So I was reading https://baffledmum.com/2019/03/07/unexplainable-emotions/ and she was speaking on depression and feeling low. One of her questions was to tell her anything the reader felt was important to know about depression. It was a wonderful post with lots of great insights and questions. Go read it when you can. My answer would have been too long for the comment section, so it inspired me yet again to write a bit more on depression from a personal level as that is all I know. Some of the things I will share anyway I know many may find hard to believe, but they work for me.
So some of the triggers for depression could be foods that are being eaten, a lot of sweet sugary food, so I stay away from as much sugar as I can. Next am I getting enough exercise and fresh air, these are very simple yet very important. When you have a chronic illness like I do and many of us do, you are bound to feel down at times when things aren’t working right with your body.
Depression starts with all the negative thoughts going on within the mind–get rid of them. Every time you have a negative thought, change it. Unfortunately this is very difficult to do on your own, so I will tell you who I use. (later) I see a tag line on someones blog on WordPress and it says “It’s okay to not be okay.” Something like that. I personally totally disagree. When I’m not feeling well, that’s not okay…..I want to feel better.
So now on to who is my Helper—
Are you ready for this!! He is pretty wise, filled with all wisdom, and He will never let you down if you listen to His guidance. I stumbled upon Him by accident. When I was at my lowest, sick and in pain and angry that no one seemed to care, that’s when I stumbled upon Him.
God is my Helper. The encouraging and uplifting words of the Bible and listening to His words by way of His Holy Spirit, He is my Helper. I cannot get rid of those negative thoughts myself, but He can, and He does by reminding me to change my way of thinking. He did this over and over, till I hardly ever have to be reminded any longer.
God’s word also encourages us to think on lovely thoughts:
Philippians 4:8 Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.
So I’ve mentioned healthy eating by staying away from sugary foods, getting proper exercise and fresh air, and a good nights rest could be added to that, but….
Spiritually Speaking
For me having a daily connection with God is of paramount importance. His
Word offers the support that is needed. We also come to realize through His Word that it is the enemy Satan that is fighting for our minds. He is tempting us to walk in unhealthy ways that we shouldn’t. There are two scriptures in the book of Revelation that I find very telling, others may interpret them differently, but here is how I personally interpret them: Revelation 14: 7 … and worship Him who made heaven and earth,
Worship means: to honor, to adore, to pray to, to connect with. When I do these things I will be under God’s covering, under His care and protection. Will everything be perfect…because of sin; of course not, but it’s still a much better place to be.
On the other hand:
Revelation 14:9,10 Then a third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, “If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives his mark on his forehead or on his hand, 10 he himself shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out full strength into the cup of His indignation. He shall be tormented…
So when I read this scripture I see that if I’m not (Worshiping) God, I am left open to the (Torment) of the enemy.
Torment means: to afflict great bodily or mental suffering; pain.
When I’m left unprotected by God, the enemy then takes hold an manipulate the mind in many different ways. So I make sure I stay covered under the protection of Jehovah, and it alleviate many of the mental blows I might otherwise suffer.
And for those of you who might not know, some of the Bible Characters also suffered from depression.
A lovely post with some great dealing mechanisms… Thank you for your insight 🙏❤
I clicked your first link but it’s not working…?
Thanks for reading….Ok, I’m going to work on that. Not good at this part of it.😃
I’m the same… 😩
Okay, it works now!!
😂 didn’t realise it was my post you were writing about… 😆 thank you ❤
😃😃 You’re welcome!!
Great post! I didn’t realize you struggle with chronic illness. I do as well – chronic migraine and arthritis all over the place, so basically just chronic pain. However, my migraines are under better control now than ever before, so that’s a big praise!
So glad to here your migraines are under control now. I too have arthritis and other auto immune issues. I may do a post on it at some point, but I also had much joint pain from head to toe and can be back there quite easily if I’m not careful. I had to make many adjustments and continue to do so. Each day can be a challenge, but I keep finding ways to keep on top of things. If I do too much I could easily crash and if I do too little everything would seize up, so I have learned to work with it (mostly)😃and not let it get me down, as that just makes matters worse. This is the readers digest version. I ended up doing this post today because it started out as a comment, but was getting too long. The same could very well happen here. 😃😃
I hear you! It is challenging for sure. I’m in much the same boat. 🙂
Yes, I’ve learned how to handle things so that they don’t get me down. Fatigue is a big one for me. I had a good little run–energy wise, and now I know I need to step back a bit. I’m learning how to listen to my body, but it has taken years.
Fatigue is big for me, too. For a few weeks, I had much less fatigue so I didn’t pay as much attention to how much (or rather, how little) sleep I was getting. A few migraines served to remind me that I still need to be diligent about my sleep schedule, though! I’m also still learning to listen to my body… even when I don’t want to. 😉
I know…it’s a rather hard thing to do (listen to your body) because you want to go,go, go and your body says no, no, no. It’s not nearly as bad now.
Exactly! Same here. I’ve had some relief lately, but I have had to learn to listen first!
It’s the only way to get by. Sorry I’m only just responding to this Heather. It was in my spam folder!!
Haha – no worries! I try to check mine here and there, too. It’s funny what ends up there.
Praise God from whom all blessings flow, Praise Him all creatures here below;🙏
Yes, in whatever we are going through, it is good to give Him thanks!!
I appreciate your frankness in speaking about depression. While we all experience short bouts of depression, others deal with a constant, daily partner with long-term symptoms. I know someone who battles her bipolar depression far too frequently.
That is very sad. I think most people suffer with something or another and many do suffer in silence also. I hope they will find a way through, and not give up and give in.
I can relate, I also struggle with depression. And anxiety. It comes and goes, but when it’s here, it’s so hard to break through and reach out for God. Though I know He’s always there beside me. He is so good! Bless you, Sister.
Isn’t it funny that when it’s the hardest to reach out for God, that is the time we need to kick the enemy out of the way and connect with God….it is so difficult, but I find that when I resist the negative feelings and connect anyway, it’s an awesome feeling between me and God, and the enemy is left rather unhappy. I try to do this on a daily basis in every area of my life. For example if you are angry with someone, do not let it consume you because it’s just going to end up hurting you in the long run and that’s what the enemy wants. Let it go—it doesn’t mean you’re weak. You may appear weak to others around you, but in Christ you are gaining strength.
That’s a great word. Thank you!
My pleasure–don’t let the enemy mess with you. Jesus is stronger. I picture myself as hanging on to the hem of His garment, and we know that even that is enough!!
Hanging on to the Hem of His Garment.. That’s a great picture of what it’s like! Have a wonderful day and thanks for your encouragement. 💖
Blessings!! 💖
Thank you so much for this wonderful article…
I was actually reading someone’s blog (the link is above) and I wanted to leave them a comment, but it was so long I turned it into a post. I’m glad you found it useful.
Beautiful! As you’ve written, daily connection with the Holy Spirit is the key. I have shared some of the revelations I’ve received through some of my hard times as well.. Hope it would be useful to someone..
Thanks for visiting!!
Beautiful!!!
Thank you so much!!🙏🏽🙏🏽🌸🌺🌼