Victory Over DepressionНамуна

Define the Problem

Once you have made the decision to get better, there are several steps in solidifying your decision. First, define the problem with depression as it relates to you personally. Some people with depression overeat, while others have no appetite at all. Some toss and turn from lack of sleep, while others cannot seem to get enough rest to make it through a day. What symptoms are you experiencing? Let’s use Job’s struggle with depression as an example of some common symptoms of depression. 

Job described himself as “a despairing man” and his spirit as “broken.” He was tearful saying that his face was “flush with weeping” and lamented that his “cries pour out like water.” Job certainly experienced a loss of interest in spending time with his friends. When they came to comfort him, they all sat for seven days and seven nights in silence because of his great pain. Job experienced insomnia and “longed for sleep” but only “tossed and turned” at night, had nightmares, and woke up with circles under his eyes. Job likely had some energy loss and change in how his body functioned, as he described his body as “decaying” and “shriveled.” He experienced appetite changes where things were “tasteless” and “groaned” at the sight of food.  Your doctor will likely ask if you, like Job, have experienced some form of weight loss. 

Now Job denied feeling overly guilty and proclaimed his innocence, but some people who have experienced depression feel a great deal of condemnation. Job did endorse feeling bad enough about his circumstances that he began to “complain in bitterness.” He talked of the intense emotional pain he experienced. Job experienced difficulties with concentration, and we can see that Job accused God of robbing him of “intelligence.” The only thing he seemed able to concentrate on was his intense pain. Remember, he wavered between hope and hopelessness. You may notice difficulties in decision making. You may be questioning your faith. You may have been taught that it is not okay to question God. King David was a man after God’s own heart and he questioned God. It’s okay if you ask questions of God. That’s called prayer. 

Job even had thoughts of death, but he was not suicidal. In his pain, he “longed for death.” But that was not his rational mind. And he did not try to harm himself. Thoughts and actions can be two different things.  Through Job’s story, we get a glimpse of why people who have experienced depression are reluctant to get better for fear of relapse. If this is your experience, please reach out. Contact your Primary Care Provider or Mental Health team, call the National Suicide Prevention talk line at 800-273-TALK (8255) if you are in the United States. If you are in another country, there is likely a Suicide Hotline listing available to you. Hang in there and DO NOT QUIT. Growth is a process, and you are taking the steps in the right direction towards lasting progress.