This blog should be useful to everyone but especially important to those who are depressed, who keep dwelling on the awful things of their past and worrying about the terrible things that might happen in the future. STOP!
You can only live in the present. Keep telling yourself this over and over. The present is the only realm in which you can act and react, your only arena of reality. The past is clouded by
the colored filter you see it through; the future is a visionary world that most often does not happen as you see it.
Forget your past; leave your future in God’s hands; be satisfied with the present, no matter what that moment contains, because you know that whatever that moment has, it contains – in that instant – God’s eternal plan for you. You are safe in His hands and safe nowhere else.
Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Matthew 6:25
So do not fear, for I am with you;
do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you;
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand
For I am the Lord your God
who takes hold of your right hand
and says to you, Do not fear;
I will help you. Isaiah 41: 10 & 13
In the depths of my depression, I drank of these verses like a man dying of thirst. It was hard for me to stop regurgitating the past, but I finally did. It was hard for me not to worry about the future, but I finally did. God took me by the hand and led me through the black box of depression.
But how does one break out of the cycle that they believe they have to live in and change to live in a way that represents them, not the pain?
First there needs to be stability in the body, which can be prescription medication, herbal supplements, exercise, and other body things. If a depressed person is in crisis, the first step is to get out of crisis; nothing is going to happen when a person is in crisis. Next comes stability of the soul (mind, will, and emotions), which can include a psychotherapist or other professional using cognitive behavioral therapy or other means to change ones thinking from the past and future to the present. The third step is to bring in the spiritual through inner healing, spiritual mentoring, or spiritual coaching.
Yet, depression is such a complex and difficult condition to deal with on your own, I would suggest a life coach or a depression coach to help manage, encourage, and explain tools to break out of the cycle. Depression is a lonely road to walk on your own. A coach walks the road with you. I happen to be such a coach, but my intent here is not to promote myself. It’s to strongly suggest that a person in depression find a coach or a good friend who has been in depression and come out the other side to serve as a coach. One could try a google search, but there are dangers in that. I’d suggest to contact a mental health agency to ask for referrals or to network with those who are in depression as to whether they found someone to walk with them on their journey through depression.
If you want me to be more specific than this, please let me know and I’ll answer any questions you have.