How many people here suffer from depression

I am wondering how many people suffer from depression

I personally dont by the grace of God... but I know Spurgeon did.
CH Spurgeon would be so depressed they said he couldnt or wouldnt preach at times.

i dont have that heavy depression , when there is no hope in life it self. I used to feel like that often, that life dident have anything for me and the best thing to do was to take as much drugs possible so that i just would pass out... and often i feelt like total darkness.

but in my deepest darkest hour... he saved me .. he gave me the will to live back.. he gave me a new life. Born of GOD. Everything made new.

But sure there are hard times...im in some hardship right now, i feel depressed, but i know i already won, no matter how i feel. My lord provided the victory 2000 years ago.
no matter how i feel or what is going on in my life . what the devil says..

im saved by the grace of god...
now may my life or death bring glory to his wonderful name...

now i belive becuse our generation has so much comfort and everything is instant... we have bad patience...and we are so used to good standard.(in my country) so when hardship comes and bad feelings we want to take them away..there are pills and medicine and we think its wrong to suffer... i belive if you dont suffer you wont grow in christ. we want so often the eazy way..the shortcut.... the microway.
one minute salvation then we are done... one man said there are no shortcuts to heaven... the only way is by the cross.... and that hurts....

gods peace to you
christian

Depression is a self centered oppression of life.

If you were to turn the depression toward someone or something and away from yourself, it would be call compassion.

If you are bound by depression, pray God if he would redirect it toward His haerts' burden.

I spent close to 20 years on some type of medication for depression. These were the years where I had no heart for God at all and was sunk in despair most of the time.

At least for me, this depression was a sin. The sin was that I was not getting my way (i.e. anger turned inward). Oh how painful it is when we try to force God into doing it "our way." I'm happy to say that he's never acquiesced to me once despite sometimes days and weeks of whining in the prayer closet.

I'm not painting everyone with the same brush but that's what I was told by the Holy Spirit about my own heart. As I began to seek Jesus, the depression left. It was simply a sovereign act of God. I had no desire for medications and no withdrawal effects (I was taking Paxil).

In fact, the week after I began to seek Jesus my dear grandmother died but the Lord carried me and has continued to do so.

That was five years ago and the Jesus has carried through some very difficult fires during these last five years. All I can say is thank you Jesus and testify that deliverance is available. When you read the Psalms, it's clear that David at times appeared depressed but the Lord God always met him and delivered him.

When there's an accusing spirit, you can be certain that it's the devil. "You're never going to get free of this depression." Know that if this is what you're hearing, it's demonic. Jesus will never accuse us, as long as we're willing to trust and obey and walk out our repentance. Jesus is faithful to deliver His people.

Dear Saints,

'Spiritual Depression',by the late Martyn D. Lloyd Jones, is a good read for Christians who'd like to examine this condition.

I see depression, most times, as spiritual battles. Battles which can only be won with the armour of God, laid out in Ephesians 6 in the Spirit of Christ.

These actions have helped me whenever I fall into depression :
-to self-exam and confess sins if there are any
-to acknowledge this condition and ask for intercessory prayers from others
-to reckon the fiery darts and wiles, such as accusations from the devil as reality, and pray accordingly and unceasingly.
-to remind myself of contentment despite difficult circumstances or emotions

It seems also that depression occurs more frequently as I age.

O well, just some of my thoughts, but it's surely good to read your posts over this.

Depression is sometimes referred to as the "common cold" of mental health. It is pervasive. And it is hard to detect because it can be well-masked. It is hidden under such behaviors as adultery, homosexuality, crime, illness, constant smiling, explosions of anger etc.
Signs may be: eating too much, not enough, sleeping too much, not enough, etc Usually, you see a sad melancholy face with flat expression.

There are a lot of possible predispositions. But often it's roots is anger turned inward, so you don't feel the anger anymore because you've buried it into the unconscious. (let the sun go down on it) That pattern can be something you learned early in life.

Depression is very serious - the cause of suicide. How many times has someone taken their life and even their closest associates didn't know they were suffering so intensely.

There is no easy quick fix. The more we understand depression, the more we can do something about it.

Of course, the first step, as Habukkuk expressed, is to cry out to God and ask him to help you. Ask him to reveal the cause - no matter how painful that may be. It will require being honest about whatever God reveals - ex surrendering deep rooted bitterness, forgiving,

It may take meds. I would never tell one to stop taking meds and instead just trust God. Let God lead them to that point.

.. anyway.. that's just some thoughts to add to the discussion...

You've asked a great question. It could happen to any of us.

Some years ago when I was very ill and couldn't cope, I "accidentally" came upon a book called, 'Why Christians Crack up". At the time I was sure I was going to crack up and quite ready for it. So I thought I'd read the book and get a head start. That book may very well have prevented me from sinking into depression during the difficult days ahead. It was immensely revealing and helpful! Or should I say, GOD was very helpful.

Diane

check out the book of Jonah sometime. He has weirrrrd mood swings.

How do i help someone who is a professing Christian who is currently suffering with this life crippling state?????

dot points plz.

God bless u all

To be honest, I personally do not have any short fast answers to this one. But I do know of Christians who were hospitalised for depression, and were taking medication for it. For my part, it looks bad on the body of Christ when Christians have to be treated by the world in order to have their minds put right. We are supposed to have the mind of Christ. Is this what that Scripture means? I guess we would all say no to that one. But we do have to question it's origin. For that matter, what is depression, how do you define it? We are suppose to give answers to the world, not more questions about life. How can you witness, verbally for Christ, when you are in a hospital taking medication for depression? Somehow, you have to question that. I have. I still do.

How do i help someone who is a professing Christian who is currently suffering with this life crippling state?????

Dear W_D_J_D,

I wish there was an easy answer to this question. However, there is not. I have known depression myself, and have dealt with many others who have suffered from this. My mother has been diagnosed as being bipolar. For many years, my family thought it was due to the Devil attacking her. However, after she was saved, she still suffered from bouts of depression.

Being such, it is very important that we classify two types of depression. There is physical depression and spiritual depression. Both produce the same results in a person, and as such, it may not be easy to figure out which one a person is suffering from.

PHYSICAL DEPRESSION

This depression occurs from a chemical imbalance in the body. The person has a physical illness or disability. If you were to fall sick with the flu, it is not a spiritual problem, but merely a physical problem. You could be at the peak of spiritual wellness, and yet still fall victim to an illness. The same is true with someone who has physical depression. The problem is simply biological in some way resulting from an upset in the body.

As such, it is also important to classify two version of physical depression. I am not sure of the technical names, but there is permanent depression and temporary depression. For instance, a person may be born with depression and suffer from depression all their life. Or, a person may suffer from a bout of depression temporarily brought about by a change in their chemcial balance.

A person who is born with depression has a permanent chemical balance and must suffer through it their whole life. Medications can be helpful in this, but not always. It is a struggle to have a family member who is born with this sort of mental illness. This is the case with my mother. Sadly, depression is not something easily identified or understood, and often can cause children to become extremely confused. It is really important for children born to mentally ill parents to understand that it is a physical condition much like being born retarded. The children should also seek counseling and have a strong social circle of adults for backup support.

A person who is suffering from a bout of depression does so due to physiological or environmental changes. For any and all people, physical health is important for maintaining strong mental health. It is important to eat on a regular basis and sleep on a regular basis. Also, beware of any and all drugs or foods digested into the system, especially those that directly effect the chemicals of the body. Each person has a unique chemical makeup, and each person may be effected differently by different drugs. For instance, my wife tried some birth control awhile back that caused her to become severely depressed. Once she was off the medication, she returned to normal. However, that month she cried every day in sadness. Likewise, caffiene and sugar intake can cause some people to be depressed. And most certainly, alcohol and drugs can cause long term bouts of depression in people, especially if they are used irregularly. For instance, if a person you know is smoking pot or drinking once every so often, this can cause them to become severely depressed as the body is constantly trying to adjust to the flux of chemicals.

Other changes can also bring about depression. If a person moves to a new climate, the body has to adjust to the new environment. This can cause depression. If the person sits too much, this can cause depression by a lack of inactivity. It is important to exercise for mental health. When the blood flows, the chemicals move through the body properly. The sun can affect the body as well as it affects the production of chemicals in the body. Other changes as well can cause physiological changes. If you can isolate the thing that causing the depression, you can then change it in order to overcome the depression.

SPIRITUAL DEPRESSION

Spiritual depression is obviously a spiritual problem relating directly to the person's relationship with God. For people who don't have Christ inside them, depression and anxiety is often a dominant trait in them. They try to mask it or hide from it by clinging to a false God. Some take up drugs and alcohol. Others, sadly enough, are completely satisfied with themselves. Still, I have never known a person who was from the Lord sleep well at night. How can anyone without God ever feel secure?

Christians, who have the Spirit and are born again, are not exempt from spiritual depression. We should not be depressed spiritually, however, we still suffer from bouts of depression.

I suppose, just like there is two forms of physical depression, there is also two forms of spiritual depression. A person who does not have Christ suffers from a permanent spiritual depression. They are born with the disease. However, a person who is born again in Christ, will only suffer from a temporary bout of depression. In Christ, they are perfected in Christ.

Spiritual depression is a case where the Spirit, the Spirit of Christ, inside a person is being depressed by the self. Another way to say this is simply this: the person is rejecting God through a lack of faith. The person is not fully and completely putting their trust in the Lord. Instead, they are turn toward themselves or the world.

Truly, spiritual depression is an act of immense selfishness. Instead of trusting in Christ, who lives and dwells inside of them, instead of relying on His grace and power, the person looks at the self and begins to trust in the self. Sometimes, a person may do this and not show any signs of depression because the self doesn't fail them at first. Instead, a person like this thinks really highly of him or herself. They are really prideful and arrogant. They think they are on top of the world. The think, "I am great. Look at what I have done."

However, once that person faces failure, they can quickly enter into a period of sadness where they grieve the loss of self. The person will then go around thinking, "I am worthless. Look at how terrible I am. Look at what I have done." In this state, the tradition signs of depression begin to show.

Sometimes, this spiritual depression can occur by not trusting in the Lord's promises and wanting instead immediate gratification. For instance, a person may become depressed because they have been praying and praying for the Lord to take away an illness like cancer. But it never happens. Or they pray for a new job and it never happens. The person becomes extremely depressed because they didn't get the relief they wanted. Instead, the person must focus their hope on the Lord Himself, realizing that the Lord put them there and will keep them there. If a person has cancer, the Lord allowed it and will help them through it. However, you may have to suffer immense physical pain for His sake. Or you may have to continue working that job you don't like for the sake of the Lord.

Sometimes, spiritual depression occurs because we refuse to give a sin over to Christ. We either strive to defeat it by our own power, or just plainly refuse to repent. In this case, we become depressed because we have denied the Spirit who is contending with us to do God's will.

Truly, however, at the core, we become depressed from a lack of trust in the Lord. When we stop trusting in the Lord, when our faith becomes weak, we will become depressed. We must learn to abide in Christ, so that He made abide in us. When Christ abides in us, we are filled with joy as joy is a fruit of the Spirit.

HELPING A FRIEND

When we have a friend or loved one who suffers from depression, we must truly give them our utmost love. This does not mean we try to make them happy. One of the largest errors people make is to confuse love with making another person happy. Rather, our goal must be to seek their best and encourage them to draw near to the Lord or seek help for a physical illness. In this case, love can sometimes be harsh and require some difficult moves on the part of the friend.

As a friend wanting to help, you must beware of several pitfalls. When a person suffers from spiritual depression and/or selfishness, you must beware of becoming their dependent. When a person is depressed, they often are in a state of seeking relief or happiness. No one wants to be depressed. And so, they are seeking a way out of it. The moment a person stops seeking, they give up hope and become suicidal. Otherwise, they are seeking. Spiritually, they are seeking God and don't realize it. Physically, they want relief. As a friend, you must be careful not to become their God. Modern Psychology terms this co-dependence. If you constantly try to make this person happy, there is a danger this person will become dependent on you for happiness. This is dangerous for not only the person you are trying to help, but for you. This person will drain the life from you.

If a person is in pain and they lie around complaining about it, don't pity them. Don't sit there and go, "I know, it's terrible. You shouldn't have to suffer." This will only cause them to complain more. Instead, show them how other people who suffered in pain endured through the pain to give God glory. This may require a little research and study on your part. Find encouraging stories where people have grown in faith by suffering for the Lord's sake. The bible is full of these stories.

Also, always, always turn them toward Jesus for help. Let them know you can't help, but Jesus can. Truly, only the Lord is capable of carrying such a burden. I can remember trying to make my mother happy, and she would continually call me so that I could make her happy. This neither helped her, and caused me to be depressed. Now, I constantly direct her to the Lord for happiness. And now, she calls me with wonderful stories of joy.

Another pitfall to beware is joining them. Often times, you can encourage the behavior of depression by validating their selfishness or depression. You can join them by wallowing in sadness with them. You can make them worse by justifying or excusing their behavior. When this happens, they never seek a change but instead stay constantly depressed.

Rather, in love, you need to be honest with them. Do not let them wallow in sadness, especially in the case of selfishness. If they are wallowing in self-pity, tell to stop whining and remind them about the needs of others. Show them how worse off other people are. Help encourage them and direct them to the Lord. This will be difficult for you often times, because people will become upset with you. Especially when you tell them to give or help others. When a person is acting in selfishness, they will become angered when they are told to give. They will say, "What about me? I can't give to others. I have needs. Who will meet my needs?" However, continue to pray and show them how giving is the greatest gift of joy we have. When we give to the Lord, He blesses us with more in return.

Remember this: you can't force anyone to seek out help. When a person is suffering from depression, they must hit a point when they realize there is a problem. You can't help someone who doesn't want to be helped. Pray for them, that the Lord will open their heart and mind to this plague that effects them. Give up all your concern to the Lord, and ask Him to be your stronghold through this difficult time. Pray for your loved one, and encourage them to seek out the Lord for help.

I hope this helps.

In love,
Blake

PS....A good book for anyone who is learning to abide in Christ, struggling in spiritual depression, or seeking to grow in faith is called "The Christian's Secret to a Happy Life" by Hannah Whitall Smith.

Hi Combat_Chuck...

Combat_Chuck wrote:
check out the book of Jonah sometime. He has weirrrrd mood swings.

:-)

I used to suffer from constant depression, especially when I would look at the current state of many churches. (Seriously) It would greive me and make me sick to my stomach. I worked on staff at some churches, so I was in a continual state of depression at the mess. Then I'd listen to Leonard Ravenhill's stuff, and realize that I wasn't that off base. I'm prone to depression anyway, never been medicated though.
Just my 0.02
-Sean

I think the times I thought I was going through a depression I really believe now it was just God humbling me. :-)