What Nobody Talks About

From a Facebook post by Kay Warren -

Growing up in church we didn’t talk much about our problems, much less about emotional problems. If we did, it was mostly in hushed whispers, and we said things like “She had a nervous breakdown.”  I never knew what a nervous breakdown was, but I knew it was something I didn’t want to ever happen to me or to someone I loved.  And nobody – absolutely nobody – talked about suicide.

But then suicide knocked on my door and I couldn’t pretend anymore that it didn’t exist.  A sweet neighbor who found herself in the middle of an unwanted divorce let her suicide note on my front porch. I made frantic calls and left notes on her locked gate to let me know she was ok. But later that day the call I had been dreading came; she had shot herself and was not going to survive.  

Years later suicide drew even closer as the husband of my dear cousin, a wonderful, warm and caring pastor of small churches in Texas, took his life when the shame and guilt of financial difficulties and a secret alcohol addiction overwhelmed him.

Then suicide came to my family.  My funny, creative, loving and severely mentally ill son, Matthew, killed himself after decades of pain and suffering. His hopelessness almost became my hopelessness as I went down into the depths of catastrophic grief and loss.

Major depression and anxiety were present for my neighbor, my cousin’s husband and for my son. Fear and dread of perhaps a bleak future colored their thinking until they couldn’t see any other way out. Depression is not only hard to live with, it can be lethal.

With millions of people around the world living with varying levels of depression – including me – we have to get better at disclosing it, talking about it, seeking help, and continuing to offer hope to each other.  Communities of faith can embrace those suffering with mental illnesses, offering solace, comfort, practical help and unconditional love – especially when depression doesn’t go away.  

I have the utmost respect for people living with depression and anxiety – those who continue to trust Jesus and follow him even when it seldom feels good.  Let’s admit it – when you feel good, it’s fairly easy to trust God and believe that He is in control of the details of your life, and to have hope that pesky problems will resolve themselves quickly.  Praise and worship songs stir your emotions and you lift your hands in joyful abandon. But when the dark thoughts of doom, despair, anxiety, and fear become your constant companions – even though you’re doing everything you know to do to feel better – trusting God, believing better days are ahead, and retaining hope become epic feats of courage and endurance.

We honor military heroes – rightly so, because they are willing to offer their lives for the good of our country.  But there are other heroes, mostly unrecognized and unsung, who get up day after day to face the deafening roar or the toxic whisper of depression that taunts them to give in; to end it all.  There are beautiful heroes who refuse to surrender their joy to the voices that never stop reminding them of their brokenness, their perceived failure and unworthiness. These brave men and women have much to teach us about faith and trust and mostly, about HOPE. 

So don’t hide your struggle, please.  Instead, teach the rest of us how to live courageously even when it doesn’t feel good. We need you!

When the Light Goes Out

This piece by Mike Leake may help those of us who do not suffer from depression to understand what it is like for those who do - Preparing For When The Light Goes Out:

I’ve shared in the past that I struggle with depression, discouragement, or if you’re feeling extra Elizabethan “fits of melancholy”. I loathe these times.

I know what it is like to live in the enjoyment of what Christ has purchased. I know what it is like to be “on fire for the Lord”. In these times I figure I see things rather clearly. I see gospel metaphors everywhere. I see the beauty of Jesus all around me. In these times I am feasting on the goodness and greatness of God. I cherish these times.

But then for some unknown (at least to me) reason the lights go out. Sometimes it is because of a stupid choice. Sometimes it is personal sin. Occasionally it will be circumstances. But many times I just wake up discouraged and I cannot seem to shake it. My head feels fuzzy, my body feels tired, my affections feel cold.

When the Light Goes Out

In these times it is as if I find myself in a really dark room where all the things that I know are real appear much different than they really are. You know that feeling that you had when you were a child and as soon as the lights went out the trees outside your window turn into monsters with long dangly arms, the dresser becomes a giant blob of death, your wardrobe is Frankenstein, and your toy chest is now a portal to the depths of the underworld. That’s what real life feels like to me sometimes.

My wife’s expression which a day before would have been rightly interpreted as love is now interpreted as disdain. The harmless jokes from my friends which I would have laughed at yesterday are now darts that rip at the very fiber of my identity. The sin that I could have dealt with yesterday, seeing it rightly covered by the blood of Christ, now seems insurmountable. The confidence that I had yesterday, the passion for writing, preaching, studying, etc. to make Christ the only boast of this generation now turns on me and convinces me that any work I do will probably bring shame upon the risen Lord. The open arms of Jesus that yesterday seemed like an invitation for loving embrace now seem like that grappling position that wrestlers have before one is thrown down to the mat.

I know my eyes (perhaps, more so my heart) are playing tricks on me. I know that any wrestling Jesus does is for my good. I know my wife loves me, my friends respect me, God uses me, and His blood is sufficient for even my thoughts in this darkness. I know that. But yet that tree sure does look like a monster.

Your counsel to me might very well be “just go turn on the lights”. I can’t. Maybe because I can’t get myself out of bed for fear that the darkness will swallow me. Maybe I can’t because for some reason the light switch is broken. Maybe I’m so disoriented that I am not even sure where the light switch is anymore. It seems as if I am in these moments at the mercy of the dawn. When morning comes then I’ll see again.

Making the Nights Better

I have not given up trying to make the night go away. Though, I’ve somewhat come to grips with the fact that this may very well be my “thorn”, my “weakness”, that the Lord will choose to show His strength through. As for now, I’m in that in between spot where I am trying to find a way to “boast in my weakness” but fight it with all the vigor I have with weaponry of Christ.

One way that I have learned to fight the darkness is to take advantage of the daytime. In those times when the lights are on I cannot throw my time away on trivial junk (though I often do). In these moments I need to prepare for the darkness. The more I become convinced of reality when the lights are on the easier it is to tell a dragon from a jukebox when the lights are out.

This is one reason why I rehearse the gospel quite often and keep things that serve as matches quite close to me. I know that when I’m in the dark I can call to mind Scripture that I’ve read, theological truths that have been implanted in my heart, help from the church (all 2,000 years of her history), and identity shaping gospel promises. These are my matches. They give me just enough light to see for a moment before the darkness overtakes them.

Perhaps God allows the night so that I long for the day. There will be a day when there are no more dark rooms and I am able to see the Lord for who He is. I’ll know then who I am too. And his outstretched arms will never be interpreted for a forthcoming throw to the mat—instead I’ll know they are love.

I’m content hanging on to my bed post in darkness praying that the darkness doesn’t overtake me, so long as I know that morning is coming. I take great encouragement from FLAME’s moving exhortation, “Hold On, He’s Strong, Hold On, He’s Strong, Our God is a Warrior”. He’s fighting the darkness. I can’t see Him but He is. And He’ll make sure that morning comes, even when it seems like the darkness may have gotten the upper hand.

I’m hanging on until morning.

When You Feel God Has Abandoned You

I recommend Amy Simpson's writing on mental illness from a Christian perspective. She knows what she is talking about. See Q&A: If you feel God Has Abandoned You.

I receive a lot of inquiries from people asking for advice about living with mental illness, loving someone with a mental disorder, and doing ministry to people with mental illness and their families. I can’t offer the kind of advice and help a mental health professional can give, but I can point people in the direction of resources that might help them. Sometimes it’s a matter of just introducing people to resources that are available. Sometimes it’s a matter of sharing my own personal experience and my own perspective.

Occasionally I’ll be sharing some of these interactions* here, for the benefit of others who may have similar questions.

Here’s one:

Question: I’ve been living with mental illness for a long time. I have worked very hard to be healthy, and I think I will always have to struggle hard against crippling depression. I know what the Bible says, but sometimes I feel like God has abandoned me. I won’t walk away from my faith, but why does life have to be so hard? Sometimes I doubt God loves me.

Answer: I can sense the tremendous pain behind your words. I’m so sorry for what you have gone through. I rejoice that God has brought you through such hardship, and I know that sometimes it’s hard to have that perspective for yourself. I also know that your survival did not come without a lot of hard work and hanging on to hope, and let me say I’m proud of you for pressing on.

The pain you experience does not mean God has abandoned you (Romans 8:35-38). It means you’re human and you’ve suffered–and your feelings have betrayed you at times. You have suffered in a way that most people don’t have to endure. And the good news is, God redeems our sufferings and has the ultimate remedy for them someday (2 Corinthians 5:1-5).

Please keep holding on to faith and hope in prayer and in Christ. I know that is not always easy, especially when you’re struggling with those very dark days. I hope you have someone to talk to, who knows what you’re going through and doesn’t judge you for it. Do you see a counselor? Have you considered working with a spiritual director? If not, I hope you’ll consider talking with someone who will walk alongside you and help you wrestle through this with God.

Also, here’s a Christian book I can recommend, written by a woman with bipolar disorder: Darkness Is My Only Companion

Are you familiar with Adrian Warnock? He’s a pastor at Jubilee Church in London and a trained psychiatrist. He blogs at Patheos.com, usually on other topics, but a couple of years ago he wrote a series on mental illness, which answers some questions and offers some hope. I think this article is the first in that series: Can a Christian Get Depressed?

And finally, I’ve written a host of other articles on this topic, some of which you might find encouraging or helpful. On my website, you can find a list with links. Scroll down below the video and the list of broadcast interviews. Here’s one you might find especially encouraging: When Mental Illness Comes Home.

I hope this is helpful and not overwhelming. I hope you will cling to the knowledge that God has never abandoned you and will not ever walk away from you. You have not let him down either. Your illness did not surprise or overwhelm him, and he is not disappointed in you. He loves you no matter what, and any message you hear or feel to the contrary is a lie. Please also know that while you may feel alone, you’re not the only person enduring this kind of trouble. There are others out there, and some of them feel alone as well. You may be able to find support with them. I’m sorry for your struggle and I will pray today that you will continue to be aware that the Lord is right alongside you. He loves you more than you can imagine.

*Questions have been modified to protect privacy.

- See more at: http://amysimpsononline.com/2015/02/qa-if-you-feel-god-has-abandoned-you/#sthash.U3QJSUxR.dpuf

Things Not to Say to A Depressed Loved One

From a good article by Michael Patton, who has experienced depression from both sides (as a sufferer and a counselor) - 7 Things NOT to Say to a Depressed Christian. Please read. Please understand, Please do not act this way or say these things to your depressed loved ones.

As many of you know, I’ve been depressed for almost five years now. I had a major break in March of 2010. It came out of nowhere and has been a frequent uninvited guest in my home ever since.

I won’t go into it now, but almost seven weeks ago I came out of the depression. I think I know the triggers. But I often tell people not to get too excited. I can never be sure which “me” is going to wake up tomorrow. Will it be joyful me? (who I love) He’s the one who sees life positively and has no time for worry (too busy serving God)? Or will it be broken me (who I hate)? He can’t dwell on anything but the bad and sees no hope in life (and doesn’t even act like there’s a God)?

But while I have my thoughts straight, I’ve been able to dwell on so many positive things. One of these is the subject of this post. I’ve accumulated a list of seven things depressed people (Christian’s especially) are told. They’re meant to help them out of their depression. I’ve even had these things said to me. But these things are wrong.
Please Note: None of these things necessarily come from evil intentions. These come from people who sincerely want you to recover. However, they do come from the evil flesh that dwells in all of us: judgmentalism. I hope this becomes clear as you read.

Further Reading: Dealing With My Depression #1: Muffling Its Voice

“Just Snap Out of It”

I don’t know how many times I said this to my depressed sister before she took her life. “Just snap out of it, Angie.” From my perspective, I thought you could. I thought that being depressed or happy was an act of the will. If you just make the right decision, you can think your way out of it. But more often than not, depression is not an act of the will. It is an interplay between the mind and the brain that you can’t snap out of. Don’t you think that people who are depressed would “Just snap out of it” if it were that easy? Remember, they don’t want to be depressed. It is the worst torture that one can possibly imagine.

“Think Positively”

Again, this might seem right. Please realize that most of the time a depressed person can’t think positively. That’s why they’re depressed. If I were to tell you there’s a giant elephant in your room, would you believe me? What if I said that all you have to do is close your eyes and trust it to be true? You’d probably say, “I can’t!”Telling someone who’s depressed to “think positively” completely misses the problem. They can’t think positively any more than you can believe there’s an elephant in the room. They don’t want to think negatively. They just can’t stop.

Further Reading: Depression – When We Want to Die

Read it all at the link.

Just Be There

If you have ever struggled with depression, or loved someone who has, please read this piece by Annie Lee Edwards - How to Love Your Depressed Friend. If you've been depressed, you'll say amen. If you've tried to help a depressed loved one, you'll learn something important.

It was a forced friendship from the beginning. Boldly, she announced that every single Wednesday she would be coming to my house. I could see her resolve. I was scared, and I started to squirm. Every Wednesday? Generally, I leave this thing open ended, “penciled in,” if you will. In other words, I rarely do firm “commitments.” After all, what if I need to change my mind? Somehow, she must have known my propensity at changing plans and calling in sick.

She needed a lot from me, and I was not prepared to give it. I timidly opened the door every Wednesday, and she walked in.

Chances are you know someone who is struggling with depression. She may be living under your own roof or sitting in the pew next to you.

“What can we do when a loved one is wrestling with depression,” you ask?

Often we want to run onto the scene and “fix them.” Give us a list so we can check it off and instantly transform this unpleasant forecast to sunny days. If only it were that easy.

Bringing the Light of Christ

I’m persuaded that sometimes the best thing we can do is nothing more than to sit and be with them. No formula, just the power of presence. What if the most profound, life-giving thing about us is our transformed and transforming presence?

Jesus entered into our darkness (John 1:14). Love opened the door and walked into our world so we could walk into the light (John 1:4). He was present with us in order to lead us to redemption.

We all want to be the friend on sunny days, but it is uncomfortable to enter into broken places where the sun refuses to shine and the shadows incessantly come out to play.
However, as followers of Jesus this is exactly where we are called to be, present with people in their suffering. You have something that everybody needs – light (not the light of our own deceptive morality, but the light from heaven, the light of the Lord Jesus Christ). However, the light cannot be seen if it does not make itself available.

Draw Near with Tears, Not Many Words

By definition, a depressed person is often plagued with an uninvited irrationality about them. In other words, their minds (at least in that state) don’t have the full capacity to rightly think and reason. Thus, words and speeches are frequently of no avail. In the immediate, giving them your compassionate tears, not your words, is often the best approach. It’s not that they don’t want to hear and believe; it’s that they can’t.

Those who feel like they are suffocating from the weight of darkness may be unable to move towards your advances in friendship. An almost certain accompaniment with any legitimate depression is the tendency to withdraw from relationships (even from those people whom we love and respect the most dearly).

Do not take this personally. I literally have hidden under tables so my friends could not see I was home. Please do not be offended when a depressed person doesn’t return a text or phone call (or doesn’t answer the door). These hurt feelings or anger at the depressed person are exactly what Satan wants from you. He wants you to be offended by the cold shoulder, leading you to run from your friend. Christ, on the other hand, wants you to realize this is not a battle against flesh and blood. He wants you to take up the sword and fight for your friend (even if the other person is sleeping in their own tears, or hiding in their own shame and fear, while you are fighting).

During an episode of post-partum depression, I hid in the shadows because it was embarrassing for church members to see me so weak and miserable. I am grateful to those women who brought meals to me and came to sit with me every day until I started to come back to life. My mother stayed for almost an entire month. When my husband had to be at work, women from our church came each and every day to just be with me. I was scared to be alone. Although they could not protect me from the monster of depression, just their presence helped immensely.

You may need to do whatever is necessary to show them the love of Christ as they walk through this darkness. Your friend may not answer the door or act excited to hang out with you, but go through the door anyway, and when you do, open the door of grace. Chances are, your friend has been opening many doors searching for a way out of this darkness, but all they have experienced are doors of doubt and defeat slammed in their face.

God can use you as a means of light in the darkness of your friend’s soul, if only you are willing to be the Christ-infusing presence she needs as she walks through depression.

HT: CBMW

Understand the Blackness

Depressed Advice

If you have ever counselled a clinically depressed person to "just read your Bible and pray and you will be happy and well," please read this post by Brad Williams. If you have ever been told that advice, and felt guilty because it did not work for you, please read this post..

"When I Realized the Bible Cannot Cure Everything"

Sometimes you just need to take your medication first (and regularly)....and then read the Bible and pray.

Depression and Ordinary Means

In the context of the Robin Williams story this past week, I appreciated Jared Wilson sharing this excerpt from his book Gospel Wakefulness (a good read, BTW). Yes, Jesus is enough....but sometimes he uses drugs and doctors to help heal us.

...The first thing we may say about the bigness of Jesus is that he is big enough to help us in many ordinary means. Many Christians have adopted the unfortunate posture of Job’s friends, adding more discouragement to those discouraged in depression by urging them not to seek help except via spiritual disciplines like prayer and Bible study. These are certainly the most important prescriptions for any of us!

The fuller truth, however, is that while Jesus is enough, his enough-ness may be manifested in our getting help from material means. These too are gifts from God, provided through the common graces of scientific research, academic study, pastoral giftedness, analytic method, and modern medicine.

What I mean is this: talk to a trained counselor and take the meds if they are needed. When it comes to medication, at the very least, don’t not take it out of fear of distrust of Jesus.

Antidepressants may or may not help you, but discuss the options with your doctor, preferably after conferring with a clinical psychologist who is also a Christian, and if you decide they are not for you, don’t decide so because you think to take them is to deny Jesus’s ability to heal.Yes, Jesus is enough, but it must really be Jesus, not some invoking of the idea of Jesus, some platitude involving Jesus’s name, some hollow encouragement via cheap cliché. One question I’d ask those who’d suggest that those on medication for depression or anxiety should ditch the pills and just “trust Jesus” is if they’ve ever been to the doctor for anything, taken medicine for anything. Do they wear glasses or contact lenses? Why? Isn’t Jesus enough? (Do you drive a car? Why doesn’t Jesus beam you to work?)

I’m being silly, but I really am not trying to be reductive. The problem with “Jesus should be enough” in response to the question, “should Christians take anti-depressants?” is that the Jesus in view in the assertion is disembodied. He is an idea, a concept. I don’t think Christians can say with any integrity, “Jesus is enough,” without attempting to do what Jesus did to “be Jesus” for people, which frequently included meeting their physical and emotional needs. The gospel truth of “Jesus is enough” doesn’t have some vague, ethereal, unincarnated spiritual meaning.

That we have medicine to help us heal physically and psychologically is a gift from Jesus, just as salvation from sins is a gift from Jesus. Of course, if I had to take one over the other, I would take pain now and heaven later, but that’s theoretical, and thankfully I don’t often have to choose one or the other.

And it certainly isn’t the gospel of Jesus to heap guilt on people who need medical help to be healthy people. Jesus may heal any of us without ordinary means—and I do believe he heals today by purely Spiritual means, what most of us would call a miracle—but this kind of healing is not normative. And that’s all right. Medicine is not a mandate for the depressed person. But neither is it off limits. It can be, properly prescribed and taken, a gift of common grace. Likewise, seeking help from a pastoral counselor or Christian psychologist is nothing to be ashamed of.

– from Gospel Wakefulness (Crossway, 2011)

Depression - Suffering Service

Depression (medical and spiritual) is a subject the church has just got to start facing and addressing. The testimony of the Warrens after their sons' recent death has helped bring this to the fore. Peter Hughes at The Briefing has written a good piece on the subject - The first paragraphs are below.

Life is pretty good at the moment. I have three great kids. My marriage is going well. We planted a church a few years ago, and we are starting to get some traction. The problems we have are because of growth. All in all, this is one of those seasons people dream about. Life is good.

And yet…

I feel like there’s a weight around my neck, a fog blanketing me. People seem to talk slowly, and my brain functions on just two cylinders. I go to sleep okay at night, but I am awake again at 4am, and by the time I get out of bed I will still be tired. A cup of coffee clears the mist for an hour or two, but then I am back deeper in it than before. Little problems are starting to feel insurmountable, and I often wonder, “Can I deal with this?” My wife is loving and attractive and yet I don’t feel the desire to express this to her. I read the Bible and the word ‘joy’ is an alien idea, and I feel I have almost forgotten what it’s like to laugh.

In short, I am suffering from depression.1

The good news for me is I understand why this is happening. I know it will end soon, but others suffering from depression will be unable to see the end. The bad news is that once I am through this, I know it will happen again, and again, and again.2

At some point in their lives, around one in five people in Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States will suffer from depression. Though I don’t have the statistics, I suspect that that figure is higher in churches.3 It will affect different people in different ways, with different causes, but it is a growing problem.

Despite this, we aren’t good at talking about it in our churches—at least not good enough. There is a fear that if I’m not living a life of ‘joy’ then there’s something wrong with me. If I can’t serve like everyone else in church then something’s wrong with me. If I’m depressed, I’m not really a Christian. But by looking at what the Bible has to say about depression and what it says to the person who has depression, we see that in fact looking at depression helps us appreciate and see the glory of God even more vividly....

This is a good article. He applies the Song of the Suffering Servant in Isaiah 52:13- 53:12 to our struggles with depression. I recommend it for your reading and consideration..
 

Shiela's Story

Awesome story by Shiela Walsh (singer and former co-host of the 700 Club) on her struggle with depression.

Like most of you I am deeply saddened whenever I hear that a fellow believer has succumbed to suicide. For me, as for a few of you, it will always hit closer to home. My father took his life by drowning when he was thirty-four, leaving my mother with three young children and questions that no one on this earth could answer. I grew up struggling with depression, believing that no matter how fast I ran or how hard I worked, my father’s final choice would be mine as well. I understood so little about mental illness during those years. For many who take their lives, the element of choice isn’t there anymore. The darkness is too dark, the pain too deep to even begin to reason.

One day in the early fall of 1992 I simply couldn’t fight anymore. I was co-host of “The 700 Club with Dr. Pat Robertson” but on the inside I was falling apart. I stood at the edge of the ocean in Virginia Beach and all I wanted to do was to keep on walking until the waves were over my head. The only thing that stopped me was the thought of my mother receiving a call to tell her that once more she had lost someone she loved under the water. Instead I ended up in a psychiatric hospital for a month, diagnosed with severe clinical depression. For me, I felt as if I had gone to hell. I had been running from that place all my life. I had yet to understand that sometimes God will take you to a prison to set you free. In the ashes of my former life I discovered a life worth living, based on nothing I brought to the table, but on the fiery relentless love of God.

That was over twenty years ago and I am not cured but I am redeemed.

Thinking about Mental Illness

Frank Viola has a good article up about Christian responses to and attitudes about mental illness. In light of the Matthew Warren suicide last weekend, this topic is getting a lot of discussion - some of it with light, some with only a lot of heat.

I recommend Viola's article for your careful consideration. I think he is right on this topic.
 

More Links Worth A Look

Links worth a look:

The Rise of the Evangelicos (Time Magazine)

What Would Jesus Blog?

The Church is Talking about Mental Illness...But Are We Listening?

The Asphyxiation of Hope: Matthew Warren

Being Gay at Jerry Falwell's University

15 Characteristics of Today's Non-Churched Person

8 Ways to Ensure Your Kids Won't Hate Church

Gratitude and Depression

I think one should be careful about simplistic sounding answers to depression, which can have complicated sources and causes from a mixture of physical, relational, situational and spiritual factors. Nevertheless, it is true that sometimes simple actions can have great effects toward removing dark mental clouds. If emotions can affect actions, then actions can also affect emotions.  I like these suggestions from Brian Croft:

Depression is a dark, complex cloud.  It is a burden that takes time to work through and is usually a snare that those who struggle with it, struggle their entire lives.  While the counseling is being done, while the heart is being examined, while the gospel is being applied, and while the local church care is being extended, what can a depressed person do to fight against the darkness every day....

He then gives two simple suggestions.

1)  Force yourself to verbally acknowledge one thing you are grateful for to someone else.  The common posture for a depressed person is that they see no good in them or the world.  They are the poster child for the glass being half empty.  Yet, Paul tells us in ”everything give thanks” which does not exempt the deep darkness of depression.  If you are struggling with depression, force yourself to honestly and sincerely speak something you are grateful for.  It could be the smallest, simplest thing or person, but make sure you are experiencing gratefulness in your heart for it and someone else hears you speak it.

2)  Force yourself to go and serve someone else.  In my experience in caring for those struggling with depression, it is very natural and easy to sit around, do nothing, and think about how horrible your life is.  Fighting for joy means going against the grain of what you feel like doing, and doing that which would be good for you and others.  The best way to take your eyes off your own struggles, is to go and bless someone else in the midst of theirs.

What do you think?

Helping The Depressed

Ministering to the Depressed from HeadHeartHand Media on Vimeo.
by David Murray, author of Christians Get Depressed Too:

Hat Tip: Justin Taylor

"Christians Get Depressed Too"

From a review by Tim Challies of the book by David Murray - Christians Get Depressed Too:

The message at the heart of David Murray’s little book about depression is all in the title—Christians Get Depressed Too. This message is remarkably liberating. Immediately it clears away so many of the dangerous and unhelpful misconceptions. We wouldn’t want this to give license to wallow in depression, but we would want it to allow us to see and believe and understand that for many people depression is to the fallen mind what illness is to the fallen body....

....I believe this book’s greatest strength is its liberating message that depression does not need to be a source of shame and that it should not carry a taboo that causes those who suffer from it to hide away in shame. At the same time, it should not cause other people to respond with shock or scolding or judgment. Murray does a good job of aligning depression—mental or emotion suffering—with the physical suffering we all encounter in life. Though it may be caused by sin or aggravated by sin, we must not allow ourselves to assume that this is always the case.

Another strength is the book’s measured, pastoral tone. Too much writing on this subject falls prey to broad strokes and sweeping judgments. Murray makes it clear that he is no stranger to depression; he has faced it in his ministry and “among friends and some of those I love most in this world.” This leads him to speak carefully, to speak sensitively, and to use nuance where nuance is warranted. The person who is dealing with depression, with anxiety or with panic attacks will find sympathy and hope in the words of this book and in the gospel message it depends upon.

Christians Get Depressed? Who Knew!

Here's a revelation for you - Christians Get Depressed Too. Well, duh!

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), nearly 1 out of every 10 adult Americans currently suffers from depression. Depression is not confined to the United States. The World Health Organization describes depression as “common” in the world today, affecting an estimated 121 million persons. If we were to consider those who have not been clinically diagnosed with depression, but who suffer periodically from mild forms of depression, these figures would undoubtedly swell.

Depression, then, is widespread. It is in our families, our neighborhoods, our places of work, and in the church. How ought believers to minister to those who are bearing this burden? Regrettably, it is just here that well-intentioned but uninformed Christians have done more harm than good. Sometimes they offer little more than pious cant. Sometimes they end up blaming the depressed person for his depression. The impact on the depressed Christian can be devastating.

Much more at the link, which features a review of a book Christian Get Depressed Too by Dr. David Murray.

Don’t Judge the Depressed

Here's a link to a good article by Stephen Altrogge on how to help someone struggling with depression.

The Blazing Center » Don’t Judge the Depressed

His concluding comment: "Don’t judge the depressed, care for them."