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This Thing Called Depression

I will be glad and rejoice in your love,

for you saw my affliction

and knew the anguish of my soul.

Psalm 31:7

I had some experience in dealing with people who have mental illness and depression, but I didn’t see the signs in myself. I couldn’t ask for help because I didn’t know I needed help.

Clara Hughes

I want to ask you a few questions. No one will know your answers, so answer with complete honesty. The truest answer is likely the one you find yourself thinking, “But I wouldn’t want her to know . . .” Believe me, I’ve thought that very same thing myself—many times.

Do you ever look around you and it seems as if the whole world is laughing but you?
Have you ever gone to sleep one night and awoken the next morning to find your joy, your enthusiasm, or your motivation has disappeared?
Do you hear others speak of joy and think, “I’ve no idea what joy feels like”?
Does it ever feel as if you live in a state of “constant overwhelm”?
Do the simplest tasks require more effort than you can muster?
Would you or those close to you consider you a “glass half empty” kind of person?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, it’s possible you are experiencing or have experienced symptoms of depression.

Depression presents in various ways depending on the individual, but the common thread is that it’s always emotionally painful. Perhaps the description of depression to which I could most relate is that “it’s like drowning, except you can see everyone around you breathing” (author unknown).

Many experience depression, don’t recognize it for what it is, and would be loath to admit it even if they did. Denial never means something doesn’t exist or didn’t happen, just that the pain of recognizing it seems to outweigh the potential benefit of being vulnerable and seeking help. Sometimes it’s difficult to answer the question “What’s wrong?” when we can’t first answer the question “What’s right?”

For the longest time I didn’t want to admit to myself, or to anyone else, that I struggled with depression. My mother suffered with it the majority of her adult life. Her mother and her sister succumbed to it for years as well, although they didn’t recognize it for what it was or call it depression.

Growing up, I lived in a home where depression abounded, yet I never heard that term. It was as if depression was a way of life. My mother suffered from depression, yet I chalked up her way of interacting to her personality, thinking to myself, “That’s just the way she is.” So when depression reared its ugly head in my own life, I didn’t initially recognize it for what it was. Denial doesn’t mitigate the experience; it just dampens our ability or our willingness to proactively seek change or get help. Sadly, it prolongs our misery.

What Is Depression?

In psychiatry, depression falls under the classification of a “mood disorder.” It’s considered a condition of general emotional dejection and withdrawal during which one experiences a greater degree of sadness or sadness that lasts longer than what is reasonably warranted given the circumstances. It often results in decreased energy, stamina, or functional activity. Depression can present in a wide range of severities and is expressed in different ways depending on the age, gender, ethnicity, personality, upbringing, and circumstances of the person suffering.

In any given year, approximately 18.8 million American adults suffer from a depressive disorder,1 and at some point in their lives, about one out of four Americans will experience depression.2 If we broaden the scope, at least 350 million people globally live with depression.3 In the United States, only 29 percent of all persons with depression reported contacting a mental health professional last year,4 and in some countries, as few as one out of ten receive effective treatment.5 Nearly twice as many women as men are estimated to be affected by a depressive disorder each year.6 These figures translate to more than 9 million women in the United States each year suffering from this devastating condition.7 If you are not one of them, you know one of them! Depression is the leading cause of disability worldwide.8

The incidence of depression is increasing. Depression often begins in the early middle-age years and is also fairly common among the elderly. It’s sometimes a reversible cause of cognitive changes in seniors. It’s also increasingly common in children and youth. Over half of youth diagnosed with depression experience a recurrence within seven years.

Everyone experiences feelings of sadness at times, but generally this is a fleeting emotion that resolves itself relatively quickly. Depression, however, interferes with daily functioning for weeks or longer.

Symptoms of Depression

Some of the most common symptoms of depression include:

feeling sad, blue, down, or numb
irritability or agitation
difficulty concentrating
feeling worthless, helpless, and/or hopeless
feeling guilty
indecisiveness
decreased energy or motivation
decreased interest in previously enjoyed activities

decreased social interaction

crying

sleep disturbance

appetite disturbance

unintentional weight gain or loss

aches and pains that do not improve with treatment

excessive use of alcohol or other substances (including prescription medication)

thoughts of suicide

There are a myriad of other associated symptoms. Most sufferers will experience a subset of symptoms, and the severity varies from person to person. Depression affects people in different ways. Men and women display symptoms of depression differently. Children with depression present much differently than adults with the same condition. Older adults suffering from depression also present differently and often with less obvious symptoms. They may be reticent to admit to sadness or grief, and their presentation may be masked by other medical conditions.

How depression is experienced and the degree to which it affects one’s functioning is very personal in nature. Consider it like this: you and I could both see a physician and receive a diagnosis of allergies, yet your symptoms may include congestion and cough while mine might entail a runny nose, itchy eyes, and hives. While our symptoms vary, our diagnosis is the same. The same is true with depression in that we can both suffer but present with different symptoms. If not treated effectively, depression can result in devastating life consequences such as broken relationships, divorce, job loss, physical illness, personal injury, or suicide.

Often symptoms of depression are masked by external behaviors used to cope with internal feelings. For example, addictive behaviors such as drinking, overeating, or excessive spending can begin as an effort to cope with the underlying symptoms of depression, including sadness, loneliness, or irritability. Angry outbursts can mask feelings of rejection or embarrassment frequently experienced during a depressive episode. Even traits that appear to be more socially desirable, like perfectionism, drivenness, people pleasing, or peacekeeping, can be subconscious coping styles for managing the discomfort depression produces.

As a medical professional, I’ve found that many misunderstand depression. Those who don’t suffer from it or haven’t had a loved one deal with the ache from it have a hard time grasping the personal depth to which depression cuts or the devastating sense of loss and sadness that accompany it. Those who have not experienced it for themselves will frequently be either ignorant of depression’s presence or in denial of it.

The majority of books written on the subject, as well as many treating practitioners, ignore the spiritual side of depression. The spiritual battle is the reason more people aren’t effectively treated and why individuals frequently experience recurrence after treatment. Treatment, then, if it’s to be truly helpful, cannot ignore this aspect. I endeavor to shed light on this spiritual battle to equip you to fight this war more effectively.

Now that you have a better understanding of what depression is, the next chapter discusses one of the biggest secrets impacting the church today.

Your Rx

Reread the list of the most common symptoms of depression. Put a check mark next to each one you’ve experienced for more than two weeks to determine if depression may be a factor in this current season for you. If you aren’t sure, do not fret. Only a physician, psychologist, or therapist can diagnose with certainty, yet reviewing the list will give you an indication and start you in the right direction.

In your preferred version of the Bible, look up the following verses: Psalms 31:7; 34:17–18; 54:4. Then write them on index cards and place them where you will see them frequently. I encourage you to read each of these passages aloud three times daily, committing them to memory. The Bible tells us that faith comes by hearing, and at this point in your journey through depression, it will help for you to hear God’s promises as you recite them aloud to yourself.

My Prayer for You

Father, you know the battle I’ve fought. You recall the days when the only prayer I could offer for myself was a whispered, feeble “Help.” During those days, I depended on the prayers of others to carry my needs to your throne. It is my privilege and honor to come before your presence now, Father, on behalf of the one reading these words. You know every unspoken need. You know there is fear you won’t hear or answer because the pain hurts too bad or has gone on so long. Father, lift up this precious one. Your Word tells us in Psalm 18:30 that your way is perfect and that you are a shield to all who trust in you. Sometimes, Father, we have to borrow on the faith and trust of others who are just a step or two ahead of us in the journey. I trust you that your way is perfect and that you will show your love, your perfect way, to this one you love. Father, you will do as you promised in Isaiah 41:13. I trust you will take this one by the hand and lovingly say, “Do not be afraid. I will help you.” Thank you, Father, for your great love for us, that you care for us, and that you hear and long to answer every prayer. In Jesus’s name, amen.

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1 This Thing Called Depression

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This Thing Called Depression