If you are currently suffering from depression, and in need of counselling, please do not hesitate to contact us. We will be there ready to help you out.Be blessed, stay blessed, beloved friends. Did you know that one out of eight people suffer from depression? Did you know that depression is rapidly becoming number one disease in the world? That’s right. There are many types of depression such as Major depression which is also referred to as 'major depressive disorder' or biochemical, clinical, unipolar, or biological depression (melancholic or psychotic depression) the so called Bipolar disorder, which is a cyclical illness that results in manias, thus extreme happiness or extreme sadness. There are many other forms that fit the term depression. Depression can be hereditary, but it also can have a psychological source such as a low self esteem but it can also be triggered by a traumatic event; other causes may be medical causes such as disease, alcohol and drugs (major depressants), social environment, living with a depressed person etc.
Another word for depression is Melancholia (Greek word), which is a state of extreme sadness. Let me give you a brief history regarding this word. The name of ‘melancholia’ comes from the Greek theory called the four humors. A theory that found its origin in 400 B.C. The state of ‘melancholia’ was believed to be an imbalance of the four basic bodily fluids, which according to Hippocrates were: the yellow bile(responsible for the choleric temperament), phlegm (responsible for the phlegmatic personality), blood (responsible for the sanguine personality) and the black bile (responsible for the melancholic temperament) . For a better understanding of these definitions let me give you a short explanation of each of these humors.
The Sanguine temperament consisted of: cheerful, optimistic and even tempered temperament
The choleric temperament: prone to anger and bad temper.
The phlegmatic temperament: consistent, relaxed, and observant, and more over reliable and compassionate.
The melancholia temperament: sadness, extreme sadness.
The Greek believed that the state of ‘melancholia’ (thus the fourth humor) was caused by a preponderance of black bile. Hence the word black which meant that the world looked black from within which in turn made him extreme sad.
In counseling for example, these so called four humors, which are in fact a state of emotions, are believed to interchange in phases of a person’s life. Nobody can be melancholic all the time, nobody can be phlegmatic all the time. Life has its ups and downs and we respond to them by the effects of these events. Almost nobody stays in the same state all of his or her life, unless there be a clinical cause for this depression. In order to see if you suffer from depression you need to evaluate your emotions, and see if these fit the symptoms of depression.
Please look carefully at some of the signs of depression to see if you suffer from depression or not: insomnia, fear, sadness, inability to feel any emotion such as laughter, joy etc, loss of interest in daily activities or enjoyable activities such as hobbies, loss of appetite and thus weight loss or an increase in weight due to over eating, sleeping more than normal, restless , extreme fatigue, mental fatigue, feelings of helplessness, guilt, anxiety, low self esteem, suicidal ,nightmares, aggressiveness.
If you suffer from more than four of these symptoms, you have a high cause of probability that you suffer from depression.
In a biblical way, we see that some of our bible heroes suffered from depression too. Although the Bible does not use the word depression as such, it gives us a pretty good example of people who suffered from depression. A good example is King David, who suffered many times from depression in his life. One time when he suffered from depression was when he had committed adultery with Baat-sheba and realized what he had done. Take a look what he said about this:
“I am troubled; I am bowed down greatly; I go mourning all the day long. For my loins are filled with a loathsome disease: and there is no soundness in my flesh.I am feeble and sore broken: I have roared by reason of the disquietness of my heart”(Ps 38:6-8)
Depression comes from an oppressiveness of the spirit. This oppression might come due to gilt, as in David’s case. Oppression is often of demonic origin, due to demons that have gained a legal doorway in our lives due to some form of sin on our behalf. These demons of oppression can in many cases cause depression. Nevertheless, not all depression is of a demonic source, for in many cases, depression can have an origin in the disability to deal with anger, pain, rejection etc. We all have in some form or another felt the disability to deal with such emotions.We all know the feeling of hopelessness that goes along with the disability of dealing with such feelings. Even King Salomon, one if not the wisest men on earth that has ever lived, knew this feeling too well “The spirit of a man will sustain him in sickness, But who can bear a broken spirit?"(Prov 18:14). But not all of us, will end up in depression due to our disability to deal with those emotions.
So why some will end up in depression and why other's will not, is to my impression a case to be studied individually (family history, life history etc). Nevertheless, depression when it hits a person can be devastating indeed. King Salomon gives us an accurate description of the state of our spirit, it is of utter brokenness. When we suffer from depression our spirit aches, yearns from pain and heaviness and our outlook on life is pitch black. I know this feeling only too well, for I suffered from depression for a long time. In my case, almost every listed symptom above was applicable to my state of being at that time. It was a horrendous and most difficult time for me. The only thing that helped me, that gave life and light back to my spirit was indeed the Word of God. With the help of a good friend and the love of family and of course never to forget of God, I slowly but surely found my way out of that horrendous pit.
Jesus said: “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Mt 11:28-30)
So friends, be of good cheer, Jesus himself has promised us that He will take the heavy load and He will give us His yoke which is light indeed. That is a mighty promise we as Christians, have a right to claim, to hold on to. Grab this promise as if you were holding to dear life, and go in prayer before the Lord and ask Him to give you His yoke. Release yours unto Him. In no time you will indeed notice that you feel lighter and lighter .Happier and happier. The world starts laughing at you again, you are now capable to laugh at the world back. Believe me it worked for me, and if it worked for me, it will surely work for you. God is no respecter of persons (acts 10:34). What He has done in His grace and love for me, He will surely do for you, no doubt about that!
All you need to do is place your hope in God: “Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted in me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance”(Ps42:5).
God encourages us to call upon Him in our distress, He promises us a way out. See: “And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me”(Ps 50:15). He promised us that He would deliver us out of all our troubles, our enemies. Depression is our enemy for it holds our life in captivity. We aren't able to move forward. When God delivers you out of your captivity, be sure to give Him the glory that He is due.Give thanks to the Lord for His mercy endures forever, is a phrase that is mentioned over and over in many psalms, and it is true, we should thank Him, for we have much to be thankful of. You will see His providence, His power and most of all, you will feel His immense love for you! When God touches our hearts with His loving kindness, with His utter love for you, you nothing but utterly blessed. You will feel a special person, because that is what God wants you to feel, for that is the way He sees you!
Remember that. You will find your depression melting away as snow before the sun. God has a way of making one feel special, beloved and accepted. He touches every one of His children in His own particular and loving way. He knows what works best for you, and He will perform His marvelous works of healing in you for His glory. All in order for you to know that you where made because He wanted you to exist, because He loves you so much. Therefore your outlook on yourself, your low self esteem, which often lies at the root of many causes of depression, will erase like the shadow to the sun. He will be the glowing ray, that erases the dark spot deep within you, that hinders you to be the person you really are. He will fill your innermost part with His special touch, with His special love, that only God can give you. Once you have been touched by God in this way, you will love to reach out to others, because this is God's special touch in us. Whatever He does for us, makes us so thankful, that we in return want to share Him with others. Do you know that feeling? I do.
Remember this always:”…. Greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world”( 1 John 4:4)
If you suffer from depression go into the Bible, look for God’s providence, read the Bible, read about God’s miracles, and expect Him to do for you the same. God has promised us that:
“Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee”(Isaiah 26:3)
Prayer and praise can be other tools to help you overcome depression.
One of David’s prayers which sums it all up is Psalm 51: 1 -15:
“Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy loving kindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me. Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest. Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me. Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom. Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice. Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit. Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee. Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, thou God of my salvation: and my tongue shall sing aloud of thy righteousness.O Lord, open thou my lips; and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise. “ Amen and Amen