Wednesday, July 25, 2007

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!

11 comments:

ThreeGirlyGirls said...

Ok, this is to funny...we must have had the same talk with the Lord today!!

You are RIGHT ON....writting is a HUGE thing when overcoming anything especially depression!!

Anonymous said...

Good afternoon, my friend!!! I'm catching up on my blog reading and you certainly are keeping me busy!! I can't wait to do a word study on this scripture and your insight is powerful. Thank you and I CAN'T WAIT UNTIL TOMORROW!!! :)

All this and Jesus, too!
Dori

connorcolesmom said...

Leigh,
I had the same thing happen to me when I was on the pill. I had to have low estrogen pills to keep from being so cranky and down right mean!!
I thank you for the reminder that we must rely on GOd and trust in Him. He is our All in ALl!!
God bless siesta,
Kim

Anonymous said...

Great wisdom, Leigh. I think remembering what the Lord has done is essential to getting and staying out of depression.

Beth Moore talks about Happiness as "the psychological (soul) awakening to a work of God." So, we must record His goodness to us.

I was beginning to get down last week with the daily grind, and the Lord led me to start a series on my blog, called Restoration. Exploring all of the ways He has restored me since I have been serving Him. Then, my soul can celebrate His goodness, and I can truly say to myself, "Praise God, look what He has done!"

I love reading your posts!

Valarie said...

Girl, speak a Word!! Love it!

I love how the Lord takes all our emotions, even the dark, scary ones and can turn them into His glory!! He is so GOOD!!

I love ya girl and sure miss ya!

Holly said...

He remembers and He loves you so! I love these words on depression. I am like you, although I have never struggled with depression, but have watched and walked with a friend through it. The thing about it is...God created emotions and some of those emotions expressed by David would put him in a facility today. I love that God shows through His word that it is normal to be distressed, to feel alone and to be downright angry when someone doesn't keep their promises.

Praying for you, Friend!
Love in Him,
Holly

Nise' said...

Stopping by to say I am back and I've missed all my blogging friends!

Karen Hossink said...

Number 4 is so important to me. I love keeping a journal and reading through it now and then. Remember when God did that? I thought the situation was hopeless, but He brought me through! It is so good to be reminded of His faithfulness.
We can read about it in the Word - and that's good! - but I want to remember how He's been faithful to ME, too!

Anonymous said...

So good girl! I hope you are doing well and preparing for "THE MOVE." I will be uplifitng you in prayer and can't wait to hear all about your new place! God is sooo good!

These points are awesome and so true - especially placing your hope in God and not man!

Blessings!
Tracy

Connie Barris said...

I agree... I think that finding the cause.. treating it with whatever...
BUT... no matter what.. you have to have God in the mix...

AMEN

Kate said...

Good post. I don't know too many people who can discuss depression with a decent balance. The things you mention certainly help to control it, but don't always make it go away.
My girlfriend's 7yr old son went to his first church camp with the son of another gf and missed his mom so much he had a bit of a fallout. So his friend said "just think happy thoughts." I thought that was so cute. In spite of it all, they both had a great time.
I said that to say that one can be in the midst of a great time, with a great life, a great relationship with God, and all of a sudden WHAM. Depression is no respector of persons...I choose not to medicate and I park my car in the driveway. :) God will take care of the rest.