Around this time last year I made a commitment to learn all I can about fighting depression. It’s not a glamorous subject and not one I would have chosen. (I still find myself asking God “Are you sure?”) But this is the road I’m on. I have to do what I can to learn to navigate this road and learn to not just survive, but to thrive.
In my research, I’ve come across a thought that at first struck me as rather uninformed. Nobody who understands depression would ever say this. Then I saw it as just plain heartless. Nobody who has ever been depressed could ever say this. Now I see it as truth.
Depression can be a road to great blessings.
I know.
If you’re depressed you’re probably a little bit mad at me right now.
You’re thinking I can’t possibly know what depression is if I can see any good in it.
Let me assure you that depression and I are well acquainted. I don’t mind telling you that I fight depression on a very conscious level, on a fairly regular basis. That doesn’t mean I feel the effects of depression every day. It means I’m susceptible to it, and if I don’t want to be overcome by it, I have to fight.
I do know the darkness of depression. And I have come to see how God can and does redeem even something so dark, something that was intended to destroy. (<–tweet this)
Let me share some of the blessing I can see from where I stand.
It can force you to live more proactively:
Every single thing I’ve learned so far about fighting depression is something that everyone needs to be practicing, not just those who are depressed.
Here are just a few:
- Eating well–depression and food are powerfully connected.
- Exercise–research shows it to be as effective as, or even more effective than, prescription drugs.
- Cultivating a living, working faith in God. This is not to say if you’re depressed you’re not faithful.
- Maintaining a healthy social life.
- Taking every thought captive and making it obedient to Christ.
It’s easy to get complacent and miss out on the blessing that come with living well. Depression can be that motivator that gets you living well again.
It can teach you empathy:
2 Corinthians 1:3-4 says “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.”
It’s pretty clear that God wants us to comfort each other with the comfort he gives us. We couldn’t really do that had we never suffered.
It can give you a living testimony of God’s grace:
I know you may not feel like it now, but you have been made more than conquerer. God didn’t just keep Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego alive in that furnace. He was in the furnace with them The people around you need to see God’s faithfulness not only when he delivers you from this struggle but also while you’re in the midst of it.
It can draw you closer to God:
Even though there are things you can do to get healthier, it’s not a formula. You can’t do it by yourself. He is the only one who really knows what you’re feeling. He is the one who knows what you need and has the power and desire to provide it. When you abide in him, putting it all in his hands, you can truly learn to say “It is well with my soul.”
It can wipe out those self-dependent tendencies of yours:
You are going to have to learn to accept help from those around you. There’s no getting around it. And when you learn that, you’ll be much closer to abundant life, because God designed us to live in community.
I’m sure you can think of more that I haven’t mentioned here. What are some of the ways God is using your present darkness to surprise you with his grace, help those around you, and bring you closer to himself?
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Image courtesy of Getideaka / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
This is a good post, Beth! Do you have plans to share more about the link between food and depression and what foods have worked for you. Or even a first stop resource for that on the internet?
Thanks Jamie! Yes, I do plan to share a lot more about what I’m learning. My problem is that I have a tendency to want to want to be very sure what I’m talking about before I share it. I guess that’s a good thing in a way but it can slow me down.
I’d be glad to share some books though to get you started. Let me find some links and get back to you.
Jamie, Sorry it took me a while to get back to you. I’m still learning about this myself. I’m a little discouraged because I’m finding some conflicting advise. But so far the experts agree on this; cut out the junk. Your brain just can’t get the right chemistry and sustain it when you flood it with sugar. And that doesn’t just mean candy bars. If you go with a lot of fresh fruits and veggies, and high quality meats, you should be on the right track.
Here are three books that I’m reading now. The First one is the easiest read and the book that opened my eyes to the fact that there is actually something I can do. The other two focus more on the food mood connection. If you like to learn new things, there is some pretty amazing information there. I’ll try to keep posting as I learn.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0142003646/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0142003646&linkCode=as2&tag=bethcranfordc-20
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/158333162X/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=158333162X&linkCode=as2&tag=bethcranfordc-20
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0738213888/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0738213888&linkCode=as2&tag=bethcranfordc-20
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1572249250/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1572249250&linkCode=as2&tag=bethcranfordc-20
(These are all my affiliate links. If you purchase from these links I’ll earn a small commission.)
Such a good post, Beth, on such an important topic. Your list of blessings is so true…and applicable not only to depression, but also to anxiety issues, chronic health issues, and children’s health issues, as well. Thanks for sharing!
That’s what I was thinking Jen, that these blessings can come from many of the struggles we go through. I love how God brings his light into our darkness and can make something beautiful out of our pain.
I have dealt with postpartum depression so I understand this well and I agree.
I remember always crying out to God for help and I leaned on Him more than anything else. Because of that time of closer relationship to Him, it helped me grow in my faith. It helped me see that in my darkest times, God was always with me.
Going through the valley together strengthens relationships — it’s as true for human relationships as it is for a relationship with God.
As Beth (my dear wife) knows I am dealing with a lot of sadness in my heart right now (which I won’t detail here). Having attended a funeral for a beloved aunt this week and being surrounded by dear loved ones I rarely see overwhelmed me with both emotions and perspective. For the first time in a long time I felt completely connected. I felt love, appreciation, acceptance, friendship. I was with family, some of whom knew me from birth and others who I held in my arms when I was graduating from college. To be in the midst of the ebb and flow of life and death with family is powerful, touching, and stirring. To be reconnected just made so much else in my life seem insignificant.
Driving back home (a 3+ hour trek) I felt so much remorse and regret about past choices and current behaviors in my life. Not ‘bad’ choices or habits, but some ‘had I only known’ sort of choices, mainly about where I have lived and spent my years and and misplaced focus. I could tease those feelings enough and easily find myself headed toward real depression over this.
But every decision is blessed. God is my coworker in all stations of life if I will join Him in His work. And when I do join Him, I will find His people and rediscover family and the connections I need to endure. I can choose to hate my decisions and pay a deep self-inflicted price that would lead me into darkness, or I can choose to realize that God is here, ready to cultivate His purposes in my life and renew my purpose. But I can ‘just let it happen.’ I have to choose, and walk humbly with my God.
I have suffered from severe, chronic depression for most of my life. And I have found that we use the term so flippantly these days, that most people truly don’t understand what depression really is, let alone for those of us who battle severe depression nearly every single day. It’s such an isolating thing, especially since people think they understand and have so many preconceived notions about it that are just completely inaccurate.
However, like anything else, there can be blessings from it. God Himself promises that in His word–that He will work ALL THINGS together for good for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose.
I certainly wouldn’t have chosen this particular “thorn,” but God knows best, and my prayer is that I can serve Him in the midst of it, (and selfishly, that He will deliver me from the depths of it in my lifetime.)
The only comments about depression that I find to be heartless are those from people who have never experienced it personally and therefore think that depression isn’t real, and/or is simply a character flaw. People recognize and have compassion for physical ailments, but when it comes to illnesses that affect the mind or behavior, I have found that Christians are the worst for claiming they don’t really exist.
Crystal, I agree, I wouldn’t have chosen this “thorn” either, but I’m not sure I know anyone who would say they’re pleased withe the thorn they have.
I also agree that some of the most hurtful comments about depression come from those who haven’t been there. I personally wish people would stop spreading the lie that if you have enough faith you can’t be depressed. And that horrid bumper sticker that says “too blessed to be depressed”. The last thing a depressed person needs is to be made to feel like it’s her fault!
I’m praying for you Crystal, thanks for stopping by my blog today!
Great advice and encouragement, Beth!
Thanks so much for linking up at Woman to Woman!
I suffered depression during a very traumatic time of my marriage and I can say with all honesty, that when I was able to take the focus off myself and look into God’s perfect Word, I found great comfort.
I had to fight for my sanity, which really amounted to fighting the good fight of faith.
When I doubted that God’s promises were for me, I spiraled downward.
When I took Him at His Word, I was confident He was with me, regardless of the chaos surrounding me.
Your physical health can destroy your spiritual health but that also works in reverse. You cannot separate body and soul so you better learn how to nourish both of them.
Thank you, Beth, for sharing ways a person can be blessed, in spite of depression.
Jenny, you’re so right, your spiritual health can have a huge impact on your physical health. The two are so intricately woven together. Like you said, we really have to nurture them both. I’m so glad you were able to fight the good fight! Sometimes I don’t necessarily “feel” God’s presence. That’s when I have to choose to believe He is there, find his light, and follow it until the light overtakes the darkness.
great post! it usually helps to know we are not “the only one” because at times we can be deceived into thinking we are. this is one of those areas that isn’t talked about much in our church circles
That’s why I write about it. I don’t have a cure, but if just being willing to talk about it helps someone, then “Here I am, send me.”
Thanks for taking time to visit and comment!
Such powerful tips. Thanks for sharing.
God has been using this to His glory most of my life. It wasn’t until I was in my mid-twenties that my grandmother revealed to us that ‘all the women in our family are predisposed to melancholy.’ Thanks for the heads up Gram. Not long after I did get professional health and manage to keep it at bay with God’s help now. No meds, just God and the Holy Spirit working in me. That doesn’t mean it can’t rear its ugly head yet I now know what to do when it does. Wonderful post Beth!