One of the biggest issues we face as Service Members is depression. It’s an invisible enemy that is consuming Service Members and their immediate families at an alarming rate. Maybe it’s the elephant in the room? Maybe it’s the sleeping giant that’s been aroused? I don’t know but what I do know is that many of our American Heroes are now dealing with this disease.
As a Chaplain, I have been pushed to the forefront of this battle. In the Tennessee National Guard, we have implemented programs such as Guard Your Buddy (http://guardyourbuddy.com/) to combat the extreme actions sometimes associated with depression. Military1Source (http://www.militaryonesource.mil/MOS/f?p=MOS:HOME:0::::) is a hub for information concerning Warriors and the special situations and needs they will face throughout the course of their service. And although there is wealth of information available on this site, it is rather easy to navigate to your specific issues and questions.
Also, as a Chaplain, while I am thankful for and appreciate the value of such resources, I believe the ultimate resource for emotional, physical, mental and spiritual well-being comes from the Source of all things – God and his Word, the Bible.
1. We are born into SIN – the ultimate depravity of man.
a. For I was born a sinner— yes, from the moment my mother conceived me. – Psalm 51:5
b. You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed. – Psalm 139:16
c. Listen to me, descendants of Jacob, all you who remain in Israel. I have cared for you since you were born. Yes, I carried you before you were born. – Isaiah 46:3
2. SIN through Adam – GRACE through Jesus
a. 12 When Adam sinned, sin entered the world. Adam’s sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned. 13 Yes, people sinned even before the law was given. But it was not counted as sin because there was not yet any law to break. 14 Still, everyone died—from the time of Adam to the time of Moses—even those who did not disobey an explicit commandment of God, as Adam did. Now Adam is a symbol, a representation of Christ, who was yet to come.
b. 15 But there is a great difference between Adam’s sin and God’s gracious gift. For the sin of this one man, Adam, brought death to many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and his gift of forgiveness to many through this other man, Jesus Christ. 16 And the result of God’s gracious gift is very different from the result of that one man’s sin. For Adam’s sin led to condemnation, but God’s free gift leads to our being made right with God, even though we are guilty of many sins. 17 For the sin of this one man, Adam, caused death to rule over many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and his gift of righteousness, for all who receive it will live in triumph over sin and death through this one man, Jesus Christ. 18 Yes, Adam’s one sin brings condemnation for everyone, but Christ’s one act of righteousness brings a right relationship with God and new life for everyone. 19 Because one person disobeyed God, many became sinners. But because one other person obeyed God, many will be made righteous.
c. 20 God’s law was given so that all people could see how sinful they were. But as people sinned more and more, God’s wonderful grace became more abundant. 21 So just as sin ruled over all people and brought them to death, now God’s wonderful grace rules instead, giving us right standing with God and resulting in eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
3. Relationship with God
a. It’s not enough to simply acknowledge that God exists … even the demons acknowledge that fact.
i. You say you have faith, for you believe that there is one God. Good for you! Even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror. – James 2:19
b. You must go beyond religion to relationship.
i. And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him. – Hebrews 11:6
4. Renew your mind
a. Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a loyal spirit within me. – Psalm 51:10
b. Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. – Romans 12:2
c. But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things! – Galatians 5:22-23
d. So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace. – Romans 8:6
5. Finally,
a. 10 A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. 12 For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. 14 Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. 15 For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. 16 In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. 17 Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18 Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere. – Ephesians 6:10-18
6. Read ROMANS 8
1 So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. 2 And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death. 3 The law of Moses was unable to save us because of the weakness of our sinful nature. So God did what the law could not do. He sent his own Son in a body like the bodies we sinners have. And in that body God declared an end to sin’s control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins. 4 He did this so that the just requirement of the law would be fully satisfied for us, who no longer follow our sinful nature but instead follow the Spirit.
5 Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit. 6 So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace. 7 For the sinful nature is always hostile to God. It never did obey God’s laws, and it never will. 8 That’s why those who are still under the control of their sinful nature can never please God.
9 But you are not controlled by your sinful nature. You are controlled by the Spirit if you have the Spirit of God living in you. (And remember that those who do not have the Spirit of Christ living in them do not belong to him at all.) 10 And Christ lives within you, so even though your body will die because of sin, the Spirit gives you life because you have been made right with God. 11 The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you.
12 Therefore, dear brothers and sisters, you have no obligation to do what your sinful nature urges you to do. 13 For if you live by its dictates, you will die. But if through the power of the Spirit you put to death the deeds of your sinful nature, you will live. 14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God.
15 So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, “Abba, Father.” 16 For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children. 17 And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering.
18 Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later. 19 For all creation is waiting eagerly for that future day when God will reveal who his children really are. 20 Against its will, all creation was subjected to God’s curse. But with eager hope, 21 the creation looks forward to the day when it will join God’s children in glorious freedom from death and decay. 22 For we know that all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. 23 And we believers also groan, even though we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, for we long for our bodies to be released from sin and suffering. We, too, wait with eager hope for the day when God will give us our full rights as his adopted children, including the new bodies he has promised us. 24 We were given this hope when we were saved. (If we already have something, we don’t need to hope for it. 25 But if we look forward to something we don’t yet have, we must wait patiently and confidently.)
26 And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. 27 And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God’s own will. 28 And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. 29 For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. 30 And having chosen them, he called them to come to him. And having called them, he gave them right standing with himself. And having given them right standing, he gave them his glory.
31 What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us? 32 Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else? 33 Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for his own? No one—for God himself has given us right standing with himself. 34 Who then will condemn us? No one—for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at God’s right hand, pleading for us.
35 Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? 36 (As the Scriptures say, “For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.”) 37 No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.
38 And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. 39 No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.
This is the hope that we have in Christ Jesus. We must believe this! If there is any hope in this depraved world, it is through Jesus Christ. That’s the only hope we have. God’s promise is that He will never leave us nor forsake us so we must look to him for the ultimate deliverance.
signs & symptoms of Depression
· Emotional symptoms
o Sadness
o Loss of interest
o Thoughts of death / suicide
o Feelings of guilt / worthlessness
§ Unnecessary / unnoticed
· Physical symptoms
o Restlessness
o Slowness of speech, thought, or activity
o Trouble concentrating / decision making
o Lack of energy
o Changes is weight / appetite or sleep
o Sex drive
· Associated symptoms
o Aches and pains
o Tearfulness
o Constant worry
o Dwelling on negative thoughts
o Constantly turning things over in your mind
o Irritability
o anxiety[1]
Someone with depression might think or say any of the following:
- "I feel sad all the time and just don't feel like myself."
- "I don't enjoy being with my friends or doing any of the things I usually love to do."
- "I've been having a lot of trouble sleeping lately."
- "Sometimes I feel like my life is not worth living anymore."
- "I feel like I don't have any energy."
- "I'm not really interested in eating."
- "Even after a long day, I still feel restless."
- "I feel so indecisive and I can't make any decisions."
- "I just feel so worthless."
People with a family history of depression may be more likely to get the disease, but anyone can become depressed. Sometimes the triggers are external–for example, relationship troubles or financial problems. At other times the disease may begin with physical illness or hormonal shifts. Depression also may occur without any identifiable trigger at all.
Depression symptoms include:
- Feelings of sadness or unhappiness
- Irritability or frustration, even over small matters
- Loss of interest or pleasure in normal activities
- Reduced sex drive
- Insomnia or excessive sleeping
- Changes in appetite — depression often causes decreased appetite and weight loss, but in some people it causes increased cravings for food and weight gain
- Agitation or restlessness — for example, pacing, hand-wringing or an inability to sit still
- Slowed thinking, speaking or body movements
- Indecisiveness, distractibility and decreased concentration
- Fatigue, tiredness and loss of energy — even small tasks may seem to require a lot of effort
- Feelings of worthlessness or guilt, fixating on past failures or blaming yourself when things aren't going right
- Trouble thinking, concentrating, making decisions and remembering things
- Frequent thoughts of death, dying or suicide
- Crying spells for no apparent reason
- Unexplained physical problems, such as back pain or headaches
For some people, depression symptoms are so severe that it's obvious something isn't right. Others people feel generally miserable or unhappy without really knowing why.
Depression affects each person in different ways, so depression symptoms vary from person to person. Inherited traits, age, gender and cultural background all play a role in how depression may affect you.[2]
“Feels like a blanket over me. Covering my whole body and my head and I can’t get out from underneath it.”
Fall and winter seasonal affective disorder (winter depression)
Winter-onset seasonal affective disorder symptoms include:
Winter-onset seasonal affective disorder symptoms include:
- Depression
- Hopelessness
- Anxiety
- Loss of energy
- Heavy, "leaden" feeling in the arms or legs
- Social withdrawal
- Oversleeping
- Loss of interest in activities you once enjoyed
- Appetite changes, especially a craving for foods high in carbohydrates
- Weight gain
- Difficulty concentrating[3]
September 16, 2010 12:25 p.m.
I've read so much and yet it just doesn't help...hearing it from someone (even a professional), who says the same old "stuff." It is not easy to maintain "hope" when one is submerged in this terrible, relentless disease. I feel like I am drowning and no one out there seems to be able to help. I'm 67 years old and have dealt with this cruel sickness for many years. Believe me, I'd rather have ANY other disease...at least people understand it when one states you have a heart condition or the like. Depression sucks the life out of you; it flattens you like a Mack truck. I'm sorry to say these things, but that's the way it is for me. To top it all off, some people think you are just begging for pity. Worse yet, depression harms your relationships with family and friends...if you're lucky enough to have them. There. Can anyone help me understand this terrible, miserable, sickness that continues to leave me without "hope?"
- John
December 25, 2010 9:01 p.m.
I Am not really hoping for much from this except, possibly some sort of outlet? First and foremost I mask my depression in avoidance, because truthfully the neglect is killing me. I am miserable in the fact that even in my new set of goals, I will arrive at the same conclusion I am now, or even worst I will continue to arrive at this conclusion the more I move on, which is that the promise that life will get more fulfilling and better was all just a ploy by people who say they love me to just keep me alive for the purpose of making their own lives easier. I know that is awful thing to state, but truthfully I hate being accused of being a miserable or intentionally vicious person and yet that may be who I ultimately am inside. Perhaps I am just a terrible person with no true worth beyond the surface level perks everyone sees, since ultimately I have pushed everyone I know away and probably will my family will in enough time. I guess truly though I hate the holidays, since they always make me turn inwards and reveal the ugliness of who I am. If anyways has a way to navigate through this madness please let me know otherwise I will continue to make my way down the river, trying to not crash into the rocks below.
- RL[4]
[1] http://www.cymbalta.com/Pages/understandingdepression.aspx?WT.seg_1=MDD&DCSext.ag=Recognize%20Condition&WT.mc_ID=GGLMDDSymptoms&WT.srch=1
[2] http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/depression/DS00175/DSECTION=symptoms
[3] http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/seasonal-affective-disorder/DS00195/DSECTION=symptoms
[4] http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/comments/MY01394_comments#post
