Depression and Life
When you are struggling with depression you might begin to philosophize about life, the world, relationships, God, etc. It seems easy to do this, almost natural.
Depression tends to blow up in your mind. If you went through a breakup with somebody, then the WORLD is awful, not just that person. Depression looks different with a breakup, death, loss of a job, or mid-life crisis, but can be similar in the blow-up effect.
John 16:33 states, "I have said these things to you that in me, you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation, but take heart. I have overcome the world."
Peace and tribulation. These can go together. the Bible does not discount sadness, loss, or purposelessness. It specifies these things as human experiences.
Specify Depression
Learning to specify depression is an important skill to learn. If you are depressed because of a lost job then learning to connect depression to this (and not the world) is a great skill to learn. Your mind is not always the thing that connects it for you. Sometimes it's your body. Do you physiologically feel differently when you think about your job loss? Connect this. Emotionally? Connect this. It might be that your body and emotions understand tribulation (or peace) more than your mind.
Depression is not always confusing. Having a good friend, mentor, pastor, or counselor can help you specify depression. In conclusion, specifying depression leads to less of a blow-up effect.
Questions to consider:
Does Depression feel confusing because I don’t understand it (fill in the blank) in my mind? What is your body telling you? What situation actually happened? These are great questions to help understand your experience.
Help for Depression
Cowtown Christian Counseling provides depression counseling in Fort Worth, Texas. Our therapists engage your story and experiences with grace and expert treatment.