Depression / Mental Illness

To my surprise, my panic attack didn’t take me out. I learned something profound that day. The attack itself isn’t the bully; it’s the fear and shame I feel during the attack that makes me avoid circumstances that threaten it.

God will get you through, bring you people who can support you, and help you to overcome any addiction. Here are seven prayers to help you deal with addictions in your life.

Mental Health recovery isn't a one-size fits all solution. It takes time. It takes adaptation. And it takes realizing that sometimes what worked yesterday for our anxiety or depression might not work today. We are incredibly complex and dynamic creatures hand-crafted in the image of God, so why should we try to limit how we can heal?

Depression is a battle that anyone – including Christians – can face. Here’s what depression is, how the Bible addresses depression, and how to deal with depression.

Prayer helps with depression; it gives us access to Jesus when we need him most. Here are four prayers that you can pray for God to move the mountain of depression in your life.

My experience in both arenas—a counseling center and private practice—convinces me that when it comes to therapy, offering unpaid sessions won’t serve anyone much good.

A person can still have joy in the Lord while battling depression.

As an adult, I've struggled with anxiety, all the while hoping and praying my kids would be spared the same struggle. Unfortunately, it seems anxiety is something my kids have begun to experience. Thankfully, my personal battle has given me eyes to see the difficulty they are facing. When I think back to my childhood, I had similar struggles that I observe in my own children, but no one was able to identify this as anxiety. Research has shown that children of a parent with an anxiety disorder have a 33 percent higher chance of having it themselves.Anxiety can feel like a beast that is daunting to defeat, but the good news is it is possible to overcome the sensations that flood our minds and bodies when anxiety hits. We can help our children by teaching them strategies that lead to a more peaceful mind and body. It's our job to walk alongside them as they learn to understand how their minds and bodies work.Here are a few tips to help you calm your anxious child:

While walking down the aisle, my husband and I had no idea that depression would take such a toll on our marriage again and again. But even depression doesn't get the last word over God's redemption.

Thanks to continued exposure of the mental illness epidemic in our country—if not the world—and the promotion of mental health care, more people are coming to terms with this disease as being more common than not and expressing more positive views about it.Yet, sadly, there are still those who think negatively about those with a mental illness. According to the American Psychological Association’s 2019 poll, around 33% of those surveyed agreed with the statement, “People with mental health disorders scare me,” and 39% said, “they would view someone differently if they knew [they] had a mental health disorder.”Mental health is defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as “our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It affects how we think, feel, and act. It also helps determine how we handle stress, relate to others, and make healthy choices. Mental health is important at every stage of life. But usually, when a person hears the term “mental health,” depression immediately comes to mind. And they aren’t wrong. Depression was the leading mental health disorder in America in 2021, with 57.8 million reported sufferers (one in every five persons). That’s up from 18.5% in 2019. Granted, the uptick is most likely attributable to the COVID-19 pandemic.Regardless, mental health cases continue to rise in America, although our country ranks 29th in the international rating of depressive countries, with a suicide rate of 16.1 per 100,000 people. According to the World Health Organization, in 2019, one in every eight people in the world (970 million) lived with a mental disorder, with depression and anxiety being the most common.As someone who suffers from depression, I fall into that “one in every five persons” category, and, honestly, I can attest to the fact that I have been viewed differently by some once they find out. One can feel discriminated against, which is why I tend to disclose my diagnosis only when necessary. And for this article, it’s necessary, because it’s important that people—including believers—take mental illness seriously. Maybe even more so today than in any other time in our history.But how?Photo Credit: ©GettyImages/Prostock-Studio

Not everyone has to know what you are facing, but someone does. Preferably someone able to offer you a lifeline. Don't be afraid to ask a friend to babysit so you can go to counseling, yoga, or the doctor. Let your partner know you love them but need them because things are happening in your mind and body that you just don't know how to handle alone. Let them take the lead in parenting and helping you find yourself again.

I do understand. I get it. I get how it all begins to take its toll after a while. I understand how you must pretend to be okay when inwardly falling apart. How you have to care for your family's needs but secretly want to run away at the same time. Between the forced smiles, crying spells that spring out of nowhere, ghastly momma rage, and the numbness brought on by a haze that blocks out any light, it's no wonder you struggle - in complete silence.

Watch their behaviors and keep tabs on if they are going through a phase that requires help; more than likely, they will not come to you for help. Also, notice how they speak to themselves and about others. If they ask if they look like they’ve gained weight in a worrisome way or seem overly concerned with weight in themselves or others, there may be something more going on in their heads. Emotional signs can tell what their bodies may not show.

For those suffering from a mental illness, diagnosed or undiagnosed, the one question that matters is why live with suffering? Or put a little more politely, why get out of bed?

We can go to God with our anxiety, no matter what level we are experiencing, and offer it up to Him. Even if the 'feeling' of anxiety doesn't go away, we can still offer it to him and walk in faith. If you experience the kind of anxiety that is based on more than immediate circumstances – more of an overwhelming physical anxiety - He can help you with that. He will lead you to the right source for help to calm whatever is physically happening in your body.

Remember, if you’re not there to influence her, there is a big wide world of influencers just waiting for a click of the button to influence her themselves. Be aware, be involved, and be there for her. You are your daughter’s first line of defense in protecting her mental health.

There are seasons when I find myself feeling exhausted, and I battle depression. Yes. I have so much to be grateful for. I practice thanking God for the things I have to be grateful for regularly. I trust God's Word, spend time in it daily, and cling tightly to the truths I read. I battle depression, yet I have biblical joy because I am clinging to what I know about God and His promises. I am choosing to do the next thing. I persevere because He enables me to move forward even when life is hard.

Secondly—and please take this from a practicing Christian herself—don't limit yourself to just spiritual strategies.Why is it that Christians can trust mechanics to fix our broken carburetors and dentists to fill our cavities, but when it comes to mental or emotional challenges, we balk at seeing therapists, even if they're fellow believers?

I often joke that if I survive the teen years then I can handle anything like implementing world peace. Especially when you’re navigating the challenges of your teen’s mental health. It’s tough enough that they’re going through hormonal changes, have attitudes, and learn to perfect the eyeroll that literally drives you up the wall; but add in the pandemic, isolation, and navigating friendships—and it’s the perfect recipe for a mental health crisis.As a mom to kids ages 22, 15, and 13—I’ve dealt with more than my fair share of navigating the rough waves of anxiety and depression. At one point, both of my teens were barely treading water as we made emergency appointments. We eventually got through the crisis with the help of the support team, counseling, medications, prayer, and a lot of conversations.Now my teens are at a point where they talk openly about their struggles. And now that we are in a better place, I went straight to the source to get the 4-1-1 on what teens wish parents understood about mental health.Photo Credit: © Unsplash/Christopher Campbell

Shame causes children to hide what they are really feeling. Emma confirmed this fact. "I felt shame. There's no reason that I have to feel anxious and insecure. I felt guilty. I don't have a right to feel this way. Because of that, I protected myself from it. I put a mask up."