Depression

Depression means many things to many people. It has indeed grown to be very common in our society. Many relate it to being disappointed or discouraged by hurts or offenses. Others describe their depression as so debilitating that they can hardly function on a daily basis. A good working definition is a feeling of sadness and emptiness occurring over a period of two weeks resulting in an increasingly pessimistic outlook on life and a change from previous functioning level. There are many reasons leading to depression and must be examined closely in order to procure an effective treatment plan.

Depression is very symptomatic of life in an imperfect, fallen world and plays no favorites with race, gender, socio-economic level, or doctrine of belief. However, if identified early, depression can be treated effectively. Symptoms to identify depression are as follows:

1. Disturbances in sleep patterns, either too much or too little.
2. A change in eating habits with a corresponding 5% weight gain or loss in one month.
3. Fatigue or loss of energy nearly every day.
4. Critical thoughts or feelings of self with excessive or inappropriate guilt nearly every day.
5. Loss of interest or pleasure in almost all activities – especially in some activity that previously brought joy.
6. Recurrent thoughts of death or hurting oneself.
7. A change in motor activity that will mostly be observed by others – movement that is either too fidgety or too slow.

Scriptures to Combat Depression

• Lamentations 3: 24
• Psalm 27:14
• Psalm 31: 24
• Psalm 39: 7
• Psalm 43: 5
• Psalm 71: 14
• Proverbs 13: 12
• Isaiah 26: 3
• Micah 7: 7
• Romans 15: 13
• Hebrews 10: 23
• I Peter 1: 13