Depression is the second-most-prevalent mental health diagnosis in the United States, affecting an estimated 21 million adults. Among those affected are born-again believers, who profess Jesus as their Lord and Savior but at times struggle to experience the joy mentioned in Romans 15:13.
As a clinical and a pastoral counselor, I’ve had the privilege through the years of treating many who were feeling as though they were living beneath a dark cloud. Others felt as though they lacked a sense of meaning and purpose in life. Some just felt flat-out numb, as though nothing they did mattered, and proceeded to ask questions such as “What’s the point in all of this, anyway?” or “Is this all that there is to life?”
In each of these scenarios, the person’s depression looked different. Contrary to popular belief, depression is not a one-size-fits all issue. In light of Mandisa’s tragic recent passing, and in honor of the incredible courage she has shown through the years in sharing her journey through depression, I want to shed light on this topic and provide you with practical ways to deal with depression in your own life.
I want to clarify that depression is the result of our living in a fallen world. A world where we may encounter conflict, divorce, heartbreak, wars, grief. A world where loss is inevitable, which leads us to the first type of depression we can encounter: situational depression.
Situational Depression
Situational depression occurs when you experience sadness due to the loss of someone or something important in your life. This can include losing a friend, job, going through a divorce or the devastating loss of a parent or child. Mental health professionals call this kind of depression “situational” because it is directly related to a specific event that occurred in your life. Your natural inclination in reaction to the loss may be to go into protective mode and isolate yourself. If this is where you are, I’d like to urge you to please combat this inclination and reach out to people in your community.
The enemy of our souls, Satan, wants you to isolate so he can whisper lies to you in the dark, knowing you won’t have anyone to process through those lies with. Frequently, during the weeks and months following a situation that has led to your depressed state (such as loss), the enemy will try to insert lies like “God is mad at you; that’s why this happened to you,” or “You did XYZ, so this is your payback.”
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