Photo byย Sasha Freemindย onย Unsplash
Dealing with Depression
Written by Ariann Singua
October 1, 2021
Are you depressed? Do you sometimes feel overwhelmed with sadness and paralyzing pain?
A lot of young people nowadays struggle with ghosts of trauma and traces of various hurt. If undealt with, this emotional baggage may affect their whole lives and cause deeper damages like mental health problems.
this emotional baggage may affect their whole lives and cause deeper damages like mental health problems.
I am able to say this because it happened to me the past few years. Iโve received painful words, experienced dismissed feelings, and felt like I wasn’t given the care that I longed for, causing me to develop Clinical Depression which was diagnosed in March 2020. I always felt like I was a mistake and thought that the world might be better off without me. Moreover, I was always anxious and afraid that I would be hurt by someone again–including the ones closest to me.
After more than 2 years of experiencing depressive symptoms, I finally got my diagnosis that day: Major Depressive Disorder, also known as Clinical Depression. Surprisingly, when the Psychiatrist said this, it gave me peace because I wasn’t going in circles about what I was going through anymore.
It was during these dim moments that I felt much closer to Jesus. He met me where I was and reassured me time and time again that He will never leave me nor forsake me.
In those 2 years and even after getting the diagnosis, I was able to feel God’s presence and strength to carry on through discipleship, Biblical counseling, therapy, medication, and Christ-like friendships. And now, I can say that I’m 100% normal again.
So much has happened since then. The process was long and intense, but I praise God that I’m so much better now because, indeed, ๐๐จ๐ ๐ก๐๐๐ฅ๐ฌ. What’s beautiful is as I go through my healing process, God has allowed me to journey with and minister to other people who are experiencing the same thing because I could relate to them better now in one way or another.
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.
2 Corinthians 1:3โญ-โฌ4 (NASB1995)
As a leader in Elevate, I maximize my time and resources through listening beyond people’s words so that I may also hear the cries of their hearts. I check up on students, especially on those who go through tough times and are in need of a listening ear. I also bond with them with the hopes that they wouldn’t feel alone while battling their struggles.
It was during these dim moments that I felt much closer to Jesus.
It isnโt easy going through life with lingering hurts, thatโs why in the same way that God has carried me through my darkest days, I want people to experience the truth in this verse: โThe Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.โ (Psalm 34:18)
Most of all, I want people to know that hope is available and healing is possible through Jesus Christ!ย
If you are currently going through what I went through, know that ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ฌ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ง๐จ๐ญ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ. Please donโt be afraid to seek help. God’s help can come through different forms and ways and I highly encourage you to proactively pursue them:
hope is available and healing is possible through Jesus Christ!ย
God’s Word
An American Bible Society (ABS) study tested their curriculum on “Healing the Wounds of Trauma” in Riverside Regional Jail in Virginia. Here they used their five-session curriculum on “Trauma-informed Bible Reading.” Results show a significant decrease in feelings of anger, anxiety, depression and suicidal thoughts among the 210 incarcerated men and women who volunteered for the program; compared to the 139 who voluntarily took a survey without going through the program.
Reading God’s Word, listening to messages, and talking about God’s Word in my discipleship groups have been an amazing source of strength and life for me. It reminded me of God’s Truths and constantly kept me from dwelling in lies. It gave me the will to carry on and do what is right regardless of my emotions.
Read our article on Pillows and Promises to see different Bible passages you can hold on to when you are feeling overwhelmed with sadness.
The Holy Spirit
Jesus promises that when you receive Him into your life, the Holy Spirit comes to dwell in you and will never leave you. Other words used to describe the Holy Spirit is that He is our Comforter and the One who intercedes for us.
Romans 8: 26-27 says
And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we donโt know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with Godโs own will. (NLT)
There were many days and nights I didn’t know how or what to pray. My comfort was that the Holy Spirit interceded for me, and my Heavenly Father knew exactly what was in my heart, even the things I couldn’t understand, verbalize or articulate myself.
God’s People
Regularly meeting with people who pointed me to Christ brought me hope and gave me the right perspective all throughout. I found a safe place to share my thoughts and feelings and have people battle alongside me through prayer, counsel, and even just a listening ear.
In my case, God also used a licensed professional to help articulate and diagnose what I was going through. She helps me fight this battle through guided processing and temporary medication. The process allowed me to understand how a person’s mind works and discover the exercises I need to do to teach and train my mind.
I have learned that there’s nothing wrong and there’s nothing to be ashamed of in seeing a Psychiatrist / Psychologist. God desires for you to experience His hope and healing. And He sometimes does this through the help of Mental Health professionals in the same way that we need the help of doctors when we have physical injuries or illnesses. After all, the mind is also a physical part of our bodies.
Reading God’s Word, listening to messages, and talking about God’s Word in my discipleship groups have been an amazing source of strength and life for me.
Depression is ๐ซ๐๐๐ฅ.
But in the same way, ๐๐จ๐ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ซ๐๐๐ฅ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ ๐ก๐๐๐ฅ๐ฌ.