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Honestly now. How many of you recovered?
- Thread starter Grommit
- Start date
I've written this elsewhere. However, in complete exhaustion and powerlessness to fight anymore, I asked God to release me from the demon that was oppressing me. (I don't think all clinical depression is caused by a demon, but mine was) Then, ziipppppppp, it was gone! Never came back.
Would like to say that your suggestion that the person who is over depression shouldn't need to see a counselor again within a three year period of getting well, is probably not a wise thing. In fact I believe that nobody fully recovers from being so broken, that its NORMAL to have residual stuff to talk out, and that's why we have brothers and sisters in Christ, and if they are lousy comforters, we have a few good Christian pyschologists, to help us out.
Since my experience of deliverance from depression I immediately went to the psych to talk about it, asked him (an her, I had two then) and was impressed how solid I felt even after their scrutiny. I then kept in constant contact with friendly, healthy Chrisitans who gave a hoot about me, and the clinical depression never came back. However, I do still have bouts of mild depression, which I work on immediately with my 'tools of love'...good health, exercise, regular sleep, no alcohol, no hanging around with negative or addicted people, reading and meditating on Jesus, prayer, being FILLED with he Holy Spirit, etc.
--desp
Would like to say that your suggestion that the person who is over depression shouldn't need to see a counselor again within a three year period of getting well, is probably not a wise thing. In fact I believe that nobody fully recovers from being so broken, that its NORMAL to have residual stuff to talk out, and that's why we have brothers and sisters in Christ, and if they are lousy comforters, we have a few good Christian pyschologists, to help us out.
Since my experience of deliverance from depression I immediately went to the psych to talk about it, asked him (an her, I had two then) and was impressed how solid I felt even after their scrutiny. I then kept in constant contact with friendly, healthy Chrisitans who gave a hoot about me, and the clinical depression never came back. However, I do still have bouts of mild depression, which I work on immediately with my 'tools of love'...good health, exercise, regular sleep, no alcohol, no hanging around with negative or addicted people, reading and meditating on Jesus, prayer, being FILLED with he Holy Spirit, etc.
--desp
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I had to get on meds. I jsut shut down.
My relationship with God was the best it had ever been.
My relationship with God was the best it had ever been.
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ps34_18
Randomly Thinking
define recovered...I mean, you say going at least 3 years without meds or talking to a shrink, but I didn't do either of those when I was depressed, for me what it took was a change of scenery and a new job, and while it hasn't been three years yet, I can say I'm out of the pit I was in before, but certainly I still struggle from day to day.
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Several years ago I was depressed most of the time. After reading an article about excercise preventing depression, as well as most other diseases, I started working out daily 6 days per week. I feel better all around and I can't remember the last time I was 'really' depressed, crummy days still happen once in awhile like when the car breaks down but its not even close to the depression I used to have.
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TheOriginalWhitehorse
Well-Known Member
I did. Twelve years of the worst depression you could imagine. I had prayed the whole time but what I didn't realize is that all the things I thought I couldn't do to recover, I was actually failing to do. But the most important things I had to do were finding the root of the problem, and taking care of myself, and learning to live in accordance to what I needed to do, not what feels right when you're depressed. For example, I didn't eat. And someone would say, well of course you are depressed. You're not eating. Take vitamins. Exercise.
And of course, I thought, I've had this happen, I've had that happen, I'm suffering from this and this and this, and your asnwer is... a bottle of vitamins???? And it sounded like really unsympathetic pat answers.
Well of course it took a person who was every bit as depressed as me, and for the same reasons, to demand I eat. Because if it came from her, I was willing to start believing. It didn't solve the problems, but what it did do is give me an incredibly important edge, because it really really affects your moods if you're not taking proper care of yourself, which you're probably not if you're depressed. You just want to sit in a very dark room and ignore your friends, even though that's the lousiest thing you could do.
Proper eating, sleeping, and exercise put you in the mindset and give you the energy to deal with the real issues. And dealing with it is hard for someone who is taking care of himself, so if you don't...
Depending on what your issue is, it can be extremely unpleasant to look at it again. So you push it to the back of your mind, not realizing that it is affecting your life in other ways. So this is the harder part of recovery: looking at the issue. Reliving it is really scary. But it can't kill you. If you're depressed enough, though, not facing it just might.
The third leg of my journey was regaining the coping mechanisms that you lose when depression whispers its evil lies to you. Lies that there is no hope. Lies that you can't do anything. Lies that this happened to you because you deserve it. That God has it in for you. That all the things you need to do won't help. That someone else has to heal you because you can't do it yourself. It goes on and on and on. And then no one understands, because they've spent a lifetime developing coping mechanisms that have never been disabled by traumatic experiences. It's your own fault, they say. You're too lazy to work out your own problems (but apparently they think you're lazy enough to die.) They'll say you just want attention, and you're willing to put your name on a death certificate to get it. And you get angry at how stooopid this all is. An ignorant accusation on top of your depression. Then they say you just don't count your blessings. You're not a good Christian. It's because you sinned and God is punishing you.
And these can be the most damaging of all because they come from the people who are supposed to love you.
While the world will punish you for your depression, it's important to get rid of the unhealthy habit of adopting their opinions as your own out of helpless resignation. It's important to learn how to take responsibility for self-punishment (like self-blame, unmanaged risks, etc.) as something that doesn't please the Lord and realize you didn't deserve what happened to you. God hates injustice, including injustice pointed at ourselves. Anything that is against the law of God is no less evil because it is pointed inward. Start looking for signs that you're punishing yourself, and stop doing that, even though you feel tempted to. Learn to treat yourself right. A lot of people say about their depression or the trauma that caused it, " I deserved this." I know I thought that. Because why else would it happen to me? And it has manifestations. The trauma is over, but we suffer more at our own hands afterward. Some adopt self-denigrating nicknames, like this friend in college that asked everyone to call him, "Pig." Or they begin having an unhealthy approval of their enemies but distrusting and maybe even disliking those who treat them kindly. It's important to stop blaming yourself for what happened, call a wrong a wrong and be a friend to yourself. Take yourself out to dinner once in a while.
Then the afterfruit. Helping others. There is an immense power in realizing what a gift something horrible like depression can be, how it changes you.
Blessings to all.
And of course, I thought, I've had this happen, I've had that happen, I'm suffering from this and this and this, and your asnwer is... a bottle of vitamins???? And it sounded like really unsympathetic pat answers.
Well of course it took a person who was every bit as depressed as me, and for the same reasons, to demand I eat. Because if it came from her, I was willing to start believing. It didn't solve the problems, but what it did do is give me an incredibly important edge, because it really really affects your moods if you're not taking proper care of yourself, which you're probably not if you're depressed. You just want to sit in a very dark room and ignore your friends, even though that's the lousiest thing you could do.
Proper eating, sleeping, and exercise put you in the mindset and give you the energy to deal with the real issues. And dealing with it is hard for someone who is taking care of himself, so if you don't...
Depending on what your issue is, it can be extremely unpleasant to look at it again. So you push it to the back of your mind, not realizing that it is affecting your life in other ways. So this is the harder part of recovery: looking at the issue. Reliving it is really scary. But it can't kill you. If you're depressed enough, though, not facing it just might.
The third leg of my journey was regaining the coping mechanisms that you lose when depression whispers its evil lies to you. Lies that there is no hope. Lies that you can't do anything. Lies that this happened to you because you deserve it. That God has it in for you. That all the things you need to do won't help. That someone else has to heal you because you can't do it yourself. It goes on and on and on. And then no one understands, because they've spent a lifetime developing coping mechanisms that have never been disabled by traumatic experiences. It's your own fault, they say. You're too lazy to work out your own problems (but apparently they think you're lazy enough to die.) They'll say you just want attention, and you're willing to put your name on a death certificate to get it. And you get angry at how stooopid this all is. An ignorant accusation on top of your depression. Then they say you just don't count your blessings. You're not a good Christian. It's because you sinned and God is punishing you.
And these can be the most damaging of all because they come from the people who are supposed to love you.
While the world will punish you for your depression, it's important to get rid of the unhealthy habit of adopting their opinions as your own out of helpless resignation. It's important to learn how to take responsibility for self-punishment (like self-blame, unmanaged risks, etc.) as something that doesn't please the Lord and realize you didn't deserve what happened to you. God hates injustice, including injustice pointed at ourselves. Anything that is against the law of God is no less evil because it is pointed inward. Start looking for signs that you're punishing yourself, and stop doing that, even though you feel tempted to. Learn to treat yourself right. A lot of people say about their depression or the trauma that caused it, " I deserved this." I know I thought that. Because why else would it happen to me? And it has manifestations. The trauma is over, but we suffer more at our own hands afterward. Some adopt self-denigrating nicknames, like this friend in college that asked everyone to call him, "Pig." Or they begin having an unhealthy approval of their enemies but distrusting and maybe even disliking those who treat them kindly. It's important to stop blaming yourself for what happened, call a wrong a wrong and be a friend to yourself. Take yourself out to dinner once in a while.
Then the afterfruit. Helping others. There is an immense power in realizing what a gift something horrible like depression can be, how it changes you.
Blessings to all.
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Grommit said:
I am recovered, but this is not to say that I live a life of unicorns and rainbows. I was depressed as a child and through my teen years. I recieved therapy and medication. I have endured the dying off of my family members that surrounded the birth of my children(and the death of one). Old age, anuerisms, cancer, and suicide. I have survived the near ruination of my marriage and reconciled. Good things didn't start to happen until I decided to submit to the will of God and come under His direction. I trudged along the road of faith and clung to hope. I am walking now, but not so long ago I crawled. I barely moved. No matter what I did God did not abandon me. He was there always. My faith is the only thing that saved me. My willingness to repent has stood me upright again.
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I am recovered, but this is not to say that I live a life of unicorns and rainbows. I was depressed as a child and through my teen years. I recieved therapy and medication. I stopped at 16. I have endured the dying off of my family members that surrounded the birth of my children(and the death of one). Old age, anuerisms, cancer, and suicide. I have survived the near ruination of my marriage and reconciled. Good things didn't start to happen until I decided to submit to the will of God and come under His direction. I trudged along the road of faith and clung to hope. I am walking now, but not so long ago I crawled. I barely moved. No matter what I did God did not abandon me. He was there always. My faith is the only thing that saved me. My willingness to repent has stood me upright again.
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BarbB
I stand with my brothers and sisters in Israel!
I have reduced my meds from 40mg of Paxil to 10mg and hope to halve that again soon. I began meds after the death of my mother(1999), ramped up following the horrible illness and death of my husband(2001). I was saved that summer!!!!! Since then my father has died and so has my dog! Jesus has comforted me whenever I asked. Also, I had a Christian counselor who affirmed my Christian beliefs!
I found Jesus in the midst of my grief over my husband's death - God will find you in your brokenness - it's His specialty!!! You must cry out to Him, though, and tell Him that you cannot bear it anymore. I do not doubt that he will answer!
God bless you!
I found Jesus in the midst of my grief over my husband's death - God will find you in your brokenness - it's His specialty!!! You must cry out to Him, though, and tell Him that you cannot bear it anymore. I do not doubt that he will answer!
God bless you!
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HOOOOOOOOLLLLLD on, what is all the nevermind!? FOLks have spent their time responding to this persons post and all you say is nevermind!? What is up with that!
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HisJavajunkie
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- Aug 8, 2003
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My depression was due to the rocky road with my wife. I had caused problems due to a few personal faults of my own. The issue caused me to go into depression so bad that I needed to see a shrink and meds.
The past 8 months I have gradually come out of depression. It was not an overnight event. But I feel as if I have reached it. I am on 7.5 zyprexa and 10 celexa. In 2 weeks my doc is reviewing to see if he will take me off. During the time of depression I had seperated myself from God.
I tried to solve it myself. Now don't get me wrong, its not totally gone. But I feel as if life is a lot easier with Him. I finally have some personal time with Him. I am not going to say just pray and it will be fixed. Cuz that doesn't do all the work. My idea is this: get a support group (friends, family, pastor etc) have them there to talk to. find hobbies to do. and lastly go to God. He was my comfort when I finally went to Him.
The past 8 months I have gradually come out of depression. It was not an overnight event. But I feel as if I have reached it. I am on 7.5 zyprexa and 10 celexa. In 2 weeks my doc is reviewing to see if he will take me off. During the time of depression I had seperated myself from God.
I tried to solve it myself. Now don't get me wrong, its not totally gone. But I feel as if life is a lot easier with Him. I finally have some personal time with Him. I am not going to say just pray and it will be fixed. Cuz that doesn't do all the work. My idea is this: get a support group (friends, family, pastor etc) have them there to talk to. find hobbies to do. and lastly go to God. He was my comfort when I finally went to Him.
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