by Dr. Michelle Bengtson
Would it surprise you to know that depression has long been expected to be our greatest epidemic by 2020? We’re seeing the incidence increase, and over the last five years, emergency room visits for suicidal thoughts and attempts for adolescents alone have doubled!
Many think that Christians should be immune to depression, but that just isn’t true. What about David? Elijah? Jonah? Job? Last year alone, we lost several pastors to suicide.
As a mental health professional, and someone who has journeyed through the valley of depression and is now on the other side, I want to help decrease the stigma by raising my hand and saying, “Let’s talk.” By initiating the dialogue, it gives others permission to talk about it too.
Surprisingly, many walk into my office and have no idea they are struggling with depression. Once they find out, they wonder, “What is depression? And where did it come from?”
That’s in large part because depression presents differently for everyone. There is no one size fits all for depression symptoms. It presents differently for different ages, different genders, and different races, so that contributes to some of the difficulty understanding whether or not you struggle with depression.
When I wrote my book, “Hope Prevails: Insights From a Doctor’s Personal Journey Through Depression,” I started by asking a few questions, just to get people to start considering whether or not depression was something they struggled with.
“Do you ever look around and it seems that the whole world is laughing but you?”
“Have you ever gone to bed one night, and seemingly woken up the next morning to find that your joy, or motivation, or enthusiasm just disappeared?”
“Do you ever hear others speak of joy and think, ‘I don’t have any idea what joy feels like’?”
“Does it ever feel like you live in a state of constant overwhelm?”
“Do the simplest of tasks, like brushing your teeth, taking your vitamins, or walking your dog, require more effort than you can even muster?”
“Would you, or those close to you consider you to be a ‘glass half-empty’ kind of person?”
If you answered yes to any one of those questions, it does not necessarily mean you are depressed, but it might suggest that something is going on that needs to be addressed.
Especially as we move into the dead of winter, it’s important that we are aware of how we respond. The winter months can lead to an increased likelihood of depression in some cases, something we call “Seasonal Affective Disorder.” I’m originally from Michigan, where many experience seasonal affective disorder when the days are shorter and the sun doesn’t shine as much as it does in the southern states. I was prone to struggling, as was my mother, during Michigan’s long winters.
To explore this a little further, let’s take a couple minutes to discuss some of the common signs and symptoms of depression:
- Mood changes
- Personality changes
- Feeling sad, down, or blue
- Feeling numb, not really having any feeling
- Feeling irritable or agitated
- Difficulty concentrating
- Indecisiveness
- Feelings of worthlessness, helplessness, hopelessness
- Feeling guilty
- Decreased energy
- Decreased motivation
- Changes in appetite–eating too much, eating too little, or eating the wrong kinds of food
- Unexplained weight gain or weight loss
- Changes in sleep patterns—either sleeping too much or sleeping too little or never feeling rested
- Changes in social activities—not wanting to do things with people like we used to or decreased interest in previous activities we used to enjoy
- Unexplained illnesses or illnesses that don’t seem to get better
- Crying for no reason
- Thoughts of suicide
You don’t have to have all of these symptoms in order to be depressed. In fact, rarely will anyone possess all of these symptoms at one time. But if you have experienced more than a few of these symptoms for more than a couple weeks at a time, there is a strong likelihood that you have suffered from some degree of depression.
It’s also important to note that the symptoms will vary for each individual. How one person experiences depression can be completely different from how another person experiences it. But if you find yourself reading those signs and symptoms, and can identify with several of those, and they’ve lasted more than a couple weeks, I’d suggest you schedule an appointment with your doctor to rule out any medical diagnoses which could contribute to signs and symptoms of depression.
I’d also recommend you pick up a copy of my book, “Hope Prevails: Insights From a Doctor’s Personal Journey Through Depression” as well as a copy of the companion “Hope Prevails Bible Study,” both of which were written with YOU in mind, as a resource for all those who are struggling and couldn’t make it into a clinician’s office. In those two books are my greatest professional knowledge and personal experience to guide you toward help, hope, and healing for depression.
What I really want you to hear, is that if you identified with those signs and symptoms, either for yourself or for someone you love, know that there is no shame in suffering from depression. There is no more shame in suffering from depression than there is in being diagnosed with allergies or diabetes. And the good news is that Scripture says, “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1). God doesn’t look at you and think less of you because you’re depressed. Quite the opposite in fact. Scripture says, “The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit” (Psalm 34:18).
There is no shame in depression. Shame comes from the enemy of our soul. And there’s no reason to hide. God already knows what you’re struggling with and He wants to heal you and give you hope.
I’ve gone through it. I, too, experienced shame. I was the doctor who had been treating patients for over 20 years, when I suffered through the dark night of my soul. I thought I was supposed to be able to prevent that from happening to me, and to have all the answers. Sometimes experience is a very valuable teacher. I understand what depression is, how it presents, what it feels like, and how to treat it much better now that I’ve personally experienced it.
But during those dark days, I was embarrassed and ashamed. I thought, “What if my patients knew?” “What if my colleagues knew?” “What if my referral sources knew?” But that worry and fear was from a lie from the enemy. What I now know is that since I’ve gone through it, I’m a better doctor! Now, I’m a better friend. Now, I make a better colleague. Because now that I’ve gone through it, I understand!
Now, I’ve got more empathy, and even more compassion. God never wastes our pain. Now, when someone says that they are struggling in the pit of depression, I can enter into the dialogue and say, “I’ve been there. Me too. I understand.” Then we can have an honest discussion because I can come to it from a place of knowing and understanding. If you are struggling today, remember, there is no shame in that. There is no shame in the fact that you need help. We ALL need help with things from time to time. And that’s okay.
The truth is, help and hope are both available. God wants to be your biggest source of help. And with Him, #HopePrevails!
Despite whatever it is that you are going through today, whether it’s depression or something else, I want you to know that the God of all hope is still on His throne. He says in Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
So whether you are going through depression today, or anxiety, or relationship difficulty, or a health crisis, or whatever it is, He knows the plans He has for you, and they are good. He’s going to get you through this!
Know that you are dearly loved, and I am praying you have a hope-filled day!
(Click on the links or the images below to download 20 Ways to Fight Depression and 10 Affirmations for Depression.)
Call to Action: For additional information on how to find help, hope, and healing from depression, consider reading Michelle’s book, “Hope Prevails: Insights From a Doctor’s Personal Journey Through Depression“ and her accompanying “Hope Prevails Bible Study.” For a free replay of Dr. Michelle’s webinar with 10 Tips to Beat the Blues, click here. To subscribe to my blog and join my current series on Mental Health, click here.
About the Author: Dr. Michelle Bengtson is an international speaker, and the author of the bestselling, award winning “Hope Prevails: Insights From A Doctor’s Personal Journey Through Depression” and the award winning companion “Hope Prevails Bible Study” and the recently released “Breaking Anxiety’s Grip: How to Reclaim the Peace God Promises” (Sept 2019). She has been a board certified clinical neuropsychologist for more than twenty years. This doctor knows pain and despair firsthand and combines her professional expertise and personal experience with her faith to help others be all God created them to be. Using sound practical tools, she affirms worth and encourages faith. Dr. Bengtson offers hope as a key to unlock joy and relief—even in the middle of the storm. She and her husband of thirty-two years have two teenage sons and reside in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area. She blogs regularly on her own site: http://www.DrMichelleBengtson.com and is on most social media platforms. She is also a popular podcast show host of “Your Hope-Filled Perspective with Dr. Michelle Bengtson.”
To visit Michelle’s blog, click here. You can also find her Grace and Truth radio and the following social media platforms:
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One thought on “Depression: It’s More Common than You Think, but There is Help, Hope, and Healing”
thank you.