Depression - recognize it

 

Last time we looked at our duo of psalms (psalms 42 and 43) we saw that the author (possibly David, but the scholars are divided on that) was feeling lonely and oppressed. Lonely because he had been away from the happy religious festivals of his faith. Oppressed because his enemies were taunting and mocking him. 

This had plunged the writer into deep depression. This is also part of the formula that we see causing depression today. Believers and non-believers can fall prey to the loneliness caused by our fragmented families and society; the pandemic has increased the isolation that many feel; social media stresses all the wrong kinds of values and sets people up to feel alone and unpopular . . . how many "likes" did my last post get? Oppression? Today, we are told that we are all victims. Believers truly are victims, many times, as we see discrimination and persecution ramping up across the globe. When depression hits, a person often will interpret neutral or even positive comments and events as negative, and feel they are being disrespected and oppressed. 

How can we help those who struggle with depression? How can we help ourselves, if we are depressed? I believe that, as with many problems, the first step is to recognize the issue; the second step is to admit it.

The psalmist readily admits (both to himself and to God) that he is depressed. 

Why, my soul, are you downcast?
    Why so disturbed within me? (Psalm 42:5a)

My soul is downcast within me; (v. 6a)

He mentions again in two other verses that he is in despair. The Hebrew verb there means to be bowed down or prostrated. Other translations say "laid low," or "in the pits." (See? That's why the Spirit had us study about being in the "pits" last week!) Perhaps we don't really recognize our emotional condition. Perhaps we don't know the symptoms, or we think it's just a passing thing. Or perhaps we don't want to appear unspiritual to other believers. Whatever the reason, if we cannot admit there is a problem, then we cannot begin to deal with it.

There are symptoms; I guess we can call them warning flags; we can see from the psalmist's words describing himself:

My soul is downcast within me; (v. 6a)

That word downcast can also refer to how a person looks, their facial expression. People who are depressed look sad, frustrated, down. Sometimes a depressed person loses their appetite; sometimes they can't seem to stop crying.

My tears have been my food
    day and night,
while people say to me all day long,
    “Where is your God?” (Psalm 42:3)

In verse four, he describes his anguish as "pouring out his soul," and I think we can equate that with today's language - we describe ourselves as emotionally drained. 

Deep calls to deep
    in the roar of your waterfalls;
all your waves and breakers
    have swept over me. (v. 7)

Depressed people often feel overwhelmed by circumstances. They are immobilized; they don't know where to start or how to cope. In verse ten, the psalmist says that the taunts he hears feel like a shattering of his bones. Many people who struggle against depression have physical symptoms that accompany it. Headaches, stomach troubles, and even chronic pain can accompany severe depression. People who are depressed often feel guilt and rejection -- the psalmist did. He is confused, and says he feels abandoned by God (verse 9). A final blow to a depressed person's health may be that they are fatigued, sleep deprived (or sleep excessively), or have thoughts of suicide. 

Once we realize that we are dealing with depression, either in our own lives or the lives of loved ones or friends, we need to begin to look for causes. I guess I need to say here, that I'm not a therapist; I am not putting myself out here in the ether as an expert or even as a knowledgeable person; I'm just studying a pair of psalms and writing what the Spirit explains to me. I have seen in the life of someone I love fiercely, that finding the right counselor or therapist can mean a world of difference in the life of someone oppressed by depression. With that said, I believe that once we recognize the symptoms, we must begin to look for the root cause. It's kinda like those little lights on our car's dashboard . . . those tell us that there's a problem. Might be the light for the tires, or perhaps a problem under the hood. If we ignore those lights and keep on driving, we may end up on the side of the road, or with major damage, or both. So it's good to pull over and try to figure out what's wrong. 

Let's talk about that tomorrow, ok?