How to Handle Your Emotions (Counseling Through the Bible Series) (20 page)

Adam and Eve were privileged to have perfect oneness with God. They had spiritual life because their human spirits were alive to God. Warned by God that eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil would bring death, Adam and Eve disobeyed God and indeed something died— they lost spiritual oneness with God.

You and I are born in the likeness of Adam, dead to God’s Spirit until we receive His gift of a new life in Christ Jesus.

“Count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus”

(R
OMANS
6:11).

Medical doctors have long stated that how you respond to life’s disappointments has a direct impact on your body. Likewise, depression can have a profound effect on both your soul and spirit. God encourages us to seek Him for healing and health in all three areas of life—body, soul, and spirit.

“May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ”

(1 T
HESSALONIANS
5:23).

1. C
OMBATING
D
EPRESSION IN THE
B
ODY

The increase in cases of depression today may be directly related to
unhealthy eating habits. Consider, for example, that Jesus probably ate fresh fish every day because fish was a common and healthy staple eaten in the region where He lived. Jesus fed the multitudes of 5,000 men and then 4,000 as well as the women and children by taking 12 loaves of bread and a few small fish. And He often mentioned fish in his teaching analogies:

“Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead?”

(L
UKE
11:11).

If you are suffering with prolonged depression…

•
Get a thorough medical checkup.
First, tell the doctor you feel unusually depressed. Be specific.

•
Ask your doctor to evaluate all medications
you are taking and eliminate what is unnecessary. Ask your doctor if any of your medications could contribute to depression. If so, could a substitute be prescribed?

•
Develop regular sleep habits.
Sleep is therapeutic. Only during deep sleep does the brain produce serotonin, which alleviates depression. Set a regular time to go to sleep and to rise.

•
Maintain a regular, active schedule.
Be actively involved in outside functions, such as spiritual and social functions, which impact brain function. Accept invitations to be with others, even if you don’t feel like it.

•
Eliminate stress.
Avoid being overly fatigued. Set aside regular quiet times of relaxation.

•
Eat nutritious meals.
Researchers have discovered a link between diet and the rise of depression. A key role in normal brain development and function is played by the chemical mechanism called fatty acid metabolism. A.J. Richardson writes, “Omega-6 and Omega-3 fatty acids are crucial for normal brain structure and function, and must be derived from the diet.”
⁵²
Lack of Omega-3s is believed to be linked to lower levels of serotonin and norepinephrin in the brain, and these lower levels are known to have a correlation to depression.
⁵³

—Avoid caffeine, alcohol, salt, fast food, and junk food

—Especially avoid foods containing trans-fats found in cereals, cookies, chips, and margarine which block the absorption of Omega-3s and other nutrients for several days after consumption

—Stay away from sugar (including sugary sodas) to avoid “the sugar blues”—a condition caused when sugar consumption temporarily boosts sugar levels, which then plummet just as quickly.

—Drink six to eight glasses of water a day

—Include in your diet, on a regular basis, cold-water fish containing Omega-3s—mainly salmon, trout, sardines, mackerel, and tuna—and dark, leafy green vegetables containing Omega-6s

•
Contact an informed nutritionist.
Find out about the therapeutic amounts of fish oil, Vitamin D, zinc, magnesium, and other vitamins and minerals that help combat depression through increased levels of serotonin.

—Adopt a Vitamin D regimen to increase levels of serotonin

—Take a good daily multivitamin with zinc and magnesium

Research trials have indicated that increased consumption of Omega-3 fatty acids can result in a significant reduction of symptoms for bipolar disorder, antisocial and violent behavior, as well as unipolar depression.
⁵⁴

•
Exercise regularly.
Walk, jog, or swim at least four days a week. Twenty minutes of brisk walking releases endorphins—a natural mood elevator.

•
Spend time in the sun
enjoying God’s beautiful creation. Research reveals that 30 minutes of sunshine can help alleviate depression. Too little sun produces melatonin, which can cause lethargy.

•
Pet a pet.
Giving affection to an animal lowers blood pressure, relieves stress, and allows an increase in good mood chemicals.

•
Laugh out loud!
At least one good belly laugh a day releases a helpful amount of serotonin and norepinephrin. Try reading funny stories or watching a funny movie or comedy on TV
for therapy. Proverbs 17:22 says that a “cheerful heart is good medicine.”

This prayer from the Bible should encourage each of us to care for and take responsibility for our physical health:

“I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well”

(3 J
OHN
2).

Question:
“Recently I moved to a town that has gloomy weather and now I’m feeling gloomy. Everything else in my life is positive. What can I do? It’s as if the fog outside my window has invaded my mind and muddled my thinking.”
⁵⁵

Answer:
Seasonal affective disorder, or SAD, is a form of depression associated with deprivation of sunlight. SAD, also called the winter blues, typically begins in the fall when the days become shorter and there is less sunlight. It subsides in the spring as the days get longer. Too little sunlight entering the eye produces in the brain a hormone called
melatonin
, which is released with the onset of darkness. Too much melatonin creates a biochemical imbalance in the hypothalamus region of the brain. In animals, melatonin controls hibernation and causes a decrease in activity. In humans, SAD causes symptoms such as excessive sleep, lethargy, overeating, and depression.

The best treatment for SAD is light—light is therapeutic.

•
Avail yourself of any and every opportunity to spend time in natural sunlight (outdoor reading or exercise, morning or afternoon walks).

•
You could purchase a specially designed light box that produces artificial light and expose your eyes to that light for 30 minutes to two hours daily.

•
Vacation in places where you can enjoy sunshine.

“Light is sweet, and it pleases the eyes to see the sun”

(E
CCLESIASTES
11:7).

2. C
OMBATING
D
EPRESSION IN THE
S
OUL

When you have lost a significant relationship, whether by rejection,
divorce, or death, it is normal for you to be depressed. However, after a period of time, normal healing should occur. If your heart has not “resumed its natural shape,” your heart could be in a state of depression. Because the entire soul (mind, will, and emotions) is affected by depression, recovery involves taking steps to treat depression in all three areas of the soul. Each part touched by depression needs to be reached with healing.

T
HE
M
IND

What your mind dwells on can be a key ingredient to overcoming chronic depression. Research verifies that what a person chooses to think about literally changes the chemistry of the brain!
⁵⁶
You need to fill your thinking with God’s thinking—fill your mind with God’s perspective and promises. Romans 12:2 says that you are “transformed by the renewing of your mind.”

•
Write several Scriptures on index cards and read them several times a day.

•
Make a list—“My Thanksgiving List”—of seven blessed aspects of your life and spend time every day thanking God for those specifically.

•
Next week, list seven specifics for which you can thank God.

•
Each week thereafter, keep adding to the list.

By looking at God’s Word, you can discover God’s purpose for allowing the painful losses in your life. God is your Redeemer, and He has a purpose for allowing everything—even the storms in your life.

“He sent forth his word and healed them”

(P
SALM
107:20).

Bring Light into the Darkness

In order to combat depression, first write out your dark thoughts. Then, as your rebuttal, write out what God says. Ask the Lord and a friend for help with the wording. Then whenever dark thoughts come, use cognitive therapy on yourself, which simply means replacing your
dark thoughts of despair
with the
light of truth
.

“You are my lamp, O L
ORD
; the L
ORD
turns my darkness into light”

(2 S
AMUEL
22:29).

—Dark thoughts:
“I cannot escape this darkness.”
Light of truth:
“The Lord will bring light into my darkness.”

“My God turns my darkness into light”

(P
SALM
18:28).

—Dark thoughts:
“I feel like I have no refuge, no safe haven.”
Light of truth:
“The Lord will be my refuge.”

“Keep me safe, O God, for in you I take refuge”

(P
SALM
16:1).

—Dark thoughts:
“I feel like I’m in too much trouble.”
Light of truth:
“The Lord is my help in trouble.”

“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble”

(P
SALM
46:1).

—Dark thoughts:
“I can’t help feeling so restless.”
Light of truth:
“My God gives my soul rest.”

“My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from him”

(P
SALM
62:1).