Combatting Depression

The depression stage of grief can be totally consuming making life hard to navigate and functioning in daily life extremely difficult. This stage can go hand in hand with post traumatic stress, and high levels of anxiety/fear. The mental and physical symptoms make you may feel like you are drowning. And depression whispers in the ear; “You will always be this way.” Take heart my friend, the road may be long, but I can testify there is joy and light to be found on the other side. If depression hinders your daily life, please see a mental health professional. The following is my top ten list that can help you to recover:

1.      Renewing your mind: Get to get rid of “stinkin’ thinkin” by working on renewing your mind with positive thoughts and God’s word. Really knowing your identity as a child of God and being able to recall his promises for his children.

 While Reading Joyce Meyer’s Living Beyond Your Feelings. I came across some fascinating information. Dr. Caroline Leaf , has been Christian researcher in the areas of  intelligence and learning for more than 25 years. Through brain imaging, she has discovered thoughts in our brains actually look like trees, when we have negative thoughts they affect our entire body by forming toxins that look like thorns on the end of the branches in nerve cells. The toxins first go to our heart and then to our immune system. However, with 4 days of positive thoughts the thorns start decreasing and with 21 days of new positive thoughts new memory can be formed without thorns.

2.     Diet: avoiding caffeine, fried foods, drink plenty of water. Caffeine and fried food can increase you feeling of anxiety.

3.     Exercise: endorphins naturally combat depression. I actually envision endorphins are like little pac-men that eat up all the adrenaline and cortisol built up in the body.

 

4. Counseling: therapy individual and/or family can be very helpful in processing grief. Family therapy particularly helps families see how loss has impacted each family member and except that each individual grieves differently. 

 

5.     Medication: Depression and anxiety is a true neurological/chemical difference. We don’t look down on diabetics that need insulin yet, society has a prejudice against those that might not have the right levels of dopamine, serotonin, or hormones in their body.

6.     Relaxation: Guided Imagery: these are CDs to promote relaxation by focusing your mind on visual images and bring down fight or flight or hyperarousal of the body.

7.     Massage: this may seem frivolous and can be expensive, but the beneficial effects of massage on the body are numerous. Some studies site massage is the best medicine for the body.

8.     Journalizing: The human psyche has no digestive tract. Feelings have to be purged. Journalizing is writing how you felt about events NOT just recording events that took place.

9. Counting Gifts: Keeping a gratitude journal can help turn your thoughts from all you have lost to being grateful for what you do have. Ann Voskamp's One Thousand Gifts is a great resource to helping you start this journey and see God in all the simple dailies of life.

10. Reach Out: Helping others is a great way to take the focus off of your circumstances. Whether you serve in a soup kitchen, take a meal to a family, or have coffee with another widow, helping others can pull you out of the pit!

Resources:

Understanding Depression and Finding Hope by Gary Kinnaman and Dr. Richard Jacobs

Living Beyond Your Feelings & Battlefield of the Mind by Joyce Meyer

One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp
www.aholyexperience.com (Ann's blog)