Strategies to Seek Help for Depression

AnxietyAs one of the most common mental health illnesses, Mental Health America states that more than 8% of American adults (more than 21 million) are affected by major depression and an alarming 15% of youth aged 12-17. The number of people who struggle with some sort of depressive disorder is likely far higher, and it is said that only about a third of people who suffer seek help for depression.

Depression and Christianity have in some circles earned a bad name for how depression has been treated – as something that can be simply “prayed away” or a sinful response that fails to focus on the joy of the Lord that has been given to believers. These are unhelpful approaches to supporting someone who is struggling, and unlikely to bring the help for depression that is so needed.

Indeed, the treatment for depression is in no way one-dimensional; just as it can’t necessarily be “prayed away”, it is also unlikely to disappear just by “taking a pill.” For Christians battling depression, it is important to arm yourself with strategies that include both a spiritual, medical, and psychological component.

Seeking Help for Depression

Help for depression is likely to come from a combination of these aspects, and a biblically trained counselor will be able to walk the journey with you as you seek healing. Here are some of the strategies, with some less conventional approaches to fighting well:

Visit your healthcare professional as a first point of call

If you have experienced symptoms that don’t go away in a reasonable period, the first thing to do to get help for depression is to visit your healthcare professional. The most common symptoms of depression include feelings of sadness, tearfulness, emptiness, or hopelessness that occur nearly every day.

They also include a loss of interest in previously enjoyed activities, sleep disturbances, tiredness, a lack of energy, increased or reduced appetite and respective weight gain or loss, trouble concentrating, suicidal thoughts, and unexplained physical pains such as back pain or headaches.

Your healthcare professional will be able to do a thorough physical exam, as depression sometimes has a purely physical cause, and refer you to a psychiatrist if need be.

Connect with a well-trained biblical counselor

As a Christian, it makes sense to see a biblically trained counselor, as they will approach your need for help for depression from the perspective of understanding who we are as people made in God’s image.

Many people in the Bible struggled with depression, even if it was not “diagnosed” as such – consider Job, David, and Elijah – and how they each cried out in despair at different times of their lives. There is much we can learn from their example, and a Christian counselor will be able to offer guidance from Scripture, as well as pray with you during sessions.

Take medication, if prescribed

Anti-depressants have their place in providing help for depression, and no Christian should ever be made to feel that they are “weak” or “lacking in faith” if there is a need for them to take medication. Your counselor may work with a psychiatrist to discuss what they feel will be useful for your recovery. For many people stuck in the pit of depression, medication gives the boost they need to be able to take on the emotional and psychological side of their recovery.

Ensure good physical and emotional habits

When Elijah felt depressed, God started by giving him two things: food and rest. The fact of the matter is that we are mere mortals made of flesh and blood, and when we don’t treat our bodies in the way that they need to be cared for, it can make getting help for depression even harder.

The correlation between exercise, sufficient sleep, good nutrition, and mental health has been well-documented. God has called us to be good stewards of the bodies we’ve been given, which is a temple of the Holy Spirit.

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 explains it in this way: “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body”. It is essential to add healthy habits, which include good emotional ones, to the fight against depression.

Persevere

It might help depression sufferers to focus less on “feeling better” and focus more on “fighting better”. This is because depression is not an illness that will necessarily be over quickly. Those who have experienced depressive episodes and recovered might be susceptible to further episodes, and in many cases, it is not a “quick fix”.

In Psalm 42-43, the psalmist who faces sorrow and confusion over his despair keeps coming back to this refrain: “Why are you in despair, O my soul? And why have you become disturbed within me? Hope in God, for I shall again praise Him…” (Psalm 42:5, 11, 43:5).

By learning to persevere through depression, God can use this suffering to bring about spiritual maturity. Part of this might be patience when depression does not go away as quickly as one would hope it to.

Emphasize an eternal perspective

While depression erodes our enjoyment of life here on earth, it can also strip away the focus on worldly pleasures that our hearts so easily gravitate toward. A strategy to help with depression could be to meditate more on God’s kingdom, and what will stand when this earth ceases to exist.

Our faith is eternal, and God’s word tells us that: “We do not lose heart… for momentary light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.” (2 Corinthians 4:16-18).

We can shift our focus toward learning more about what will matter eternally and ask God to show us how He is working in and through the depression we are experiencing.

Don’t fight alone

While you may not want to share your situation with everyone, it is difficult to get help for depression when you are isolated from a supportive community. Find a few trusted friends or family members you can reach out to. These are 3- 5 individuals to connect with who will help you persevere through tough moments. Start simple by asking them for prayer, as sometimes it can feel difficult to pray for oneself.

One action step can make a huge difference, so send a text, make a phone call, change your environment, go outside, and be around people. Knowing our help and hope are ultimately found in God enables us to keep praying and finding ways to seek out God-given relationships even when it feels difficult to connect.

Your victory matters

Depression sufferers can feel alone and as though their battle doesn’t matter or that no one will understand. The reality is that, as Christians, we are not soldiers facing this life battle alone, but rather, we are part of an army. How we fight has an impact on the whole army. Seeing the situation in this light can be a great motivator when considering help for depression.

Depression is a form of suffering, and so all the exhortations in the Bible that relate to suffering, relate to depression too. We can stand on God’s promises and know that He remains with us when we suffer. Remember you are never alone in suffering through depression.

This can help reframe how we see the depression we are experiencing and give us great help for depression. It might not be a battle that’s quickly overcome, but we can make sure that, with the help of the Holy Spirit, we fight well, and that ultimately, our healing is in the hands of the One who made us.

If you are ready to take the next step in getting help for depression in Texas, schedule a meeting with me today at Texas Christian Counseling. You do not have to struggle alone.