Depression

[notdrinkingthekoolaid]

Those of you that tend to be more depressed during winter...have you heard of seasonal affective disorder (SAD)? Worth looking into as one treatment doesn't involve medication.

[senda wales]

Yes, I've heard of it. I've only noticed it happening for me in the past 3 years. However, I was going through semi-depressing life changes in the first 2, so initially I attributed the blues to that. This past year was the first time I felt bad AND nothing really drastic was happening in my life. I'm not entirely sure whether this is something I should look into or not.

[Ataraxia]

I've heard of it too and the depression is heightened in the winter for me, but I get bouts all year round. In winter though the bouts last a couple days.

[bean]

Ataraxia, I live in the northern lattitudes..the lack of direct sunlight is a major contributing factor. Solution: Sun replacement lamp. Some of the best money i have ever spent. Really cuts down on the lethargy, feeling of being down, etc...It does help. It really does!!!

[Phatchick]

{sigh} BTDT, I grew up hearing horror stories about how all therapists want to do is give you drugs to turn your mind off and make you deny the Lord. The reality is, therapy and anti-depressants probably saved my life. My depression was so bad I was nearly ready to try suicide but thank god my husband and some good friends cared enough to step in and haul my ass to the doctor. Clinical depression is simple another chronic illness and it can be successfully treated. The fundy attitude towards mental illness is one of my biggest issues, I tell everyone to avoid xtain counciling like the plauge it is and get professional help.

[notdrinkingthekoolaid]

I think there is a difference between Christian counseling and good therapists who happen to be Christians. I have benefitted greatly from the latter (in conjunction with medication.)

[Elijah Craig]

(09-13-2011 03:08 PM)Jenn Wrote:  This is what's done the most damage to my faith. Reading the Bible, praying, and doing what's right were supposed to give me new life and renew my soul. I only got worse and worse.

I think churches would have twice as many attendees if not for stuff like this. Statements are made about Christianity that don't bear out in reality.

[Ricardo]

"Christian counseling"

So many MoG are so used to being the "I say so" that they forget that when it comes to counseling, all the training they received in Divinity School was two semesters of Pastoral counseling.

This is not rocket science, but it does required trained professionals. Prayer, fasting and reading the KJV1611 are not necessarily bad, only if done exclusively. Best combined with professional counseling and Paxil.

[SpaceGhost]

I had to give this much thought before responding. It's a fact, the "world" knows more about the human psyche because they study it from a scientific perspective where the pseudo-counselor who totes a bible responds as if the issue were emotional. I believe 'secular' mental health counseling, psychiatry and psychology help with numerous issues. The problem is "Christian" Mental Health Counseling" is that there are some (Jay Adams, for instance) who believe that the Mental Health field has to be spiritually legitimized...or, "Christianized" to be useful. I've heard the same nonsense about mental health professionals want to turn Believers from the Faith and whatnot...when you hear it, just add it to tissue of lies spoken from the pulpit. As a matter of fact, I started taking 40mg of Paxil about 5 years ago and things have improved much and I'm down to a 20mg dose and could possibly leave off the medication in another year or two...no thanks to Christians.

There is much to say about the work of Alfred Adler and Erik Erikson and the work they put in developing their theories of personality compared to people like Jay Adams who beat the patient reapeatedly over the head and shoulders with a bible. Theorists like Adler and Erikson have benchmark standards of BEHAVIOR to measure success while the "Christian/Biblical" Counselors measure FEELINGS expressed by the words coming out of your mouth as to whether or not you are "right" with God. In the end, the suffering Christian leaves their counselor's office with nothing more than introspection and self-condemnation until their next appointment. While on the other hand, the "secular" counselor gives 'homework' and encouragement in normal life experiences as well as an SSRI (Selective Seretonin Reuptake Inhibitor) that allows the Seretonin to "hang around" between terminal buttons so the Seretonin does it's job with this organic problem rather than being asborbed to quickly back into the dendrite and soma. What does the "Christian" Counsel or offer? Pick a verse, any verse from your translation, any translation and believe it. After all, when it comes down to it, it's YOUR fault anyway. When you finally drop out of church, you will become a sermon illustration to the Sunday PM crowd or the prayer request during the Youth Group devotionals....That's American Christianity.

[Ataraxia]

It's a tricky subject. A person suffering from a mental imbalance, a chemical imbalance in the brain needs medication. Someone who is suffering from Schizophrenia needs medical attention.

My question to you is, could it not be said that God created the medicines that modern mental professional prescribe and through the hands of the psychiatric or psychologist God is working to heal the mentally ill. And that person can turn to the his/her church for further support in going through this difficult time.