Hello, my name is Lori. I am a counselor with a master’s degree in clinical mental health and undergraduate degrees in biblical Studies and Christian counseling; I am a former pastor’s wife, a mom, a grandma and a Christian…and I battle with depression. This sounds like the introduction of a new member at an AA meeting, doesn’t it? Oh, how much different life would be if when we were experiencing a depressive episode we could all be so honest and reach out to find the support that we need, right? But we typically don’t. As a result too many of us suffer in silence year in and year out. Why is that? Maybe you know, but I’d venture to say that too many of us don’t and because of this I’d like to explore some of the reasons why and what we can do to change our outcomes.
I think it is safe to say that many of us have experienced an unforgettable bout with depression as it has been estimated that 16 million adults in the US have one major depressive episode in any given year with everyone experiencing at least one in their lifetime. Depression itself is classified as a mood disorder with symptoms that can include feeling sad or blue; experiencing difficulty with thinking; having little or no appetite with accompanying weight loss or having super cravings for sugar and carbs resulting in weight gain; experiencing a loss of interest in activities that would normally be enjoyed; sleeping too much or not getting enough sleep; and physically feeling heavy or lethargic with little or no energy accessible that one would need to accomplish typical daily tasks. There are those, who during these periods are overwhelmed with feelings of worthlessness and hopelessness and have thoughts of ending their life. Mild episodes can be happen periodically and last for a few days or more serious events can occur regularly and can go on for weeks or months at a time.
Depression can be triggered by varying factors. I live on the Oregon coast where we have prolonged dreary winter weather with lots of dark, stormy days with little or no sun. As a result, many like myself struggle with seasonal affect depression that suddenly disappears after the first days of consistent sunshine that breaks through in mid to late spring. Depression can be caused by known or unknown health issues or triggered by anniversaries of traumatic events or painful losses. It can be brought on by feeling helpless in a situation where we perceive we have no control over the outcome or by something that can be easily missed such as something we ate or by working too many hours without adequate rest. Depression can even be brought on after a long awaited and celebrated wedding to the love of our life or after the birth of a much longed for and cherished baby.
So what are some reasons why we don’t get help or reach out for support when so many suffer. I believe there is no single answer, but I think an underlying reason not always at the forefront of discussion has to do with some of the stigmas associated with depression: fear and shame; the belief depression is a result of having a weak personality or just being lazy. There is also the well-intended advice from those who might encourage a person to “just snap out of it” which only leads to further despair. Then there is my experience…
Early in my ministry years, while on staff at our local church I would frequently encounter women in our congregation who would ask for prayer for healing from their debilitating depression. At this point in time I had not had any formal education regarding mental health and the primary belief in our church circle was that depression was the result of a spiritual attack. If you were suffering in this way, spiritually you were dealing with unconfessed sin, you lacked in faith, or there was the possibility of some generational curse that had been handed down through the family that needed to be dealt with. Now I believed all these to be valid biblical explanations for this suffering, so I would explore with those who I prayed with what the root cause might be for their spiritual attack. What would dumbfound me was that too many times, though lives were examined and fervent prayer was offered, there was no healing that took place. It not only left those I prayed for disheartened, but it left me discouraged as well. I also found prayer that was sincerely offered, such as “Lord, help ____ put on a garment of praise for their spirit of heaviness” or “Help _____ cast their cares on you, Lord and you will give them rest,” along with other scriptures we prayed in faith didn’t bring the peace they were intended to bring and seemed so cliché-ish. I eventually shied away from praying for others who had these seemingly elusive struggles.
Now, I want to clarify that I am in no way undermining or diminishing the power and effectiveness of prayer, because prayer is powerful and God does heal. I have experienced miraculous healing in my own life, but in some situations, along with prayer we have to dig a little deeper to discover what unknown to us work we have to participate in for healing to occur and for it to be managed or sustained. Jesus asked the man at the pool of Bethesda if he wanted to be healed…and then he gave him instructions because the man could no longer continue in what he was doing. I believe in many instances, depression fits in this narrative. I have come to understand that depression can involve a spiritual issue or an be the result of a chemical deficiency in the brain, but many times it does not. As I stated earlier, it can be the result of a physical illness, or an unresolved issue that is overwhelming us. It is also important to understand that Satan can use what is going on physically or emotionally to drag us down and further oppress us. This particular insight gives us a sense as to the meaning of “the spirit of heaviness” found in scripture.
This was confirmed to me several years ago, when I had the opportunity to go back to school. Because I still had a call on my life to minister to others, I felt led to get some formal education to help me understand some of the common issues people in the church regularly dealt with, namely depression, anxiety and fear. What I learned during those years helped me build a much needed bridge between the practical side of science and the truth of scripture, which has now given me, with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, reasonable actions I can take to live out many biblical principles. For example, scripture teaches us that a joyful heart is like a good medicine (Prov 17:22), so the question we have to ask ourself is, is joy a miracle we pray for or is a lifestyle we practice (maybe it is both!) and if so, how do we foster joy in everyday life so we will experience the good medicine affect. I would like to suggest to you that we can navigate through episodes of depression using the same approach.
When I have worked with clients who are struggling with depression, we use a holistic approach to treatment, meaning we look at the whole person: the physical body, the soul (thoughts and feelings) and the spirit. As my core belief is we are spiritual beings with a physical body who have thoughts and emotions, it stands to reason that all the parts of us have to be attended to for us to walk in wholeness. When it comes to treating depression then, we can’t just look at the symptoms, we have to dig deeper and figure out what is causing them and also look at ways to lessen the affect when experiencing an episode. Here are some areas we explore:
The physical body: There is a whole lot out there that can affect our physical bodies and as a byproduct, it can affect our mood and trigger depression. Our body is an ecosystem that has to remain balanced for it to operate well and as the brain is the control center, anything that affects its function affects the physical person. Depression can be a symptom of an illness, vitamin deficiency or even a hormonal imbalance. Our overall health including, our mood can also be affected by what we put into our bodies, so we look at what we are putting into it. Today our foods are filled with dyes, preservatives and flavor enhancements that result in physical reactions that trigger symptoms that can impact moods. It is also well known that many medications we take for common health issues list depression as a side effect.
Our soul (thoughts and feelings): In regards to our thoughts and feelings, negative thoughts that bring about feelings such as pain and anger trigger the release of the hormones adrenaline and cortisol. God’s design for the release of these hormones is to alert and ready the body for action in dangerous situations. But when there is a continual release because of the ruminating thought patterns of unresolved issues, these hormones can be toxic to our bodies. They can not only trigger depression, but can bring on more serious health issues. The same can be said for a negative outlook on life. Caroline Leaf discusses this in her book “Who Switched off My Brain.”
Our spirits: Scripture as well reveals to us ways in which our spiritual walk can impact our physical body. As Christians when we are not walking with God as we should, we can open the door through sin (not necessarily moral) for spiritual oppression to take place, which can result in depression. In Psalms we can find several instances where David talks about how the weight of his sin impacted him. Proverbs also tells us that when our hope is lost because the answer for what we have been praying for is delayed, it can make the heart sick, which looks a whole lot like depression. And if we continue to walk in guilt and shame when we have been forgiven, this as well can contribute to spiritual heaviness or depression.
As you can see, depression in itself does not have any one simple cause, nor does treating it have one simple answer. But there is one simple step we can take to get the help we need. This is to reach out to others for help. It is important to make an appointment with your doctor to make sure there isn’t something going on that is related to your physical body and also with a counselor who can help recognize thought patterns or unresolved life issues that may be the underlying cause. If you are experiencing any suicidal thoughts, please reach out for help immediately. Tell a family member or a friend, or call the national suicide prevention hot line: https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/ (1-800-273-8255).
In preparation for any appointments you might make, it is helpful to:
- Make a list of your symptoms and keep track of them – include when they started, how long they have lasted and how they are impacting your everyday functioning.
- Take a personal inventory to determine the possible root cause(s) that could be triggering the symptoms. Pray and ask God to help in this process – He is faithful to give us insight and wisdom to understand what we did not see before:
- Pay attention to what is going on around you. Are you encountering extra stress? Has something happened at work, have you experienced a recent traumatic event or the anniversary of a loss, are you experiencing relationship difficulties? Ponder whether you are spending time on things that are taking you away from what you should be doing or just not doing what you should…the Apostle Paul struggled with that. Note anything out of the ordinary that could be impacting your emotions or that is weighing heavy on your mind.
- Examine eating and sleeping patterns and note them.
- Take note of thinking patterns. Make a list of thoughts that keep coming to your mind. Typically these are things that are troubling in some way that need some kind of resolve.
- Evaluate your relationship and your walk with God. Has personal prayer/study time changed or been neglected. Are you in a wrestling match with God (like Jacob was) and are struggling to give in? Has your hope been deferred and you need encouragement? Are you engaged in a spiritual warfare battle and Satan is trying to wear you out? Is there a generational issue that needs to be broken?
Going through this exercise can provide us as well as those we are seeking counsel from important insight. Our inventory can reveal triggers and point us in the direction of what action we might need to take.
Whether experiencing an episode or not, self-care is very important in alleviating and in the overall management of depression symptoms. Here are some tips that are recommended by experts who treat depression.
- When experiencing the symptoms of depression, it is especially important to eat healthy – include plenty of protein, fresh fruits and vegetables while avoiding excess carbs and processed foods.
- Stay hydrated. The brain is made up of 75% water. Even just small amount of water loss can impact energy levels, thinking, and a person’s mood.
- Make sure your body is getting enough rest…most people require 7-8 hours of sleep.
- Don’t oversleep. Set the alarm and get up. Make an appointment early in the day so you have the motivation in place to get moving.
- Get fresh air and exercise. Go for a brisk walk or a bike ride. Take a ride in the car with the windows down.
- Sit in the sun. Studies have shown that serotonin – the chemical that is made in our brain that fights depression is produced more on sunny days than on darker days.
- Laugh… laughter releases oxytocin which is a pleasure hormone and counters chemicals and hormones released that contribute to depression
- Here are some more oxytocin producing activities:
- Watch your favorite movies…movies that cause you to feel good or laugh
- Enjoy a cup of your favorite tea and eat a piece of dark chocolate
- Volunteer at your favorite charity organization
- Light some candles and soak in a warm bath or go get a massage
- Play your favorite music and dance like no one is watching
- Don’t self-isolate. Put the electronics down and take a break from social media. Get together with friends or family members and reminisce about the good times
- Hug someone you love…hugging releases oxytocin and makes you feel better
- Learn something new
- Go to a zoo or a pet store and hold the animals
- Visit a garden or nursery and smell the flowers
As a believer, activities that are especially helpful to me are:
- Listening to an uplifting message from one of my favorite ministries
- Meditating on encouraging scripture verses
- Listening and singing to my favorite worship music
- Praying, especially for others
Whatever the activities you choose, it is important to engage in them even if you don’t feel like it! Prepare now by taking a proactive approach – choose three, write them on a postcard and place it on the refrigerator so it is on hand when you need it. If you don’t have the motivation to do it on your own, give a friend permission to encourage you to re-engage when you are struggling.
The battle to overcome depression can be overwhelming, it is true. But we don’t have to walk this journey alone. Know, first and foremost you have a loving Heavenly Father who promises to provide all that we need. He gave us a savior who intercedes for us and the Holy Spirit who walks with us through all of life’s trials and directs our paths. Take a moment and invite Him into your situation to do what only He can do.
Dear Heavenly Father-
Today I call out to you. I pray that as I engage in this battle, you would give me peace and provide comfort to me right where I am at. I ask that in healing you provide me with relief. In your mercy, Lord lead me to the people and places where answers are found. I ask that through your wisdom reveal the cause(s) and provide answers on how I should respond so I may walk in wholeness, so I may experience all that you have for me. Give me strength to respond as you lead me. Today, I stand against Satan, who uses every opportunity he can to steal, kill and destroy my body, soul and spirit. I am trusting that you will lead me to victory.
In Jesus Name!
AMEN!
Be encouraged, friend…THIS BATTLE CAN BE WON!
Lori May has a passion to help individuals learn to walk in the freedom and purpose God created them for. Lori’s story is one that reflects how God can take the shattered pieces of our lives and make something both beautiful and useful. Having earned a master’s degree in clinical mental health and a bachelor’s degree in Christian counseling and Biblical studies has provided the foundation for Lori to work in both full time ministry and as a professional counselor. She has taught in large and small group Bible studies and led anger management and domestic violence classes for both victims and perpetrators in her counseling practice. Currently she is writing her memoir which tells her story of how God tore down the walls that held her in captivity to both lies and fear for much of her life. Lori is a mom, grandmother and wife. She has been married to her husband, Ev for seventeen years. Currently she cares for her father who lives with them, along with their two teen grandchildren. Lori and her family live on the beautiful Oregon coast. You can connect with Lori at: lorimay.authorspeaker@yahoo.com or on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/lori.w.may
Originally posted on June 10, 2022 @ 3:00 am