400 - Fix this Depression

Ps. 42:5-6 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 [a] soul is downcast within me; therefore I will remember you from the land of the Jordan, the heights of Hermon—from Mount Mizar.

Oh Holy Father - I come to you right now already wanting to jump up and rejoice. Depression is such a terrible thing in this nation - one that affects so many. It can be terribly debilitating or simply exhausting. I remember 3 months before I got married I had started my first birth control pill. Of course I had no idea how my body would react to these and neither did the doctor. All i knew was that I had one more year of scholarship tennis to complete and did not need to be pregnant - don't let me get pregnant Doc!

Within the first month of taking the pill i became very sad and blue. I had a job and it was the best, but I was not excited about it and was really overwhelmed with wedding planning. I am a planner even though i don't like details and it was just no fun. I even remember Clay asking me if i was sure i wanted to get married - Oh NO, of course i wanted to!!! I called my momma and told her that i just felt like i was in cloud and could not get out. It was not Cloud 9 either!! She told me to go straight to the doctor and get my medicine changed. Within 2 weeks of being off that kind (I ended up having a progesterone hypersensitivity) of pill I was back to my old self and lovin' life.

That was a hugely scary time for me. My personality is not one of depression or even pessimism. I love to have fun, laugh, giggle, be loud, positive, cry for good reasons, - just stinkin' have a blast! I thought something had changed or clicked wrong or even worse. I think God gave me a glimpse into many women's lives that deal with this everyday. Oh how i hate it for those gals and just would do whatever I can to get them back to a safe place, a good place, a strong place.

Let's not be so naive to think there are times we bring on the depression ourselves in some sort of way - something not dealt with deep inside. I have seen this before in people. They just don't want to deal with life, not meeting with Him on any regular basis, and then get really depressed. I see the pattern all too often. Then they go to the doctor - an OB not even a Psychiatrist - and are medicated on depression pills. THERE IS SUCH A PLACE FOR MEDICINE - MY BACKGROUND IS PSYCHOLOGY AND THERE ARE REAL TIMES ONE HAS CHEMICAL IMBALANCES AND MUST BE TREATED WITH MEDICINE - BUT TOO OFTEN WE ARE MEDICATED INSTEAD OF MADE TO DEAL WITH OURSELVES AND HOW WE GOT THERE. I have seen a few people complete zombies on the meds and just get deeper in the pit. Oh it is so sad!!

So I think the scripture above gives us some ways to alleviate that depression or at least the blues. I hesitate saying depression as it is very real, diagnosable disease that we have turned into just a bad mood or bad day, week, even month.

fROM THE SCRIPTURES ABOVE I SEE:

1) The writer admits to himself that the blues are real and asking why or even how it has come to this. This is so very important is the beginning of any healing process. How did we get here....

2) Find hope and make sure it is placed in the Lord and not another person! We hold too many people up larger than life. It puts unfair pressure on them and they will 100% of the time disappoint you and me!! No one can be your 100% hope all the time!!! Not gonna happen!

3) When hope is put in the correct place something happens - PRAISE. We begin to praise Him even before the blues have faded. WE acknowledge our blues, we place our hope in Him or redirect our misplaced hope, and then praise!!! WE get out of that bed, put our feet to the floor and start praising!!! I am really think it means out loud. See where the writer says "Put your hope in God" - that is the writer talking to himself. We usually talk to ourselves out loud!! Do it!

4) Remember - oh if you don't have some kind of journal, blog, notebook to keep record of His faithfulness and blessings - GET IT!!! No one else has to read it, it can be just for you to come back to on those blue days. Oh it is so important!!! We have to remember!!! It does the body good!

Lord, thank you!!! Thank you for the past, present, and the future which is really the past to You - whoa, now that is a thought! Lord, I can see you in every part of my life and I praise you for your faithfulness!!! Oh Lord your protection and provisions!!! Those 2 "P's" are some of my favorite attributes!!! Thank you Lord, thank you! Help me to note those days that are bluey and turn straight to you. Help me to take my downcastness and look straight to the Cross. I will remember, but when i forget, please knock me over the head until i remember! Oh Lord, you are so gracious!!! I love your mercy and grace!! Oh Lord, I love you!