Overcoming Depression

Feeling blue? Exhausted? No longer have an interest in work? No appetite at all in any kind of food and to do all routine activities, even, not anymore enjoying your sexual life? Experiencing insomnia? Having difficulties in making sound decisions? Already bored in your everyday life? It seems the world is against you? Are you determined already to withdraw your life or to commit a suicide as your worst option? If you have these symptoms, watch out! You might be a candidate already for depression!

What is Depression?

Depression comes from the word, “depressed”. It is a feeling of having been pressed low in our spirits. It is a condition of feeling dejection and heaviness in our hearts. It has been described as feeling down, feeling blue, or feeling disheartened. It is often a state of desperation which gives a person the feeling of hopelessness. It is a close relative of despair, despondency and discouragement.

Who Can be Victims of Depression?

No one is indispensable to depression. No one is immune. No one is exempted. Everyone is susceptible to depression. This condition can afflict, torment both sexes from children, youth and adults. It has no respecter of persons, educational attainment, Status in Life, health conditions, godly or ungodly.

It is considered to be the most common mental and emotional problem affecting mankind. It is claimed that more human suffering has resulted from depression.

Depression can result to mental disorder. It can lead to kill one’s life or committing suicide as a most terrible resort. Even the prayerful, popular bible characters had not been exempted from deep depression like Job, Moses, David, Elijah, Paul.

• (Moses). Number 11:10-15 says, “Moses heard the people of every family wailing, each at the entrance to his tent. The LORD became exceedingly angry, and Moses was troubled. 11 He asked the LORD, “Why have you brought this trouble on your servant? What have I done to displease you that you put the burden of all these people on me? 12 Did I conceive all these people? Did I give them birth? Why do you tell me to carry them in my arms, as a nurse carries an infant, to the land you promised on oath to their forefathers? 13 Where can I get meat for all these people? They keep wailing to me, ‘Give us meat to eat!’ 14 I cannot carry all these people by myself; the burden is too heavy for me. 15 If this is how you are going to treat me, put me to death right now-if I have found favor in your eyes-and do not let me face my own ruin.”
• (David). He cried out because of extreme depression. Psalm 42:5-6 says, ” Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and 6 my God. My soul is downcast within me; therefore I will remember you from the land of the Jordan, the heights of Hermon-from Mount Mizar. Psalm 43:5 also says, ” Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.
• (Job). He was consumed with a sense of despondency because of his problems as written in Job 3
• (Peter). He also expressed his deep depression after he denied our Lord Jesus Christ. This scenario can be read from Matthew 26:75, “Then Peter remembered the word Jesus had spoken: “Before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times.” And he went outside and wept bitterly.
• (Paul). He had been so downcast because of the great pressures he experienced. This setting can be read from II Corinthian 1:28, “We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about the hardships we suffered in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life.
  What are the causes of depression?

Stress is the most common cause of depression. Life is filled with stressful stuff and disappointments in life is full of pressures that beyond our limitations such as loss of a job, health failure, opportunity, lost of loved ones and many other reasons.

Whenever, we encounter circumstances that are beyond our control. We assume our actions are useless, no matter how we have tried our best. When it seems there is no way out for our dilemmas, we tend to embrace the clouds of depression.

1. We become negative thinker. This depression can be uprooted from negative thinking in which our thinking patterns have something to do with our emotions, attitudes and wills. Depressed people see only the dark side of his life. They have a negative outlook in life. For them, life has endless burdens, heaviness and disappointments. Depressed persons often have little or no self-esteem and experiencing self-pity.
2. Having an outlook of being greatly pressured of responsibilities, trials and meeting of deadlines.

What are the Signs of Depression?

When people are depressed the symptoms of depression can be observed such as sadness, pessimism, fear, apathy, weariness, fatigue, loss of energy, lack of enthusiasm, inability to make decisions, desire to withdraw one’s life, commit a suicide, self-pity, self-criticism, sense of worthlessness, helplessness, loss of interest whether in work, sex or in normal activities in life and loss of appetite.

How to Overcome Depression: Are there Remedies?

• Don’t think about or struggle with sin. Don’t think over it.
• Handle depression in God’s perspective. Ask the Holy Spirit to help and comfort you when depression attacks your life. Don’t think too long on what you used to do, especially if you have failed before.
• Ask our Lord Jesus Christ for help. Submit yourself to God, resist the devil and he will flee away from you as written in James 4:7, “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.”
• Use the Power of Praise as a weapon as what Philippians 4:8 says, “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable-if anything is excellent or praiseworthy-think about such things.”
• Grab a spiritual or gospel songbook and sing a hymn for our Lord Jesus Christ. Singing praises to our God scares the devil because it torments his head. Philippians 4:4 says, “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all.”
• Act immediately. Don’t let depression overcome you throughout the day.
• Discipline your thoughts. Rest in the presence of the Lord and Hope in Him. Submit your mind to God’s power. Guard your thoughts. Stay away from corrupt thinking and refrain yourself from negative confessions. Psalm 31:24 says, “Be strong and take heart,
  all you who hope in the Lord.”
• Stand unto the promises of God. Remember, the Scriptures (Bible) contain all of the answers to life’s problems. The Word of God sustains, encourages, comforts and boosts our faith every time we hold unto his promises. Don’t give up because God is always in control in our lives. Psalm 119:81 says, “My soul faints with longing for your salvation, but I have put my hope in your word.”
• Watch your health. 3 John 2 says, ” I pray that you may enjoy good health and that you may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well.” Study shows that poor diet and physical inactivity are associated with 300,000 deaths each year, second only to tobacco use.
• Have a balance diet or eat a balance food. Determine the number of calories you need each day to achieve or maintain a healthy body weight with the guidance of your doctor and or nutritionist. Eat fewer high-fat foods. Keep fat intake to < 30% of your total daily caloric intake. Replace some saturated or unhealthy fat with healthy oils or fat. Minimize cholesterol intake to less than 300 mg per day. Choose foods which are high in starch and fiber.
• Have a balanced meal a day, particularly, if you have to do physical work early. Begin with your breakfast; or if you are in a lighter work, eat a good lunch and later supper. We need to have an intake of various foods daily for our present health and energy to help prevent us from sickness and dental troubles.
• Abstain yourself from eating too much sweets, candies, cakes, soft drinks to avoid over overweight. Your diet must contain protein foods such as meat, eggs, milk, cheese and poultry so that you won’t have underweight problem. Eat vegetables such as yellow and green, cooked and raw fruits like citrus, oranges, have at least, three (3) glasses of milk – one glass of milk each meal. Eat also whole grain, cereal or bread.
• Have a regular schedule for waking up from your bed and for your enough rest. Sleep not less than 7 – 8 hours a night for teenagers. But don’t sleep too long because it will make you just sluggish as too little sleep.
• Expose yourself in the morning light. Get as much natural light as possible between six in the morning and eight in the morning. Allow the sunlight to enter your house by keeping the venetian blinds or curtains open as much as possible during daylight hours.
• Have a regular exercise. Every Christian must be active in some sports. Get involved in some sports activities. This will help your physical development and keep your body fit. One good example of exercise is to take a brisk walk in the morning every day.
• Avoid self-medication with alcohol or caffeine. It is true that caffeine may give a little bit relief but can also cause anxiety, muscle tension and gastrointestinal problems. Be aware that, alcohol is depressant which can further aggravate depression.