if that is what we mean by asking if faith can solve depression, then faith may be enough in some cases. Trusting what God says rather than your feelings is certainly a more realistic approach to life!

     iii.          Heed God's Advice. Many people talk about “faith” and only mean a vague hope that God will somehow pull them through. That's too vague a concept to be reliable. Many of the same people who claim to have faith keep plunging through life ignoring God's principles for healthy living. If we spurn the good advice that the Bible contains, we won't escape the consequences - even if we have faith.

    iv.          Unresolved Issues, Root Causes. Any medication considered for the treatment of depression should be used with caution. Virtually any medicine has some side effects. Drugs can mask the symptoms, allowing you to ignore root causes. Some people may use antidepressants to avoid approaches that require you to deal with other unresolved issues. It seems easier to pop a pill. A general rule of thumb is to try other strategies first, unless the depression is so severe that the person endangers themselves or find themselves unable to participate in other therapies.
Depression is a complex area, and severe problems of depression deserve the attention of a matured person to help you through.

Symptoms of Depressions
Depression is not a state suffered by non-Christians but Christians as well. Some would say that a Christian should be emotionally strong and healthy and if you’re not, something’s wrong spiritually. This has caused many Christians to hide their depression and refuse to get help. But that teaching is not supported by Scripture. There are many examples of strong people of faith in Scripture who battled emotional issues. Read Psalm 38 and you will hear David describe great emotional pain. Elijah, the great prophet, did mighty deeds for the Lord. Yet listen to his words: “Elijah came to a broom tree, sat down under it and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, Lord,” he said. “Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors.” (read 1Kings 19). Those are words of discouraged and depressed men–even wanting to die.
We need to acknowledge our struggles with depression so we can find healing and help. Those who suffer with depression don’t need clichés or trite answers. We around the depressed have to show how God’s grace can bring healing and help in their everyday lives.

Depression comes in many types and sizes. For some it is a life-long battle. For others it is a short-term struggle, perhaps precipitated by some traumatic event or physical problem. Or it may come on some people every so often for no good reason, but it will go away after some time. We need a biblical perspective of this emotional struggle we call depression, to debunk some of the myths that have come to be accepted about depression, and to assure you that God’s grace is enough. But that grace is dispersed to us in many ways, and often we need help from others in order to deal with this problem.

Here are some common symptoms of depression. How many of these would be descriptive of you very frequently:
  
  §  I’m often restless and irritable.
  §   I don’t enjoy hobbies, leisure activities, or time with friends anymore.
  §  I’m having trouble managing my diabetes, hypertension, or other illness.
  §  I have nagging aches and pains that don’t get better, no matter what I do.

My sleep patterns are irregular:
  §  I’m sleeping too much.
  §  I’m not sleeping enough.

I often have:
  §  Digestive problems
  §  Headaches or backaches
  §  Vague aches and pains (e.g., joint or muscle pains)
  §  Chest pains
  §  Dizziness
  §  I have trouble concentrating or making simple decisions.
  §  People have commented on my mood or attitude lately.
  §  My weight has changed considerably.
  §  My functioning in everyday life is suffering because of these problems.
  §  I’ve had several of these symptoms for more than two weeks.
  §  I have a family history of depression.
  §  I’ve thought about suicide.

As a child of God, you may notice some spiritual symptoms that are brought on by depression:
  §  Punitive image of God
  §  Not able to feel close to God
  §  No desire to read the Bible, pray, fast, fellowship, etc.

Any of us can experience any of these symptoms from time to time, but if you see a pattern in your own life or the life of someone you love, it could be a serious battle with depression.

Causes of Depression
There are many causes of depression, which can be physical/ sociological or spiritual as these:

(i)               For some it is a genetic cause or perhaps one that has been passed on to them by role-modeling. For example, people who have depression in their family are more likely to experience depression. If you were raised in a very negative environment, you are more likely to struggle with depression.

(ii)              Neuro-chemical imbalances are often associated with depression, and these can begin with a traumatic experience. Medication side effects and hormonal changes, like menopause, an often cause of depression.

(iii)            Major changes like moves, new jobs, new baby, new marriage can bring on depression. And these changes may be happy ones, yet the change itself can cause a period of depression.

(iv)            There are also spiritual causes that lead to depression. As believers in Jesus Christ, we must always take stock of our spiritual life to see if it is causing or contributing to our feelings of depression. For example, when we’re not walking close with the Lord, not spending time in Bible reading and prayer, not fellowshipping with other believers regularly–these can definitely contribute to our feelings of depression.

The causes of depression differ from one individual to another and what can cause one person to be depressed may not cause another. It becomes a problem when it interferes with our daily activities over a long period of time. We can be down for a few days, and that is not necessarily a cause for concern. But when it lasts for weeks and even months, then we need to assess what is causing it and what we need to do about it.
  
How to deal with Depression
You may find some Christians who believe that depression is a sin, that no Christian should ever feel depressed. But I don’t believe Scripture teaches that. Depression is not a sin; it is a feeling. It becomes a sin when we decide we’re going to stay depressed, instead of taking steps out of it. When we choose to listen to the negative messages and do nothing to change them or get rid of them. So, rather than feeling guilty because you feel depressed, you need to take some positive steps both to understand why, and to make some positive moves out of depression.

Here are some suggestions that may help you find victory over depression:

    1.     For a Christian, the most obvious first step is to pray about it. Ask God for wisdom as to its causes, and seek His guidance in finding victory over it. Put your hope in God. Trust Him to make things better. Draw closer to Him. Grow spiritually.

    2.     One of the most important ways to manage depression is to exercise regularly, whether you feel like it or not. Serotonin and endorphins (both are anti-depressant drugs) are stimulated by exercise, and they make you feel better.

    3.     Healthy dieting and sleep patterns are very important. If your diet is full of the wrong kind of food and you are not allowing yourself enough sleep time, they could be major reasons you are battling depression.

    4.     Become part of a small group of some kind–a Bible study group, or a discussion group–some kind of group that will encourage you to think correctly. Make sure it’s not a group of gripers and complainers.
  
    5.     Counseling may be needed at times. Sometimes you need someone to walk alongside you–maybe someone who doesn’t know you as a friend, and can be objective. The right counseling can help you un-learn wrong thinking.

    6.     Medication is sometimes the right course to take for relief, when there is a chemical imbalance. Typically it takes eight weeks before you feel the effect of that kind of medication, and obviously you need to contact a doctor for that help.

Depression is not a sin unless you refuse to do what you know you should do to recover from it. As a family and friends of those who suffer with depression it is important to know your part in helping that person recover.

Helpful tips
    1.     Avoid being alone. Force yourself to be with people. It isn't good to spend a lot of time alone when you're depressed.
    2.     Seek help from others. Especially, matured Christians.
    3.     Sing. Music can uplift your spirit as it did for King Saul (1 Samuel 16:14-23). Listen to positive Christian music and sing hymns that will get your mind off of you and onto the Lord.
    4.     Praise and give thanks. “In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (1 Thessalonians 5:18).
    5.     Lean heavily on the power of God's Word. Emotions can lead us astray, but God's Word stands firm and unchanging. We must maintain strong faith in God and hold even more tightly to Him when we undergo trials and temptations.
    6.     Rest confidently in the presence of God's Spirit. “Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him for the help of His countenance” (Psalm 42:5). Do not accept your negative thinking as the truth.
    7.     Thank God for your blessings (even if they seem little).
   8.     Memorize bible verses that will give you hope. Isaiah 54:10, Jeremiah 29:11, Isaiah 42:16, James 1:12, 1Thessalonians 5:24, Psalms 130:5, Isaiah 43:2;1Peter 4:12, Phil. 4:4   
   9.     Do not make major life decisions while you are depressed without getting advice from others who may see your situation differently.
    10.  Tell someone if you feel like harming yourself. Don't dismiss the thoughts and wait until it gets really bad.
   11.   Do some activities that you enjoy and that could make you feel better. Consider volunteering.
      12. Remember also that, God can use this difficult time in your life to encourage others later.
Depression affects people spiritually. It may be extremely difficult for some people to pray or do spiritual things. This is very common. If this is true for you, know that you're not alone and take smaller steps.

Conclusion
Life on Earth doesn't always have to be happy. We have to wait for Heaven if we want no more sadness, pain, or death. Even though you struggle with depression, you can have joy in the Lord. You will start to experience this joy in the Lord as you grow closer to Jesus, make yourself available to do God's will, and allow the Holy Spirit to lead you. Please remember that this will take time though. During depression, turn to God for comfort and strength. Only God can truly heal those deep hurts and make you feel whole again. And please remember - things will get better. This is just a season of your life - maybe a long and painful one, but still it is just a season. Remember that, when left untreated, depression can worsen.

Let’s not be moved by emotions that can destroy even the loved ones around us, but let’s be moved by the word of God. Amen!


Sing these hymns with me…MHB634,427,516,517,758,548,478,313,335,371,400,423,428,538.

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