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Here I Am....a Christian and Depression Shows UpSo you're a Christian and depression finds you just like everyone else. There's nothing worse than waking up in the morning, feeling depressed. It seems like you don't even have to be fully awake for depressing thoughts to come charging into your mind. Christian or not, depression has a way of sucking the life right out of you. There are some that say Christian depression starts with disappointment. It can start in any area where we've got expectations that aren't met. Something that we didn't expect happens, and if we're not careful, what starts as disappointment can turn into depression if we dwell on it long enough. I remember almost 22 years ago when our daughter was born. At 1 pound, 7 oz, neither my husband nor I was prepared for what it all meant. As our daughter began experiencing lots of medical problems, I remember thinking that she would never be done with all the ongoing trauma and medical procedures. And when the doctors told us she would be legally blind, deaf, and would possibly have cerebral palsy, well……..it was a really bad day.
I think there's a reason they call it, "sinking into depression". That's just how you feel....like you're sinking....So how do you stop it? What are you supposed to do if you really, truly believe in all that's Christian and depression just keeps fighting to take over your life? Make Room for the Life Preserver....Everything starts with your thoughts. You move toward what you think about. So, it stands to reason.....if you're thinking the wrong stuff, then it won't be long and you'll be doing the wrong stuff. Some people say they can't help the thoughts that come into their head. That simply isn't true. You can control your thoughts. In fact, you can only consciously think about one thing at a time. So if you're making the effort to consciously think about positive, right stuff, how can your mind let the negative stuff in? One of the greatest lessons my husband and I learned was that it's OK to think about only the amount of time you can handle. For us, sometimes that was just one day. Other days, when Amanda was having surgery or experienced a setback, we couldn't handle a whole day. So we just focused on the next hour and if that was too long, then we focused on the next five minutes. God never said we had to have faith for a lifetime all at once. He let us have faith for just the next five minutes, the next hour, and every hour after that. Of course, that's not to say that all you have to do is have the faith of a Christian and depression will be miraculously cured by changing your thoughts. Depression is a complicated medical problem that often requires a combination of treatment. In fact, I just read a brand new book, Seeing in the Dark. 
This book is written by a Christian pastor and a Christian doctor. These two guys have both experienced depression in themselves or a loved one and are speaking from first hand experience. They know what it's like to struggle with both Christian and depression issues at the same time. The authors talk about all the medical issues, both mental and physical, the appropriate medications, the need for therapy, and the need for Christian insight and wisdom. The book not only explains the issues in detail, but insists that depression can best be controlled with a combination of treatments. If you're a Christian and depression has been a problem for you, here's a book on overcoming the trials of life.
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