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Author
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Topic: Deeply Depressed and Falling Fast....Please Pray!!
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4Hislove
Advanced Member
Member # 265
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posted
![[Frown]](frown.gif) Thank you Linda....Here's my email account at home picnutt2002@yahoo.com not just Linda can write me, all of you can!! kindgo, art, erie...All of you! I need all the prayers and support I can get.
As I had emailed Linda, I feel like Peter when satan demanded to sift him as if sifting wheat. This is what caused him to betray Jesus 3 times. But on the other hand, I also feel like Judas. Like satan is here, totally taking over and wanting me to die. ![[mad2]](graemlins/mad2.gif) Like I am being told to kill myself. I can't stand the feelings, and I am certainly glad that Linda had some really detailed information about depression.
Please, I merely ask for prayers to continue.
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Your Sister In Christ,
Christine
Posts: 50 | From: Bloomfield, Ky. | Registered: Aug 2002
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helpforhomeschoolers
Advanced Member
Member # 15
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posted
Dear 4HisLove:
I have been reading your posts on depression and I have some knowledge on this topic that I want to share with you, but I have hesitiated because my words are not popular on this subject and go against the humanistic view of society on depression. But I believe they are Biblical and that there is freedom if you can lay hold of this with your spirit.
Please, as you read this pray about this. Everything in you will want to reject this because it goes against the paradigms that we have as a society about depression.
Let me also tell you that I have spent the past 4 years studying depression from a Biblical perspective and am writing a book on this topic. This began at the leading of the Holy Spirit who delivered me instantly from a 8 year stint of clinical depression. He delivered me in a time when everything in the natural aspect of my life would have said this was impossible. I was at the time struggling with cancer and chronic fatigue sydrome as well, I had lost custody of my children, I had lost my home, my business, and the devil was trying very hard to take my marriage and ultimately my life.
So I just ask that you listen to what I have to say and pray about this sincerely. It is difficult for me to try and convey 4 years of information in one post, but if you want to visit more, share your email with me and I am happy to listen and to share.
Modern medicine is mising the boat in the area of depression, because it views the cause as the chemical imbalance that can be seen and studied. This is a humanist view point. We believe what we can see and dismiss the fact that the daily events in our life are insperately connected to what is going on in the unseen spiritual battlefield around us.
In spite of all that modern scientific research has revealed to us, Dr. Christopher Murray, head of the World Health Organization's Epidemiology Department, predicts that Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) will become the world's second most debilitating disease by the year 2002, surpassed only by cardiovascular disease.
Discovering the affects of serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine on the brain has not produced a cure for clinical depression, but it has dramatically changed the way the medical and mental health communities approach the treatment of this so called disease.
Today, a two-part approach is recommended in treating depression. Drugs known as anti-depressants are used to combat the chemical imbalances in the brain; and psychotherapy is used to address the feelings of hopelessness, guilt and anxiety that accompany the disease.
Does it work? Is it Biblical? No.
Is this two-fold approach effective? This is a subject of debate for several reasons.
1. Everyone does not choose to get help.
According to the World Health Organization, 90% of those in bondage to depression never get help. This could be, in part, due to years of social stigma attached to all mental illness. Many cases also go undiagnosed, because patients report only physical symptoms to their doctors. Still others never seek help, thinking depression is just a normal part of the aging process.
2. Help is not available for everyone.
For much of the world, anti-depressants simply aren't an option. The major pharmaceutical companies that developed these new drugs own US patents for them, making them unaffordable for most of the world's population. Of 7 billion-dollars worth of anti-depressants sold worldwide, 50% are sold to Americans. Yet, the 17 million Americans suffering from depression represent only 5% of the 330 million worldwide who live with this agonizing disease.
3. Treatment doesn't help everyone
It is estimated that anti-depressants are ineffective for 35- 44% of the people who take them, and according a study by the National Institute of Mental Health, 45% of patients with mild to moderate depression showed no improvement after 16 weeks of psychotherapy.
4. The number of people affected continues to rise
The problem is we view the physical evidence of depression as the cause and it is not. It is a physical affect that happens in response to our bodies dealing with a spiritual problem.
Depression is spiritual warfare. It is an attack against humanity not just as individuals but as a society. It has ramifications in society that are mind boggling, but it is carried out through attacks on our individual minds.
No man can enter into a strong man's house, and spoil his goods, except he will first bind the strong man; and then he will spoil his house. Mark 3:27
Jesus spoke these words of truth to his disciples. They reveal to us the strategy our enemy, the devil, uses against us. Fighting a weary opponent requires fewer resources and results in far fewer casualties to the advancing army. So, he seeks to disable his opponent physically and financially, and then take his territory and plunder the spoils of war.
As we first examine the facts about depression which are known to the natural world, we see that this mighty weapon wreaks financial havoc on the Kingdom of God, and attacks the basic foundation of authority in the Kingdom, which is the family. The devastation of depression insults society as a whole as well as the individual lives of those suffering in its clutches.
Social and economic havoc in the earth
According to the World Health Organization, Depression is fast becoming the most debilitating disease in the world. Affecting 19 million Americans and 330 million people worldwide. Alarming as these numbers may be, the fact is two-thirds of all cases go completely undiagnosed. According to the National Mental Health Institute (NMHI) one in every four persons will be affected by depression in their lifetime, and women are two times more likely to be affected by depression than men are. The implications of this fact alone are frightening, as women continue to enter the workforce in growing numbers. Currently, there are 6 women for every 7 men in the workforce. In America, this disease's attack against women has an even greater potential for damage to our society because 40% of American children are growing up fatherless. With single women carrying such a large portion of the burden of raising America's children, the devastation caused by depression threatens our very hope for the future. Today 75% of the children raised in single parent- families headed by women will experience poverty, and 70% of the male prison population incarcerated today are children from single parent families headed by women. When we couple this with the fact that 1 in every two women will be affected by depression in their lifetime, we quickly realize that depression is a disease out to kill, steal, and destroy.
The financial burden created by depression is equally staggering. The world spends 12.4 billion dollars annually on drugs and therapy to treat this disease which continues to grow in spite of the tremendous amount of money being thrown at it. It is estimated that the 7 billion dollars spent world wide on anti-depressant drugs will increase 50% over the next five years. For some pharmaceutical companies the sales of anti-depressants exceed the combined sales of entire categories of other drugs.
The direct costs of depression to society in the form of drugs and therapy are only part of the picture. While the pharmaceutical industry has benefited from the plague of depression, the world economy as a whole suffers a tremendous blow. An estimated 24 billion dollars per year is lost in productivity creating a tremendous economic burden on businesses, as employers struggle to deal with a depressed workforce that functions at less than optimum levels or is absent from the job completely. The burden of this economic loss to business is then passed on to the consumer in the form of a higher cost of goods. Yet again, higher priced consumer goods are just one aspect where depression robs the pocket books of individuals in our society. The drugs used to treat depression are expensive, and people suffering from depression also have a greater degree of other illnesses as well. The burden to insurance companies caused by depression is also passed on to the consumer in the form of increasing insurance rates and decreasing benefits.
The far-reaching effects of depression on the world economy, the American society, and the individual consumer are blatant, but what does this mean for the Kingdom of God?
It would be naïve to think that Christians are untouched by the destruction levied on society by depression. The church of Jesus Christ is after all made up of everyday citizens who assume roles in our society as parents, spouse, workers, and consumers. However, we are deceived if we don't recognize the direct impact this attack has on the Kingdom of God and its advancement in a world ruled by the prince of darkness.
Depression: The attack on the economy of the Kingdom
The secular world doesn't recognize that the earth and the fullness thereof are the Lord's. (1Corinthians 10:26) However, this doesn't change the biblical truth of the matter. We are merely stewards of the abundance the world has to offer. The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, says the LORD Almighty. (Haggai 2:8) Yes, everything in the earth belongs to the One true God. Many claim to be self -made men, but the fact is God gives us the power to get wealth. (Deuteronomy 8:18 God doesn't give us the power to get wealth so that we can be self serving or keep up with the Jones'. God gives us the power to get wealth so that we may bless others and spread the Gospel. The Bible clearly gives us the directive to use our wealth to serve God. "Use your worldly resources to benefit others and make friends. In this way, your generosity stores up a reward for you in heaven." (Luke 16:9)
Our enemy, the devil, is the devourer. He seeks to destroy the wealth in the hands of God's people. He accomplishes this in many different ways. He tempts us to desire the pleasures of the world. He encourages us to buy now and pay later. How many Christians live in debt? Yet, the Bible tells us we were never to be the borrowers. God wanted us to be the lender. The devourer tempts us with gambling, pornography, and other lusts of the flesh. The devil keeps many of us living paycheck to paycheck. Even though we serve a God of abundance. He keeps us in bondage to sickness. Even though we were healed by Christ's stripes. The bondage created by depression takes money out of God's Kingdom. This is particularly significant in America where Christians pay for most of the efforts of the world's evangelists. It is also interesting to note that only prosperity that appears to come from depression comes to the pharmaceutical companies that produce drugs used to treat depression in the natural realm. Pharmacology comes from the Greek word Pharmakeia which defined as the use or administering of drugs. The word pharmakeia is only used three times in the Bible. In his letter to the Galatians, Paul places pharmakeia, which is translated "witchcraft" in this verse, right along side idolatry as one of the many sins of the flesh. "Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulation, wrath, strife, sedition, heresies, envying, murders, drunkenness, reveling, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God." (Galatians 5:19-21) Paul uses this word pharmakeia again in Revelation 9:21 and in Revelation 18:23 where it is translated sorceries. By far the most interesting use is in this latter verse. "And the light of a candle shall shine no more at all in thee; and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee: for thy merchants were the great men of the earth; for by thy sorceries were all nations deceived." (Revelation 18:23 Emphasis added by me.)
This is not to say that the use of drugs for the medical treatment of illness and disease is evil. But, one might question whose hand is behind the development of drugs that are largely unavailable to the world because of cost, and do relatively little to actually cure the disease. Remember, the number of people afflicted by depression in America has been on the rise every year since 1915, and this disease is expected to become a world health concern surpassed only by coronary artery disease by the year 2020. The 17 million American adults diagnosed with depression represent a little more than 5% of the 330 million world-wide who suffer from this disease, yet Americans spend 3.5 billion, or 50%, of 7billion dollars spent annually on anti-depressants by the world population.
Depression: The attack on the authority of the Kingdom
God is the supreme authority over the universe, but He doesn't exercise his authority directly. In the Garden of Eden, God's authority was exercised directly upon man. As time went on and society grew, he established various regions of authority in the earth according to his divine purpose. We will attempt to briefly summarize these divisions of divine authority for the purpose of discussion into four broad categories.
v Civic authority:
God gives authority to all government. We note that even the corrupt governments of the OT, it was God who allowed them to operate for a time. The Bible tells us we are to obey the laws of our government.
v Religious authority
Christ is the head of the church, and he has delegated religious authority to deacons pastors, bishops etc.
v Kingdom authority
This is the authority within the body of Christ. When we take Christ's name, we agree to submit to the established authority of God. For the sake of this discussion I will call this authority "Kingdom Authority". Let's look at how it works.
v Authority in the home or family
The relationship of God's authority over His Kingdom is replicated in God's design for authority in the family.
God calls us to honor Him by submitting to His authority as delegated to each region of influence. Understanding and submitting to God's delegated authority is vital to our understanding our relationship with God. Our willful submission to authority as established by God is accomplished out of our love for Him. When we recognize His authority and our own position in this hierarchy, in relationship to him and the world, and we carry out the details of our daily lives within the boundaries of this authority, all is well. Things run smoothly. God takes care of the things of God leaving us to take care of the things of man. However, when we fail to recognize our position and authority under God, we exalt ourselves to the position of God. We begin to look to ourselves for the things we should seek from God, and we open the door for Satan to work evil through us. One way that Satan does this by attacking the authority of the family. The secular world loves to parade divorce statistics among Christians before the media, as a sign that Christianity doesn't work, but I would assert that the only thing this proves is that Satan works very hard to attack the family in the Kingdom of God.
Depression attacks Kingdom authority in two ways. Men are directly attacked by depression, and they are attacked indirectly when women are attacked. Women are twice as likely to suffer depression than men are. Women are a great value to the Kingdom of God. Woman was created because God felt it was not good that man should be alone. God gave woman responsibilities that are vital to success in the Kingdom.
Now, today's society would like us to believe that God's divine purpose for woman as wife, mother, teacher, and supporter is somehow a less than worthy cause. The feminist movement has deceived many women leading them to believe that they are less than whole in serving as God purposed them from the creation, and propagating the idea that women are only truly fulfilled when they pursue careers outside the home. This is a plain and simple lie. Believing this lie requires us to place more value in earthly kingdoms and worldly worth than in the Kingdom of God. The fruit of woman's adoption of this lie as truth can be seen in the decline of our society to its present day state of immorality and mayhem.
When we recognize the Kingdom of God on earth and in heaven as our place of citizenship, we must accept that our live are not our own, but His. His purpose for our lives is to build His Kingdom. This is our purpose in our jobs, in our relationships, and in all the day to day details of our lives. It is the very reason for our existence and woman's value in HIS purpose is immeasurable. Indeed, she IS more precious than rubies. Her position as companion, confidant, and right hand assistant to her husband is critical. He can not do his job without her. Her responsibilities as intercessory prayer warrior for her family and her world are invaluable by any earthly measure. Her duties as the mother and teacher of her children ensure a society of God fearing and serving adults for the future. Her call to serve the poor and feed the hungry bears witness to the very love of God before an unbelieving world. Depression cripples us. Daily tasks become next to impossible. Our mind's focus becomes internal and the needs of our communities and our families take second place to the pain and torment of daily life.
The family is the very womb from which new members of the body of Christ are birthed. When depression attacks women, it attacks the support system of the family, and thus the authority of the Kingdom on earth.
What does all of this mean to you as an individual suffering from depression?
It means there is freedom in understanding the attack and the fact that you as a born again child of God can have freedom from this through Christ. Allowing God to fight the Battle for you God's way.
I have written some tracts on this at my web site, but they are pretty brief. You can find them at web page under resources and then under news and articles under Christian living
If you want to know more on how to get free of this God's way then perhaps we can work on this via email together, but you must be willing to stop caliming it as your depression, stop seeing the chemical ibalance as the cause rather than the result, dedicate a lot of time to prayer, worship and emersion in the word, be willing to examine the paradigms that you have adopted that are New Age, and Humanistic... and this can be painful!
There is help and hope and He is called Christ. Let me know if I can be of any help.
Posts: 4684 | From: Southern Black Hills of South Dakota | Registered: Jun 2002
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Kindgo
Advanced Member
Member # 2
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posted
Hey Christine,
I put this together for you I do hope it helps!
Heaviness in the heart of man maketh it stoop: but a good word maketh it glad. For what hath man of all his labour, and of the vexation of his heart, wherein he hath laboured under the sun?
For all his days [are] sorrows, and his travail grief; yea, his heart taketh not rest in the night. This is also vanity. And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things:
But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.
And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God. Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.
And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Thou wilt keep [him] in perfect peace, [whose] mind [is] stayed [on thee]: because he trusteth in thee. Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?
(For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.
But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
Pro 12:25 Ecc 2:22-23 Luk 10:41-42
Mar 11:22 Jhn 14:1 Phl 4:6-7
Isa 26:3 Mat 6:27 Mat 6:31;32;33
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God bless,
Kindgo
Inside the will of God there is no failure. Outside the will of God there is no success.
Posts: 4320 | From: Sunny Florida | Registered: Jun 2002
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4Hislove
Advanced Member
Member # 265
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posted
![[Prayer]](graemlins/prayer.gif) Hello everyone, I am deeply depressed this evening. My dear husband and I got in to little fights all day. We made up, but I am still down. Now that I am down, all this aspects are coming to haunt me. All the "what ifs" and stuff like that. The past couple of days, my anxiety has been so strong it has taken my breath away and made it very hard to breathe. Know that I have a history of 3 past attempts on my life, and I cut myself if I get so far down. I am scared that I will get there again, that satan will once again bring me down. ![[tears]](graemlins/cry2.gif) It scares me more because when I cut myself, I don't feel a thing...Not even the prick of the knife when it first starts out. I am scared that if I get that far, that one day I will simply do more than just cut myself...I am afraid I will slash my wrists wide open. I think 3 attempts are enough...More than enough...But This chemical imbalance and SATAN is pure murder to me and my happiness. It has killed my soul. And everytime I try and get it back, I lose it again. I am stuck in this endless cycle of nothingness. I ask for your prayers...because sadly I need all I can get. The past several hours, I have been thinking about cutting or attempting suicide...Please, Please, Pray...Pray for my soul...Because right now, at this moment, all I want to do is die!! I promise I won't...I am trying very hard to resist, I just can't do it alone. I feel alone, and I don't want to be!
Thanks ![[Cross]](graemlins/cross.gif)
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Your Sister In Christ,
Christine
Posts: 50 | From: Bloomfield, Ky. | Registered: Aug 2002
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