Depression, like anxiety which often goes alongside it, can be a really tough experience. We can become depressed when difficult circumstances erode our well-being, or workplace stresses bring us close to burnout. We can become depressed when those we love, or we ourselves, experience serious illness or addiction. Depression can often occur when a relationship breaks down or after losing a beloved partner, parent or child.
We can become depressed when we have had to suppress deep and negative feelings that we are unable to process at the time, so they become ‘frozen’ inside of us. And even more confusingly, we can become clinically depressed for seemingly no reason at all.
Depression affects one in every four or five people at some point, so it is much more common than we think. Fortunately over recent years people are beginning to be a little more open than they used to about their struggles.
Seeing a doctor is always a good thing to do as our body chemistry changes during depression, hence the usefulness of anti-depressants.
It can be a time of sadness and hopelessness, a time when we feel worthless or ashamed; or simply just plain numb and disconnected to everything. Most depressed people feel completely alone and scared that this will never change and that the depression will never stop.
Lou talks about this in these next three videos. Depression is something she both works with and has experienced for herself.
Can God Help with Depression?
God, cares very deeply about our depression. He knows how grim these feelings are and how darkness seems to wrap itself around our psyche. He wants to join us in this journey to bring the light and guidance needed to show us the way through into peace and joy again. He also warms us where we are frozen aside, helping us to engage and process these emotions more healthily again.