I'm 19. I've had major depression since I was 13. I had a really bad year when I was 16. I've been in theraphy for years until I said "no" because I got tired of it. I've been on medication to treat the depression. It took me 3 years to find the one that worked. then I hit a plateau and it stopped working. I'm two friends less because of an awful fight. My mom developed cancer - she's still alive. The summer I turned 17, I went horseback riding for the first time and the horse I rode continously became my rock. He was the one thing in my life that remained constant and was there for me. Then he had to be put down a year later after the huge fight with my friends and the year my mom developed cancer. I still struggle with depression even with meds.
That's the background. I don't understand why He would make me go through this. I fell in and out of my faith during that time. I found it hard to believe a loving God would put me through all that.
I know it's not that bad compared to what other people go through. This is my degree of "bad".
I know it's hard to follow God sometimes especially when things are stacked against you, but you must always keep his faith.
I have had not the easiest life as many people I am sure on this site are equals to me or worse than me. But they find the faith through God. In that time when we need our rocks the most, he leaves us to our faith.
Sometimes we live by helping others and sometimes we live by showing them they are not alone that others have had this chaos in their lives too.
You will find a rock again. But you have to the faith to see it through. Someone will be by your side helping you along living your life as you live yours. Just have the patience for it happen. Be aware of the opportunity of that friend when they present themselves. Don't give up the faith.
I've been there. I went into a sad/depressed state of mind at about age 16...or maybe 17...I can't remember because it's been a few years. It lasted until 2009...so about 4 or 5 years. It was a result of several things going wrong one right after another...and the feelings overtook me. I was going to go into the details, but I really don't feel like that would be a good thing for me to do right now. So, how did I overcome??? Well, I battled it without any medication...for 2 reasons...(1) I've never been a fan of using medications because of the side effects...and (2) More importantly, I believe God has the power to perform miracles.
I'm going to tell you something from experience to hopefully save you a little time. It could be that God is using your depression to try to bring you closer to Him. Yes, I know that may not sound like a very kind thing to do...but sometimes that's the only way God can get our attention. It was only after I began to truly seek God, as never before, that I was able to reach the place of faith that allowed me to overcome the sadness. Looking back, I can honestly say that God had my best interests at heart...even though I didn't feel like it at the time. Many of the folks on here already know about me praying and asking God for a wife and believing that I would receive. Well, if God hadn't allowed things to go wrong, I don't think I would've ever been able to believe I'd receive a wife. You see, I had to deal with circumstances in life that kinda blocked my ability to have a high school sweetheart...because I was home-schooled beginning in 4th grade...so I lost what friends I had. (My older brother was having trouble keeping up in middle school...so mom decided to home-school both of us.) However, it allowed God a chance to refine me...so it wasn't all bad. Anyhow, just thought I'd let you know that you're not the only one who's been sad/depressed...and you may need to seek God on a deeper level in order to overcome the depression. If my faith hadn't gotten crashed, I'd pray for you and you'd be healed...but unfortunately, I guess you could say I've been blocked from believing on that level...and I hadn't thought of it until now, but that could be the answer to why God let my faith crash...because it might've been interfering with what He was trying to do in other folks lives. Looking back, I think I see where my faith might've caused problems...but it was purely an accident because my motives were right. Wow, only God could've revealed all of that. Well, now I see why praying GOD's WILL be done is sometimes the best way to pray. His thoughts are higher than mine...
(Now I think I know why a certain piece of mail ended up in the mailbox back in 2009. It was supposedly a message from God...but I got mad recently and threw it away because it never had fully made sense...but now I think I know what it was talking about. If so, I'm a victim of my own faith ability.)
You are in powerful company . . . Abraham Lincoln, Charles Dickens, and Sir Isaac Newton all endured devastating depression throughout their lives. So did Tammy Lynn Baker, wife of Jim Baker, well-known television evangelist.
I happened to tune in one day when Tammy Lynn shared frankly with a television audience about her deep, dark, debilitating battles with depression. Tammy literally spent years of her married life in bed, sleeping her pain away. Her husband, God Bless Him, prayed for and cared for her while they both hoped for a miracle.
Tammy said her 'miracle' came one day when she was asked to visit and elderly woman who had lost a loved one and was suffering much as Tammy often did. Tammy went, of course; and discovered that very day that as she prayed for and talked to this suffering Sister, she grasped how much more her Sister had endured than she. Tammy also later realized that during and after the time she had spent 'one-anothering' this lonely, grieving woman her own symptoms of depression were completely relieved.
The Holy Spirit, Tammy says, convinced her that day that the ultimate 'cure' for depression is ministry. . . to look for and to go to someone whose situation may be even more heartbreaking than your own. "To present your body a living sacrifice."
Because I, too, am prone to isolate in my grief, failure, or frustration, I eventually MAKE MY SELF take Tammy Baker's 'Sure Cure' for Depression. Engaging my mind and my energy outward and into the life of another leaves no room for the enemy of my soul to drown me in doubt or pierce me with self-pity.
Once again, I realize that Almighty God's command ~ so annoying to obey and so tempting to avoid ~ is a blessing of love, peace and JOY in disguise.
I read your post and i felt compelled to send this message.
Being a Christian is never easy. The devil is always on a mission to get you. If you happen to know Job (from the Bible), he went through some pretty rough situations. He faith waivered, but he never gave up on God.
When situations tend to go south, sometimes we question why God is letting us go through them. But remember, God gives you temptations that HE knows you will conquer. They are battlescars sister. When the Devil gets to you and asks you, "Why has he forsaken you?", know that the Lord has not forsaken you but He will wipe away your every tear (Rev 21:4)
Here are some Verses
Isaiah 41:10 fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
Psalm 18:32-34 the God who equipped me with strength and made my way blameless. He made my feet like the feet of a deer and set me secure on the heights. He trains my hands for war, so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze.
1 Corinthians 10:13 No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.
I have two scriptures that love. The first is when Y-shua is talking to the decuples and he told the story of when a tower did not fall on 70 men and killed them it was not because of sin or that G-d loved them less and my true favorite is the rain falls on the just and the unjust. Bottom line is life happens as life happens on life�s terms for both the saved and the unsaved. I just can get caught up in this life this fallen world which over and over again the scripture reminds me I am a stranger. One day I will die the scripture says there is a day in which a man shall die. Then I will be home in a good and perfect world with my Y-shua. And though really bad thing happen in the here and now, I am not without Hope and the Great Deliver. If the unsaved have it all in this world and die in their sins they have NOTHING!!!!! If I have a bunch of stuff I don�t like, and I have, when I hide in His word and spend time with Him life and its troubles fade away. Many times He does for me what I can�t do for myself and delivers me� and I get to GO TO HEAVEN!!!!! I am more than blessed!!!!!!!!
I'm just a simple man attempting to live a simple life in a complicated world. I would love to tell you that I have the perfect chapter and verse of scripture to help you, but alas, my knowledge there isn't what I would like it to be. So, I'll keep it simple and speak from the only thing I know... my heart.
Fact number one: Bad things DO happen to good people.
Fact number two: I may never know why.
Fact number three: EVERYONE suffers depression... some of us multiple times.
Fact number four: Life isn't about what happens to me. It is about where I choose to focus my attention. I can choose to stay in my pain and sorrow or look past it and and move on.
Fact number five: There is always a message in the mess. All is but a learning experience. Education doesn't come only in books or classrooms. Some of the most profound lessons I have learned have come through painful experiences and through God's grace or from the most unexpected people. Jesus knew scripture (the Old Testement) as well as or better than the theologians of His day, but chose to teach in parables. Why? He presented the scripture in a way that was more commonly understood. Though He read from the word in Temple, and quoted God's word frequnetly, He always illustrated His point in a way He knew the people would understand.
Fact number six: I've found that it's pretty hard to be depressed when I'm helping someone else. When I get out of myself and shift my focus from my pain to action on behalf of another, my burdens don't loom so large.
Fact number seven: I've also found that it is pretty hard to be depressed when I am grateful. I try to remain grateful for the grace that God has bestowed upon me rather than how people, places, and things have tarnished that grace. I give thanks forwhat I have and don't worry about what I don't have
Fact number eight: Life is not about the beginning or destination.... It is about the journey. And the best vehicle to travel in is our faith.
Fact number nine: All Prayers are answered. Sometimes the answereis "Yes". Sometimes the answer is "No". And sometimes the answer is "Not yet, I got something better foryou!, so hang on!"
Fact number ten: God loves us..... All of us..... even if we can't love ourselves. God proved it when He gave us His Son.
I hope there is something in all of that you understand and can use.
