Depression (Mind Battles)(Youth)
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Defining Depression
Defining Depression
Depression has become the world’s number one helath problem
Depression chokes us of pleasure, purpose, joy, peace, happiness, and contentment.
It clouds our vision, sometimes quickly but often gradually, and prevents us from seeing ourselves, our lives, and God clearly.
Depression is the inability to construct a future.
There is a loss of hope
Depression is a multidimensional problem that requires a multidimensional solution
There is not a one size fits all solution for depression
Depression is rarely the result of a single factor.
Biological factors, social factors, situational factors
Sometimes medication is required due to a biological factor
Sometimes therapy and counseling is needed to help work us through some of the traumas and situations of life.
Sometimes, we just need to make some lifestyle changes.
Disclaimer
I’m not a doctor or counselor, so I’m going to stay in my lane.
A doctor needs to be the one to prescribe medication for certain biological factors
A counselor needs to be the one to help you work through trauma or mental health factors
What I can talk about today are some of the common contributing causes of depression, and what are some of the lifestyle changes we can make, that may help.
We are triune beings, with bodies, souls, and spirits.
The body is our visible form.
The soul consists of our mind, our will, and our emotions.
The spirit reflects how we are made in God’s image and is the part of us that will live forevwe.
Contributing Causes
Contributing Causes
Physical Lifestyle
Physical Lifestyle
The United Nations, in their official statement for World Health Day in 2017, announced we need to talk less about chemical imbalances and more about the imbalances in the way we live.
More and more experts—neurologists, psychiatrists, counselors, psychologists, and sociologists—now conclude that depression and anxiety most often results from our lifestyle. In many cases, we’re doing it to ourselves.
Social Media
We can see virtually everything that we are not
Reminded of the things we don’t have
Constantly comparing our boring behind the scenes life with other peoples highlight reels
Solution: Get rid of social media, limit how much you use it, be selective in the types of pages you will engage with or follow
Relationships
Virtually all research on depression concludes that if we have no real social life and daily human connection to others, we’re more likely to be depressed.
We were created as social beings.
Look carefully at the closest associations in your life, for that is the direction you are headed.
God designed relationships to be the single greatest sustaining contributor to your health and happiness.
But when we isolate ourselves physcially and emotionally, it can lead to depression, which in turn makes you want to be more isolated.
Your secrets are the germs infecting your soul.
“Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed” (James 5: 16).
Solutions: Be a part of a faith community, don’t isolate yourself in your rooms and on your phone.
Lack of Sunshine
If we never get out of the house and away from the computer and experience the beauty of God’s creation outdoors, we’re more likely to feel depressed.
Vitamin D from sun
Solution: Be intentional about spending time outside
Diet
If our diets are unhealthy we’re more likely to experience depression.
Solution: Pay attention to what you eat.
Fitness
Regularly exercising releases the kinds of hormones into our body that make us feel good.
Solution: Put together an exercise routine.
Lack of purpose
If we just exist and never find any real meaning in our lives, depression almost always sets in.
Someone said the opposite of depression isn’t happiness—it’s meaning and purpose.
Most homebuilders begin by pouring a concrete foundation
We need the same thing in our lives....we need a foundations. Our belief system is the foundation of our life.
When you don’t know what your belief system is, you are just drifting along in life with your moods, cultural influences, and the agendas of others.
There is nothing constant and unchanging, and ultimately there is no pupose, and we live as if there is no purpose.
Depression can be a disease of lifestyle
Lifestyle choices contribute more to depression than we probably realize.
“Motions are the precursors of emotions.”
In other words, our emotions usually follow on the heels of our actions.
Thought Lifestyle
Thought Lifestyle
Chewing the Cud
Has anyone ever heard of the term “Chewing the Cud”?
Cud is softened food.
A cow will chew food, swallow it, and then bring it back up to the mouth, where it is re-chewed before going back down into the stomach to be fully digested.
This is whats known as rumination, and we can tend to do this same thing with our thought lives.
Rumination
When we ruminate, we recall events, conversations, situations and go over all the details as thoroughly as possible in our minds.
People often call this processing.
But we can ruminate to the point of self-destruction. When that happens, our thinking gets nastier with each round of the chew-swallow-regurgitate cycle.
Research has shown that habitual rumination results in many negative consequences, including depression, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress disorder( PTSD).
RUMINATION ALLOWS OUR FEELINGS TO DEFINE OUR LIVES AND DICTATE OUR ACTIONS.
The feelings that result from rumination rarely reflect factual reality.
Mulling over a text example
Many people are trapped in depression because they’re living by their feelings instead of by the promises of God.
What you feel is real—but not necessarily true.
RUMINATION MAKES US HARDER ON OURSELVES THAN WE SHOULD BE.
Rumination is like viewing ourselves in a funhouse mirror; we see only distorted images of ourselves.
Instead of seeing ourselves the way God sees us, we see the labels of our past, of who others say we are, of our worst moments and biggest failures.
We exagerate the negatives
Don’t chew your thoughts. Choose your thoughts.
Whatever you say to yourself is impressed deeper into your subconscious mind. This means that the more you dwell on the truth, the more truth grows, which leaves less and less room for lies and negativity.
Philippians 4:8 “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.”
Spiritual Lifestyle
Spiritual Lifestyle
Let me tell you three spiritual realities about the devil
THE DEVIL IS REAL
THE DEVIL WANTS TO DESTROY YOU
THE DEVIL RESPONDS TO A HIGHER AUTHORITY
Let me tell you three spiritual realities about our spiritual weapons.
THE NAME OF JESUS
What is the opposite of God?
God doesn’t have any opposites....He’s on a whole nother playing field.
Many people view spiritual warfare as happening between two equal but opposite forces.
The Devil is anti-God, but he can’t even be considered the opposite, because God stands alone in His category.
THE BLOOD OF JESUS
Because sin is the source of the enemy’s power. And Jesus paid for all sins forever.
THE WORD OF GOD
This is the truth of God in our lives, that’s why it is so important to spend time reading and memorizing Scripture.
Spiritual Practicse
DAILY SUBMIT YOURSELF TO GOD
“Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you” (James 4: 7–8).
CLOSE ANY OPEN DOORS THAT GIVE THE ENEMY ACCESS
Unforgiveness
Bitterness
Hate
Prayer of Serenity
God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference. Living one day at a time, enjoying one moment at a time; accepting hardship as a pathway to peace; taking, as Jesus did, this sinful world as it is, not as I would have it; trusting that you will make all things right if I surrender to your will; so that I may be reasonably happy in this life and supremely happy with you forever in the next. Amen.
A - Admit you are a sinner, there is an issue in me that I can’t fix on my own. I’m completely dependent on the grace of God.
Admitting does’t require you to be perfect, it requires you be honest.
B - Believe that God provided that Grace when Jesus died on the cross he paid my sin debt.
C - Confess him as Lord that is in charge of your life from this point on. You let him lead your life
Salvation Prayer: Dear Lord Jesus I believe you're the son of God. I believe that on the cross you took my sin, my shame, and my guilt, and you died for it. You faced hell for me so I wouldn't have to go. You rose from the dead to give me a place in heaven, a purpose on earth, and a relationship with your father. Today Lord Jesus I turn from my sin to be born again. God is my father, Jesus is my savior, the Holy Spirit is my helper, and heaven is my home. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Prayer Cards
Prayer Cards
Write down something that we can pray for you?
If it is depression or something that causes depression, you can write that down.
Or if you don’t have that struggle particularly, write something else down.
Sources:
Much of the material is from “Out of the Cave” by Chris Hodges