• jh

    I am commenting to say that I benefited from this video. Especially the part about re-thinking. Just yesterday I thought about something similar – that if only I had more knowledge (about my situation, about the reality of the world and the situations other people face) maybe it could change how I feel. Something like: I need to understand that my life situation is not unfair and unjust to only me? I don’t know if I’m expressing myself accurately, but it’s the best I can do for now. It’s because I believe that I am alone, that I am not seen, that I am unrecognized that I am so angry. But is that really the cause of my depression or the result? And are my feelings about my life normal? Do many people experience similar things and it’s not just me being cosmically singled out? I don’t understand my life. I am so angry all the time and just so down, even though there is no story I can tell to justify the existence of these emotions. I don’t have enough information to change my thoughts. I wish it was so simple as to confess a sin. I can’t rest well because I am always emotionally upset. I sleep 7-8 hours a night but it is always uneasy sleep. I used to daily ask God where He was, and ask Him to save me. But I got so tired and discouraged from the seeming absence of response, (so reasoned by me by my consistent and persistent grief), I just stopped asking.

    I benefited from this video because I have never received “professional” counseling so have never been officially diagnosed with depression. I always just suspected and wondered if this truly was my affliction. Your descriptions were so illustrative of my daily life. I felt like I had moved forward a step just by knowing my status. I should read the Bible more. I should go back to church community. But it’s so hard. I’m so afraid to be disappointed by what I read or the people I meet. I am afraid to experience more devastation. I am afraid I will not meet God in either place… But thank you for those suggestions. I am still working up the courage to do either/both.

    I appreciated what you accomplished in a mere 45 minutes for a sickness that consumes lifetimes. I hope I can meet a counselor at least as knowledgeable as you. I recently signed up at a counseling center to get professional help. It took me over 30 years to do that. I look forward to seeing what will become of me and my depression now. How do I get out of here? Will I ever get out of here?

    Please keep posting and speaking about this topic with more knowledge and more tools. Thank you for your time and I am very thankful for your work.

    • David Murray

      I am deeply sorry for your suffering and glad you found the video helpful. I would encourage you to speak to your pastor and your doctor. Together they will be able to help you address both the physical and spiritual dimensions of this and perhaps also recommend a specialist counselor if necessary. The good news is that if you use ALL the means God has provided, you will most likely get better. Can I recommend that you read Christians Get Depressed Too, a little book I wrote on depression, and also watch these videos. http://headhearthand.org/blog/2015/08/18/films/