Good morning dear reader,
I hope you’ve had the most blessed Easter this past Sunday celebrating the resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!
As a wrap up to our series on mental illness today I will be sharing with you some information and insight from our pastor here at Wolcott Christian Church that will hopefully bring you some information on some of the true causes of anxiety and depression that can help you if you are personally dealing with these issues but also, I pray, will help you to more easily relate to anyone in your life dealing with these issues.
Ed Welch’s book “Depression: A Stubborn Darkness” provides for us the following diagram:
Causes of Depression
- Outside events (AKA: things outside of our control, things (people, events, illnesses) that come at us)
- Internal beliefs (AKA: interpretations of events, things we can change, things that come out of us)
Something to consider: Am I depressed (living in darkness) or am I sad about something that has transpired in my life?
Remember, medical depression is diagnosed when symptoms of sadness and or heightened anxiety has persisted for two weeks consecutively.
Because most times suffering is involved in depression it is important to understand that there are three basic reasons for suffering.
- The sins of others and their effect on us
- Our own sins and the consequences of those sins
- Trials and tribulation that God allows into our lives to build our faith and reliance upon Him
There is no doubt that depression and anxiety are more prevalent in our culture than any other time in history.
These statements and statistics are from the Anxiety and Depression Association of America
- Anxiety disorders are the most common mental illness in the U.S., affecting 40 million adults in the United States age 18 and older, or 18.1% of the population every year.
- Anxiety disorders are highly treatable, yet only 36.9% of those suffering receive treatment.
- People with an anxiety disorder are three to five times more likely to go to the doctor and six times more likely to be hospitalized for psychiatric disorders than those who do not suffer from anxiety disorders.
- Anxiety disorders develop from a complex set of risk factors, including genetics, brain chemistry, personality, and life events.
- It’s not uncommon for someone with an anxiety disorder to also suffer from depression or vice versa. Nearly one-half of those diagnosed with depression are also diagnosed with an anxiety disorder.
Now, in regards to medications it is important to remember that medications treat symptoms.
“Obviously, some anti-depressants can be helpful treating symptoms but biblically this is a Romans 14 question for each person to decide. As a pastor/biblical counselor I would tell any counselee to consult with their physician before stopping the use of medication and ultimately that decision needs to be between the person and their physician.”
“I do believe that the power and authority of scripture can help any believer with the symptoms of anxiety and depression. For some believers simply understanding the scriptural reasons that cause suffering and what scripture teaches concerning it can be an immense amount of help in dealing with depression and anxiety.”
Dear friends,
I leave you with these words today. Please know, if you are suffering, that life does not have to be this hard! You do not have to suffer in silence and God does not want you to! He has great things planned for your life so please don’t hold Him back by pretending everything is fine. It’s okay not to be okay.
Lord,
I pray your blessing over each person reading this article. Give them the incredible strength and the courage to reach out and get help if they need it. Or open their eyes to those around them in need, that they will be bold and loving enough to reach out and bring out into the light the suffering from the darkness. Life does not have to be this hard! You want better for us, please help us to cling to your promises for a better life!
Thank you for your promises today and always,
In Jesus’ name I pray,
Amen
Thank you for taking this journey with me friends. I pray you have learned something about yourself or your loved ones through the stories we have heard and that you will be forever changes as I know I will.
Love,
Katie