The Source

[cardfan1]

I'm curious...

Do you think that depression is caused more from your actions and decisions in life, or do you think that depression is an inevitable condition that would have manifested regardless of your previous sins and decisions?

I struggle with this sometimes. If I was leading a 'perfect' life and made all the right decisions and never sinned, would I ever have gotten depression? Sometimes I think that my sins have been so great, or I've put them off for so long, or I've just made some bad decisions, and that has led me into depression. I also look at the major decisions in my life recently, and since I feel so bad with depression now, I wonder if those recent decisions were the wrong decisions and the cause of my depression. I question so much when I'm down.

Or maybe just the process of making big decisions causes the depression. Or maybe none of that matters and I would have gotten depression anyway. Or maybe it's a product of my over-analytical nature.

Anyway, just thought maybe some of you would like to expand upon this with some thoughts of your own...

thanks,

 

[AWorkInProgress]

Sins = guilt

Blood of Jesus wipes you clean, and as long as your trying to be free within Jesus. He will keep you clean.

Depression to me is lack of coping skills, nonbelief in oneself, or indicator that some set of decissions/actions/ or mental thought process is not functioning properly aka dysfunctions.

Lack of coping skills I refer to knowledge/wisdom and how to apply it to mental problems. Jesus teaches us how principles that curve wickedness and better understanding of the mind. That to stop sin is to win the battle ground of the mind.

Example, if you hate someone, you are not far away from basicly wanting them dead. Make admend or forgive that person before it comes true.

Proverbs are simple bits of wisdom to help shed natural foolishness, so stop falling into same pitfalls. And OT teaches how Great Father provokes growth, he wants you to seek his face so you understand. Even states that beginning of growth starts wtih humility and seeking His wisdom.

Some people never had that taught to them or some mental situation prevented it. Lastly are poor folks who suffer physical ailments and their pain or condition make them feel they can not be successful. Making them easy pray for sinful nature.

 

[rushingwind62]

depression IMO is caused by lack of skills to deal with stress AND it is also known to be a chemical imbalance in the brain. That is why most psychatrist recommend meds and counseling. It is not about sin or how one is living. Anyone from the President, to the Pope, to the homeless guy on the corner can suffer from depression or any other mental illness.

 

[cardfan1]

one more - since part of depression is physical (i.e. the chemicals in the brain), could part of the cause of depression be the previous intake of harmful substance? In other words, could drugs, alcohol, bad diet be part of the cause of depression, or do these not factor into it?

 

[zaksmummy]

The only drug I've heard of that can cause depression is Ecstasy as it damages the receptors in the brain and can cause a permanent state of depression, but this is in long term use.

Depression can be caused by
1. a reduction in serotonin in the brain. This is physical depression.
Symptoms being:- lack of sleep/too much sleep, early morning waking (usually at about 4am, with an inability to go back to sleep), lack of appetite/overeating, feeling low in the morning with mood improving through the day, lack of sex drive, loss of concentration and short term memory, unjustified guilt, slowness in physical movements and thought processors. These are the symptoms that anti-depressants will help and eventually deal with.
2. Psychological depression, is caused by life events ie a single traumatic stressor, or multiple stressors, over both short and long periods of time.
Symptoms include - negative thinking - including the very basic ideas you have about yourself, and how you see the world, lack of self worth and esteem, catastrophising. This is the part that needs counselling.

Suicidal thoughts are common in both.

One type of depression can make the other worse. Most people have symptoms from both.

No-one on is perfect, no-one can make perfect decisions, wanting to is also part of depression because what you are doing is setting yourself unrealistic goals which are too high and when you dont match up you get depressed. In psychological terms you "perceived self" (who you think you ought to be and what you ought to achieve) is not matching up with your "actual self "(the person you really are). When you can align these two you should find that your depression improves.

Catrin xx

 

[cardfan1]

No-one on is perfect, no-one can make perfect decisions, wanting to is also part of depression because what you are doing is setting yourself unrealistic goals which are too high and when you dont match up you get depressed. In psychological terms you "perceived self" (who you think you ought to be and what you ought to achieve) is not matching up with your "actual self "(the person you really are). When you can align these two you should find that your depression improves.

Catrin xx

Thanks for the info. I like the above quote. I am starting to realize that in many ways my 'perceived self' is far from my 'actual self'. anyway, thanks again.

 

[Meshavrischika]

I think depression is a mixture of nature and nurture... Sometimes life hands us lemons (i.e.... we are born with a predisposition to depression chemically) and we make a bathtub full of acid instead of lemonade...

Basically, I think we magnify with our actions, our thought processes and our decisions the problem that is lurking in the background. I think that our environment has alot to do with it. I don't necessarily think it's a sin thing. If your mom has a car wreck... that's going to tweak your predisposition to be depressed as much as "oops" having sex with someone you hardly know and regreting it.

 

[wanderingone]

I believe clinical depression is more often the cause of "bad" choices/circumstances/decisions than a result of them. When I look back over the 20 years or so of depression I lived with before getting help I know that many of my problems were caused by various coping "skills" I developed to try to mask the fact that I just wasn't "okay"