How should Christians manage depression?

rocknrollchuck · 2020-01-21T14:27:43+00:00

Depression can stem from many things, sometimes it's spiritual and sometimes it's not. Often it's emotional, which is influenced not only by spiritual things but physical things as well. You've done well putting ungodly things out of your life, and it may be that you just need to find some good, positive, godly things to do to add value to your life at this point and fill that void.

I would first pray and ask God for help with this. I would also ask you, are you exercising? Lifting heavy weights? Exercise is often a HUGE help for depression.

Lastly, if this doesn't resolve after a couple months of consistent prayer and exercise, I would seek Christian counseling.

lololasaurus · 2020-01-21T15:10:56+00:00

I wouldn't wait; I'd seek help. This stuff can creep up on you and you're better off dealing with it right away.

Other than that I'd echo u/rocknrollchuck completely, especially the exercise part.

Rifleshoot · 2020-01-21T18:44:35+00:00

So to the most obvious thing that no one suffering from depression likes to hear: are you exercising? I've suffered some depressive bouts several times in my life and they all just so happened to coincide with times I was lazy, eating junk food, and not getting out of the house. And of course depression tends to worsen those things, doesn't it?

So the first course of action is to simply get up and start doing something. Clean your house or apartment top to bottom, then find a gym and go there. If you've never done any real weightlifting and need advice on what to do, feel free to ask around here. Or maybe even consider paying a personal trainer for a bit, if you've got it in your budget. Just start exercising and keep going for a month. That usually breaks the depression.

The majority of depression in the US stems from lack of exercise. Our bodies are not made to be sedentary, they are made to work, and work hard. If exercise doesn't help, then therapy may be the path for you. But get out of the house. No more tv/video games to distract yourself from your problems. Start the hard work of building the life you want. Depression can also stem from aimlessness. In redpill terms, it means you lack a mission. I'm empathetic to depression because I was there for a long time in my life and I still can dip in and out of it on occasion. But the key to getting over it, at least for me, is NOT a compassionate shoulder to cry on. It was a swift kick in the rear that told me that I had to go out and build the life that I want for myself. It wouldn't just manifest itself to me. So sack up, realize that you are the product of generations of people that had much tougher circumstances than you that found a way to persevere through life's hardships and that it is your duty to keep that tradition going.

Deep_Strength · 2020-01-21T20:41:24+00:00

+1 to what Chuck said. Especially exercise. It's one of the actual things that has proven to help with depression.

One of the other add ons to what Chuck said is what is your mission and purpose? It just seems like you're getting blown here and there by your feelings and situation. Without mission and purpose it's easy to get off track into hopelessness and despair. Loving and serving others helps get out of that funk.

Get help if you think you need it though.

agoodcrayon · 2020-01-25T10:24:45+00:00

While I do believe depression is real and can be clinically diagnosed, I also believe it can be overcome.

I think every person in the world has experienced some sort of depression in their lives. There are some questions to be asked of yourself.

What is your foundation in Christ? Knowing Jesus will also help you know yourself. Ask God to reveal your identity to you. This prayer will make you aware of much more than what you originally thought.

Do you lack anything? Maybe a purpose, finances, wife, confidence, joy, peace, patience, and the rest of the fruits of the spirit.

Having a solid foundation of knowing who God and you are will help you significantly.

Know that feelings are fickle and they have no power over you unless you let them.

Figure out why you are feeling this way and find a solution.

Willow-girl · 2020-01-25T15:01:14+00:00

I think depression results when we feel stuck in a situation that is objectively intolerable.

In some cases, you really ARE stuck! For instance, let's say you're a child in a dysfunctional home. You don't have autonomy; unless your parents' actions are criminal in some way, there's probably no easy way out. About the best you can do under the circumstances is plot your eventual escape.

As an adult, you have much more control over your life, although the saddest people I've known are the ones who are unhappy but don't feel empowered to change their situation for whatever reason. Maybe it's a woman who feels stuck in an intolerable marriage because she can't support herself and her kid(s) in the style to which they've become accustomed if she leaves her husband. Maybe it's a guy who feels stuck in a job that he hates because it pays well and he doesn't want to reduce his standard of living. Etc.

Most times, there is a way out of your situation, although it may be difficult and painful! Humans are naturally oriented to think that change is scary and scary is bad, but growth is also change, isn't it?

I would challenge you to look at what's making you unhappy and what you can do about it. Don't accept that you have to stay "stuck"! (I joke that my motto is, "Do something, even if it's wrong," LOL.)

yagop1 · 2020-01-21T12:14:19+00:00

To despair is to sin. Instead of raging against god, instill in yourself a fear of him. Instead of checking out of any hope for a better future, why don’t you do the actually courageous thing and surrender to Christ. You say you’ve been diagnosed multiple times but you don’t seem to have actually taken the steps to address it with God, but you’re feeding your anger and humiliating yourself. I’ve been diagnosed with my own stuff. It matters in its own way, but at the same time, it doesn’t matter in the sense that it won’t keep me from being fruitful and multiplying.

Title	How should Christians manage depression?
Author	Torn4_025
Upvotes	6
Comments	25
Date	January 21, 2020 10:18 AM UTC (6 years ago)
Subreddit	Posted in /r/askRPC
Original Link	https://old.reddit.com/r/askRPC/comments/ersp36/how_should_christians_manage_depression/
Archive Link	https://theredarchive.com/r/askRPC/how-should-christians-manage-depression.356408 https://theredarchive.com/post/356408

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