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Discussion on Depression

March 8th, 2015

Have any of you ever wrestled with depression? Do you live with someone who struggles in that battle? What do you do? I know how to address it in a counseling session, but things are different when you are dealing with it in your own life? Any thoughts?

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  • Elizabeth DeVore Yeah, my family is filled with it. It depends on if it’s a man or women. The men tend to get angry and don’t realize they’re depressed. The women have varied reactions depending on their personality, but all tend to gravitate toward passive aggressiveness. I just know it’s infinitely easier if the person can stop and say, “Hmm. I think I’m going through a depressive spell right now.” Lets the other family members know whatever’s going on isn’t their fault. And that they can have sympathy and even make allowances, but they don’t have to feel guilty for enjoying other things in that moment.
    March 6 at 11:27am · Like · 2
  • Corpuz Valdemor Avellaneda Ramil We all suffer depression in one way or another. Yes..not only sometimes but most of the time. part of our human nature.
    March 6 at 11:35am · Like · 2
  • Christopher Dupre Good sleep is essential. Everyone gets depressed, I’ve found. There could be some sources that make it interfere with life though, and if you can identify those things, you can work to eliminate them. This ‘challenging’ winter could be something. It is seasonal for lots of people. Talk it through with people close to you.
    March 6 at 11:43am · Like · 2
  • Stuart Mattfield Tim, I do not, but the people I love the most in the world do. I’ve learned a great deal sitting on this side of the fence. One of the biggest things that I’ve learned is that it is important to acknowledge it and let the other know that they are loved regardless of it. Another thing I’ve learned is that the other person can’t just “pull themselves up by their bootstraps” to get out of it…and neither can I necessarily fix it (although you do get partial credit for effort. Depression isn’t a function of the one person’s inability to be happy with what they have, nor is it a function of the other person’s inability to fix it…because sometimes you just can’t. I’ve learned that it just IS…and a hug can go a long way.
    March 6 at 11:59am · Like · 2
  • Nace Howell Tim, I woke up this morning to take my wife to work and ripped the door handle off of my truck. That’s how I think it started for me today. I had a bad attitude all day. I think I got like 4 hours of sleep and I can definitely attest to what Christopher Dupre says. Sleep is essential.
    March 6 at 12:10pm · Like · 1
  • Ed Chait My understanding is that it is important to differentiate between “situational” depression, which we all are subject to and is appropriate to our circumstances, and “clinical” depression. Clinical depression is commonly not associated with life circumstances and is more serious. It often requires professional care to get better.
    March 6 at 12:13pm · Like · 2
  • Nace Howell That makes so much sense, Ed. Considering my own experiences, I completely agree.
    March 6 at 12:16pm · Like · 1
  • Gwen Sellers I don’t know if this will be helpful, but here’s a blog I wrote a while ago on this topic – http://www.blogos.org/churchandmi…/friend-depression-1.php. As Ed said, I think there is a somewhat different response for situational depression and clinical depression. And in some ways I think the best response depends on the particular sufferer as well. For someone living with a person who struggles with depression, I think prayer and good self-care are key. In many ways, this is what you do as a counselor as well – learning to bear another’s burden but also not let it become your burden (giving your load to the Lord). For someone experiencing depression, it would be all the things you know to say in a counseling session only applying it to your own life (good sleep, eating, exercise habits; getting enough sunlight; getting enough social input; having grace with yourself; being thankful; asking for God to speak into it; being willing to explore the wounds underlying it; possibly medical intervention; etc.). Hope that helps.

    Walking with a Friend through the Valley of Depression
    Most of us know someone who has suffered from…
    BLOGOS.ORG
    March 6 at 12:26pm · Like · 3 · Remove Preview
  • Michael Karpf I have gone through major depression. It’s 2:25AM here (Bangkok) so I will need to share my story later. But it was bad enough where I seriously contemplated suicide. Because I really believed God would never do anything in my life again. His good pleasing and perfect will for me was to suffer and be miserable the rest of my life. I am still on anti depressants and probably will be for the rest of my life. That’s ok. I’ve found you can’t share it with everyone. Ironically, the 2 people who have upset me the most, have been through the same thing. You would expect them to be more understanding. Also, I’ve found it best to stay away from charismatic churches, as they will tell you it’s not God’s will for you to suffer and depressed. One woman was very caustic. She declared healing and said I don’t have it any more. What I don’t have anymore is being part of that church.
    March 6 at 12:28pm · Like · 4
  • Jeff Laird I have / am. Working on a Blogos post about it. It’s hard to get support because so many conservative Christians assume depression = sin. The key is to strike a balance between recognizing the biological side, and the personal accountability side. There’s medical issues behind major depression, but we aren’t totally helpless in the face of it, either.
    March 6 at 3:35pm · Like · 2
  • Ed Chait If I am experiencing situational depression that begins robbing me of my joy in the Lord, what helps me is to write a “gratitude list” of things I am grateful for. By the time I get to item 5 or 6, I’m feeling better and have regained my perspective.
    March 6 at 3:40pm · Like
  • Marilyn Mcclintock I was depressed over a period of time (anger), having a royal pity party. The Lord allowed me to get to “the end of my rope”. One night He asked me if it was His will that I fall apart. Of course I had to say no. He asked, “Am I big enough for your problems?” Of course I had to say yes. Then He asked, “Well, what are you going to do about it?” I knew what I had to do, so I went to my “prayer closet” and confessed my sin of unbelief, and told Him I would meet with Him every morning and every evening, and whatever He said to me, I would do. That changed everything. After that, I knew that when those negative thoughts appeared, I would say, “I WILL NOT GO THERE!” Sometimes I had to get up and spend time with the Lord, and that always worked! Of course, forgiveness was part of the answer.
    March 6 at 4:34pm · Like · 1
  • Steve Ray Webb Clinical depression very often involves a biologic side as others here have noted. Hormones, brain chemistry, and underlying illnesses can directly result in depression. This is why it is important that the church not stigmatize depression. There can be much more to it than someone’s walk of faith.
    March 6 at 9:30pm · Like · 1
  • Tim White The information shared here is wonderful, particularly for those who might not be as familiar with depression in Christianity as those of us who have had training. I also know that dealing with depression within one’s own mind is totally different from treating it in another person. that is the nature of my question. thanks for your input.
    March 6 at 10:02pm · Unlike · 1
  • Ed Chait There’s something else to consider. There’s a good reason that doctors are taught and discouraged from diagnosing and treating their own family members. The type of relationship we have with family members makes it difficult to see and interpret things objectively and correctly. A person can be an excellent counselor, and even with an awareness of this problem, it’s hard to see things clearly with their loved ones.
    Yesterday at 12:18am · Edited · Like
  • Dale Agner I come from a family that has struggled with depression…and learned through faith how to navigate through the storms of life. Depression can have hormonal imbalances (low thyroid is the only common one to check..the rest are either inferred-untestable or uncommon). I really like the “5 C’s” of aviation when a pilot is lost or disoriented. Climb, Confess, Communicate, Conserve and Comply. There is a spiritual analogy to the “5Cs”, +2; Here are the 5C’s: CLIMB: in an aircraft this means gain altitude to gain perspective and/or start locating navigational beacons that may have been obscured by terrain…spiritually, this is drawing close to God in prayer, time in the word, etc.; CONFESS–in aviation this means actually communicating over the radio that we need help because we are lost; spiritually, this means confessing to someone else (someone trusted, God included), that we are having a difficult time. I use the spiritual aspect of confession also…if something is out of balance, or a relationship needs to be restored, I inventory what may need to be confessed to another, and then do so. COMMUNICATE: in aviation, this means talking to aircraft controllers, or whomever else may be out there. There is a specific “channel” all learn to communicate when there is a problem (121.5). Spiritually, this means that I communicate with others…I ensure that I am meeting and talking with others regularly. CONSERVE; in aviation, this means conserving fuel, so that one does not run out of fuel and have to make a forced/crash landing. Spiritually, for me this means taking an inventory of what I am doing, and seeing what I need to do to slow down or simplify. This includes being on a very regular sleep-wake cycle, as well as regular exercise a few times per week…as generally speaking, exercise improves sleep. Hence I may need to alter activities (conserve), to ensure an appropriate sleep/wake exercise schedule…and this also includes daily time in the Word. Lastly, COMPLY: in aviation, many have “crashed” because they did not follow the air traffic controller’s advice, but still thought they could do it themselves, or some type of bravado. Spiritually, this means listening to someone I trust, and doing what they recommend. In Sardis (Revelation 3), Jesus states “you have a name that you are alive, but your are dead; wake up and strengthen the things that remain.” In a men’s fellowship this week, we discussed this topic…as it seems that those in Sardis did not recognize their own pride…hence ensure we have someone in our life that we can grant influence to speak to such a characteristic, if we should fall into a trap, or pride, as did Sardis. HERE ARE MY Additional “2C’s”—Clear Conscience. The previous 5 all contribute spiritually to a clear conscience…but I also will take time to see if there is anything I do not have a clear conscience, then will specifically confess/communicate with the person that I do not have a clear conscience. Even if the list may seem overwhelming, by making a list and making steady progress brings healing and encouragement in and of itself. By maintaining these principles…I have been buffeted flying through the storms of life…but not crashed…though “hanging on” to the words in James 1:1-18 have been difficult at times. The above is how I have tried to maintain perspective.
    1 hr · Like · 1
  • Steve Ray Webb Great words, Dale! Thanks for sharing.

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