Normal Sadness or Clinical Depression?

In my last post, I shared about my struggles with the Winter Blues and the much more serious seasons of Winter in my Soul. In my experience, there is a drastic difference between “normal” sadness and worry versus real clinical depression, anxiety and mental health issues.

Everyone gets sad. Everyone gets down or stressed. You might even say everyone, at one time or another, goes through a season of depression, especially with circumstances that cause one to be filled with grief and despair. This sadness or depression comes and goes throughout the day, the week or even a month. I have experienced these things. With this depression or these “blues” there is a sense of relief when one cries or talks through things or changes a mindset. Typically in these times of more circumstantial hardship, I can apply Biblical principles and methods to deal with and cope with these feelings and overcome them in a relatively short amount of time.

However, there have been times in my life when circumstances did not dictate these feelings. I have experienced crippling, paralyzing fear, anxiety and depression when my life was going well. Despair, hopelessness and even suicidal thoughts lasted without relief for an extended period of time. I struggled to function with normal life: getting out of bed in the mornings, taking a shower, talking with people (I’m an extrovert!), having motivation at work, feeling afraid to go outside, feeling life would never get better, not being able to enjoy anything I normally would. I wasn’t able to muster the capability to simply function. (More on this in an upcoming blog).

There is a Christian “stigma” with medication related to depression. Many well-meaning Christians believe there is a sin issue or a lack of faith or any number of other reasons why one can’t overcome these depressive and anxious feelings. Biblical methods of fighting the despair don’t just snap me out of depressive states. Despite my reluctance to believe in the value of medication, or even to admit this here, I have been helped by going to a doctor and getting on medication. Typically, within the doctor’s prescribed 4-6 weeks, the medication kicks in, and I am back to my normal self. Because of this, I am persuaded to believe I am dealing with “clinical depression” in these times.

I am obviously not a professional clinician, but my experience with mental health, depression, and anxiety has given me a place to at least share what I have gone through.  This may not be everyone’s experience, but I hope that in sharing my story, I can at least shed light on this dark arena of life. I want people who are struggling or facing a crisis in their life to have a Biblical hope that God can deliver them and to feel armed with Biblical methods of dealing with and coping with these overwhelming emotions. I also want people that are dealing with clinical depression and anxiety to know that there may be a real medical reason for what they are going through. With the help of a doctor and medicine they may find help along with our ultimate help which is found in the Lord Jesus Christ and in His Word.

There are ways I have learned to cope and find hope in the midst of depression and anxiety, and I look forward to sharing these in upcoming blog posts.