Depression is a growing mental health epidemic (National Institute of Mental Health) in our country, and growing amongst our youth-teenagers. My encounter with this issue became real during my teenage years growing up in St. Paul with people I knew. I’ll be not honest if I don’t admit that I get depression because everybody gets depressed. However, not everybody has severe depression (chemical, manic, etc…). Some causes (e.g. such as stress-psyweb)), which can be prevented if we know how to lay our worries, burdens, problems, or daily stresses in life to Jesus (Matthew 11:28)-all times!. Probably everybody does know someone that has severe depression, which I hope to share some stories that many can relate to and better understand to help these people. Due to confidential issues, I rather not give any names, but share my personal experience with the people I knew from the start of my teenage years to right now.
A lady I know that has severe depression goes through seasons or phases. She has her high and low times, like many of us; however, they go extreme. I think it started in the beginning of her first year in high school. She was involved in sports and other after school activities, which became too much for her that the stress caused her to go a little “overboard”. Her family had to take her to a psychiatrist and would be sent to the hospital for in-patient treatment with high security closed doors facility hospital in downtown St. Paul. She is an adult now and still goes to this type of treatment once awhile whenever she reaches this extreme high phase/season.
Another victim is a friend of mine, who accepted Jesus in his life in the first year of college. Accepting Jesus into ones life is just the beginning of a closer personal relationship with God, but your issues/problems in life does not go away overnight. Instead, it does become less visible through progress and growth in time. I do my best to minister, encourage-speak “positive” words of life into him, and more importantly do this with love -a cure for depression. One time, I prayed with him and God showed me some inner hurts/wounds from the past-verbal and physical abuse. I told him that in order for him to be healed from these wounds, he needs God’s Word (eg. rubbing alcohol to a cut), which will take time as he does it daily.
“For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing sould and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”-Hebrews 4:12
God’s words are “positive” to combat the lies of the devil, negative thinking, and the past hurts received from past verbal abuse. I reminded this friend that forgiveness is another healing process that one needs to do of the oppressor, aggressor, or the one who caused the physical/emotional abuse. This is another step that takes time, and reading about forgiveness that was displayed by Jesus on the cross in the Bibles is necessary to do.
“He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor, …”-Isaiah 61:1-2
People in the Bible with Depressions:
Abraham (Genesis 15)
Jonah (Jonah 4)
Job (Book of Job)
Elijah (1 Kings 19)
King Saul (I Samuel 16:14-23, etc.)
Jeremiah (Book of Jeremiah)
David
for more...(Depresion-Bible from Christian Answers)
In general, when I was growing up, I never thought about God being part of the solution to depression. I totally depended on medications as the only solution for anyone with severe depression. Yes, it is a chemically relevant mental illness, and medication is necessary for the chemical balance of a person with depression. However, there is needed of other combinations to deal with depression as this testimony below describes…....
Here is an encouraging testimony:
"...It was only when I hit bottom that I quit trying to pick myself up and let God do it. He set me free through a program of medication, counseling, prayer, and learning to listen to His truth rather than my emotions," said Nancy (Hagerman)....
"...The second half of the book ("In the Pit") deals with the steps to recovery I took. Though I am still bi-polar and remain on my medication, I am no
longer in bondage to the moods. With God's help I am now much more in
control. The steps are:
1) Remember God loves you,
2) Seek medical help,
3) Exercise (tips) and watch your nutrition (tips),
4) Find a reliable friend (e.g. accountability partner),
5) Tell
yourself the Truth(e.g. daily reading of Bible-renewing of mind!), and
6) Stand firm.
The last chapter offers an invitation for those in emotional pain to rest in God's faithfulness."
**including the dose of Sunlight (Vitamin D) daily for 15 minutes (see "seasonal depression" down below)
I got this health bulletin from Blue Cross Blue Shield as I get health insurance from them via mail, and it said people who take medications needs to be aware of what you combine them with-including food. They recommend you to talk to the pharmacist for facts on side-effects and what/when to take your meds-especially if you take more than one prescription.
*Indapamide (ap0-indapamide)-for high blood pressure
< ahref="http://www.norvasc.com/patient/index.asp">Norvasc-for high blood pressure
Topomax-treat bipolar disorder (psyweb
*these are not anti-depressants, but are medications people I know take with other depression drugs.
With depression, when it becomes severe, suicide starts becoming an issue, which I will go more extent of my personal indirect experience with people I knew/know on another website. Below is another story relating to depression and suicide…
Date: Thu, 13 Jan 00 15:30PM MST
To subscribe to this list http://www.breakpoint.org/transcripts.taf?_function=dailyintro
BreakPoint Commentary #000113 - 1/13/2000
Remember Phyllis Diller, the self-deprecating
comedienne with the crazy hair and zany wardrobe?
Seems like she's been around forever, and she still
is around. She was on "Larry King Live" last week,
looking better and younger than ever. She doesn't
have those startling features to make jokes about
anymore, thanks to the multiple plastic-surgeries
she told us all about.
But Phyllis wasn't on the King show to be funny: She
was one of several guests on the program that evening,
the others being medical experts. The subject was
depression. It seems that Ms. Diller, though looking
anything but glum, dressed in bright red and
making clever quips, was recently in the grip of a
deadly depression.
It's hard to picture the lively funny lady as very
ill, but Phyllis has had many health problems and was
hospitalized. She had a severe reaction to a drug and
was paralyzed. Finally, she wanted out.
She asked her doctors to give her a drug so she could
"just float away." They refused, citing the law. "Dr.
Kervorkian was in jail," she added. So, thankfully,
the good "Dr. Death" did not make a call to her
hospital room.
"Why did you want to die?" they asked her on the King
Show. "Did aging have anything to do with it?"
"No," she said. It was being paralyzed. Helpless. She
could see no way out.
So what happened? Her body healed, the paralysis
left, and now she is in good health again. Larry King
asked if she was glad her physicians didn't do as she
had asked. Phyllis grinned and assured him: "You
better believe I am!"
People who want to die, like Phyllis Diller, see no
way out. They are suffering and want to end it. But
God allows suffering, pain, and dying in this world
for many purposes. Some people take this time to
reflect on their lives, to make amends, and to heal
family rifts. Friends and family may have a
meaningful experience with the suffering person,
maybe for the first time.
“Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trail you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed”-1 Peter 4:12-13
“Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings. …after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfest. To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen.”-1 Peter 8-11
And people who would never have done so before often
seek and find God in a crisis.
If someone cannot bear the pain, doctors should
relieve it. If they cannot cope with their situation,
then others should help. But no one has the right to
"play God" and end a life.
At the show's end, Larry King said to Phyllis, "We're
glad you're still here." She was glad, too. And so
are we all.
Some additional counseling resources, I’ve personally recommend so far in my life I’ve encountered through my local church or other means:
Articles
-Message
Medical Findings
Ministries
Theatre
Future and a Hope
Thank you for visiting my page at Angelfire. Please come back and visit again!
From:
To: BreakPoint by Charles Colson
Subject:[breakpoint] The Funny Lady Is Dead Serious, 1/13/2000
The Funny Lady Is Dead Serious: The Real Risks of a Too-Easy Exit
by Charles Colson
JOY, get a good dose of laughter
Minnesota Depressive & Manic-depressive Association Support Group, Thursdays @8-9:30p at Boardroom (basement) at Stevens County Medical Center
-for parents
Are you ready for this?? -John 1:40, 41
"John 1:40, 41 Sometimes the difficulties in our lives are the result of discipline, so that in brokenness, we would return to God. Other times, our trials and struggles are designed to educate us about human suffering so that we can learn compassion and be a blessing to others. Much of the time, human suffering is a mystery, but this gives us an opportunity to demonstrate obedience and walk by faith not by sight."
"Some people are more likely to get depressed than others, because of a chemical imbalance or other factors. Meanwhile, others may never get clinically depressed. The bottom line: The chances of getting depressed vary significantly from person to person."
"At the most basic level, nobody really knows what causes depression. The dominant theory is that it is a result of low levels of certain neurotransmitters"
"A variety of psychological factors appear to play a role in vulnerability to these severe forms of depression. Most likely, psychological factors are completely responsible for other forms of mild and moderate depression, especially reactive depression. Reactive depression is usually diagnosed as an adjustment disorder during treatment.
People who have low self-esteem, who consistently view themselves and the world with pessimism, or who are readily overwhelmed by stress are more prone to depression. Psychologists often describe social learning factors as being significant in the development of depression, as well as other psychological problems. "
"Depression is a medical disease, caused by a neurochemical or hormonal imbalance.
Depression is caused by certain styles of thinking.
Depression is a result of unfortunate experiences."
"Though some Christians protest that depression is a "spiritual" problem, they're wrong. For those who have inherited a depressive gene, even if they applied every biblical principle and were counseled by St. Peter himself, they would still wrestle with depression. We live in a fallen world where God does allow suffering. I have good friends who inherited diabetes. For thousands of years, whoever inherited insulin-dependent diabetes almost immediately died. Now, with modern medicines, they can live. But if they forsake their insulin, God will allow them to die within two days."
"SAD is most likely to affect people in higher latitudes and coincides with the darkest months of the year, making the seasonal reduction in light the obvious culprit. But how this registers on the brain is still a matter of speculation. One theory is that serotonin levels drop off in winter. Another is that melatonin secretion may be the cause. Yet another theory posits that circadian rhythms are thrown out of whack."
"Adequate levels of Vitamin D in the body strengthen bone density, reduce blood pressure, lower the risk of diabetes, help ease the pain of rheumatoid arthritis and help in combating depression. Interested now?"
*see Purpose
-Drama/Skits
Mirror, Mirror - Christian Music Video - Ground Zero Master's Commission - Barlow Girl
"Mirror, Mirror - Christian Music Video - BarlowGirl - This Christian music video tells that we should not let others influence our lives - Ground Zero Master's Commission"
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