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Let's Overcome Depression!

By Pastor Pete Macinta

Note: These pages are written from a Christian pastoral perspective and are not intended to replace personal, one to counseling. Users are advised to consult with an appropriate doctor/s prior to following various suggestions in these pages. User of these pages indemnifies Pastor Macinta and Macinta ministries from any adverse results of following, or not following, the advise on all these pages.

Sometimes it seems like it will never, never end, or there's no hope, or you just can't get ahead, or no one understands, or similar emotions. You are not alone (in more ways than one) and there is light at the end of this tunnel, and some light while in the tunnel too! (I'll help you look in a little bit.)

More of us all the time live in a world of convenience, having access to counselors, ministers, psychiatrists, medications, clinics, etc. Yet with all of this "help", it is easy to forget about, or put "on the back burner" our Creator who lovingly fashioned us, even while we were in our mother's womb. Our loving Creator brought the ministers, doctors, medications, etc., into existence, but many still remain trapped in the web of mental illness mainly because we forget to depend upon the Creator, and focus on His creations.

Sometimes, the human sources I just mentioned, including ministers, do not have a direct link to their Creator and many times do not provide adequate counsel. Sometimes the counsel is even out right wrong. There have been people suffering from depression that have been told by (only a minority of) mental health providers that what they need to do is "go out and have a sexual fling" or go ahead and lash back, etc. We even have health care providers that would be glad to "put you out of your misery" through suicide.

Our Father has a much better plan for us: a wholesome, loving, life-giving one. Outside help at times may be good, OR harmful. Inside help from the God Who made us is the best and safest. Do not misunderstand. I am not saying to totally abandon outside help, just that we need to put God first and make sure the instructions we get from outside sources line up with the original instructions God has given us. Those instructions are found in the . . .

Don't let that scare you or turn you off. Think about it. Many times when we buy a manufactured item, instructions come with it. When God made man, He gave us a conscience that would be in tune with His Spirit. However, when sin entered the world, consciences became twisted. God sent prophets to bring us back. Eventually the words of the prophets and spiritual teachers were written down. God's people, who were truly led by God's Spirit collected certain writings they considered sacred and grouped them as a whole. The Jews had the Tenach, what many of us call the Old Testament. When the Church was instituted by Jesus Christ, the majority of the Christians by 250 or 300AD agreed that the Tenach and the current portion we call the New Testament were sacred; what we call the Bible today.

Later, on this page, you will see certain steps or avenues to eventually bring you out of depression. Some have a direct link to the Bible. Some are alluded to by the Bible. The next section discusses signs of "major depression" along with other types of depression. Although "major depression" is mainly addressed in this page, the steps out of depression, for the most part, could apply to all forms of depression. Now here is the index:

God Loves You!. . .Yes You! . . .He really does!!!

TYPES OF DEPRESSION | THE UPSIDE OF DEPRESSION!
SYMPTOMS OF MAJOR DEPRESSION | CORE PROBLEMS
OUTER PROBLEMS | MAIN CURE | ADDITIONAL Rx1

Trust Jesus First Today!...He's The Best One To Help You!

SOME TYPES OF DEPRESSION

Note: Just because you feel sad over a situation or a loss does not mean you suffer from clinical depression.

MAJOR DEPRESSION-

A very common type of depression with definite signs and symptoms, discussed below.

MANIC DEPRESSION-

A form of depression characterized by high-energy periods which sometimes includes wild unrealistic activity. There is more than one type of manic depression.

ATYPICAL DEPRESSION-

Deeply depressed for a few days, then OK, or swinging over to anxious and/or irritable.

DYSTHYMIC DISORDER-

A milder form of major depression.

EXALTED/GRANDIOSE DEPRESSION-

A form of depression where one often imagines he/she is a ruler or in charge of something. Old definition! Hard to find now in current sources, and when you do, it is often linked with bi-polar problems (Manic).

I am sure other forms of depression exist, but they are nothing that God cannot handle. We will offer help for all of these below.
Return To Index, or scroll down.

The Upside Of Depression!

Many who have problems with mental depression have a hidden upside rooted in their personality. For example, those whom some psychologists say have a melancholy personality, the upside is that God created them with a tender, compassionate heart. It is because of our sin nature this tenderness can open avenues for depression. For the one suffering from manic depression, their tendency for extra activity can be redirected to useful service under proper supervision.

In the Bible, it almost seems that Elijah had bouts with depression.
On Mount Carmel, God used him to display a great miracle
to the unfaithful Jews who were worshipping Baal.
Just after this great victory, he is confronted by Jezebel,
queen of Israel, who threatens him with death. He flees
away and later we see him wishing that he was dead. When God
spoke to him, He told God he was the only one
serving Him. God reminded him that He had reserved 7000 that
did not bow their knee to Baal.
God then told him that he (Elijah) had plenty of work to do before he would leave earth.

"Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years."
James 5:17

Do not write yourself off! Here the Bible shows that the great man of God, Elijah, was just like us! Closer to our time, I have heard that Abraham Lincoln suffered from severe depression, but he made a great president. Satan would like to keep you all tied up in negative emotions, hardly able to do a thing. Yet you have potential, ready to be freed by God! Please continue to view the rest of the information I have for you.

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SYMPTOMS OF MAJOR DEPRESSION

NOTE: Just because you feel sad for a time does not mean you suffer from major depression.

The following is derived from DSM-IV:

Major depression involves at least two weeks of deep despair and at least four of the following:

Sleep problems- Insomnia or sleeping all the time.

Appetite problems-Loss of appetite or overeating with major weight gain.

Lack of energy-Lethargy, apathy, loss of interest in anything

Feelings of worthlessness, hopelessness, and/or terrible guilt.

Difficulty concentrating, or unusual indecisiveness.

Suicidal thoughts, or suicide attempts.

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CORE PROBLEMS

Many methods of dealing with depression may work very well, and many people surely have been helped. But, in order to make it even less likely for someone to slip back into depression, we must get to the core of the matter.

All of us have a body, soul, and spirit (do not confuse this spirit with the Holy Spirit). We know what the body is, and a good bit of our time is used to care for it. Our soul, as many Bible scholars put it, is "the seat of our affections"- our wants, wishes, needs, plans, etc. The spirit, (NOT meaning God's Holy Spirit), is the REAL you and me, the part of us that really makes the decisions and the place at which our conscience resides. Our spirit is our core (what the Scriptures call the heart at times ).

When God created mankind, we were fine. However, when Adam sinned, the whole person became warped, body, soul, and spirit. When Adam sinned, he WILLFULLY SINNED: it was the direct action of his spirit. This action also violated his conscience. The entire person was now damaged. The body was now prone to disease and the bodily needs became out of proportion. The desires of the soul no longer were guided by a pure spirit, because the core, the human spirit was damaged, being controlled by sin, and readily yielding to satan.

So, every person is born with a sin nature. We come into this world messed up, especially on the spiritual side. The sin nature is readily displayed in us as babies, testing their parent's commands, trying to be the center of attraction, and even willful disobedience, unless we accept the cure, we continue in sin and our lives many times become a bigger mess.

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Outer Problems

The Plot Thickens!

Remember, the entire person is damaged. The spirit of the person, which is used to initiate decisions, is now more prone to listen to the body and the soul instead of God. The body and the soul are now warped and damaged. Our basic desires, food, water, sleep, work, sex, etc., which were once good are now tainted with sin and many times things are way out of proportion! Adding to the core problem (our spirit damaged by the sin nature) we have the following pre-existing conditions just waiting for depression to roll in:

THE MAIN CURE

What would you say if you were offered a completely fresh start with your life, and at least reverse the cycle of depression and get it to the point where you hardly ever have to fight it again? Wouldn't it be great for God to "reset your settings" and give you strength to live a far more productive life. It would mean that your sin nature would have to be removed and, of course, be replaced by a "clean slate" (like a blank HTML). You'd almost have to change places with someone. Well you can! It has all been set up for you, waiting for you to wholeheartedly agree to it. You can trade places with . . .

Jesus Of Nazareth

Note I said Jesus of Nazareth. The Word of God terms Jesus as the second man. Adam, our ancestor, the first man sinned, and therefore every one of us is messed up. God saw our plight, veiled Himself in our flesh, and became the second man. The word of God is very clear - Jesus was tempted in all points, just like were are, yet He did not sin.

"But", you may say, "Jesus was God! He could not, would not sin!" Please read carefully, Philippians 2:5 - 11. You will see that Jesus did not choose to operate according to His divine nature, but chose to operate according to His human nature being led by the Holy Spirit, which, when conceived by the virgin Mary, His flesh was of the same sort that Adam had BEFORE Adam fell into sin (hence the term "second man"). With this choice, Jesus HAD to be directed by the Holy Spirit just as we MUST be directed by the Holy Spirit. He remained God, but willfully, lovingly, decided to operate in the human manner.

OR . . ."But", you may say, "Things are not the same today as they were back then! There were no drugs, no TV, no cigarettes, no Internet, etc.!" Don't be fooled! Though these specific things (except for the drugs ) did not exist, similar things existed. Although the main temptation of Jesus is mentioned as the temptation in the wilderness, the passage indicates that satan left Jesus alone "for a season". Rest assured Jesus was tempted with similar things we face today. There was no TV, radio, or Internet, but there were plenty of opportunities to take in indecent, immoral activities, or activities that would distract Jesus from advancing the Kingdom of God. As far as drugs and cigarettes (same thing), drugs did exist in various forms. Jesus was offered a sedative on the cross but He refused.

Jesus is the main cure. He lovingly desires to take your human nature and give you His human nature in return, fully equipped with His victorious life. He will not force this upon you. You must really want it.

If you really want this, you are ready for the Great Physician, the Cure Himself. Grant it, you can become healthier without a direct connection to Jesus, but the direct connection makes it more sure that you will be delivered from depression and other things. Above all, a direct connection with Jesus guarantees that if you stick with Him, you will not be sent to hell, you inherit eternal life in heaven.

Would you please trust Jesus now? He is ready to take your, sin nature, sins, depression, along with other mental difficulties, and give you His victorious life. Please pray this prayer, meaning it from the depths of your heart:

Father, forgive me for being a sinner. I ask you to cleanse my heart and make a new creature. Take away this heavy depression. I love you God. I ask Jesus into my heart to be my Savior and Lord. Thank you Father for sending Jesus into my heart. I love you. Amen

If you have prayed this prayer, and meant it, you are now a child of God. Please see some steps in the right direction.

IF YOU HAVE ACCPTED JESUS AS YOUR LORD AND SAVIOR, PLEASE "RESET" YOUR OWN BEING AT THIS TIME IN THE FOLLOWING MANNER: >>>YOUR HEART: ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS, PUT JESUS FIRST! Have Him make the decisions. Look to Him as your Shepherd (Psa. 23:1), as the one you love the most. Your primary and ultimate loyalty must be resting in Jesus.

>>>YOUR MIND:

Focus, focus, focus, - upon God. One way to do this is to personally worship God. Do not wait to get to church. The next time you feel the heaviness start to come on, worship God. Force yourself to do that. Say something like, "I love You Jesus, I glorify Your precious Name. You alone are righteous and holy." etc

>>> YOUR SOUL:

Adjust Your Attitude- Begin to place your mind daily on the eternal aspects of life - your salvation, the salvation of your family and others, helping those in need. Moses is a very good example. At first, he did not want to go back to Egypt to be God's agent to set Israel free from Egyptian slavery. After they were released, he complained repeatedly before God about carting these million or so people around in the wilderness UNTIL, he got some shock therapy. God was angry at the Israelis at one point and was about to destroy them. While in prayer, Moses cried out to God, begging God not to blot out the Jews for His Namesake. He offered himself to God to be blotted out. Exactly the thought pattern and desires that God was looking to develop in Moses! God then fashioned Moses into the man God wanted him to be.

Ask God now to help you develop the same desires that God Himself has. You will never be truly happy until you do this. You can pray something like this:

Father, I love You. Please help me to want only the things you would want. I thank you for meeting my needs. Please help me to know the difference between my needs and my wants. I know I need to love You more and more. Help me to do so, in the Name of Jesus I pray, Amen.

>>> YOUR BODY:

1Cor.6:19-20-"Do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? YOU ARE NOT YOUR OWN: YOU WERE BOUGHT AT A PRICE. Therefore honor God with your body."

Indeed, we do not belong to ourselves. If you do not like that thought, then realize if you do not or did not receive Christ, you belong to Satan. I know it does not seem that way if a person is unsaved. That is because Satan wants you to think that you are in control when, in reality, he is in control.

So relax in Jesus. I was on "cloud 9" for many weeks after being saved. I pictured Jesus as the Shepherd, and I and other Christians as lambs and sheep. I considered Him, and still do, my Lover (in a GOOD sense), and Friend. I love my wife and children, but I love Jesus first and most. This is the only way to stay saved.

WHAT ABOUT GENETIC TENDENCIES TOWARD DEPRESSION??? - Isaiah 53:4 - 5 says that we are healed by the stripes (from the whipping He took) on Jesus' back

THE NEXT SECTION IS VERY IMPORTANT
PLEASE SCROLL DOWN

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Additional Rx #1

Remember, you are a spirit. You are created in the image of God. You are primarily a spirit creature, and, as a result, you will respond to the unseen spiritual realm, whether it be good or bad. Let's talk about the bad stuff first, and save the good stuff for our desert!

Satan, and his demons, are spirit creatures too. That's a beginning for them to bug us. They do so basically in four ways:

TEMPTATION

Everyone faces this. Remember that it is not a sin to be tempted, but it is a sin to give in to the temptation. Yielding to sin worsens depression. Read 1 John 1:9 if you yield to sin, and follow the directions there. Do not be discouraged. As you love Jesus and walk in Him, you will sin less and less. God understands. He calls us His children if we are saved. When a child comes into the world, it struggles and struggles to learn how to walk. The child may fall down many times, but he picks himself back up. The spiritual walk is completely new to all of us. Go easy on yourself. Seek the forgiveness of God and keep on going!

OBSESSION

Sometimes we really like certain sinful activities. We can become hooked on them. This can happen to anyone, whether they are saved or not. If you have this problem, this too will worsen your depression. Here's what to do:

Be honest with yourself and with God. Then ask Him to help you to love Him more and to hate your sin. If you do not want that, ask God to help you to want that. All sin is destructive, but Jesus gives us life, real life!

You must begin to draw near to God. As you draw near to God, and resist satan, satan will flee from you (James 4:7). Further help will be given below.

OPPRESSION

A little different in that you may not have directly asked to be pestered. Again, it happens to Christians and non-Christians alike. Yet, it may indicate that Satan some how has found a weakness in your being that he can "yank" you around with. This can also deal with obsession. It is like you have a slavery yoke around your neck. We become the Devil's "pet". He'll take you for a walk where you should not go for a walk. At times, or many times, satan will yank you around quite a bit.

WHAT TO DO???- Again, draw near to God. Force yourself to take the action below. Also, plead the blood of Jesus over yourself. If you really are a Christian, GET MAD AT SATAN AND REBUKE HIM BUT ONLY IN THE NAME OF JESUS. Never speak to Satan unless you definitely have Jesus dwelling within you.

POSSESION

, , are footnotes for either clarification or avoiding unnecessary email queries.

Despite what some teach, if Christ really lives in you, a Christian cannot be possessed. Just because it seems that a sin is controlling you, this does not mean you are possessed. Demon possession in the Bible is always described as bizarre and out of control. There is absolutely no example in the Bible of a Christian being possessed. If you feel that you are possessed,* then by all means go to a Bible believing minister for deliverance, but once you are delivered, you must accept Christ as your Savior.

If you feel that someone you know is possessed, then (1) fast** and pray before attempting to do something directly, making sure of your own stance in Christ.(2) Secure Godly advice from a Bible believing minister. (3) Develop compassion for the victim. (4) Develop hatred for Satan, and (5) only upon definite leading from God cast out the demons in a secure setting (only mature, solid Christians around***).

DO NOT STOP HERE, ESPECIALLY IF YOU ARE A VICTIM OF OBSESSION, OPPRESION, OR POSSESION, OR YOU REPEATEDLY YIELD TO TEMPTATION. SCROLL DOWN.

* You may wonder if someone is demon possessed, then how are they able to seek help. Scripture indicates that in certain cases, sometimes demon possessed people through their spirit seek help. Paul was pestered by one lady who followed them at one point in his ministry. Outwardly, she was a mess, inwardly she hungered for help.
Fasting is a vital tool for every Christian. As God permits, I might address this topic on a page at this site. For now, do not think that if you have hardly ever fasted before, and you are confronted with a case of demon possession, that if you fast a meal or two you can go out and whip demons. And, if you are new to this, and have not fasted before, do not think that you can do 40 days at a snap. Don't even try it! AND DO NOT ATEMPT FASTING WITHOUT WATER FOR MORE THAN THREE DAYS, AND AT THAT, UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF A MATURE MINISTER OR FELLOW CHRISTIAN.
*This may sound like I am contradicting myself on my initial statement that a Christian cannot be demon possessed. I maintain that A REAL CHRISTIAN cannot be possessed. I also believe a Christian can backslide. That is why I teach that only mature Christians should be present at a real deliverance. The additional evil influence may push the weak "over the edge", leading to a backslidden state, which then opens a definite path for possession.

Now For The Good stuff!

Remember God is spirit and you are a spirit. This is the real you. Just as a radio is designed to tune in radio waves, whether good or bad, we are designed to tune in the spirit realm, whether good or bad. The main thing to know right now is that it is up to us to "tune the right station in".

Worship

Since we are spirit creatures, if we really love God, we will desire to sense His presence, the Holy Spirit. Begin NOW to praise and worship God. Worshipping God is expressing our love to Him. We should be able to do this privately and publicly, and not just when we go to church. Praise could be another word for worship. There are three levels of praise:

I - Praising God Just For Who He Is
II - Praising God For What He Has Done
III - Praising God For What He Will Do

Express Your love To God

Being a Christian involves having a love relationship with God. One of the greatest impressions I ever had early in my Christian life was when I went to a youth rally for the first time. The altar call was given and people came forward. I simply observed at first. I saw a young man worshipping God, hands lifted up, tears streaming down his face, and he was saying out loud "I love You Jesus!" I had a gut feeling that this is the way it is suppose to be. Not reading prayers or reciting them from memory, but spontaneously worshipping God with a heart of love.

Do it NOW. Tell God you love Him. Lift your hands, feel love towards God. Sing to God (it does not matter whether you think you can sing or not, or you know for a fact that you can't carry a tune), - He loves to hear your voice in praise.

Learn To Love The Bible

The Bible is the Word of God. It is all the instruction that we need for daily living. Unlike ethics, religions, history, the sciences, It does not change. God cannot change His Word.

In the Bible there is plenty of adventure, love stories, history, guidance, comfort, and so on. Ask a Bible believing born again minister to help you (Do not trust anyone or any group that supplants the Bible and/ or lifts itself up rather than Jesus.).

If you have trouble understanding a passage, ask God directly to help you. If you think some things are boring, read something else in it or ask God to help you. If you come across a genealogy, either skip it for now, or just skim over the names without trying to pronounce them.

If you follow Rx1, you will be ready for . . .

ADDITIONAL Rx#2 and MORE!