Depression - Part 1

Introduction

       My parents were visiting for a few days on their way north after spending the winter in Florida.  It was a semi-annual visit that I normally looked forward to.  I usually lined up some chores for my handyman father to do, and planned some shopping outings with my mother.  The menu was always planned in advance, and the cupboards and refrigerator stocked.  But this time I had dreaded them coming. 

Something was going wrong inside of me, and coping with the everyday routine of life was very difficult for me, let alone planning for company.  Nothing was prepared when they arrived, and it was all I could do to bring myself out of the bedroom to be with them.  I finally said to my mom, “Have you ever been real depressed?”  That was the first time I ever linked that word with what I was feeling.  I had never heard of depression, but I was on my way to learning about it firsthand.

          Since depression is such a common illness, I wonder why I had never encountered it before.  Prior to my own depression I had started a new ministry in our church for women.  It was my desire to see the women share their experiences in a Bible study type setting so that we might grow closer to one another and to God.  There were several widow ladies and divorced women that were familiar with depression, I was soon to discover.  Who was I to minister to them when I did not even know their illness existed?  So, God took me through a training seminar.  The following material is an accumulation of what I have learned through various books, articles, and personal experiences. 

What Is Depression?

       “You feel sad, almost like crying.  Sometimes you do cry.  Mostly, you feel hopeless, overwhelmed, unable to move or to work.  Your problems weigh on you like so many stones on your chest.  And you see no way of lifting those weights.  Those feelings may persist without letting up for weeks or even years.  A psychiatrist would say that you are depressed.”  (Earl Ubell, “You Can Fight Depression”, Parade Magazine, May 8, 1988)

          Depression is more than just feeling down, or sad.  It is a real disease just as much as cancer.  It produces physical, emotional, and mental symptoms.  Without the proper treatment, depression can last for years or even end in suicide.  However, with proper treatment, usually nine out of ten patients recover.  Since depression is becoming our number one health concern, and the leading cause in suicide, it is important for the public to become more knowledgeable on this illness.