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TASTE OF
GENESEE HOME

Welcome to A TASTE of Genesee Home!
January 2008
Written & Published by Genesee Home

TASTE [Take A Sabbath Time Experience] is sent to alumni, friends of Genesee Home, board members and those who have asked to be put on our mailing list. We value your privacy and we never share our mailing list with anyone.

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Table of Contents:

1. Depression---One of God's Meeting Places for the Honest Human.

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Depression---One of God's Meeting Place
for the Honest Human.

By Dr. Russ Veenker

It is my desire in this brief article on depression to be more practical in equipping you to better understand the big picture regarding depression rather than give you a detailed and in-depth informed view of melancholy. For sure, the clinical delineations regarding depression have their rightful places, particularly when counselors, psychologists, and physicians interact with one other to the good of their clients; however, as a pastoral counselor, I desire to give you a brief overview so you can better come alongside those who suffer and support them in a Christ-like manner.

It is best to look at depression as a spectrum malady running along a continuum from mild moods of sadness and loss to major chemical imbalances in brain:

Everybody experiences mild depressions known as reactive depressions. They are the "common cold" of the emotional life. Whenever we perceive a loss---real, threatened, or imagined---large or small---we are experiencing a reactive depression (whether we acknowledge it or not). Loss IS loss, and sadness is the human response to loss. Learning to grieve our losses is a life skill that, unfortunately, has been suppressed, by the culture we live in. When we grieve, we are mourning, reacting to the loss.

At the other end of the spectrum are the major depressive episodes. These are more commonly called "clinical depressions." The reason for the label is that this kind of depressive experience requires medical evaluation---with all the safety controls of a clinic setting--- as well as talk therapy to facilitate healing and recovery. In this kind of depression there is a chemical imbalance in the brain---a medical problem---which necessitates medication to assist with the healing process. Any controlled medication requires the supervision of a licensed physician. The chemical imbalances in the brain may lead to emotional, spiritual, physical, and social difficulties. Most counselors (licensed marriage/family counselors, social workers, psychologists, psychiatrists) are trained to diagnose clinical depression.

What does depression look like? There is mood: consisting of sadness to the point of crying, or at least, needing to cry, but the tears won't come; and a loss of motivation for activities that usually excite and inspire. This is labeled "sad affect." There are social and or biological components we observe: impairments consisting of social withdrawal or over-engagement; interrupted sleep or at the other extreme, wanting to sleep all the time; loss of appetite and/or over-eating often are present. Another symptom is labeled "painful thinking." Here there is notable loss of concentration and/or distorted perceptions, as well as thoughts of self-loathing or rejection---painful thoughts. These symptoms of depression, like the diagram above, can appear mild and subtle to the severe presentation of suicidal ideation and despair. Psalm 42 gives us a word picture of one who is struggling with the above symptoms of depression. Many Biblical characters, being made out of the same stuff you and I are, struggled with depressive episodes: Saul (1 Samuel 28:20-25); Job (3:1-26); Elijah (1 Kings 16-19); and the Apostle Paul, who struggled with suicidal ideation (2 Corinthians 1:8). However please note, they all learned to cooperate with and allow the Lord to instruct them in their depressive episodes.

Sadly, few pastors are trained to recognize and diagnose depressive disorders and too often do more damage than good in the life of their congregants when it comes to addressing depression. The well intentioned counsel to "pray more; memorize more Scripture; get involved in a ministry; or even cast out the demon," make things worse because the focus is law-bound (which "frustrates") rather than redemptive-grace directed, which is life-giving. One reason this article is being sent to you is to better equip you in understanding how to recognize and help those who labor and suffer from depression.

How can I help someone who struggles with depression? First and foremost, choose to live by faith, not fear. Depression can be disabling and cause one to withdraw rather than engage (that is the way God made the body to protect itself to restore chemical imbalances to healthy levels); at the other extreme males often will respond by overfunctioning behaviors to the point of workaholism (a veiled fear response). Understanding this dynamic is important because our pre-plan for addressing depression requires us to reach out in faith to get help so we can cooperate with the depression. So, to begin with, give yourself permission to grieve and mourn; invite the Lord to come alongside to comfort and counsel you. Reach out and get help. Have your safe brothers and sisters in Christ pray for you and check in on you to make sure you're eating and getting exercise. Visit your physician and get evaluated as to the degree of the depression (mild or major). Remember, medication treats symptoms, not necessarily some of the deeper meanings attached to one's losses, so find a good Christian counselor who is experienced with counseling people with depression that will walk with you through the emotional, cognitive, and spiritual aspects of depression. Be open to the Lord to teach you in the process. Educate yourself about depression and start reading and/or researching about it (see the sidebar on some great books to invest in). Lastly, remember that Jesus said, "Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted" (Mt. 5:4). Our Heavenly Father desires to come alongside and comfort us in the Person of the Holy Spirit when we are mourning our losses (NIV calls the Holy Spirit the "Counselor" see John 14, 15, & 16). God desires to instruct, guide, and comfort us as we mourn. Thus, depression is a healing emotion if we will cooperate with it and allow the Lord to minister to us through the depression.

Books -
All Written by Christian Clinicians, Pastors, and Physicians

Archibald Hart. Dark Clouds Silver Linings. Colorado Springs, CO: Focus on the Family Publishing, 1993 (Check used books on the web)

Archibald Hart. Unmasking Male Depression. Dallas, Word, 2001.

Tan, Siang-Yang and John Ortberg. Coping With Depression: The Common Cold of the Emotional Life. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 1995 and Understanding Depression: A Short-term Structured Model. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 1995

Paul Reisser, MD. Family, Health, Nutrition, and Fitness. Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 2006. Chapter 8, "The Emotional Weather," has an excellent section on depression and anxiety. Dr. Reisser and wife, Teri, serve on the Board of the Mountain Learning Center.

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"To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ who are at Colossae; Grace to you and peace from God our Father. We give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and the love which you have for all the saints." Colossians 1:2-4

Charley & Bev Blom
Directors
Genesee Home

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