Depression

We can see the fingerprints of our Father’s grace in the pages of scripture. God’s family story begins in Genesis when He formed Adam from earth’s dust and continues to the end of Revelations. God continues to extend righteousness and truth in our world today, just as He did with the families noted in Scripture. The enemy also seeks to work through the generations (Psalm 100:5) through cycles of sin and dysfunction. He causes us to repeat the patterns of those who preceded us to destroy the destiny of those who come after. Deconstructing Devastation When we consider his evil intentions, we must recognize that some of the trauma imposed in our lives was designed to destroy us and the families we love. Each family’s trauma history will vary, but the unresolved pain that results in depression and other mental health challenges universally disrupts our lives. We can plug in our own family’s unique variables and still find a common element; every family in humanity encounters suffering at some point. The odds we thought we’d beaten appear again, and hopelessness hits close to home. Despite the war waged against our bloodlines, our faith cuts its teeth in darkness and despair. It locks its jaw, sinking a bite into the promises of God. When grounded in the Word, faith refuses to cut our families off from God’s goodness, despite every ominous threat. We may feel like abandoning ship, but God has anchored a hope within that keeps us and those connected to us from detaching from His purpose (Hebrews 6:19). Inevitably, storms will rage and impact us differently, but God remains steady, enabling us to weather impassible waters with Him. It’s bewildering how quickly trouble can spiral in our lives. It’s often in hindsight that we see God’s plan working together. [...]

When you love someone, one of the most difficult experiences is to see them in pain and not have the ability to help them through it. We want nothing but the best for our loved ones, and when they are struggling, it’s painful in a way that’s hard to describe. One of the struggles that a loved one can go through is depression. The good news is that there is a lot that you can do to come alongside your loved one when they are dealing with depression. Some basic facts concerning depression One of the most important things that you can do to journey well with your loved one is to understand what depression is, and how it affects a person. Depression is a common but serious mood disorder that affects a person’s thoughts, feelings, and actions. It affects how they handle everyday activities such as sleeping, working, eating, or interacting with others. When a person is feeling depressed, they’re not just sad, or going through a phase. Depression affects how they think and feel, and it’s not something that will simply go away on its own, nor is it a condition that a person can overcome by applying themselves and having positive thoughts. It’s important to know this so that you don’t get frustrated or assume that your loved one is being stubborn or lax. According to Mental Health America, major depression, which is what most people mean when they talk about depression, is one of the most common mental health disorders and affects more than 8% (21 million) of American adults each year, and around 15% (3.7 million) of young people aged 12-17. Anyone, regardless of their socio-economic status, gender, age, ethnicity, or race, can be affected by depression. When a person is depressed, it can [...]