How Do You Deal With Depression?
This content has been made available from Myla Upshaw through her Official Website & Blog at MylaUpshaw.com. The original content can be viewed here: How Do You Deal With Depression?
I write this post brokenhearted and with tears in my eyes…
Many of us were left wondering how a seemingly happy man – always cracking jokes, always making people laugh – like the late Robin Williams – could have possibly be so lonely and so broken inside… how someone as successful and loved as he was could have given up on life and believed that death was the only way by which he could find an escape and peace. We were all left wondering. We were all deeply affected and shattered.
The apparent cause of death of beloved actor Robin Williams yesterday was suicide. Robin had long been battling severe depression. The whole world will certainly grieve the passing of one of its rarest and finest treasures for a very long time, but what’s even more difficult to accept was to lose him in such a tragic and enigmatic way.
Image Credit: thewrap.com
The harsh reality suddenly hits us – not everyone you see smiling on the outside is truly happy on the inside. Not everyone who seems to have everything they need in life truly has everything that matters to them. And just because one has 5,000,000 friends and followers on Facebook and Twitter doesn’t make him feel any less “alone”. So this leads many of us to ask the question, “What really causes depression and how do you deal with it?”
This is why I felt the need to share a previous post with you again, Guys – a post I published almost two years ago, which some of you here may have already read.
There could be a million and one reasons that drive people to depression. As each one of us differs in the way he copes with life’s challenges, certain events that would otherwise seem so insignificant to many, might have devastating effects on some. What might be viewed by some as a “walk in the park” might just be “another mountain to climb” to one person. And if that person doesn’t know who to turn to for help, or that he has the option to call for help, or that there is Someone he can count on to help, he is going to be extremely miserable or worse, miserably fail! In my previous post, I compared the feeling of being depressed to that of being out and alone in the wilderness, without a way of getting out. Wilderness is a pretty desolate place, and if you even try to imagine getting stuck in such a place, it’s enough to drive you insane!
Re-telling my story is not to claim that I’m anything special or that I hold the key to the mystery or anything like that, or that I now go through life feeling like some superhero – fearless, indestructible, invincible. Not at all. I felt the need to share the old post with y’all again because I want as many people (as this post could possibly reach) to know that depression is a very real threat and should be taken seriously; and if it’s not dealt with immediately, it will eventually claim the life of its victim. However, more importantly, I needed to stress that it is NOT a totally hopeless case. I am a living testimony of someone who was rescued from the wilderness of depression… that even in that abandoned, desolate place in my life, someone found me and rescued me.
As I have also said in my blog post, “According to study, 15% of those afflicted by depression end up committing suicide”. In my case, it was only by the grace of God that I won my own battle against depression years ago. I was just rescued by Him, and the life I now enjoy is all because of His great love and mercy. The wonderful news is that the same love and mercy is available to anyone and everyone who will accept it. It is freely given. Once you accept it, it’s yours. It’s not a loan, so there certainly is no ‘pre-qualification’ process involved. God will meet you wherever you are, just as you are.
So please… I beg you… if someone you love dearly is going through the same thing, share this blog post (and the previous one) with him/her. Don’t we all wish one more message of hope and encouragement could have reached Mr. Williams in time? Don’t we all wish he could have truly embraced the truth that God loved him? Well, every life is worth saving and we can do our part by sharing a message of hope such as The Gospel of Christ, and blog posts like this.
If You Struggle With Depression…
If you are struggling with depression, please do the following IMMEDIATELY:
- Talk to somebody (a friend, a relative, a counselor, a pastor). If you don’t know anybody, I would strongly recommend you try calling The 700 Club Prayer Center at (800) 823-6053. Their staff is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Someone out there is willing to listen!
- Avoid being alone, even if it means you have to force yourself to be around people.
- Read, meditate on, memorize and say these verses out loud every day, upon waking up, before going to bed, and several times throughout the day:
“Heal me, LORD, and I will be healed; save me and I will be saved, for you are the one I praise.” (Jeremiah 17:14)
“Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit.” (Psalm 51:12)
“But you, O Lord, are a shield about me, my glory, and the lifter of my head.” (Psalm 3:3)
“Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him For the help of His countenance” (Psalm 42:5)
- Listen to the following playlists. Don’t listen to anything else for now. Trust me. God uses music to heal our souls and to minister to our hearts and sometimes, it only takes a gentle instrumental to accomplish.
“We all build walls to shield ourselves from deep pain, guilt, and shame. Music has a beautiful way of seeping through those walls to open the heart so a message of hope and healing can enter in.” (musicforthesoul.org)
These playlists were created specifically for the purpose of helping you experience that rest and comfort for your soul:
- Ask someone to pray for you. It can be a friend, or it can be anybody from your church, or it can be anybody on Facebook. There is no shame in posting a shout out to your friends and ask for some prayers. Even just one or two people who might see your plea and decide to take a moment to say a heartfelt prayer for you can bring forth a miracle. Never underestimate the power of prayer!
- Lastly, hang in there. Try. Just try… to hang on just a little bit longer. One day at a time. God loves you TREMENDOUSLY! Wait upon Him. He will not fail you. HE NEVER FAILS.
About The Author: Myla “MyMy” Upshaw
Myla “MyMy” Upshaw is a stay-at-home mom who prides herself on her status as a Filipino Christian wife and mother and “domestic goddess”. She blogs about popular subjects for stay-at-home moms such as fashion, family, beauty, relationships, entrepreneurialism (“mompreneur”), movies, self-improvement, health & wellness as well as about her faith as a follower of Christ.
To learn more about Myla Upshaw, please click here:
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