Myths About Depression

Throughout my years of battling depression I have come across many myths about depression. Some of these greatly affected my view and treatment of the illness. I'd like to address just a few of these.

1." Depression is something you can overcome." This statement in itself is ludicrous. Who would not do anything possible to overcome their depression if they could. I've tried everything possible in attempt to rid myself of this horrible sickness. You cannot "will" it away-it is much deeper than that.

2. "Depression is a spiritual problem." Oh boy, have I heard that one and even believed it. There are many causes for depression. Heredity, chemical imbalances in the brain, trauma, and the list goes on. While God has certainly said He will never leave us or forsake us, that is not a guarantee of healing. It simply means He will be with us it through it. And while He is certainly able to heal us, there are times that He allows us to walk through trials with Him by our side. 

3," Don't get caught up in that "psycho babble stuff"." Heard that one too. While I'm sure there are incompetent people in the psychiatry, psychology, and counseling areas, the truth is most are reputable and have gone into the field to help people with mental illnesses. Psychiatrists mainly deal with medications. Psychologists work in the field of understanding the causes and effects of mental illnesses. Counselors help a person work through issues and trauma. I have been criticized for seeking help from these professionals. I have been most fortunate in having had two wonderful counselors that I honestly don't know if I'd be here if it weren't for them. It has been a double blessing for me that both were Christians and able to know where I'm coming from. Here I want to emphasize that NEVER ONCE has a counselor suggested or stated or lead me to believe that my problems stem from any given experience. I have NEVER been lead to believe something. In my case, they have been objective competent people who I can talk to and get unbiased, non-judgmental counsel. 

4. "Don't get messed up with all that psychiatric medication stuff". Again I believed that. I can't tell you how many times I have tried to "wean" myself off of my medication-always with dire results. The truth is, some people need medication. In my case it allows me to lead as near normal life as possible. I finally realized the truth that I need these medications and that ok! Sure, I'd love to not have to take them but I have reached the conclusion the hard way that they are necessary for me. I'm done feeling guilty for it and have accepted it. Except for a miracle from the Lord, I will more than likely be on medication for my lifetime. That is not being negative or living in unbelief-it is facing the facts and managing my problems in a way that helps me. No one tells a diabetic, cancer patient, or someone with high blood pressure that it is a spiritual problem. That they should get off all that medication; yet that advice is freely given to those with a mental illness. So, I'm done feeling guilty for it and I emphasize to those who want to guilt me into feeling bad for being on medication-save your breath-you obviously have not experienced what I have. 

5."Go to your pastor for counsel-thats all you really need." I mention this one for the simple fact that this is advice often given. Now don't misunderstand me-pastors are wonderful counsel on certain subjects. Marriage, personal problems, spiritual advice, etc. they're your man and I am thankful for them. However, when it comes to an illness, like any other illness, you need a person trained specifically for your needs. 

These are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to myths on depression. Hopefully in the near future we can address others.

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Thanks once again for reading. I welcome your comments. There have been some problems I've been told in being able to get on and comment. Please read the directions given by Cacey in my former blog on how to get on. Love and happiness, Deb

Don't Give Up Hope

Greetings! My hope as I start this new (to me) project is to shed more light on the subject of depression and to emphasize that it is something we can and not only can, but must deal with. For those of you, like myself, who suffer with depression, I hope our sharing can encourage one another. To those who do not suffer from it or perhaps have a loved one who does, I hope to bring light to the subject and ideas about how to handle it.
 Let me emphasize, I am in no way an expert or professional; I am simply one person out of thousands who suffer with the debilitating disease we call depression. I welcome thoughts, suggestions, and questions-I simply ask that all be done with grace and compassion.
There is really no good place to start with the subject at hand. Simply put, I am bi-polar (not all who have depression are) and I fight an ongoing battle with the ravages of depression. I have good days and even weeks and I have very bad days and weeks. It varies to different degrees-from simply wishing I could die to feeling so disinterested in everything in life to having no motivation for anything.
Depression sucks the joy and enjoyment out of everything in life. It's not a "blue" day or feeling down because something unfortunate has happened. Rather, everything can seemingly be fine in your life. You can have a great marriage, good job, great kids, be financially secure, etc. yet feel that there is no reason to live.
It's a greatly misunderstood subject. Much advice is given such as: "oh I just get real busy when I feel depressed", or "think positively"; there is a multitude of good intentional advice given but these just prove that they really "don't get it".
Hopefully, together we can discuss, explore, and encourage and enlighten one another.
Thanks for reading my first attempt here. I'm looking forward to many more to come!