How do you deal with depression?

[angels4u]

One anonymous young woman writes in with a question. “Hello Pastor John! I’m normally an optimistic person and full of life. But lately it has been such a struggle to even want to get out of bed in the mornings. I’m a student at BCS and I am very grateful for all the lessons God is teaching me here, but I dread going to class. This is so discouraging because I moved many miles so that I could come to this school. Deep down I don’t doubt God still wants me here, but I don’t think he wants me to have this attitude about life.

“Is this depression? I have almost no motivation for anything. I have been praying and I will keep praying for God to be my strength but how do you fight when you don’t feel like fighting? Each morning brings with it a desire to stay in bed for days so I don’t have to face life. I truly hate feeling this way because I feel I have lost my joy in God’s will for me. I feel oppressed by the powers of this dark world and don’t see an escape. . . . I really appreciate you answering such hard questions. It helps me remember that by no means am I the only warrior in this fight against the devil.”

Oh, how I feel empathy for this, because I’ve tasted these kinds of seasons many times: don’t want to get out of bed, dread doing the things we have to do, no motivation for anything, don’t feel like fighting the fight, loss of joy in what we thought God had called us to do, oppressed by what feels like demonic darkness. That’s her situation, and I’ve tasted it, and so I feel a kind of urgency for her. She asks, “Is this depression?” Of course, my answer is, “I don’t know.” I’m not close enough to the situation. I don’t know her well enough. I would say to you — she didn’t give us her name — if you have a history of depression, you’ll probably know what kind of season this is. If you don’t, I certainly wouldn’t jump to that conclusion automatically.

“Much obedience consists in waiting for God to do what we need him to do when the timing seems very slow to us.”

 

Depression is not a simple black and white thing. There are many degrees of discouragement on a continuum into the most debilitating kind of depression, and you’ll certainly want to be alert to that. I would recommend, if this continues, a physical checkup with a doctor just to make sure there’s no, for example, mononucleosis or some kind of nutritional issue. We are body and soul, and our bodies can play tricks on us and wreak havoc with our minds and our spirits. If we were sitting together, I’d probably ask you about sleep habits and exercise habits and eating and so on. There’s so many ways that we can be depleted, and it feels spiritual when it has physical roots as well.

I’m going to depend on you to know yourself and your history and your physical condition and to get the help you need in that regard, but let me just point to a few wonderful, spiritual, biblical, God-given truths that he means for your help and strength right now.

1. First Corinthians 10:13, “No testing” — and you probably know as a student with your Greek that the words temptation and testing are the same in Greek — “No testing has overtaken you but what is common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tested beyond what your ability is, but with the testing he will provide a way of escape” — and then here comes the key phrase — “that you may be able to endure it.” The issue is one of endurance, not just escape. The escape is the capacity to endure. Know that he’s got you in this season of testing, and he has got you there not beyond your ability to endure.

2. When God tests your endurance, he’s not doing it because he doesn’t love you. This is so plain in Hebrews 12:6 following that he delights in his children whom he disciplines. Delights in them. Isn’t it amazing that when he disciplines us, he’s disciplining the son in whom he delights, or the daughter in whom he delights? Don’t let the Devil convince you that this season of testing is because God is against you. That’s hellish. That’s not from heaven. “You have heard of the steadfastness of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful” (James 5:11).

3. Psalm 40:1–3 portrays David mired in the darkness and waiting for the Lord. I just want to testify that much Christian obedience consists in waiting for God to do what we need him to do when the timing seems very slow to us.

“It takes omnipotent divine power to sustain Christians through times of testing.”

4. God’s word, the Bible, is specifically designed for these seasons of testing. “For whatever was written” — this is amazing; this is sweeping — “Whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance” — there’s the key word: the endurance, or getting through tough things — “through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope” (Romans 15:4). If you can, insomuch as you can just make it a few verses, be in the word every day. Even though you don’t feel like fighting, give yourself that medicine every day.

5. Acknowledge that only divine power, and I mean mighty power, can sustain you and me through the tests like this. I mentioned it because Colossians 1:11has often amazed me. It goes like this: “[May you be] strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might” — now, what’s all that for? — “for all endurance and patience with joy.” Which says to me that endurance and patience with joy requires omnipotent power. We think it’s a small thing. You’re not fighting a small battle. This takes omnipotent divine power to sustain Christians through times of testing.

6. Remember, God knows your frame and that you are just dust. Psalm 103 is sweet. Verse 13 says, “As a father shows compassion to his children, so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him.” He knows our frame. He remembers that we are dust. Isn’t that amazing that God takes into account the fragile frame that we have as humans?

7. The last thing I would say: Take hold of one or two specific promises. Write them on a piece of paper. Put them in your pocket to carry through the day, or in your purse, and take them out and read them to yourself, or memorize it and say it to yourself often. Say it over and over again. Declare your allegiance to Jesus in and through specific promises, like these two that I thought of for you in closing:

“In the darkness, declare your allegiance to Jesus in and through the Bible’s specific promises.”

 

Psalm 139:11–12, “If I say, ‘Surely the darkness shall cover me, and the light about me be night,’ even the darkness is not dark to you; the night is bright as the day, for darkness is as light with you.” What feels like darkness to you is not darkness to God. He’s in the bright light, and he knows how to take care of you.

The last one is Isaiah 43:2–3, “and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.” If so for Israel, how much more for those in Jesus.

That’s my prayer for you. God is faithful. He will do it.

https://www.desiringgod.org/interviews/gods-work-in-your-depression

[1to3]

Sometimes even if depression is spiritual,  (which I believe is the case most of the time) it takes on a physical aspect.

Just like if one remains angry all the time or filled with resentments, it will have physical effects on the body.

Bitter waters erode until we seek to replace them with fresh sweet waters from the Lord.

Healing begins by looking towards God for a different Holier perspective over any troubling situation that may befall us.

For sure praying to God about our concerns is vital as well as rebuking the depression away and trusting God and His word to carry us through and past these times. Also finding Gratitude in what is around you helps to bring back a certain perspective concerning our thoughts and feelings.

In God we always can find HOPE

When we have hope and place our full trust in Him and His WORD we receive the tools to overcome.

Remember the devil only comes to steal, kill and destroy.

John 10:10-29

¹⁰ The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.

 

¹¹ “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep. ¹² But a ^[a]hireling, he who is not the shepherd, one who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf catches the sheep and scatters them. ¹³ The hireling flees because he is a hireling and does not care about the sheep. ¹⁴ I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own.

Christ Jesus came so we may have life and life abundant in Him, Praise God!

 

 

Edited June 21, 2018 by 1to3

[enoob57]

2 Tim 1:12-14

12 For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.

13 Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.

14 That good thing which was committed unto thee keep by the Holy Ghost which dwelleth in us.
KJV

I know this and if depression come I will still know this... It is nigh on impossible to be depressed when truth being more precious than our feelings ...

[secretopossumcabal]

Gratitude and thankfulness towards God each morning does wonders for depression. 

The bible often states that "The most shall become the least; the least shall become the most". People who eat for themselves lose their reason for eating, meaning that depressed people should do what they can to serve others instead of hoping to be served, then combining this with a sense of gratitude for the opportunity of serving others. Everyone needs to serve others in being in the body of God, anything less is rebellion and ultimately self-serving. Thus people lose their ability to take pleasure in the joys which were ALWAYS meant to be shared, and when the joys are stripped it further compounds the problem as it becomes nigh impossible to have a sense of thankfulness. Thus the complaint in my signature.  

Therefor, when you serve God you will serve others, and he will restore your desire in things. Food tastes good once again, and you realize, well... Food never really tasted good by itself, but when combined with Godly indignation, then it tastes wonderful, it preserves its flavor, but is it really the food that you're tasting then? You can apply this with pretty much all other joys, we don't live for the joy itself -- the most shall become the least -- but to share and spread the joy -- the least shall become the most,  as stewards to that joy, which is the truth, which is Christ. 

A dispute also arose among the disciples as to which of them would be considered the greatest. So Jesus declared, “The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those in authority over them call themselves benefactors. But you shall not be like them. Instead, the greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the one who leads like the one who serves. For who is greater, the one who reclines at the table or the one who serves? Is not the one who reclines? But I am among you as the One who serves." Luke 22:24-27

[Behold]

If trying to deal with depression from the physiological standpoint... .......

Sometimes, our bodies are the issue and its not our spirit or mind, at all.

It is a common knowledge in the world of health care,  that many people who suffer from chronic depression, have a Vit-B deficiency.

If this is the case, the way to find out, is get the person a really good multi-vitaman and add a B-Complex with it. (Extra B's.)

IF they are already taking a multi, then change it to one of the Gummies that is created from fruit, and also add the B-Complex with it.

The main thing is to get them on a Multi, and add the B's as this is often what is lacking and is causing the dark feelings.

If they want to continue their same Multi, then get them the B-Complex and have them take it with their Multi.

Health is chemistry......Our bodies are chemicals.....Our Brain is chemistry and chemicals, and if our Brain is not getting the right fuel, this usually plays out as  anxious moods and dark feelings.

The brain itself does not feel pain, so, when it is nutritionally  suffering, it causes your feelings to be unhappy.........And this is nearly always related to what is missing from your diet that it needs to work its best.

So, if after they get the B's  they "come out" of their dark feelings, then the issue is diet related and supplement solvable.

 

 

<B><

Edited June 21, 2018 by Behold

[angels4u]

I agree very much with you all said,the first thing we should do is pray,we all are up and down now and then, but I find that when I feel depressed or down and I change my focus on what Jesus did for me and think about all the people in the world who have no food or live in bondage, I change my attitude pretty fast and thank the Lord for all He did for me.

If it gets bad we should absolutely see a doctor, we may need serotin or Vit B or B12  or other help, a good diet is always a good thing, too much sugar gives us ups and lows and gives a person anxiety.

To do something for somebody else will help us to focus on other people instead of  on yourself , you be surprised how much it lifts you up to do things for other people,it's not only the other people who benefit but you do too, as a Christian we should always do things onto others as we like to do them on to us, kindness goes a long way

 

[Willa]

Anynms, sounds like a great plan, especially the exercise.  That is what God provided to neutralize the "fight or flight" hormones like adrenalin that get out of balance and cause depression.  Having learned that when I was a nurse, I  would take long walks in the countryside or along the river in parks, anywhere that was peaceful and where I could pray aloud and cry on God's shoulder.   Swimming is also good exercise if you have access.  

I was depressed because my husband had sawed off 4 fingers with a power saw and had withdrawn from me.  No matter what I said he took it wrong.  If I told him I loved him he yelled why!  I wanted to support him.  He finally befriended someone who was worse off than he was and they communicated for several months.  That helped him to work though his own depression.  So I agree that helping other people sometimes is the answer. 

[Who me]

Unless one is willing or able to acknowledge that one needs help and accept help then progress will be slow.

AA's twelve steps to recovery is a very good tool for helping oneself. But it is useless if one does not recognise there is a problem.

[MomBearTo4]

I thought I had severe postpartum depression after the birth of my youngest child and I could have said the same thing that this lady did.  I mean, it even took much energy to talk.  After a year of ineffective mental health treatment that left me feeling even worse, someone suggested I go to my primary doctor.  It turned out that my thyroid had quit working.   I'm perfectly fine now when on my thyroid treatment, but when they were trying to change my dose and I was severely undermedicated, I felt like I had a combination of chronic fatigue syndrome, mid-stage Alzheimer's and moderate to severe clinical depression.  I always suggest to people who all of a sudden have symptoms that feel like depression for an inexplicable reason that they get a full thyroid panel and make sure it's okay.  Several people I suggested this to have discovered that their thyroids had quit working also.  

[Whyme]

David wrote psalms when he was depressed. I take meds but they don't stop my heart from bleeding inside. I can feel pain, anxiety and depression. I lean on God when I'm depressed. I wait on him and pour out my heart to him. Sometimes  I fail but thats ok.