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A Truth About Depression and how to be healed

Scripture: Psalms 43:5
“Why are you cast down (depressed), O my soul?
And why are you disquieted within me?
Hope in God; For I shall yet praise Him,
The help of my countenance and my God.”

Proverbs 12:25
“Anxiety in the heart of man causes depression, but a good word makes it glad.”

Summary: Globally, more than 322 million people suffer from depression, and 264 million suffer from anxiety disorders—many of whom live with both conditions. A study by the World Health Organization found that such disorders cost the global economy $1 trillion in lost productivity each year.

Facts about depression and anxiety
At its worst, depression can lead to suicide.
Teen suicide is disturbingly high in many countries of the world today. Reportedly, 25% of high school students consider suicide each year. Suicide is the second leading cause of death among the youth 15-29-year-old, globally in 2015 according to WHO.

Depression is the leading cause of disability worldwide and is a major contributor to the overall global burden of disease.

The risk of becoming depressed is increased by poverty, unemployment, life events such as the death of a loved one or a relationship break-up, physical illness and problems caused by alcohol and drug use.

DEFINITIONS
Depressive disorders are characterized by sadness, loss of interest or pleasure, feelings of guilt, or low self- worth, disturbed sleep or appetite, feelings of tiredness, and poor concentration. Depression can be long-lasting or recurrent, substantially impairing an individual’s ability to function at work or school or cope with daily life. At its most severe, depression can lead to suicide.

Anxiety disorders are characterized by feelings of anxiety and fear, including generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), panic disorder, phobias, social anxiety disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The duration of symptoms typically experienced by people with anxiety disorders makes it more chronic than an episodic disorder.

Symptoms of Major Depression
1. depressed mood
2. lack of interest in enjoyable activities
3. increase or decrease in appetite
4. insomnia or hypersomnia
5. slowing of movement
6. lack of energy
7. feelings of guilt or worthlessness
8. trouble concentrating
9. suicidal thoughts or behaviors.
For a diagnosis of major depressive disorder, a person needs to have experienced five or more of these symptoms for at least two weeks.

Symptoms of Generalized Anxiety Disorder
1. excessive worry
2. restlessness
3. being easily fatigued
4. trouble concentrating
5. irritability
6. sleep disturbance
7. muscle tension.

If you’ve experienced these symptoms most days for more than six months, and they cause distress in your daily life, then you may receive a diagnosis of generalized anxiety disorder.

Let us discover how the depressed person feels.
In their life, many have fallen into an extended bout of depression, which has required hospitalization, medication, shock treatments, lots of therapy, and time off work. And some of them come with persistent thoughts of suicide and attempt suicide more than once. Maybe the one who depressed believe that he would never know joy again would never be able to work and might so tire the patience of his family and friends that they would give up on him.

Depressed person, often found himself believing some of the negative messages that accompany stigma—messages that telling him that he is not depressed but simply weak-willed or lazy, messages that put him in shame for not being able to deal with the ordinary challenges of life that everyone around him seemed to navigate without getting depressed, messages that suggested he is not normal and never would be, messages that he would always have to work extra hard to look good, to be loved. With all those messages reverberating around, the stigma felt especially daunting in the context of their profession.

Let us discover how to overcome them based on the word of God.

Mental Illness, Anxiety, depression, are Not A Sin
Despite all the advances in treatment, despite all the ways in which our culture has become more enlightened and compassionate, somehow mental illness, anxiety, depression, remain in a category of their own, regarded as some sort of peculiar affliction that is best dealt with by toughing it out, straightening up, putting one’s will into play and hiding any evidence of possible symptoms.

I am not a mental health counselor, but I do provide spiritual counseling in my pastoral work. I have some touchstones that I typically offer:
• Be gentle with yourself. All of us are struggling and doing the best we can.
• Be patient. Humans are incredibly complicated organisms, unpredictable even on our best days, and we will not always respond in the same way.
• Be grateful. Many spiritual traditions urge cultivating a practice of gratitude, something as simple as finding three things each day, however small, to be thankful for. Gratitude can shift an entire world view toward greater trust, bit by bit.
• Be vulnerable. We form our deepest connections with others, not around our accomplishments or successes, but our experiences of suffering. We bond when we share stories of those experiences with one another.
• Be kind. When we notice someone else, even for just a moment in a shared glance or holding open a door, we are lifted out of our own loneliness and a bit closer into the human community.

OVERCOMING DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY
“Why are you cast down (depressed), O my soul?
And why are you disquieted within me?
Hope in God; For I shall yet praise Him,
The help of my countenance and my God.” Psalms 43:5

I hope this writing will help people live well and love fully. Yesterday our beloved youth came together and did a night speaking on “Depression” and how to deal with it. Well done by our youth. I want to remind them that the Designer Creator of man knows the innermost and depression of His designed man more the man himself. We must go back to our original designer and ask healing from all our problems and He is trustworthy to do so “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28

CAUSES OF DEPRESSION
1. Anxiety
“Anxiety in the heart of man causes depression, but a good word makes it glad.” Proverbs 12:25

2. Uncontrolled thoughts
“You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You because he trusts in You.” Isaiah 26:3

3. Demonic Attack
“Therefore, humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you. Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you.” 1Pet 5:6-10

4. Continues Disobedience
“But the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and a distressing spirit from the Lord troubled him.” 1 Samuel 16:14

5. Comparisons with others
“So the women sang as they danced, and said: “Saul has slain his thousands,
And David his ten thousand.” Then Saul was very angry, and the saying displeased him; and he said, “They have ascribed to David ten thousand, and to me, they have ascribed only thousands. Now, what more can he have but the kingdom?” So Saul eyed David from that day forward.

And it happened on the next day that the distressing spirit from God came upon Saul, and he prophesied inside the house. So David played music with his hand, as at other times; but there was a spear in Saul’s hand. And Saul cast the spear, for he said, “I will pin David to the wall!” But David escaped his presence twice.” 1 Samuel 18:7-11

6. Chronic illness
Chronic illness or severe stress decrease serotonin levels in the brain. Chronic pain can cause feelings of helplessness and hopelessness, both of which can result in depression. Young people - more than older adults - feel robbed of the joy of living when they have a disorder or a chronic situation.

Is it possible for the people of god to be depressed?
Let’s take a closer look with the biblical records:
1. Moses is the greatest leader, handpicked by God, and yet he became suicidal. “I cannot carry all these people by myself; the burden is too heavy for me. If this is how you are going to treat me, put me to death right now.” Num 11:15

Solution:
“The Lord said to Moses: Bring me seventy of Israel’s elders who are known to you as leaders and officials among the people. Make them come to the Tent of Meeting, that they may stand there with you.? I will come down and speak with you there, and I will take of the Spirit that is on you and put the Spirit on them. They will help you carry the burden of the people so that you will not have to carry it alone.” Num 11:16,17.

You will not have to carry it alone! You need to delegate. We all need somebody to help and work with us.

2. Joshua is the greatest general, handpicked by God to lead Israel into the Promised Land, but he felt like quitting and deeply anxious after the defeat at Ai. “O Lord, what shall I say when Israel turns its back before its enemies? For the Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land will hear it, and surround us, and cut off our name from the earth. Then what will You do for Your great name?” Joshua 7:8,9.

Solution:
During the time of despondency, Joshua talked to God and prayed. Prayer is the best antidote to discouragement.

3. Elijah is the greatest prophet of Old Testament who is willing to challenge the idolatry of his day and called fire down from heaven, won a face-off with prophets of Baal, but he requested for himself that he might die, and said, it is enough now, O Lord, take away my life!

“But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness and came and sat down under a broom tree. And he prayed that he might die, and said, It is enough! Now, LORD, take my life, for I am no better than my fathers!” 1Kings 19:4

Solution:
“And the angel of the Lord came back the second time, and touched him, and said, “Arise and eat, because the journey is too great for you.” So he arose, and ate and drank; and he went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights as far as Horeb, the mountain of God.” 1Kings 19:7,8.

When you feel depressed and hopeless, seek the strength from God. Eat and drink from the spiritual table and fountain of the Holy Spirit, the Holy Communion, Body, and Blood of the Lord. Let the angel of God encourage you.


4. Job - We talk about his patience and faith, and he was truly a great man…he had a great beginning and a great ending, but in-between, when he lost everything, he wished he had not been born, became suicidal, extremely depressed for a while!

“May the day perish on which I was born, and the night in which it was said, ‘A male child is conceived.’” Job 3:3

Solution:
“And the Lord restored Job’s losses when he prayed for his friends. Indeed the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before.” Job 42:10

Do not focus on your misery. Start serving and blessing others and the Lord will bless you too.


5. Jonah was the first overseas missionary. But he also experienced deep depression. He wanted God to kill him and not even happy for all the souls that just got saved in Nineveh! “Then he wished death for himself, and said, “It is better for me to die than to live.” Jonah 4: 8. God gave him a lesson – something to reflect so he can

Solution:
“But the Lord said, “You have had pity on the plant for which you have not labored, nor made it grow, which came up in a night and perished in a night. And should I not pity Nineveh, that great city, in which are more than one hundred and twenty thousand (120,000) persons who cannot discern between their right hand and their left—and much livestock?” Jon 4:10,11.

“But Nineveh has more than people living in spiritual darkness, not to mention all the animals. Shouldn’t I feel sorry for such a great city?”

Often, our discouragement is due to our short foresight. Spending time in reflections and meditations of the word of God will help us so the God can illuminate our hearts and minds about his purposes and plans for our lives.

Did Jesus battle depression?
“For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.” Hebrews 4:15
“And He was withdrawn from them about a stone’s throw, and He knelt down and prayed, saying, “Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless, not My will, but Yours, be done.” Then an angel appeared to Him from heaven, strengthening Him. And being in agony, He prayed more earnestly. Then His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.” Luke 22:41–44.

Depression is not something a person chooses. Rather it is something a person must choose how to deal with. The real issue is not whether a person experiences depression, but instead, how the person reacts to depression. “For this reason, I am of the opinion that Christ did indeed battle depression. And more importantly, He battled it perfectly.” Hebrews 4:15

Imagining that Jesus Christ “man of sorrows” (Isaiah 53:3) experienced His battle isn’t so hard to believe. And knowing that Jesus understands the shadow of depression is a powerful aid to those of us who suffer. He knows what we face. He’s felt the crushing weight of it all. Talk about hope.

“He was despised and rejected by men; A Man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief” Isaiah 53:3.

Of course, there is more than one category of depression (situational, clinical, etc.). But no matter the source or treatment (counseling, medicine, etc), depression is always an opportunity to draw nearer to Christ. For this reason, we must view the words of a counselor as an extension of Christ’s wisdom –not a replacement for it. And we must see medicine as a gift of God –not an alternative to His power. If I seek a cure without seeking Christ, I am bowing to idols of my own desires.

Six ways Jesus fought the way leads to depression.
And taking with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, He began to be sorrowful and troubled. Matthew 26:37.

The Bible gives us an amazing glimpse into the soul of Jesus the night before He was crucified. Watch and learn from the way Jesus fought His strategic battle against despondency or depression.

1. Jesus chose some close friends to be with Him. “Taking with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee” Matthew 26:37.
2. He opened His soul to them. He said to them, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death,” Matthew 26:38.
3. He asked for their intercession and partnership in the battle. “Remain here and watch with Me” Matthew 26:38.
4. He poured out His heart to His Father in prayer. “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me” Matthew 26:39.
5. He rested His soul in the sovereign wisdom of God. “Nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will” (Matthew 26:39).
6. He fixed His eye on the glorious future grace that awaited Him on the other side of the cross. “For the joy that was set before Him [He] endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:2).

When something drops into your life that seems to threaten your future, remember this: The first shock waves of the bomb in your heart, like the ones Jesus felt in Gethsemane, are not sin. The real danger is yielding to them. Giving in and putting up no spiritual fight. And the root of that sinful surrender is unbelief — a failure to fight for faith in future grace — a failure to cherish all that God promises to be for us in Jesus.

In Gethsemane, Jesus shows us another way. Not painless and not passive. Follow Him. Find your trusted spiritual friends. Open your soul to them. Ask them to watch with you and pray. Pour out your soul to the Father. Rest in the sovereign wisdom of God. And fix your eyes on the joy set before you in the precious and magnificent promises of God.

1. Depression is real. (Jesus experienced it)
2. Experiencing depression is not a sin. (Jesus didn’t sin)
3. Experiencing depression is not necessarily a result of sin. (Jesus is completely righteous)
4. The key is our reaction to depression: whether we cling to Christ.

How should we react to depression?
1. Judas Style - He regrets and turns to Suicide.
“Then Judas, His betrayer, seeing that He had been condemned, was remorseful and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, saying, “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.” And they said, “What is that to us? You see to it (That’s your problem)!”
Then he threw down the pieces of silver in the temple and departed, and went and hanged himself. Matthew 27:3-5.

2. Peter Style – He repents and turns to Savior
“And a little later those who stood by came up and said to Peter, “Surely you also are one of them, for your speech betrays you.”
Then he began to curse and swear, saying, “I do not know the Man!”
Immediately a rooster crowed. And Peter remembered the word of Jesus who had said to him, “Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.” So he went out and wept bitterly.” Matthew 26:73-75

“For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death” 2 Corinthian 7:10

For the kind of sorrow, God wants us to experience leads us away from sin and results in salvation. There's no regret for that kind of sorrow. But worldly sorrow, which lacks repentance, results in spiritual death.

Peter overcomes depression and was reinstated to His calling, John 21: 15-17

The difference between Judas and Peter
Judas realized his own mistake, admit his fault, and even return the money, but he overcame by his pride and did not come to Jesus as the hope of his Salvation. He had chosen his own way at the start and even to the end of his life. He discovered his own sinfulness but did not come to his redeemer for the cure.

Peter was full of pride and even trusted his own abilities and righteousness from the very start. But when he failed, he realized that he could not manage his life without God. He regrets his failure, but he turns to Christ for his salvation.

Whether it is our own mistakes or the fault of others that cause us sorrow and depression. It is very important that we come nearer to Jesus instead of isolating ourselves and turning in our ways. The more we feel the pain, the more we should come nearer to the healer who is Jesus.


7 PROMISES OF GOD TO OVERCOME ANXIETY
MATTHEW 6:25-34
1. If God can provide you with life and body then surely He will be able and willing to provide you with food and clothing.
“Therefore I tell you, don’t be anxious for your life: what you will eat, or what you will drink; nor yet for your body, what you will wear. Isn’t life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Mat. 6:25.

2. If God is willing and able to feed such unimportant creatures as birds, then He will certainly provide what you need, because you are worth a lot more than birds.
“See the birds of the sky, that they don’t sow, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns. Your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren’t you of much more value than they?” Mat. 6:26

3. Anxiety is useless and accomplishes nothing but trusting God worth everything.
“Which of you, by being anxious, can add one moment to his lifespan?” Mat. 6:27

4. If God has cared for the flowers that last only a matter of days. So he will certainly take care of his children who will live forever.
“Why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow. They don’t toil, neither do they spin, yet I tell you that even Solomon in all his glory was not dressed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today exists, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, won’t He much more clothe you, you of little faith?” Mat. 6:28-30.

5. God is not ignorant of your needs. He knows all of them. And he is “your heavenly Father.” He does not look on, indifferently, from a distance. He cares. He will act to supply your need when the time is best.
“Therefore, don’t be anxious, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ ‘What will we drink?’ or, ‘With what will we be clothed?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.” Mat. 6:31,32.

6. If you prioritize God and His cause, God will not withhold anything good for you.
“But seek first God’s Kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” Mat. 6:33

7. In this world, which is full of troubles and problems, God has sufficient grace available every day.
“Therefore don’t be anxious for tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Each day’s own evil is sufficient.” Mat. 6:34

Hope this is enough to go back to the original fountain to be healed.