The Cure of Melancholy and Overmuch Sorrow, by Faith

[Lovelybird]

Is depression a form of self-centerness and unbelief?

 

here is an interesting article or book

 

http://www.puritansermons.com/baxter/baxter25.htm

 

What do you think?

[Lovelybird]

If anyone will look closely into the experiences of life, he will discover that God is some way giving us a more inward sense of things, as if He would not let us become lodged in the temporal, but shove us on to what is beyond.

 

The Eternal is with us more than we know, and even when we refuse to face it.

 

---Fulton J.Sheen

[Land Shark]

In many cases, I think depression is the result of misguided self-centered thinking. And lack of faith (in anything, not to mention God).

 

But I'm also willing to accept the idea that depression is a brain chemistry problem, not due to any particular pattern of thoughts. I don't know for sure. And I don't necessarily trust the pharmaceutical hype.

 

There was recently a study that seemed to show that Prozac and drugs like it only directly help a small percentage of those who take them. The others were deriving a placebo effect. For them, I'd assert that other therapies would actually do a better job.

[Lovelybird]

If the medication helped them, could these people rely on these medications for life? Do these medications have side effects?

 

Therapies, I often think it is not their trainings that helped patient, but their care (human to human interaction) even they are paid to offer that, and some of them really care about patients. A cold hearted therapist may not help a single patient even if they are highly trained in this area.

 

I really think some depressions come from "wrong thinking and lifestyle", or unholy living. Such as if a person doesn't want to control his flesh, or focus on instant satisfaction, he may adopt a very casual sex life. And this seems have nothing to do with depression, but indirectly this will link to it. Maybe there are some deep issues more than a casual sex life, such as low self -esteem, unclear identity, past hurts, or simply wants to satisfy the flesh more than his heart.

 

Or such as a person who has an affair, or a person didn't find his goal for life, feeling like out of control and live on fleshy pleasures.

 

I had a period of depression, Lord showed why I had it. Certainly at that time I didn't know, but through meditate on words of God, and prayer, Lord showed me why. We have responsibilities to these things. Wrong thinking and action certainly will bring depression into lives. Many people may not know what caused their depression, but surely it is a self discovering that is very good to the souls.