At my lowest point, I walked into the break room, collapsed on the couch, and never got up. Co-workers finally called my husband. He carried me to the car, drove me home, and tucked me into bed. I stayed there until I lost my job, and I didn’t even care.
Depression haunted me for more than a decade. For weeks, I functioned like a normal human. Then, wham! The Great Nothingness would descend. A deep lethargy ruled my days.
Fortunately, by the time our fourth child was born, someone pointed me to the hope of the Holy Spirit. I whispered a half-hearted prayer to The Helper, and He answered with Power.
Not the kind of power that shook the room. But the kind that helped me get out of bed the next morning, take a walk around the block, and appreciate things like sunshine and snowflakes.
If depression is trying to be the boss of you or someone you love, consider these helps:
1.Prayer – The Bible shows us several places where prayer healed the sick and broke the power of bad stuff. It still works the same way today.
2.Medication – Not every person in the world was healed in Jesus’ day. Fortunately, He also gave us the miracle of modern medicine. The chemical balances in the brain are delicate and mysterious, so be patient with your doctor as she tries to find the right combinations.
3.Friends & Family – I call them “God with skin on.” These are the people who understand that you are struggling. They don’t coddle you, but they don’t tell you to snap out of it, either. They understand you would – if you could.
4.Counselors – The great Counselor is our best hope, of course. But He tends to use people like you and me to help one another. Sometimes the mere act of saying something out loud breaks the darkness and brings the light. That is the role of a good counselor – to help us find the Light.
It has been more than thirty years since I whispered that prayer for help, and depression has never kept me down since. Sometimes it threatens and taunts. But, it never wins. I still get up and walk with gratitude every day. Because Jesus is the Boss of me.
©2015 Kathy Nickerson
Kathy Nickerson writes stories of hope in her novels, articles, newsletters, and blog. She and her husband are the parents of four children who have grown up to become their best friends and who have given them fourteen grandchildren, so far. You can learn more at http://kathynick.com/
Thirty Days to Glory – http://amzn.to/1ufpINR
Once Upon a Childhood – http://amzn.to/14Pp4zN