What helps you?

I think personal Bible Study and Prayer when I first wake up usually puts me in a better, peaceful mood. Sometimes, later on in the day, I let my peace get stolen by letting things get to me.

Another thing that helps is casting my cares. When I was going through something tough, that is what helped me to get through it. I'd go pray and tell God that I'm casting my cares on Him. Afterward, I would imagine my cares going up to God.

1 Peter 5:7 "casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you." (NASB)

Faith in God's love - Jesus Christ - is what got me away from the terrible power of depression. Faith in God's love builds a fallen heart anew it brings hope and restoration.


To God's Depressed Child,

To think less of yourself then God's own
Brings you much pain and suffering.
Your worth is an incredible high price
Also for you did Jesus die on the cross.

Depression is also what devil's lies brings inside
letting a low-self-esteem your good life rob
Untruths roaming freely through heart and mind
Evil lies extinguishing all happiness and fun.

His loving truth brings you His good life
While to believe lies brings pain and grief
So hold onto the promises Jesus made to you
and don't let Satan your good life squander.

Take hold of God's precious loving truth.
A life in Him stays safe from lies that hurt.
Jesus' truth will comfort your bleeding heart
Lovingly remaking your fallen life anew.

pure4u2 said:

I've been depressed most of my life and since started talking to someone about it. I have felt so alone in a group full of people. I feel no one would notice if I was gone and have no motivation to do anything. Since I'm not capable of working right now, I have been watching my niece and nephew through the day. I've had trouble going to God, not knowing where to start or go.

What helps you to get through the day? What makes your day go a bit better?

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When I went through clinical depression, I had a mantra I'd say to myself "Feelings follow actions". I found that I needed to remind myself of that often because I'd often say "I don't FEEL like doing...". I lived by lists because my focus was poor...seemed like I wasn't able to function like a "big picture" person...instead, I'd create a scattergram (random ideas penned down on paper as fast as they hit my brain) then I'd organize the thoughts according to action-items (things I needed to DO about them). Then I'd move down the list item-by-item. That lent structure to my daily activities. Getting your heart rate up for 30 minutes daily helps to generate serotonin...I highly recommend that. I confined my musical choices to Scott Joplin ragtime music and John Phillips Sousa music...nothing else. I found that there was absolutely not a stitch of heaviness in such music. I know that's silly, but I've been amazed at how many of my depressed patients dwell on songs that keep frothing up negative, heavy emotions (e.g. "Unbreak My Heart" by Toni Braxton back some years ago!). I also started by organizing in minuscule detail the spaces closest to where I was sitting...then I'd expand that perimeter. I cleared desktops and countertops. I organized books on my bookshelves in height-order. I combined any sticky notes hanging around into a single list. I basically tried to simplify my world. I forced myself to be where people were (I lived alone back then, so I hung out at the public library). I could probably think of more, but those are off the top of my head. If you haven't talked to an MD, there are medications that can help. They don't solve problems, but they can put the machine-part of you in the best position to affect the important changes/conversations/new habits that can practically pull you out of the doldrums.

Hang in there!

David

pure4u2 said:

I have felt so alone in a group full of people. I feel no one would notice if I was gone

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Welcome to the human race. Quite a lot of us are like that.

pure4u2 said:

What helps you to get through the day? What makes your day go a bit better?

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To get my carcass out of bed in the morning, I remember that Jesus was diligent. I remember that I can trust Him. I abide in Him because of that trust. In Him I have His diligence. Because I have His diligence, I can get my flesh up and out of bed.

I (usually) drag my carcass to bed in the evening early enough to get a good night's sleep. That is called being a good steward of the body given to me by God. Jesus was a good steward. Abiding in Him, I have His stewardship. Caught on to the rest yet? :-}

My flesh has no motivation. Christ was Motivated. I abide in Him. Therefore I have His motivation. Not the feeling of being motivated, but real motivation.

So as this boat of mine wallows through stormy seas I know that the Lord in me can work through me when I respond in trust to what He is doing in and through me. I look forward to the sleep of peace and don't ask Him to still the waves.

I'm humiliated constantly in public: no one wants to write for me, though I cannot hear them. If I go home, the people there glad hand me, but to sit down and type to me or write to me? I cannot hear, so I'm left alone within seconds of my hand being released. I learned from God that their frames are but dust and excuse them.

Psalms has some good groanings that David wrote and, considering that he was a prophet seeing the Lord, I know that some show the man of sorrows, too. Jesus Christ figures large in Psalms 22.

pure4u2 said:

Thank you everyone! I have been waking up and putting worship on and starting my day with thanking God I woke up.

I've been doing something productive for the last week, made a list to do each day and journal.

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Yes, we have so much for which to be thankful!

BlessedMommy05 said:

For me, I listen to music thats calming and uplifting even if its country or christian sounds some times just instrumental music is helpful. I do try and pray as well, just a lot gets on my mind or things take precedence over what I should be doing. Just keep trying to do what makes you feel happy or least content as well as, ask God for help to..

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Music is great therapy. Especially if it links to Christian doctrine with promise.

I feel that it is important for me to pray first thing as soon as i wake up. Whenever im weak i rest in Gods strength by waiting on Him to strengthen me again. Whenever i feel like somethings wrong i try to wait on the Lord. I pray and wait. Sometimes im overwhelmed and i close my eyes, empty my mind of anxiety, depression, fear and everything else that may be trying cause my downfall, and i then rest and wait. Sometimes i just talk to God and fall asleep while doing so.

I also find that hobbies are a blessing. They give me something positive to think about and to do.

I take it one day at a time. I try not to concern myself with the past although it can haunt you at times, and i try not to worry about the future. One day at a time, that's my motto..

pure4u2 said:

Thank you everyone! I have been waking up and putting worship on and starting my day with thanking God I woke up.

I've been doing something productive for the last week, made a list to do each day and journal.

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Great to hear how you seek God to help you get through hard times. Worshipping God despite our personal problems is a very blessed thing to do.

I hope you will be able to grow stronger and stronger. One day at the time, step by step, until you have found safety and meaning in the loving truth of Jesus.

Sometimes I find exercising to help me out of a low spot. But others its talking to my partner and acting silly with him that cheers me up

Writing, my cat and talking to my mom.

I used to write everything I would feel in a journal, go out to the countryside and burn them. Since then, someone bought me Wreck This Journal.

God, love and patience, even when I don't realize it. Also beautiful and honest music.

Like other have said, a quiet time with prayer in the morning, doing things I enjoy such as reading, taking a walk, exercise