Fighting Depression

A friend of mine recently e-mailed me about being in a depressed state and it reminded me of just how many people are out there fighting depression. Two or three years ago, I too went through a rather significant bought with depression. Several red flags helped me realize that I was not functioning well. So, what did I do?

First, I went to a counselor and he ran me through a diagnostic tool to see just where I ranked in terms of my depression. I was at a moderate to high level of depression. I tend to be a minimalist regarding medications, so I decided to make some lifestyle adjustments before resorting to medication. Although, I will be the first to say that had my depression been any worse I would have immediately sought an antidepressant. Specifically, regarding my lifestyle, I got very intentional about what I have dubbed my 'Core 4'. They are 1) Sleeping 2) Eating 3) Being physically active and 4) protecting significant relationships.

Sleep is a big one for me. It is the first to go if my system is out of whack and it is the one that once its gone precipitates everything else declining. I got very intentional about getting proper sleep. This meant changing some routines and sometimes using melatonin or some other supplement to help me rest.

Eating--I didn't become fanatically about a particular diet. I just increased my intake of water. Limited the amount of processed foods I took in and ate more frequently throughout the day. When depressed I found myself often times going long periods without eating or living out of fast food bags. That had to stop.

Being physically active--I didn't enter an exercise routine. That would have been unrealistic. The main thing was not being sedentary. I try to quicken my pace a bit when walking. I parked far away from entrances and started using stairs when I visited the hospital rather than using the elevator. I just made sure that I didn't stay immobolized.

Protecting significant relationship--I let people close to me know what was going on and tried to maintain regular contact. Depressed people often isolate. I didn't shove myself into too many social settings I didn't have to, but I made sure that I wasn't cutting myself off from friends.

God also blessed me with some grace in all of this. About the time I was struggling to figure out what was wrong, I felt called to introduce a recovery ministry to our church. This specific ministry was not limited to those suffering from chemical dependency. It was intended for anyone struggling with life, regardless of their particular hurt, habit or hang-up. This recovery ministry became a place of constant grace.

To all of you out there possibly suffering from depression. Get people praying for you. Let several people know what is going on. Get help if you need it and at the very least attend to your base line health. You are too important to be sucked down by depression. God needs you for other work and you can't do it when you are isolated, tired, and alone. If you are struggling with depression and you just aren't sure where to turn, please feel free to drop me a note on-line.

Blessings to you. God is bigger than any hurt you can have.