I've been struggling with anxiety and depression off/on since my childhood. But now, ever since a long-term relationship ended a year ago, I find myself stuck. Even while taking antidepressants I feel depressed off/on throughout the month. The rejection of my ex, and the father of my 2 year old son, is just too much. He has moved on and I feel abandoned and betrayed and like a pathetic victim a year later.
I understand the importance of trying to have a positive attitude and I try, but I still have a pervasively sad mood. I'm trying to keep myself busy with work and school. I'm in college full time pursuing a nursing degree, work part-time and have my son the rest of the time. I have been seeing a counselor every week for a year now as well. I'm not sure if it's really helping, although it's nice to have her to talk to.
The majority of my life was wrapped around this man, his friends were my friends and so when we split they're really his friends. I have a few but I feel like they avoid me because I'm depressing. So I'm feeling lonely lately.
I am 30 years old and I'm so tired of feeling this way. I've prayed numerous times for help with this and it hasn't helped. And now I'm getting angry and jealous of other people's happiness, particularly my ex's, because I just can't seem to find that in my own life.
Is there any biblical advice on how to help with depression? I feel like I'm at loss and am having a hard time ';just thinking positive';.What is the biblical way to deal with depression? Does the bible give advice on how to overcome depression?
David said ';I WILL praise the Lord';
Psa 57:9 I will praise thee, O Lord, among the people: I will sing unto thee among the nations.
This is not a small matter...David realized the importance of WILL...He wrote some of his most beautiful psalms when King Saul was seeking his life and he was hiding among Israel's enemies, pretending to be ';mad'; and letting his spittle run down into his beard...David had REASON to be depressed. Yet he wrote:
2Sa 22:2 And he said, The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer;
2Sa 22:3 The God of my rock; in him will I trust: he is my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower, and my refuge, my saviour; thou savest me from violence.
Esther \|/ also has good advice; I wouldn't hesitate to act upon it....Nehemiah PRAYED and asked for God's protection....Then stood up and posted a guard....There MAY be a medical reason for what you're experiencing. Perhaps you owe it to yourself to find out.What is the biblical way to deal with depression? Does the bible give advice on how to overcome depression?
If you are depressed, you have a responsibility to the people around you to try to get better. You can get better, you just have to keep trying. Seek professional help, they will definitely assist you in becoming better. Get over your issue and move on, life is too short.
Well start praying every night and every morning. Does your school have a L.D.S. ward in it? I would try looking up some one who is from the Church of Jesus Christ L.D.S. and see if they have a singles ward there. Start attending the services and you will find you make friends. Good luck and keep seeing your counselor.
Yes. It is difficult to dig out, because it is not addressed really specifically. Drink more water, get more 'B' vitamins, Take a good mineral supplement. Get more exercise, eat more good food, and less junk. (In the old country, we called them 'friends')
Justin know that God is in control. He tells us not to fret over the things that get in the way of praising Him to the fullest. It will all work out in the end. It is the Will of God. Let His will be done, not your own.
Peace in Christ!
Did you forget?!
The bible was written by men, not god!
Maybe stop praying, and start living your life. I wait that is a Christian life. Unless your looking to be brainwashed, i would ever look to the bible for *any* help. Use your brain!
“The past is our definition. we may strive, with good reason, to escape it, or to escape what is bad in it, but we will escape it only by adding something better to it.” Wendell Berry
Don't ask the Bible. The answers in there are usually horrific!
Go see your doctor. There are meds you can take that works wonders.
The most popular drug for an overwelmingly religious nation is the anti-depressent. Hmmmmm
yes,go to a bible believing church for help.
Romans 3:23,6:23,10
The Bible does not contain advice on how to deal with depression. You should go see a psychologist, instead of looking for answers in an ancient book written by people who thought the world was flat.
I suggest psychological/psychiatric help. Therapy and medicine will help you immensely.
1forgive
#2 praise the Lord and let the heaviness go
3# count your blessings
#4 realize your life is ahead of you
Go to the doctor and get some antidepressants. This would be my advice.
Therapy helped me a lot. Find a good therapist.
Read David's Psalms...
There is also a book called ';What You Say Is What You Get'; by Don Gossett that I would highly recommend to you. I have put a link to the book on Amazon below, so you can see a photo of it and know what to look for. This book teaches how we may choose God's blessings for ourselves by faith before we realize them, and that God's promises will not fail.
There is also merit to the comments about seeking some medical help. However, I would not recommend treating depression with drugs. There are two things you should look for especially when dealing with depression (from a medical point of view): 1) Vitamin or mineral deficiencies; and 2) toxicities. Many people improperly call these problems a ';chemical imbalance.'; However, you don't want any balance of toxins in your system, and supplying the lack in vitamins and other minerals also has more to do with proper nutrition than with an ';imbalance.'; Look for a doctor who recognizes the value of dietary supplements, and one who will do an HMA (hair mineral analysis) test to see your mineral levels. If you have toxins, look for one who can do chelation therapy to remove them.
Home remedies for depression:
1) Exercise. This is very important!
2) Sleep hours before midnight. Certain hormones necessary for proper metabolism and energy are produced during the hours of about 9-11 pm, but only when the lights are off and you are asleep. If you tend toward depression--get to bed early!
3) Focus on benefiting others. When you help other people, your own joy will increase.
4) Spend more time with God. He is the Master Healer, and suffered far more than any of us ever will. ';He knows our sorrows, and is acquainted with grief.'; (Isaiah 53) He wants you to be happy, and has a plan for your life.
May God bless you.
Go to a shrink and if need be take medication...
Look up Sloth..
i will pray for you.
I a Muslim, so I went to Wikipedia for a quick glance at the Deadly Sins. Take a look at the original meaning of Sloth:
';In fact it was first called the sin of sadness or despair. It had been in the early years of Christianity characterized by what modern writers would now describe as melancholy: apathy, depression, and joylessness — the last being viewed as being a refusal to enjoy the goodness of God and the world God created. Originally, its place was fulfilled by two other aspects, acedia and sadness. The former described a spiritual apathy that affected the faithful by discouraging them from their religious work.';
Do what you want with that.
Renee,
Unforgiveness can be a hidden culprit. It can make you a prisoner within yourself.
The Bible says “If you forgive men their trespasses, your Heavenly Father will forgive you. If you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Heavenly Father forgive your trespasses” (Matthew 6:14, 15, KJV).
That may seem harsh. But why shouldn’t God expect you to forgive those who have offended you, when He has forgiven you of so much?
Choosing to forgive is a choice of your will.
God says “Come unto Me, all you that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28, KJV) Isn’t rest what we long for when filled with the torture of an unforgiving spirit?
Are you harboring an unforgiving spirit? What’s preventing you from letting it go? Remember, your unwillingness to forgive is harming you far more than the person who has made you angry. Give it to God and ask Him to cleanse your heart and free you to experience His love and freedom.
Bless your heart, with my prayers...
Rev. Casi
I personally think being a Christian and seeking God's help is very wise. It may not cause your depression to go away but closeness to God, the Bible and walking in His way is definitely a help to overcoming the problems that are causing you to feel low. There were many people in the Bible who suffered from severe depression. Those who turned to God for help were usually helped but there were example who turned from his ways that were not. Words that come to mind are ';Rest on the Lord and wait patiently for him'; be kind to yourself and know that God loves you. Because a partner has rejected you that does not mean that God has or that others will. It takes time to develop a depressive illness and it may take a lot of time and work with the help of others to get back to your old cheerful self. Don't give up on God because He will never give up on you
Definitely go see doc.
My family has a genetic predisposition to depression. It hit one of my older sisters like the Israeli air force going after a terrorist rocket launcher. Wiped her out.
It took my Dad down too...only he refused to go see a shrink. He just prayed and prayed and prayed. He became hyper-religious. Lector at Church, member of the parish council, daily attendance at the 6AM mass before he went to work. It may have done some good...but mostly it got me really angry at God because this wasn't working. Of course it wasn't God's fault...he had given my Dad access to what he needed to get better... (psychologists and good health insurance) its just that my Dad was to damm stubborn to USE it. After about 20 years, and a miserable childhood, my Dad FINALLY had a nervous breakdown, did some inpatient care, and wound up being quite a pleasant fellow to be around. Of course by then I was out of the house and had more than a little bit of anger and frustration at the whole issue.
Bottom line, you don't need a ';Christian'; approach to your depression any more than you need a ';Christian'; (tm) approach to breast cancer, myopia, or hoof in mouth disease. A medical problem is a medical problem. Unless you have a shrink that tells you to go do something that is obviously sinful, (';Terri, I think you need to go stick up a bank. Do you a world of good'; ) just go see a doc and don't worry about it.
Christ came to Earth to found a Church, not a PPO.
Good luck and God bless
You know it might be a chemical thing. My sister is a Christian but she has a chemical imbalance and has been on anti depression medicine most of her adult life. Please go to a doctor and see if this can help you. There's absolutely nothing wrong with being a Christian and needing medicine. God loves you and wants you to lead a whole, happy life.
Also, depression has been called ';anger turned inwards';. If you can learn to forgive, and if you can look outwards towards others, instead of inwards towards yourself, this can help you. And of course, immersing yourself in the word of God!
Paul wrote, ';Rejoice in the Lord, again I say rejoice!'; He wrote those words while in a Roman prison. I suffer from some issues with depression among other things myself. I have managed to keep mine under control without taking antidepressants. I've been down that road and it wasn't pretty for me. I do take some natural supplements. If you are interested in info on them, feel free to e-mail me.
Sometimes it feels like I have two angry squirrels fighting inside my head! It's hard to rejoice when you feel like your own life is going to hell, and everyone else around you is happy. But remember to take it one day at a time. This too shall pass. It wont be like this forever, THANK GOD!!
';Divorce'; can have the exact same mental %26amp; emotional impact as ';death';.... just knowing THAT, can help breath ';perspective'; into your life... you were prepared to spend your LIFE with someone and now they are gone forever.....
but you also need to keep perspective on the fact that maybe he was NOT the person God really meant for you.... sometimes we ';marry'; out of obligation, especially if there was ANY kind of ';sexual'; relationship involved... lay all of this before God and rest in the fact that He loves you dearly, and the person He REALLY has for you will be the exact match that will compliment who YOU are.....
Wow, girl. I know where you are at. And it will get better. I found some scriptures that really help me. I just repeat them over and over. I really don't want to tell you which scriptures because you will find the ones that are most meaningful for you. God wants you to enjoy life! Take it day by day, minute by minute. Put on your favorite outfit, do your make up and hair, go out somewhere and just be around people. Being alone is the worst thing right now. I think you are about to turn the corner. This is the year.
So some verses you might look at are below. I hope one of them gives you what you need.
Mark 4:19
Philippians 4:6-7
1 Peter 5:7
Psalm 34:15 17
Psalm 42:6 8 11
When we lose a spouse, through death, or other ways, it is a hard thing to deal with. Any one would be depressed, but, for a season.
There are several things that would, in my opinion, that would apply, scripturally speaking.
The Bible tells us not to forsake the assembling with other Christians, simply meaning: Go to church, there you will hear the word, get friends of your own, and your life will come together.
All good and perfect things come from God,
Renee, I really don't know your religious background, but, if it's in the Bible, we should believe it. Spirits are very real, and perhaps are contributing to your depression.
You mentioned depression as a child, which leads me to believe that there are deep rooted things causing your problem.
There is a book called, ';Pigs In The Parlor'; I suggest that you read it.
First of all far to often we treat feelings as reality which they are not. Just because I feel sick does not mean in a technical or medical sense I am. Over the years I have seen people based on a feeling talk themselves into being sick when it is a matter of faulty thinking. What can never be diminished is the warning signs feelings are. If you are not eating properly or getting enough sleep it may manifest itself in being tired and every other activity is done with a sense of lethargy. If we have been counting on someone to validate our worth and either through our perception or in reality they betray what we think should have happened we can become depressed. The bottom line in depression and anxiety is not about the external but the internal. The bible answers the question about our worth but far to often what the bible says is dismissed while a supposed change in our circumstances is embraced. Jesus said can worry add one day to your life? Don't get me wrong it is being dishonest to say we never worry but it is what we do when we are worried that matters. This is very evident with what has happened in the economy and many today are not only worried but live in a sense of fear. The very people who are so worried have never missed a meal or not had a roof over their heads. What are they afraid to lose. They fear loss of what they had use of on a temporary basis
This applies to human relationships as well. I like others have been disappointed by others and what they have said and done. There are times because of the actions or lack of actions of others we can feel so unloved or unwanted and as humans that cannot be avoided because we are not perfect. The gospel message is about gods sacrifice for us as imperfect as we are. Now people today like to reject God and that is the starting point for misery not joy. People like to throw out the need to see a psychiatrist or get on some medication and if there is a physical problem that may be necessary. What do they actually do? They try to teach you how to think right and to talk about your worries and fears. Yet the very profession that seeks to help you has one problem. The very thing they try to help you with they disproportianately suffer from. The facts are in the psychological community the suicide rate is hgher than the general population. Why? Even at their best they cannot give meaning and purpose to life. They can help people to move on but they cannot offer the freedom found in being forgiven. We are talking about the difference between a human solution and the solution God has offered through his son Jesus. The problem is that many gravitate to the human solutions and the result is that they will always be at the mercy of someone else or how thy feel. The gospel deals with who you are and it also deals with what the Lord is willing to do for those who trust him and believe him. You will always hace synics in here that hate god and yet they cannot offer you any solution other than drugs or pschychiatry. Yet the truth is nothing else will ever be right unless the first issue is being dealt with and that is the relationship God desires with all who are saved. Look outside if you must but the answers are not there. The answer ls in the Lord who created you to love him and share in love with you and no one on earth can even come close to that. Yet in that relationship you are able to live boldly and to even endure what appears to be painful for the Lords love and promises can never be diminshed.
The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the LORD upholdeth him with his hand.
Psalm 37:23-24 (KJV)
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Trust in the LORD, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed. Delight thyself also in the LORD: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.
Psalm 37:3-4 (KJV)
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So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
Isaiah 41:10 (NIV)
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So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
Isaiah 41:10 (NIV)
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These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.
John 16:33 (KJV)
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Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.
Psalm 46:10 (KJV)
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To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn; To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified.
Isaiah 61:2-3 (KJV)
There is no quick or easy way to deal with depression. Saying a prayer won't make it magically disappear. I have found that the church can be very judgemental when it comes to depression.
See your doctor. You may need to try different meds to see what works for you. It is a chemical imbalance. Once you deal with the imbalance, you can deal with the other issues.
The other issue is with your anger at your ex. You should confront your ex and tell him how he has hurt you. Frustration comes when you don't express your true feelings and allow other people to walk all over you. Its quite empowering when you finally speak your mind. Forgive him and move on.
Set some goals in your life and work towards them. Start off small. Write a list of all the things you want to do in life and of the things that make you happy. Try new things. Join a dating website. Meet new people. Things will eventually get better.
Good luck.
a christian will tell you to 'pray about it'. a rational person will tell you to get therapy and meds if you need them.
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