Depression, anxiety, and the blues....

[BrotherTony]

I've dealt with many people on these issues, and I've done a lot of research...but I thought I would see what input I could get from the people here....We know that many of God's servants had issues with depression during their time in the ministry, or even outside of ministry. But, I recently had a preacher preach a sermon that said that depression, anxiety, and the blues were nothing more than sin in the lives of those who suffered these maladies. If you would, please, feel free to give input, and please, also be able to support your position Biblically. NOTE: I WILL NOT BE SHARING MY BELIEFS ON THIS ISSUE...IT IS FOR MY PERSONAL RESEARCH ONLY> thanks in advance,

BT

[Razor]

9 minutes ago, BrotherTony said:

I've dealt with many people on these issues, and I've done a lot of research...but I thought I would see what input I could get from the people here....We know that many of God's servants had issues with depression during their time in the ministry, or even outside of ministry. But, I recently had a preacher preach a sermon that said that depression, anxiety, and the blues were nothing more than sin in the lives of those who suffered these maladies. If you would, please, feel free to give input, and please, also be able to support your position Biblically. NOTE: I WILL NOT BE SHARING MY BELIEFS ON THIS ISSUE...IT IS FOR MY PERSONAL RESEARCH ONLY> thanks in advance,

BT

The minister you talked about probably meant well, but shows great ignorance of the causes of depression. This is sad. Also, that type of sermon helps no one and probably drives some into deeper depression or away from the church.

It's often said that depression results from a chemical imbalance, but that figure of speech doesn't capture how complex the disease is. Research suggests that depression doesn't spring from simply having too much or too little of certain brain chemicals. Rather, there are many possible causes of depression, including faulty mood regulation by the brain, genetic vulnerability, and stressful life events. It's believed that several of these forces interact to bring on depression.

To be sure, chemicals are involved in this process, but it is not a simple matter of one chemical being too low and another too high. Rather, many chemicals are involved, working both inside and outside nerve cells. There are millions, even billions, of chemical reactions that make up the dynamic system that is responsible for your mood, perceptions, and how you experience life.

https://www.health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/what-causes-depression

There are many articles on depression. A bit of research can give you much information. 

[BrotherTony]

14 minutes ago, Razor said:

The minister you talked about probably meant well, but shows great ignorance of the causes of depression. This is sad. Also, that type of sermon helps no one and probably drives some into deeper depression or away from the church.

It's often said that depression results from a chemical imbalance, but that figure of speech doesn't capture how complex the disease is. Research suggests that depression doesn't spring from simply having too much or too little of certain brain chemicals. Rather, there are many possible causes of depression, including faulty mood regulation by the brain, genetic vulnerability, and stressful life events. It's believed that several of these forces interact to bring on depression.

To be sure, chemicals are involved in this process, but it is not a simple matter of one chemical being too low and another too high. Rather, many chemicals are involved, working both inside and outside nerve cells. There are millions, even billions, of chemical reactions that make up the dynamic system that is responsible for your mood, perceptions, and how you experience life.

https://www.health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/what-causes-depression

There are many articles on depression. A bit of research can give you much information. 

If you read the OP, I KNOW about this subject, and have dealt with many on it over the past 40+ years. I know there have been advances on treatment, and I have kept up with it. But, that IS NOT what was asked in the OP. You did partially answer it. Thank you. 

[John Young]

1 hour ago, BrotherTony said:

I recently had a preacher preach a sermon that said that depression, anxiety, and the blues were nothing more than sin in the lives of those who suffered these maladies.

As we are a three part being made up of Body, Soul, and Spirit, we (the whole person) can be affected by issues originating from any one or more of these. The key to curing or managing any issue is to first figure out in which part or parts the issue is coming from, as each has its own manor of operation that have to be dealt with.

For example the body can cause depression by being broken or inured in some way (Part not working, aging, bad diet, chemical imbalance, drug use, physical exhaustion, lack of rest, etc.), the Soul can cause it by poor self esteem, bad education, and relationships, mental exhaustion, etc., and the Spirit can cause it by being dead in sin, cut off from God, communing with evil spirits or attempting to contact the spirit world, as a believer not following the leading of the Holy Spirit, Prayer warriors fighting Spiritual battles, weary in the fight, etc.

Being a frontline minister in particular or taking on more than you are equipped to handle in general is not easy and, while sin can play a part, its often simple exhaustion and not understanding that they need to take proper rest and care of all three aspects of themselves. As they fight and try to do the will of God, the areas that are not maintained properly eventually break down, causing issues such as "depression, anxiety, and the blues". 

[Pastor Scott Markle]

Depression and anxiety ARE spiritual issues.  Providing information from articles that disregard the truth and wisdom of God's Holy Word on the subject will lead astray and will not help the root problem of the heart.  When our answers concerning the heart and soul of mankind come from any source other than God's Holy Word, we are already on uncertain ground.

Galatians 5:22-25 -- "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.  And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.  If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit."

John 14:27 -- "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you.  Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid."

Psalm 43:5 -- "Why art thou cast down, O my soul?  And why art thou disquieted within me?  Hope in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God."

Philippians 4:6-9 -- "Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.  And the peace of God which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.  Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.  Those things which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you."

[John Young]

43 minutes ago, Pastor Scott Markle said:

Depression and anxiety ARE spiritual issues.

While I agree to a 1/3 point. it also should be noted "Depression" and "anxiety" and "blues" are not biblically defined words and are not limited to Spiritual issues but they are clinical words (well "blues" is colloquial) being observed from the physical side. Meaning they are not equal opposites of only spiritual peace or equal to merely being spiritually troubled or mentally worried. While a strong Spirit or a disciplined mind or a healthy body can cover up or compensate for those lacking in one or two of the three for a time, its not healthy to continue in that state, without eventually addressing the root cause.

Edited January 22, 2022 by John Young

[BrotherTony]

52 minutes ago, Pastor Scott Markle said:

Depression and anxiety ARE spiritual issues.  Providing information from articles that disregard the truth and wisdom of God's Holy Word on the subject will lead astray and will not help the root problem of the heart.  When our answers concerning the heart and soul of mankind come from any source other than God's Holy Word, we are already on uncertain ground.

Galatians 5:22-25 -- "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.  And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.  If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit."

John 14:27 -- "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you.  Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid."

Psalm 43:5 -- "Why art thou cast down, O my soul?  And why art thou disquieted within me?  Hope in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God."

Philippians 4:6-9 -- "Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.  And the peace of God which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.  Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.  Those things which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you."

King David seemed to have a continuing struggle with depression. I'm glad you posted something from the Psalms. Good input.

 

[Pastor Scott Markle]

Indeed, the human person is made of three interrelated parts:

1.  The soul -- which is the personhood of a person (including the heart for motivation, the mind for thinking, the emotion for attitude, the conscience for moral estimation, the will for decision making, etc.).

2.  The body -- which is the physical "house" of the soul (by which the soul is able to act in and interact with the physical world).

3.  The spirit -- which is the spiritual capacity of the soul (by which the soul is able to engage in fellowship with God, and which is so closely connected to the soul that it requires the superior sharpness of God's Word to divide between them).

Now, if the body experiences some form of "depression," such as physical shock after an injury, then that is certainly a matter for physical medical treatment (bathed in prayer).  If the spirit experiences depression, then that is certainly a matter for spiritual treatment.  (Note: The regenerate spirit is created after God's own likeness in righteousness and true holiness, and as such would not actually be able to experience spiritual "depression;" whereas the unregenerate spirit is always in the darkness of unrighteousness, and thus is always in a form of spiritual "depression.")  Yet the real dispute comes when the soul experiences some form of depression.  Does the truth and wisdom of God's Holy Word speak concerning the matters of the human soul?  Does the truth and wisdom of God's Holy Word speak concerning the matter of the human heart, the human mind, the human emotion, the human conscience, the human will, the selfish flesh, etc.?  When considering "disorders" of the human soul, which is a better source for truth and wisdom -- the wisdom of God's Holy Word or the wisdom of human psychoanalysis? 

Furthermore, in today's culture, when human psychoanalysis engages such matters, it tends to disregard the close connection of the spirit and soul in a person, to disregard the truth and wisdom of God's Holy Word concerning matters of the soul, to disregard the place of God Himself in relation to the person, and (concerning believers) to disregard the reality that God the Holy Spirit HIMSELF resides within a believer.  Even so, in today's culture human psychoanalysis attempts to engage "disorders" of the human soul by using only the tools of human wisdom and human ingenuity (at present, usually through pharmaceuticals).  Now, the lost world really has no other option, since those are the only tools that are available to them.  However, for us who are the children of God, the children of light, we should be following a better way; we should be using better "tools."

2 Corinthians 10:3-5 -- "For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (for the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity EVERY THOUGHT to the obedience of Christ."

[John Young]

2 hours ago, Pastor Scott Markle said:

Furthermore, in today's culture, when human psychoanalysis engages such matters,.....

Discussion on the rights and wrongs and errors of the secular Psychology in this area could merit its own very long and detailed discussion but ultimately is unnecessary for the practical applications of Christians dealing with depression, in my opinion. 

Edited January 22, 2022 by John Young