Breaking Free From DepressionSample

What Is Clinical Depression?

In day two’s reading, we learned that sadness comes from disappointing situations. When sadness becomes pervasive it can lead to depression. We live in a fallen and broken world, so it is no wonder we are often disappointed. We contribute to the brokenness of the world with our choices, and we suffer the consequences of other’s choices.

Feeling down happens to all of us but if you are feeling 5 or more of these symptoms for longer than two weeks you may be dealing with clinical depression:

• An irritable, sad, empty or cranky mood, belief that life is hopeless or meaningless.
• Loss of interest in activities, difficulty finding pleasure.
• Changes in appetite, significant weight gain or loss.
• Excessive late-night activities, too much or too little sleep, trouble getting up in the morning.
• Physical agitation or slowness, excessive or repetitive behaviours.
• Loss of energy, social withdrawal, or boredom.
• Making critical comments about yourself, being overly sensitive to rejection.
• Poor performance in school or work or frequent absences. Trouble concentrating.
• Thinking about death or suicide, giving away favourite belongings, comments like “You’re better off without me.”

For anyone that might be suffering from depression, or simply sadness, there is always hope. As the author of Lamentations put it: The faithful love of the Lord never ends, and his mercies never cease. Your situation may be uncertain, but one thing you can be certain of is God’s character and love. He is constant and present.

The Psalmist knew this. Whether he was enduring the consequences of his own sin or suffering unfairly under the weight of the sinful world, he often turned to God in prayer. As you read his prayer in Psalm 51, let it encourage you to talk to the God who loves and understands you. We are told to cast – or throw – all our cares on him because he cares for us.