It was happening again, Victor thought to himself.
Last time this happened, he did not like how it felt at all. Victor couldn’t sleep. He stared at the ceiling. Finally, he felt like he was drifting off to sleep but instead, found himself spiraling. He feared he will die in his sleep.
Now, it seemed he was about to have a relapse.
What he dreaded the most was gradually befalling him.

His heart sunk . . .

---

Have you ever been depressed? Do you find yourself experiencing cycles of depression?

No! God is not punishing you for your sins. He doesn’t do evil and as a matter of fact, He wants to help you. You want to keep reading because you did not just stumble on this. GOD is intentional about you!

In this post, we’ll look at what depression is and how God would have you deal with it.

1. What Depression looks like
2. How to Avoid Depression
3. How to Overcome Depression
4. How to help someone going through Depression
5. Conclusion

What Depression looks like

Depression is a mental health condition. It could express itself in different forms;

• Losing interest in activities you’ll normally enjoy
• Fatigue
• Anxiety
• Feeling guilty and worthless
• Difficulty sleeping or sleeping too much
• Zoning out of conversations
• Faking a smile when with people
• Isolating yourself from people
• Difficulty thinking clearly
• Overeating or not eating
• Pessimism
• Going back to old addictions(e.g. drinking, porn and masturbation,etc)
• Suicidal thoughts & Self-harm

If you’re experiencing some of these symptoms, you’re most likely sliding into depression. Whatever form depression presents itself as is definitely not God’s will for you though. Check 3 Jn. 1:2

How to Avoid Depression

(1) Deal with your past & traumas. Most times, trauma is the root cause of depression. Studies show that 75.6% of chronically depressed patients report significant histories of childhood trauma. Guilt, shame, fear and other negative emotions can surface leading to depression and then, a cycle begins. If you’ve gone through a traumatic event before, please seek healing. It may seem impossible but God can heal you. You might need to go for therapy too which doesn’t make you less of a Christian. Learn about how God healed and restored Joyce Meyer here.

(2) Build godly relationships. Find out more about godly relationships here. These days, we mostly connect online but you should try as much as possible to have more physical conversations. Connect with family and friends physically. They turn out to be strong support systems always. Check Eccl. 4:9-12 NIV.

(3) Exit toxic relationships. This can not be overemphasized. If there are people in your life that make you feel bad about yourself, subtly or outrightly, please cut off. If you don’t, your self-esteem will be tampered with. Also, you should cut back on social media if you are caught in the trap of comparing yourself with others. Have a specific time in the day when you go online.

(4) Reduce and Manage stress. Please don’t be tempted to overcommit to things. Learn to unapologetically say NO to people. Don’t say Yes when your heart is screaming No. Learn to declutter too. (Declutter means to remove a mess or clutter from a place). This especially helps my brain because so many emails, texts and notifications tend to disrupt my attention and productivity. If you’re like me, you should practice decluttering from time to time.

(5) Identify your triggers. Jonathan McReynolds sang a very important truth in his song, Cycles. He pointed out how not learning from your mistakes could keep you in cycles. You should ask yourself, “How did I get here last time?” Your trigger might be stress or social media. Whatever it is, identify it and as soon as you sense depression creeping in, please take swift action. Don’t begin to fear because your fear could end up becoming a reality.

How to Overcome Depression

“Just like Light always overcomes darkness, positive things always overcome negative things.“

JOYCE MEYER

First off, you aren’t less of a Christian because you are depressed. Also, as much as depression may seem natural, it could have a spiritual undertone too. This is why the devil will try to take advantage of it. He’ll suggest going back to old bad habits (e.g. porn and masturbation, drinking, smoking, etc). He’ll even suggest suicide to end it all. These aren’t lasting solutions though.

Now that we’ve established that, how can you overcome depression?

• Remember that God loves you. This is necessary especially if you feel guilty for your past sins. Please know that God doesn’t condemn. Those voices screaming “you messed up” and “God will never accept you” are lies from the devil. Check Rom. 8:34-35 NIV. You should stop condemning yourself too. Here’s what you should do: Receive God’s forgiveness, forgive yourself and move on.
• Surround yourself with godly people. This might be very difficult but it helps. When you feel like lying in bed till you feel better, they’ll pull you out to church, see a movie or other places that’ll interest you with time. Also, talk to a trusted, discrete & spiritually mature person about what you’re going through. This person should be able to help you (James 5:16).
• Make up your mind to come out of it. This is the tough part but you’ll have to do it. You have to talk to yourself, speak positively intentionally, don’t listen to depressing music. Instead leave worship songs or audio Bible to play in the background. They’ll sink into your subconscious and with time, you’ll regain your joy.

• Find the root cause. Plants have roots and if you don’t completely take them out, they will sprout sooner or later. It is same for depression. If you don’t deal with the cause (e.g. stress, your past, toxic people, etc.), you might fall into the pit of depression over and over.
• Give yourself time. This is not an excuse to lay around or wallow in self-pity. I’m only saying you should not beat yourself up for not feeling better immediately. Healing takes time so, be patient with yourself.
• Break every cycle of depression. Some things don’t happen coincidentally. How do you explain sliding into depression the same period every single time? That is definitely not coincidence! Once you feel better, you should prayerfully break every evil cycle of depression.

P.S: I know these things are easier said than done. Please try though and remember, God will help you as long as you let Him. (See James 4:7)

How to help someone going through Depression

(1) Pray for and with them. You have to pray for them to receive strength and not give in. In the state your friend is, they might not have the strength to pray. Offering to pray with them also shows them that you care. Check James 5:16 NIV

(2) Be present but don’t push it. The last thing you want to do is be a disturbance. Be there to listen. Hug them. Show them you care. It might seem like they don’t want you there, but best believe they do need you. Show them some tough love (e.g. lovingly forcing them to eat when they don’t feel like).

(3) Hear them out. Don’t try to trivialize what they are going through. Don’t give unrelated experiences you’ve gone through. Really! It’s not necessary. Just listen earnestly and try to understand what they are going through.

(4) Be encouraging. Affirm God’s love and your love to them. Truth is, in that state, they might not hear you because their mind is clouded. Don’t relent though. Who knows? The Holy Spirit could use you as a means to shine light in that dark season. Don’t go on saying things like, “I wont have done that if I was in that situation” or “I’ve been there before, why is it taking so long for you to get better“. You should be mindful of the words you use around them as they can be very sensitive. Check Prov. 12:25

(5) Recommend therapy. Sometimes, people need professional help especially for those who slide into depression repeatedly. Please recommend therapy to your friend. This doesn’t make you or them less spiritual in any way. Why did God allow medical innovations if they were not for our benefit?

P.S: If you’re clueless about what to do or say to help, please don’t say anything at all. You don’t want to aggravate the situation. Just pray for them. Okay?

Conclusion

Are you depressed? I want you to know that you’re not alone. Several people have gone through this and come out strong. In the Bible, we see Job (Job 30:16-31) , Elijah (1 Kings 19:4) & Jonah (Jonah 4:3). Even though, it wasn’t called depression outrightly, they were depressed but weren’t crushed by it. You’ll come out strong dear friend!

Can I tell you something? I’ve fallen into the pit of depression before. Not once, but twice! Here I am though! Not crushed but even stronger thanks to God and the beautiful people He surrounded me with. God is with you and wants to help you too. Allow Him and trust me, you’ll come out stronger!

I pray that the spirit of heaviness be replaced with the spirit of joy this moment in Jesus’ name! Amen!

Have you ever had a friend who was depressed? What did you do to help them feel better? Let me know in the comment section below as I always love to hear from you.

Have you ever been depressed? How did you pull through? Leave me a mail at gloryinspires2018@gmail.com.

I know you’ve been inspired. Please share with your friends and on your social media platforms. Inspire others too.