Help for depression
The psalms of David are often outpourings of honest emotion. David didn’t hold back from telling God how he was feeling and, in many psalms, that feeling was one of despair and desolation, hopelessness and anxiety. If you’re depressed, you probably really identify with the cry of David’s heart.
Depression can seem like a dark prison, like a heavy weight pressing down, leaving you feeling that you have no energy or motivation for anything. Christians often feel guilty about feeling depressed, which only makes it worse. Maybe you wonder why your faith doesn’t stop you getting depressed.
Depression is on the increase in industrialised societies
Research indicates that rates of depression have risen by 10 times since 1945 and the World Health Organisation predicts that rates will continue to increase in the coming years.
The way we live means that we’re not always best placed to deal with the pressures of modern society. People move away from their families; there’s no such thing as a job for life any more; we’re bombarded by social media and advertising; and 24/7 news can make the world seem a very dangerous and uncertain place. Christians are not immune to the stresses and strains of everyday life.
Do you just have to live with depression?
The short answer is: No! Once you understand what depression is and what keeps it in place, you can take the first step towards breaking free from the hold that it has on your life.
What causes depression?
A commonly-held theory of depression is that it is caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain. In fact, recent studies dispute that theory. Recent research suggests that chemical imbalance is a result, rather than a cause of depression.
Psychologists Joe Griffin and Ivan Tyrrell are among those who have done extensive research into depression. They hold a different view to the theories that you might have come across, for example that depression is a disease or that it’s caused by a chemical imbalance, genetic factors or anger turned inward.
‘Depression, we are saying, is not a disease. It is a natural response to certain types of emotional introspection that result in excessive dreaming.’
‘Human Givens’ 2003, Joe Griffin & Ivan Tyrrell
A surprising feature of depression
A significant feature of depression is that depressed people dream up to three times more than normal. This means that they don’t get enough deep, restorative sleep, so it’s no wonder that they wake up feeling exhausted.
Dreaming has an important function for us – that of processing our thoughts and experiences of the day. When we’ve been worrying or thinking about problems that we haven’t been able to solve (ruminating), the mind will attempt to resolve that during the night by dreaming. The more we worry and have negative thoughts, the more we dream. The more we dream, the more exhausted we feel when we wake up, leading to more worrying and negative thinking. It becomes a truly vicious circle.
How to break free of depression
Many, many people have found that when they’re able to change their negative thinking and worrying, calm their mind and sleep better, their mood improves and their depression lifts. The Christian Therapy UK ‘Freedom from Depression‘ programme will show you how you can do this.
Christian Therapy ‘Freedom from Depression’ programme
Christian Therapy UK offers a 7-step programme to help overcome depression. Don’t worry! It doesn’t include lots of things that you have to do, at times when just getting out of bed is about as much as you can do in the day. It does include tried and tested approaches to help you:
- stop worrying and filling your mind with negative thoughts
- calm your mind so that you think more clearly during the day and can get restful sleep at night
- sleep better and have more energy when you wake up
- lift your mood and feel more positive
- boost your resilience, no matter what is going on in your life
- rediscover the fulfilling life that God wants you to have
The programme also includes written and audio resources to give you additional support and reinforce what is covered in sessions
Here’s what past clients have said:
‘The visualisations and the therapy have made a great difference to how I feel about me – I’ve been so much more contented in my own self. I have really loved that our Christian beliefs have become central to our discussions and that God is the healing focus. Our sessions have become almost like a prayer, with the power and love of God very much present. It’s been a joy that God has been in this experience with us and that the physical, mental and spiritual have been given space to co-exist.’
‘I’ve noticed a consistent improvement in my mood and I’m feeling more relaxed in situations that were previously very stressful. I’ve been able to shift some long-standing ‘scripts’ running in my head that used to have a negative effect on my mood and sleep.’
‘I no longer have dread feelings or anxiety. I am more positive and involved in life, taking each day as it comes. I’m more energised and enjoying activities and being with family and friends.’
A future free of depression
If you just want to feel happier, have peace of mind and enjoy life, free of depression, please contact Anne at Christian Therapy UK to find out about the ‘Freedom from Depression’ programme.
Free 30-minute phone/Zoom consultation
To find out more, click here to contact Anne Williams by phone or email to book a free, no-obligation 30 minute phone or Zoom consultation.
Image credits
1. Fernando Makoto, Pexels
2. Harald Arlander, Unsplash
3. Wolfgang Hasselmann, Unsplash
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