Robin Williams shocked the world this week when he committed
suicide. He is one of the last people
anyone would have ever thought was depressed.
It just goes to show that depression can be something people share
openly or hide secretly. As a result, I
am dedicating this article to those who suffer mild, moderate or severe
depression, especially Christians.
Depression is something everyone experiences at some point
in their lives. Did you know that many well-known people struggled with
depression such as Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther, James Taylor and Charles
Spurgeon?
There are also some great characters in the Bible who
experienced depression. They include
the Prophet Elijah, Hannah, King David and the Apostle Paul. As you can see, depression is a condition
which is blind to wealth, notoriety, achievements or beliefs.
Sadly, most Christians don't want to talk about their
depression because they believe that if they trusted God enough, they would not
be depressed. That can be true but it is not necessarily valid in all
situations.
If you identify with a majority of these symptoms, you are
most likely depressed.
1. Ongoing feelings
of sadness or irritability.
2. Loss of interest
or pleasure in activities.
3. Changes in weight
or appetite.
4. Changes in
sleeping patterns.
5. Feeling guilty or
worthless.
6. Inability to
concentrate, remember things or make decisions.
7. Fatigue or loss of
energy.
8. Restlessness or
sluggishness.
9. Thoughts of
suicide.
10. Unexplained or heightened physical pains.
11. Intermittent or prolonged anxiety.
To be open and vulnerable, I have at some point in my life experienced
the different types of depression that I am about to list. You may have too or
you may know someone who has. Simply put, these types are Non-biological and
Biological. Let's take a look at each.
Non-biological depression can be caused for a number of
reasons such as difficult circumstances, not being a believer in Christ, being
overworked consistently, attempting to get your love and acceptance needs met
apart from Jesus, performing to measure up instead of resting in your
righteousness in Christ, rejection, trying to be perfect, unforgiveness,
unresolved guilt, unyielded rights, not understanding the New Covenant,
spiritual oppression, prolonged disappointment, failure and more.
How can you deal with non-biological depression? The best
thing you can do is to resolve the spiritual conflicts within you - most often
with good grace-based Biblical counseling. We see God work to bring healing in
many depressed people's lives each week in our counseling ministry, Grace Life
International. If you are interested in having a consultation, we provide live
and Skype counseling for people. For more info, visit our web site at
www.GraceLifeInternational.com or call us at 704-522-9026. We may also be able to refer you to one of
our counseling associates elsewhere.
I encourage you to read a wonderful book, "Conquering
Depression" by Bill and Anabel Gillham.
Biological depression is such that counseling, praying,
reading your Bible, knowing your identity in Christ, or setting your mind on
Biblical truth will not alleviate it. As
a doctor friend once told me, "You can't think you way out of this kind of
depression." Some of the reasons for biological depression include
illnesses which change the body chemistry such as a stroke, side-effects of
some medications, drug or alcohol abuse, extreme fatigue, hormone imbalance,
and heredity.
What can help with biological depression? Thank God that we
live in a time when there are both natural and traditional medications to help
with this kind of depression. See your
doctor to discuss your options for this kind of treatment. And listen
Christian! There is no need to feel
guilty or ashamed if you need to take a natural or prescription medication for
depression. Would you feel this way if you had to take thyroid medication? Of
course not! So don't let those feelings
prevent you from seeing your doctor.
Also, let me say that in our experience, some people cannot deal with
the spiritual causes of depression until they get some help from medication to
get their brain chemistry back on track.
Afterwards, some are able to stop their meds with their doctor's help
while others may need to remain on them for the rest of their lives.
There are many books on biological depression to help you
understand the role of brain chemistry, hormones, blood sugar, medications and
more. Though you will need to disregard
the evolutionary bent, one such book is "The Broken Brain: The Biological
Revolution in Psychiatry" by Nancy C. Andreasen.
Most of all, pray for God to heal your depression and to
guide you to the best counseling or treatment for you. He does not want you to
remain in depression. He loves you and
He is for you. 2 Corinthians 7:6 says,
"But God, who comforts the depressed, comforted us in the coming of
Titus." (NASB) Also, tell
someone. Secrecy is a mighty weapon
Satan wields against God's children.
Finally, if you don't have a personal relationship with
Jesus Christ, talk to Him and ask Him to forgive you for your sins and to come
live inside you.
Live Free In Christ,
Mark Maulding, President and Founder
www.GraceLifeInternational.com All Content Copyright © 2014 Mark Maulding
