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Conversations we Need to Have – Depression

Major depression is the leading cause of disability in the United States impacting millions of Americans.  What is the impact of depression on believers and the church?  In our July 13 message (you can view the message at www.springhillbaptist.org) we seek to differentiate between what is a physical/mental health issue and what is a spiritual issue.  I have spent a lot of time with inviduals who wanted to treat their depression as a spiritual issue only or who view taking medicine for depression as a spiritual weakness.   How can we help people understand the difference between the physical reasons and spiritual reasons for depression?  How can we be supportive of those who suffer from depression?  For the millions of Americans who suffer in a never ending cycle of depression – how do we help them find hope in God?

If you need help dealing with depression feel free to contact me directly at dan@springhillbaptist.org or 973-7473.

July 10, 2008 - Posted by Dr. Dan | Uncategorized | | 2 Comments

2 Comments »

  1. Dan,

    I cannot begin to explain to you how the message on Sunday touched my heart. I do not deal so much with depression but with anxiety/panic disorder which leads to depression when untreated. Your message gave me hope to share with others what I deal with. I have been on medication for many years and at first dealt with such guilt over my opinion that I was not a strong enough Christian to combat those “unknown fears & anxieties” that would make me so sick mentally, emotionally and physically. I am blessed to have a Mom and husband who encouraged me to step out and tell my doctors honestly what was happening. Medicine now allows me to get out of the house, speak in front of groups, step out in small ways to work in community missions where without the medications I would be frozen in a state of fear. Now I can see clearly what is a physical condition and what areas in my life I need to work on spiritually – they are finally separated. It is difficult to step out and tell others that I deal with a mental condition. You asked how we can be supportive – one way if for others not to pre-judge someone when they say they are dealing with a mental condition. They are not weak as a person nor are they a weak Christian. As Christians we have to encourage friends or family members who admit they are fighting depressing thoughts (or other conditions like anxiety) to speak with their doctors…it might even mean going with them and just holding their hand – that is what my husband and Mom did. They did not add to the guilt they were supportive and compassionate. Your sermon has opened the door to more conversations and I pray that we as Christians are having them. Thank you for letting me share.

    Melissa

    Comment by Melissa Liberatore | July 17, 2008 | Reply

  2. I am replying to the July 13 message about depression. My hope is to provide compassion and encouragement to those who are sufferers of this dreadful disease and insight them, their caregivers and help to educate the Church as the unified Body of Christ. Although the recorded number of people in the U.S. alone is in the millions, we need to keep in mind that these numbers are statistically derived from only the reported cases. Just as many or more are walking around either not knowing they have this illness or having not reported it due to fear, shame and/or stigma.
    Two of the greatest impacts resulting from depression are shame and guilt; at least “outsiders” tend to think people with this illness have something wrong in their lives that generate it. Not so; shame and guilt are both part of the disease, and in reality, are usually unjust shame and unjust guilt. Example: A depressed believer reaps unproductive criticism from their Christian peers, family or friends when reaching out for help by sharing their distress. The response oftentimes is “get the sin out of your life and it will go away” or “pray about it.” The fact is that the illness is an illness, not merely a state of mind or a bad attitude, and in my experience, usually not derived from a spiritual source. The last time I read my Bible, it said God is about preserving life, not destroying or marring it.
    What effect does this have on the depressed? It silences them, the illness progresses and worsens, they lose trust in people, it hurts and causes further damage by fueling the disease (dis-ease); they feel misunderstood and “blown off.” These reactions can result in birthing judgmental attitudes and stigma aimed at people who happen to be different (a person is NOT their depression), fear of the depressed and stereotypical beliefs; and in the process of the illness’s progression, reinforces all of the above, causing continuous harm instead of healing. Believers and non-believers with this illness have a difficult time dealing with the alienation, immobilization and morbid aspects of the disease. The negative ideas self-produced by the brain (also part of the illness) encourages a child of God to think God is mad at them or doesn’t care; they’ve been forgotten, others don’t care, they are reaping what they have sown, they are unworthy or they are just bad, period.
    Depression comes with lowered immunity, and therefore physical problems and/or the bloom of additional illnesses can develop. Research has shown that emotions, spirituality and the physical are connected, and the mental faculties are affected too. Being in God’s perfect will does not guarantee perfect health—life can’t guarantee that either. The question remains, is it God’s will for a person to heal or learn by “experience?” I don’t have a specific answer for that one because it would seem that spiritual healing is a supernatural occurrence and wouldn’t require medicine.
    Being misunderstood is eminent due to the fact that those without the illness, or who don’t know or live with somebody who has depression, really don’t understand the mechanics or dynamics of depression. Beliefs, morals, and suggestions (gossip)travel fast among all people in and out of the church environment and this can cause someone who needs medical help to become crushed, give up and despair. We as believing Christians, need to remember that it is much easier to pull someone down than to lift someone up.
    Most people are simply uneducated about this illness and therefore are not responding, but reacting innocently due to ignorance, and not with malice in mind. However, to be helpful, we need to research and get the facts before reacting to something we really need to respond to with nonjudgmental compassion. Many people, the depressed included, do not obtain the information because depression is a “downer” and who wants to participate in that? Sometimes it’s difficult when we are facing our own set of problems and working hard to maintain our own strength and “be up” in the Lord. As a result, from the presumed negative aspects this “negative” sharing and listening to it brings, many people want to keep their distance, not get involved or be bothered with it, and the depressed shut down; this can cause a wedge between believers and generate isolation instead of community.
    Is depression a physical, mental or spiritual issue? That, by leadership from God, supportive people and true self-examination, researching and obtaining an accurate diagnosis may be the only way to discover the answer. There are many types of depression: Clinical and non-clinical; mild, chronic, severe and refractory. Any of them can be generated by another illness (like thyroid, diabetes or alcoholism). Physical depression, in which most cases the root health issue is treated, the depression lifts. Situational depression occurs from a loss of any kind. Physiological depression via damage to the central nervous system by other means than being born with it is different than mental depression (born with it). Psychological or socially induced depression stems from conditioning and environment, and being influenced by it. Then we have different classes of depression, such as major (unipolar) depression, bi-polar (depression with mania), depression with psychotic features, and the list goes on and on. This is why a diagnosis is so crucial to receiving the correct treatment—treatment is always a customized process—the same treatment does not “fit all.” Seeking help is a strength, not a weakness; it is easier not to do anything about a problem rather than work through it. Most of the time we find out that doing nothing causes greater health chaos, not less, because it always rears it’s ugly head at some point and in some manor in our lives.
    Can depression be cured? Yes and no. Ultimate healing depends on what type, for how long, to what degree and what additional features, if any, play a part, what the cause of its onset was and how much damage has been done. Depression damages the physical body. That damage affects mental capacity, the psychological, emotional and additional physical parts of us. Spiritual impairment is usually a symptom or repercussion, not a cause. Sometimes depression cannot be reversed, just managed. The earlier a person seeks treatment, the better chance of a full recovery. So we see that just as Pastor Carlton expressed, depression is a complex illness; there are just too many variables to consider.
    So how do we help the depressed find hope in God? After all, depression can be terminal; it kills—that’s its job. God offers hope, peace, compassion and eternal life; these are His gifts. From my experience with many sufferers, the biggest gift we can offer others who need assistance is two-fold: Compassion–live the compassion of God. “Fire and Brimstone” reactions can be too easily misconstrued as judgmental because of the heavy weight of guilt and shame it tends to generate. Depressed people want to feel loved, not just know it or hear it, and they desire to be understood. Many depressed people cannot (do not have the ability to) feel anything or only feel negative or morose; this is why some resort to self-mutilation, like cutting oneself. They feel pain (to feel something–anything), and then they heal (visually and mentally).
    This illness strikes people physically where they are the weakest and any one depressed person can fill up two notebook pages with the symptoms that accompany it. Would we not take an antibiotic to cure an infection? Would we not take our insulin to prevent our own death? Would we abstain from taking our nitro-glycerin to prevent a heart attack? Depression needs treatment too, and sometimes with medication and/or psychotherapy. Without it, there is no recovery. Depression 101: Along with compassion, if we as believers can learn about the illness and provide gentle guidance toward treatment, we might save a life. Hope this helps…

    Comment by Isa | August 4, 2008 | Reply


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