Depression: How I Deal with it...

I've been silently living with depression most of my life. I can remember at a very early age walking around with sadness and despair. I never thought I was good enough and my self-esteem was extremely low. I'm not sure if I had depression because of genetic or scientific reasons or if I had it because of trauma I endured when I was younger. All I know is I have it...and I HATE it. I am a person that has absolutely no reason to be sad. I have a loving husband, beautiful kids, a great extended family and church family, and I've been blessed to pursue things in life that some will never have the opportunity to do. I should be the happiest person on the planet. But I'm not. I can't control it. I tried for so long to fight this demon of despair on my own but to no avail.

I finally decided that I was tired of suffering in silence and I was going to fight. I was tired of being depressed and being a slave to my past trauma. I decided I was going to use what happened to me to my advantage. I was going to use it to show others what God can do if you just give it over to Him. I heard other Christians say "give it over to God" a million times. Frankly, it got on my nerves because I wasn't intentionally holding on to it. But for some reason, I couldn't let go of it. Many nights I couldn't sleep. I would wake up in the middle of the night drenched in sweat because I was re-living what happened and fighting in my dreams. I had a hard time in school academically and socially. I didn't want any of that. I wanted to be normal. I wanted to let it all go but I just couldn't. I didn't know how.

It wasn't until I was around 32 years old that I realized I had to make a conscience decision to intentionally give my depression over to God. I had to behave in a way that was opposite of how I was really feeling. I had to pray harder than I had ever prayed before. I had to start meditating and reading the word of God on a consistent basis. It wasn't something I could pray about once and "poof" the depression was gone. No, it doesn't work like that. The depression still came but I've learned how to fight it using prayer, meditation and a few other tactics.

10 Tips to Beat Depression!

1. Talk to your doctor!

There are many different types of depression and many different levels of severity. Have an honest conversation with your doctor and tell him/her what you've been feeling so he/she can properly diagnose you. If you don't agree with the diagnosis, get a second opinion. Doctors are there to help.

2. Find comfort in the Word of God.

Read uplifting and encouraging scriptures daily. Make it a part of your daily routine. Post scriptures in places that you know you'll see it as a reminder (on your mirror, refrigerator, in your car, etc.). Read about biblical figures who suffered from depression (Job, Paul, David, etc.). Download the Bible app on your phone and turn on notifications.

3. Take time to worship.

When I start my day off with prayer and worship, it makes a huge difference. You could do something as simple as playing uplifting music while you get ready for work or when you're getting the kids ready for school. I usually get up before everyone else, grab my headphones and go to a quiet place (closet, office, back porch, etc.). I open Pandora and turn to my favorite station (my favorite is Travis Greene) and I take about 10-15 minutes to worship, pray, and sing to God. This totally sets my day up. You don't have to do it my way. You can do it at night, midday, or whenever...just do it!

4. Meditation

Sometimes it helps me to take a few moments and just breathe and meditate on things that make me smile (the love of Christ, the birth of my kids, my wedding day, the fact that life could be so much worse than it is, etc.).

5. Find a prayer partner or confidant

It might help if you can confide in a trusting person during those hard times. This can't be just anybody. You have to pray and ask God to send you the right person.

6. Join a small group (Christian)

I go to a rather large church. At first, I was very intimidated by that and I thought it would be hard to connect with people but it was quite the opposite once I joined a small group. Small groups are so important because not only will you have the opportunity to connect with people but you'll also have a core group of like-minded people that you can lean on when you're in a hard place.

7. Monitor what you watch and listen to!

We as Christians, absolutely have to monitor what we allow to invade our minds and spirit. I know this firsthand. I cannot watch any and everything on television. There are certain shows that I used to watch that literally triggered my depression. The same goes for music. I try my very best to only watch and listen to things that are positive and uplifting. Don't taint your spirit with things that are negative or anti-God.

8. Healthy eating

Okay, I have to admit, I struggle in this area. I HATE vegetables and love everything that is cheesy, fried, and greasy. I'm still a work in progress. However, there are certain foods that promote better health and fight depression and anxiety. Some of these foods are lean proteins such as turkey and chicken, walnuts, fatty fish, whole grains, green tea, avocado, dark chocolate, green leafy vegetables, fresh fruit, and turmeric. I'll talk about this more in a different post but I think you get the idea. Make healthy food choices.

9. Exercise 4-5 times a week.

I honestly don't like exercising so I had to get creative with this one. I had to find activities that I loved such as dancing, skating, bike riding, or hiking. Studies show that regular exercise helps ease depression by releasing "feel good" chemicals and reduce immune system chemicals that can worsen depression. Exercising can also help with confidence and social interaction.

10. Get some sun!

Studies have shown that there is a link between vitamin D deficiency and depression. Get out and soak up some sun for about 30 minutes a day (walking, playing with the kids, gardening, etc.).

If you need to cry some days...go ahead and cry it out! I do it all the time. But don't stay there! Pick yourself up and intentionally take back your life! Don't give up!

Encouraging Scriptures

Proverbs 12:25 2 Samuel 22:29 Psalm 9:9

Psalm 27:14 Psalm 55:22 Psalm 126:5

Psalm 145:14 Isaiah 26:3-4 Isaiah 40:31

Philippians 4:6-7 James 4:10 Philippians 4:8-9

Deuteronomy 31:8 Psalm 34:17-19 Psalm 40:1-3

Psalm 3:3 Psalm 32:10 1 Peter 5:6-7

John 16:33 Romans 8:38-39 2 Corinthians 1:3-4

Psalm 37:23-24

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 1-800-273-8255