Depression

[rafter]

I have just recently admitted to myself that I need help. I felt emotionally stuck. At first it came and went, but the last six months it just came. Everything I did was an almost insurmountable effort. Reading the Word of God, Praying, things that used to come easy to me were just plain hard, if not impossible. It has become increasingly difficult to enjoy anything. I actually felt like crying quite often. And the crying was not hooked to any particular reason.

I chose to talk to my dr. who put me on anti-depressant. I am not sure if this is the way to go to fight depression, but I can tell it is working wonders already. I have way more energy, like I used to have, I sleep two or three hours less a night and feel refreshed when I wake up. My mind is clearer and I am not nearly as grumpy.

I don't feel like I have been taking drugs, I just feel like I used to feel. Which I think is great. Anyway I just felt I should share what is going on with my life. If anyone has any advice or experience with this please share. You can do it hear or PM me. I am new at this, although I think I have fought this thing most of my adult life. I am only beginning to see how it controlled me as I am "waking up" out of this fog.

I will stop here unless I get some feed back, either here or in a pm...... Thanks and God bless one and all..........

Denny

[nebula]

No, you are alright.

Sometimes depression is caused by a chemical imbalance. So, having that balance re-adjusted is OK, as far as I'm concerned.

But, I am scared to take them myself. Some people have said I should get on them. But I am concerned about side-effects, especially if it upsets my spiritual sensitivity. (One of my pastors who is incredibly spiritually sensitive had lost that sensitivity when he was on medication for some illness he had - the chemicals had interfered with his brain chemistry somehow, and he couldn't hear from the Spirit as well as he had before.) This is what concerns me as for me taking such medication.

Anyone else have any thing to say?

[rafter]

Thanks for the quick reply Neb. I think the medicine is actually is allowing me to be spiritually sensitive again. I was losing that too. I think it is a chemical imbalance. Not even sure what that all intails. I was sinking to a point of no return. Had some pretty awfull thoughts niggling at my mind if you know what I mean. And that just wasn't me to think that way.

Anyway so far I only see positives to taking the drug. I am however concerned in how long I will have to take it. Hope not the rest of my life, but I don't know much about it.........

[Dad Ernie]

Greetings Rafter,

Back in the early 70s I was diagnosed with hypertension and given meds to reduce my blood pressure and which also contained a mild anti-depressent. After about a month, I began noticing that I was entertaining thoughts of suicide. I immediately called my doctor who told me to stop the drugs at once and to come and see him. Apparently there are drugs that do unbalance your system and mind. I have heard lots of ugly stories about anti-depressent drugs including the fact that the kids that were involved in the school shooting in Colorado a few years ago were all on some form of this drug.

So I would say that any mood-altering drug should be carefully moderated. They may start out to do great things, but the long term effects may be unevaluated and could cause the condition of one's mental health to be worse off than before the drug.

I have learned over the years though, that my best "medication" comes from the Word of God. I know what it means to have long dry spells. I think those times are reminiscent of Jesus 40 days in the desert. When at last He was tempted by Satan, the only response He had was The Word of God. He then was given rest and the angels came and restored Him to health.

So dwell on the Word of God day and night and remember this:

Psalms 119:11 Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.

Phil 4:6-8 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. 7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. 8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

Num 6:24-26 The LORD bless thee, and keep thee: 25 The LORD make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: 26 The LORD lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.

Dad Ernie

[JesusisGod2]

Hi Rafter,

I dont know if it is a sign of the times or what, but I too have been experiencing deep depression. If it werent for God and my wife, I shudder at the thought.

One thing that I know that has been helping me to overcome this, is to ask others to keep me in prayer. Prayer is a mighty tool and I am having my good and bad days, but things are getting better.

To take a look at the world and the events that are happening, the job situations, the leadership, the wars, the cold heartedness that people have adopted, the homosexual ordeal among other things, can be really depressing.

So we must turn our focus to the things that are above and dwell on these things, which are easier said than done, but it is the key all the same.

God bless you brother, I'll keep you in my prayers and would appreciate the same.

In Jesus

Kevin

[Guest yod]

Oh man...Rafter..

This is so pervasive in our society. I know soooo many people who are taking drugs for depression. Some of them are literally insane without these drugs while others don't really need it.

Every case is as different as the individual so please don't take advice too seriously from strangers who don't know you, ok?

I know of one woman who was a normal healthy person (non-christian) that started having depression....it was probably related to post-partum because she had just had her fourth child. She was also getting close to the mid-age "crisis" everyone goes through. She went to a doctor who put her on Prozac without knowing that this woman was regular drinker, smoked cigarettes, and even did a little "crank" (speed)

Within a year she left her husband and her 4 kids. You couldn't see any difference on the outside but her thinking was just not rational. She didn't recognize the difference between reality and dreams....and it cost her heavy.

After the divorce she hit bottom and moved back in with her parents. She no longer had the money for partying or depression medication. It took her years to get back to being a productive person again. She now is holding a job and living a normal life again.

And I know another woman whose family has a history of mental illness. Her dad died with schitzophrenia and her mom and brother are both dependant upon medication to keep them out of the mental hospitals. Her mom seems fine because she always takes her medicine.

Meanwhile, her brother gets picked up by police departments all over the Southwest for doing the strangest things you can imagine. They send him to a hospital which holds him for 6 months then lets him go. It's really sad because this guy went to Baylor and graduated from Pepperdine. He's highly intelligent but can't tell the difference between reality and fantasy when he's not on the drugs.

There have been times when I so depressed I wanted to commit suicide. Every time that spirit of depression comes over you.....recognize it for what it is. It is an EMOTIONAL reaction to some situation. If you can learn to separate your emotions from your situation, you will realize that it's never as bad as your emotions are telling you. I remind myself that this, too, shall pass.

What a difference a day can make!. There have been times when I went through the "funk" for up to 6 months.

So I've given you 4 or 5 examples here.....all of them different as you can see. I would try to go through this without drugs unless there were distortions of reality because sooner or later that is what those drugs will do.

But again...PLEASE don't go on a whim from a stranger. Consider this....pray with your pastor and elders....let close friends in on this secret....and remember that it is as much a spiritual problem as a physical one. Learen to lean hard on the Holy Spirit.

I hope that this has helped you remember something God has been speaking to you...and I pray that anything I've said which is not from the Lord falls to the ground like stones.

In the MIGHTY name of Yeshua.

Amen!

[Guest YAHlover]

I have experienced the depths of depresion as well as so many others who resist Gods will and demand for total surrender to Him. Drugs help in avoiding the real problem and make one feel better. The true cure is to Repent and surrender yourself to the living God. I was wonderfully set free in so doing and it gets better every week. Cursed is the man that trusts in man and does not turn to God for His healing, and well I know. Keep in mind that repentance must be in the depths of our spirit not in the mind as is so common.

God be with you.

[Guest Calamity]

Of course God heals, so please, don't anyone take me wrong in what I'm about to say.

I've seen several threads about depression, on different boards. I'm amazed at the Christians who suggest to these people, that taking meds is a bad thing. Chemical inbalance is what causes some depression, and just doing nothing about it, usually doesn't help. If someone said:

"I went to my doctor today, because I wasn't feeling very good. He said I had high blood pressure, and gave me some pills for it."

Would you advise him to not take his pills?

Or:

"I went to my doctor because I felt like something was wrong with me, and he said I have diabetes. Now, I'm on medicine every day to control it."

Would you tell them to not take their insulin?

I don't know what the stigma is, about depression, but people seem to want to say "Snap out of it." "If you'd get closer to God, this wouldn't be happening." The person on the receiving end of these words are already depressed and feeling bad. I'm sure this kind of thing makes them feel worse. It would me. I don't think there's anything wrong with taking medicine to help with a problem you have, and I wouldn't want anyone to feel bad because they are taking medicine.

[JesusisGod2]

Amen sis, nor do I. I hope that I havent implied this when I was saying that I had asked others to pray for me.

I personally have problems taking asprin, I just dont like taking any medications, but if the headache gets bad enough I take them. There are doctors in the world for a reason.

But still I believe that the best remedy is to have others pray for you as well as pray for yourself, for this glorifies God, and Gods answer very well may be medication.

[refugepsa91]

Keep the faith rafter....and most importantly keep taking your med. My mom had depression also...and suffered with for years before she sought help....and boy sometimes I wish she would have gotten on what she is on alot sooner. Don't let your days waste away in a dark cloud, if the meds help go for it. I know with my mom over the past year they were able to lower her dose a small bit.

Love and Blessings,

Angel