Depression / Mental Illness

A person can still have joy in the Lord while battling depression.

As an adult, I've struggled with anxiety, all the while hoping and praying my kids would be spared the same struggle. Unfortunately, it seems anxiety is something my kids have begun to experience. Thankfully, my personal battle has given me eyes to see the difficulty they are facing. When I think back to my childhood, I had similar struggles that I observe in my own children, but no one was able to identify this as anxiety. Research has shown that children of a parent with an anxiety disorder have a 33 percent higher chance of having it themselves.Anxiety can feel like a beast that is daunting to defeat, but the good news is it is possible to overcome the sensations that flood our minds and bodies when anxiety hits. We can help our children by teaching them strategies that lead to a more peaceful mind and body. It's our job to walk alongside them as they learn to understand how their minds and bodies work.Here are a few tips to help you calm your anxious child:

While walking down the aisle, my husband and I had no idea that depression would take such a toll on our marriage again and again. But even depression doesn't get the last word over God's redemption.

Thanks to continued exposure of the mental illness epidemic in our country—if not the world—and the promotion of mental health care, more people are coming to terms with this disease as being more common than not and expressing more positive views about it.Yet, sadly, there are still those who think negatively about those with a mental illness. According to the American Psychological Association’s 2019 poll, around 33% of those surveyed agreed with the statement, “People with mental health disorders scare me,” and 39% said, “they would view someone differently if they knew [they] had a mental health disorder.”Mental health is defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as “our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It affects how we think, feel, and act. It also helps determine how we handle stress, relate to others, and make healthy choices. Mental health is important at every stage of life. But usually, when a person hears the term “mental health,” depression immediately comes to mind. And they aren’t wrong. Depression was the leading mental health disorder in America in 2021, with 57.8 million reported sufferers (one in every five persons). That’s up from 18.5% in 2019. Granted, the uptick is most likely attributable to the COVID-19 pandemic.Regardless, mental health cases continue to rise in America, although our country ranks 29th in the international rating of depressive countries, with a suicide rate of 16.1 per 100,000 people. According to the World Health Organization, in 2019, one in every eight people in the world (970 million) lived with a mental disorder, with depression and anxiety being the most common.As someone who suffers from depression, I fall into that “one in every five persons” category, and, honestly, I can attest to the fact that I have been viewed differently by some once they find out. One can feel discriminated against, which is why I tend to disclose my diagnosis only when necessary. And for this article, it’s necessary, because it’s important that people—including believers—take mental illness seriously. Maybe even more so today than in any other time in our history.But how?Photo Credit: ©GettyImages/Prostock-Studio

Not everyone has to know what you are facing, but someone does. Preferably someone able to offer you a lifeline. Don't be afraid to ask a friend to babysit so you can go to counseling, yoga, or the doctor. Let your partner know you love them but need them because things are happening in your mind and body that you just don't know how to handle alone. Let them take the lead in parenting and helping you find yourself again.

I do understand. I get it. I get how it all begins to take its toll after a while. I understand how you must pretend to be okay when inwardly falling apart. How you have to care for your family's needs but secretly want to run away at the same time. Between the forced smiles, crying spells that spring out of nowhere, ghastly momma rage, and the numbness brought on by a haze that blocks out any light, it's no wonder you struggle - in complete silence.

Watch their behaviors and keep tabs on if they are going through a phase that requires help; more than likely, they will not come to you for help. Also, notice how they speak to themselves and about others. If they ask if they look like they’ve gained weight in a worrisome way or seem overly concerned with weight in themselves or others, there may be something more going on in their heads. Emotional signs can tell what their bodies may not show.

For those suffering from a mental illness, diagnosed or undiagnosed, the one question that matters is why live with suffering? Or put a little more politely, why get out of bed?

We can go to God with our anxiety, no matter what level we are experiencing, and offer it up to Him. Even if the 'feeling' of anxiety doesn't go away, we can still offer it to him and walk in faith. If you experience the kind of anxiety that is based on more than immediate circumstances – more of an overwhelming physical anxiety - He can help you with that. He will lead you to the right source for help to calm whatever is physically happening in your body.

Remember, if you’re not there to influence her, there is a big wide world of influencers just waiting for a click of the button to influence her themselves. Be aware, be involved, and be there for her. You are your daughter’s first line of defense in protecting her mental health.

There are seasons when I find myself feeling exhausted, and I battle depression. Yes. I have so much to be grateful for. I practice thanking God for the things I have to be grateful for regularly. I trust God's Word, spend time in it daily, and cling tightly to the truths I read. I battle depression, yet I have biblical joy because I am clinging to what I know about God and His promises. I am choosing to do the next thing. I persevere because He enables me to move forward even when life is hard.

Secondly—and please take this from a practicing Christian herself—don't limit yourself to just spiritual strategies.Why is it that Christians can trust mechanics to fix our broken carburetors and dentists to fill our cavities, but when it comes to mental or emotional challenges, we balk at seeing therapists, even if they're fellow believers?

I often joke that if I survive the teen years then I can handle anything like implementing world peace. Especially when you’re navigating the challenges of your teen’s mental health. It’s tough enough that they’re going through hormonal changes, have attitudes, and learn to perfect the eyeroll that literally drives you up the wall; but add in the pandemic, isolation, and navigating friendships—and it’s the perfect recipe for a mental health crisis.As a mom to kids ages 22, 15, and 13—I’ve dealt with more than my fair share of navigating the rough waves of anxiety and depression. At one point, both of my teens were barely treading water as we made emergency appointments. We eventually got through the crisis with the help of the support team, counseling, medications, prayer, and a lot of conversations.Now my teens are at a point where they talk openly about their struggles. And now that we are in a better place, I went straight to the source to get the 4-1-1 on what teens wish parents understood about mental health.Photo Credit: © Unsplash/Christopher Campbell

Shame causes children to hide what they are really feeling. Emma confirmed this fact. "I felt shame. There's no reason that I have to feel anxious and insecure. I felt guilty. I don't have a right to feel this way. Because of that, I protected myself from it. I put a mask up."

Recently, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM 5) has labeled narcissism as a mental health disorder. There are many problems associated with this new addition to the list of mental health disorders. While many health disorders are valid disorders, such as depression, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and eating disorders, narcissism shouldn't be labeled a mental health disorder. Mental health disorders are outside of our control, but narcissism is not.Here are three problems with labeling narcissism as a mental health disorder:Photo Credit: ©Getty Images/dragana991

As humans, we all experience the ups and downs of emotions. We can be glad the Lord recorded all the bad with the good about the lives of biblical characters. It would be harder to learn a lesson from their experiences if we didn’t know about their struggles, obstacles, and yes, periods of doubt and depression.Every person mentioned in the Bible would have had times of emotional downturns, some worse than others. But thank God, He also gave the remedy to these folks as He does for us. While the word depression isn’t always used, we can see depression in their lives from their situations and responses.Here are 12 biblical characters who suffered from depression and what we can learn about their remedies.Photo Credit: © Unsplash/Sasha Freemind

You are allowed to grieve. But you aren’t allowed to let shame control your story if you ever want to find peace and lay the what-if questions to rest.

Why is it that some people fair better than others in turbulent times? And what can you learn from them to help you discover real reasons why you worry––and how to combat concerns?

There is a long-standing narrative in our culture, especially in our churches, that mental illness is more of a moral failing than experiencing any other clinically diagnosable disease. All illness in our bodies is a mind, body, and soul experience. When we are suffering due to an ailment, we need the peace of God to help us endure our trials; we need to make changes in how we care for our bodies to experience healing. We need a community to call on to support us on our journey, and we should pray diligently that God offers us healing. We often rely on the expertise of professionals and take medication as tools for us to find that healing.All of the actions described above are the exact same steps necessary for a person to find healing or relief from mental illness. Yet, just last week, I sat in a service where those taking anti-anxiety medications were a group being called out. Clearly, we still lack in our ability to address mental illness in church with grace and understanding. Many Christians believe that mental illness is more than an ailment; it is a spiritual failure.If you've never struggled with your mental health, it can be hard to understand what it feels like to have your mind and body hijacked by the crushing weights of anxiety, depression, or other debilitating mental illnesses; I assure you, as someone that has walked this trying road, there is more to these terrifying experiences than a lack of a proper understanding of God's Word. God's Word is an amazing tool that does help us all find healing in our lives. Nonetheless, when we are experiencing clinical forms of mental distress, we also need the help of our community and professionals to find balance in our bodies again.Just as the church would not shame, discourage, or call out a person with diabetes for taking insulin, we also should be careful not to use words that would stigmatize treatments for a person being treated for mental illness. Spiritual leaders need to take note of this medical crisis that is happening in their communities and begin to educate themselves on how to love people well that need the love of Christ, their community, and the guidance of experts to find healing.

OCD is much heavier than its stereotype, and I would like to honor sufferers and their loved ones by breaking down the different Intrusive Thought categories and dismantling common OCD misconceptions.