Feeling blue? Exhausted? No longer have an interest in work? No appetite at all in any kind of food and to do all routine activities, even, not anymore enjoying your sexual life? Experiencing insomnia? Having difficulties in making sound decisions? Already bored in your everyday life? It seems the world is against you? Are you determined already to withdraw your life or to commit a suicide as your worst option? If you have these symptoms, watch out! You might be a candidate already for depression!
What is Depression?
Depression comes from the word, "depressed". It is a feeling of having been pressed low in our spirits. It is a condition of feeling dejection and heaviness in our hearts. It has been described as feeling down, feeling blue, or feeling disheartened. It is often a state of desperation which gives a person the feeling of hopelessness. It is a close relative of despair, despondency and discouragement.
Who Can be Victims of Depression?
No one is indispensable to depression. No one is immune. No one is exempted. Everyone is susceptible to depression. This condition can afflict, torment both sexes from children, youth and adults. It has no respecter of persons, educational attainment, Status in Life, health conditions, godly or ungodly.
It is considered to be the most common mental and emotional problem affecting mankind. It is claimed that more human suffering has resulted from depression.
Depression can result to mental disorder. It can lead to kill one's life or committing suicide as a most terrible resort. Even the prayerful, popular bible characters had not been exempted from deep depression like Job, Moses, David, Elijah, Paul.
- (Moses). Number 11:10-15 says, "Moses heard the people of every family wailing, each at the entrance to his tent. The LORD became exceedingly angry, and Moses was troubled. 11 He asked the LORD, "Why have you brought this trouble on your servant? What have I done to displease you that you put the burden of all these people on me? 12 Did I conceive all these people? Did I give them birth? Why do you tell me to carry them in my arms, as a nurse carries an infant, to the land you promised on oath to their forefathers? 13 Where can I get meat for all these people? They keep wailing to me, 'Give us meat to eat!' 14 I cannot carry all these people by myself; the burden is too heavy for me. 15 If this is how you are going to treat me, put me to death right now-if I have found favor in your eyes-and do not let me face my own ruin."
- (David). He cried out because of extreme depression. Psalm 42:5-6 says, " Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and 6 my God. My soul is downcast within me; therefore I will remember you from the land of the Jordan, the heights of Hermon-from Mount Mizar. Psalm 43:5 also says, " Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.
- (Job). He was consumed with a sense of despondency because of his problems as written in Job 3
- (Peter). He also expressed his deep depression after he denied our Lord Jesus Christ. This scenario can be read from Matthew 26:75, "Then Peter remembered the word Jesus had spoken: "Before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times." And he went outside and wept bitterly.
- (Paul). He had been so downcast because of the great pressures he experienced. This setting can be read from II Corinthian 1:28, "We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about the hardships we suffered in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life.
What are the causes of depression?
Stress is the most common cause of depression. Life is filled with stressful stuff and disappointments in life is full of pressures that beyond our limitations such as loss of a job, health failure, opportunity, lost of loved ones and many other reasons.
Whenever, we encounter circumstances that are beyond our control. We assume our actions are useless, no matter how we have tried our best. When it seems there is no way out for our dilemmas, we tend to embrace the clouds of depression.
- We become negative thinker. This depression can be uprooted from negative thinking in which our thinking patterns have something to do with our emotions, attitudes and wills. Depressed people see only the dark side of his life. They have a negative outlook in life. For them, life has endless burdens, heaviness and disappointments. Depressed persons often have little or no self-esteem and experiencing self-pity.
- Having an outlook of being greatly pressured of responsibilities, trials and meeting of deadlines.
