“Depression is not a joke, not a sin, and not a sign of weakness, but something that could destroy you if you do not engage it and manage it.”
John Thurman
Over the next few days I will give you five things you can do to push back depression. The first thing is to learn and understand a little bit about depression.
How Common is Depression?
In over nearly forty years of counseling, I’ve met men and women who have had one bout of depression after another, and others who have only had one depressive event. The number of people overwhelmed by depression increases annually and depression has a powerful impact on families, churches, and businesses. In fact, in the past three decades, our country has experienced an epidemic of depression. While most of us may not have extended battles with depression, virtually no one is immune to it. We have imperfect personalities, which interact with an imperfect, sinful world; therefore, all of us will have experiences with this emotion in some form or fashion.
People from every walk of life struggle with depression, including doctors, lawyers, teachers, factory workers, housewives, teenagers, the elderly, and even men and women in the ministry—maybe especially men and women in the ministry.
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The Old Testament tells us that some of our great heroes of the faith struggled with depression. King David (Psalm 40:1, 3; 55:4), Elijah (1 Kings 19:5-8), and Jonah (Jonah 1 and 3) are three examples. The Bible study at the end of this book will reveal others who struggled.
Abraham Lincoln struggled with bouts of depression. During one of his darker days, he wrote to a friend, “I am now the most miserable man living. If what I feel were equally distributed to the whole human family, there would not be one cheerful face on the earth. Whether I shall ever be better, I cannot tell; I awfully forbode I shall not. To remain as I am is impossible; I must die or be better, it appears to me . . ..”
Mood disorders, which include major depression, dysthymia (now called “persistent depressive disorder”), and bipolar disorder, affect 23.8 million American adults each year, which translates into one in 15 American adults. Bipolar disorder annually affects 5.7 million American adults or 2.6 percent of the population. A report issued by WebMD states that about 11 percent of Americans who are age twelve or older take antidepressants, including many who have not seen a mental health professional in the past year.
The Center for Disease Control’s National Center for Health Statistics reports that the rate of antidepressant use in the United States has increased nearly 400 percent since 1988.
Depression can lead to suicide, a national problem with young and old no matter how little or how much faith they have.
If you are a Christ Follower and struggle with Depression, don’t be a super spiritual idiot and try to deal with it by yourself. Help is available. Shoot me an email and I will be glad to send you a couple of links.
Click this link for an excellent article on depression from Relevant Magazine!
Upcoming installments
Part # 2 – The Price of Depression
Part # 3 – The Cost of Depression
Part # 4 – What is Depression and What Can You Do About It.
Part # 5 – Moving Toward Wholeness and Healing
John will be announcing an exciting special the first week of October.
Order John’s book, Get a Grip on Depression today.
Here are some of the endorsements of Get a Grip on Depression
Dr. Kevin Leman, Best Selling Author
“If you or someone you know struggles with depression, I recommend Get a Grip on Depression. With years of experience as a therapist and minister, John helps you understand the nature of depression and helps you overcome it using proven principles from modern psychology and the Bible. John’s practical approach is fresh and easy to use.”
LTC David Grossman, author of On Combat and On Killing
“This remarkable look is essential reading in resiliency and mental toughness for everyone. This book is for anyone who is troubled buy depression, anyone with loved ones fighting depression, any caregiver or pastor called to help those with depression, or anyone who wants to increase his or her own personal resiliency and mental toughness. A unique and essential approach to a vital topic.”
Dr. Tom Barrett, Speaker and Author
“Depression can be a dream stealer. Get a Grip on Depression combines the timeless truths of Scripture and proven principles that John has developed over the past thirty-five years of practice. John Thurman is not only a professional Counselor, but a man who understands entrepreneurship. If you have been sidelined or slowed down by depression and want to recapture your dream, this book can help.”
Andy Horner, Founder and Chief Servant Officer – Premier Designs Inc.
“There has never been a time in our history when people are under as much stress or there has been so much hopelessness. John’s book Get a Grip on Depression, will certainly bring light to the darkness of depression and help all who read it find hope”
Gayle Rogers Foster (Daughter of the late Dr. Adrian Rogers) and Senior Leader for Premier Designs
“In this life changing, mind altering book John Thurman gives the reader the greatest gift in the world, the gist of hope. Apart from the name of Jesus, there is no word more beautiful than the word hope. It is the cure for depression and the reason for living. Biblically and practically John shows you the way out of the hopeless pit you find yourself in.”