Someone once said, "A man with an experience is never at the mercy of a man with an argument." That is so true.
I'm not an expert on depression but I've sure had to deal with my share of it over the years.
About 8 years ago I went through the dark night of my soul which lasted almost 3 years. It took everything I had within me to just get up and face another day. Many of my close friends abandoned me while many others stepped up and became angels of light in the midst of the darkness.
I would never wish that experience upon even my enemies. It was terrible and frightening. I honestly didn't know if I would ever get through that dark season of my life.
I did and I am so glad for God's deliverance and strength.
David experienced that darkness. He felt rejection and a sense of being overwhelmed. Everywhere he turned there was a sense of loss.
He asks the question a number of times in the Psalms "Why am I so depressed? Why is this turmoil within me?"
He had to "talk himself" through the depression. He couldn't give into to his feelings of depression and discouragement. He was having an argument with himself about how he felt.
Over and over he would say, "Put your hope in God... Trust Him... He will bring you through this. He has come through for you in the past and He will come through again."
It is interesting - at the end of the Psalm, none of the circumstances of the psalmist have changed, only his attitude, and what a difference that makes!
The darkness was still there, the answers had not come but He was now fully trusting God.
David knew that He needed help and that help could only come from God.
FOUR POSSIBLE CAUSES OF DEPRESSION
Depression is like pouring melted butter down the drain of your kitchen sink and chasing it with cold water. Eventually the sink will not flow or function very well. Instead it becomes clogged.
The same is true with depression. We get mentally and emotionally clogged up, making it difficult to see and think straight.
So what are the possible causes for depression? The first is a sense of…
1- GREAT LOSS.
A family member, a friend, a job, etc. The list could on and on.
Then the second possible cause of depression is…
2- UNRESOLVED ISSUES.
Past issues with parents, friends, family, etc. We have run from our past problems never fully dealing with them. We just hope they will go away. We become hard and take it out on ourselves. Mentally and emotionally we shut down and get depressed, just as a clogged sink does.
Yet another possible cause may be a…
3- CHEMICAL IMBALANCE.
An empty gas tank of a car would best illustrate a person with a chemical imbalance. Our brains react the same way with a neuro-transmitter chemical in our brain called erotonin and epinephrine. The main chemical serotonin is like gas in our brains. If serotonin is low, you’ll shut down and exhibit symptoms of depression, which are lack of concentration or motivation and dejection. However, with proper diagnosis, medications are used to increase serotonin levels to help this chemical imbalance.
You may ask: Is it a sin or lack of faith to take medication to increase serotonin? The answer would be the same for example as for someone who is diabetic. We don’t humiliate them for taking insulin nor say they lack faith. Their body simply needs insulin to function. The same is true with a person who needs serotonin. The body needs it. Yet unlike insulin, you don’t have to stay on it for the rest of your life (except with certain conditions like bi-polar and other conditions that’s more chronic). Usually medication is used to help a person through that period in order for them to work on different issues and resolve them. Thus it allows the body to naturally produce serotonin once again.
And finally, the fourth possible cause of depression is…
4- PROLONGED FATIGUE
Tiredness can set you up for becoming prone to depression. We’re never more vulnerable to depression than when fatigued or over-tired. Therefore, taking care of the physical body is just as important as taking care of the spiritual body.
Understanding these four causes of depression will help us in dealing with it.
Now listen to what Jesus said to His disciples when they were weary, “Come away and rest for awhile”.
Psalms 40:1-2 (NLT) I waited patiently for the Lord to help me, and he turned to me and heard my cry. (2) He lifted me out of the pit of despair, out of the mud and the mire. He set my feet on solid ground and steadied me as I walked along.
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