The Darkness of Depression

The Center of Disease Control and Prevention record that an estimated 1 in 10 Americans report depression. Studies were done in 2006 and 2008. Participants were considered to have major depression if, for "more than half the days," they reported meeting at least five of the eight criteria, including at least one of the following:
1)      little interest or pleasure in doing things
2)      feeling down, depressed, or hopeless
3)      trouble falling asleep or staying asleep or sleeping too much
4)      feeling tired or having little energy
5)      poor appetite or overeating
6)      feeling bad about yourself or that you were a failure or let yourself or your family down
7)      trouble concentrating on things, such as reading the newspaper or watching television
8)      moving or speaking so slowly that other people could have noticed…or the opposite: being so fidgety or restless that you were moving around a lot more than usual."

Who Tends to be Most Depressed?
This study found the following groups to be more likely to meet criteria for major depression:
·         persons 45-64 years of age
·         women
·         blacks, Hispanics, non-Hispanic persons of other races or multiple races
·         persons with less than a high school education
·         those previously married
·         individuals unable to work or unemployed
·         persons without health insurance coverage
From http://www.cdc.gov/features/dsdepression/

Depression may be brought on by situations, developmentally, biologically, or spiritually. Christians suffer from depression. Some “Christian” myths about depression:
-“Real Christians” aren’t susceptible to major depression
- Depression is solely a spiritual disorder or moral failure
- Depression = “the Dark Night of the Soul”
- A depressed person cannot be a “good witness”
- Depression is caused by God
- Depressed persons should avoid medicine (psychotropic, mood stabilizers, etc.) and/or psychotherapy and should let their depression “sanctify” them
- Prayer and Bible reading are sufficient to end or minimize depression

So, what should you do?
Because you are mind, soul and body, you should give attention to each.
>See your doctor. Your doctor can discover chemical or hormonal imbalances.
>See your pastor or a Christian counselor. A counselor can help heal your soul.
>Embrace the Holy Spirit in prayer and scripture. The Holy Spirit can heal your spirit.

Psalms 40:1-2
I waited patiently for the Lord;
    He turned to me and heard my cry.
2 He lifted me out of the slimy pit,
    out of the mud and mire;
He set my feet on a rock
    and gave me a firm place to stand.

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