1.
Depression is a whole-body problem.
It affects our thoughts, actions, feelings, relationships and even our
faith-walk. It can literally take over and distort every aspect of our life.
2.
People don't ask to get this problem and
they can't simply will it away. While treatment of depression is very
effective, it often requires individual counseling, couples counseling as well
as medications. Most people experience relief when they are willing to
aggressively tackle the problem.
3.
Depression impacts marriages. It
steals joy and life. It robs not only the person suffering from it, but their
mate, their children, their friends and family. This compounds the problem,
creating even more distance, and more abandonment and isolation.
4.
Depression is treatable. If
you are willing to seek treatment through individual, couples and medication
intervention, most recover. Communication in marriage improves, helping the
individual rise out of their depression.
5.
Finally, seeking God's help is critical.
He is the ultimate source of our joy and promises to give to us life in
abundance. Faith in God often leads to seeking wise counsel in these other
areas of our lives. Developing a comprehensive treatment plan includes looking
at the way we think, dealing effectively with the concrete problems in our
lives, obtaining the support of our family as well as enriching our faith-life.
Adapted from Dr. David Hawkins
