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Rid Yourselfof the Dark Shroudof
MENTAL
DEPRESSION
by
Donald D. Schroeder
Perhaps you -are needlessfy experiencing the feeling of hopelessness and despair. Jsn't
it
time you
understood the reasons for this a/1-too-cornmon human a.ffliction?
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I
T
ts a tragic but real fact of
life.
Mental depression has run
like a heavy dark thread
throughout the fabric of human
history. Men and women , the
g re at and small, h ave been
affii cted with it. Brave, brilliant
and insightful individuals have
suffered periods of "the gray
menace"-dark emotions that
shrouded their lives in feelings
of utter despair, hopelessness
and helplessness.
Winston Churchill, one of the
greatest statesmen of the World
War
JI
era, was beset by what he
called his "black dog" of depres–
sion. Abraham Lincoln suffered
frequent depressive moods in his
life.
Biblica l heroes-men of great
courage- at times showed their
human frailty . and weakness by
suffering from this problem. King
David of Israel, Elijah, Jeremiah
and others, all powerful prophets
or leaders, experienced deep
depressions, sorne to the point of
wanting to die.
compassionate, more mature per–
sons.
Wearing Many Faces
Mental depression wears many
faces. It knows no class barriers.
It
affi icts rich and poor alike, and
even people who don't realize they
are suffering from it. Mental
depression is a major affliction in
young children, leading to increas–
ingly more youtbful suicides.
And, though mental depression
affiicts young and old, it rises
abruptly in incidence with adoles–
cent years.
Depression is a broad range of
negative states of mind. At one end
of the scale, depression shows up as
the common, short-term down or
blue feeling after hearing bad news.
Or perhaps learning of the loss of
something or someone. Sometimes
it results from a blow to the ego.
This blue feeling may last for only a
few hours or days at most.
Every one of us has bis blue days.
It's our common response to losses
or setbacks, orto something we feel
we faHed to achieve in life. " Hope
deferred makes the heart sick," says
scripture (Proverbs 13:12).
The vast majority of depressed
persons (90 percent, estímate
sorne authorities) eventually snap
out of it, although it may take
days, weeks or even months to
fully recover. These persons
resolve their losses, setbacks or
failures and go on.
For a round 1
O
percent of
affiicted persons, however , de–
pression becomes chronic or fre–
quent, way out of proportion toa
loss. For these persons, depres–
sion is unresolved and leads to
week after week of feelings of
helplessness and guilt-tbat life
isn't worth living. Tbis condition
is serious and needs skilled help.
Yet , most depressed persons
are too ashamed to admit to any–
one that they can't cope with a
certain problem or set of prob–
lems in life. Their depression,
though painful, is covered up.
That's fal se pride at work. No
person is always strong or capable
unde r every adverse condition,
circumstance or setback in life.
Everyone needs help with sorne
problems in life.
...
c.
1
These men, however, found a
way of escape from depression.
They, and others since, were able
to tap the right power and
resources to conquer fear, worry,
and deal with seemingly hopeless
situations. Out of weakness they
were made strong (Hebrews
11 :34). Out of their suffering
they became more stable, more
At the other extreme are chronic
or lifelong crippling emotions of
futility, hopelessness, emptiness,
lack ofjoy and energy. These can be
coupled with total loss of self–
esteem, unremitting guilt, shame
and eventual suicide. There is much
ground in between these two
extremes. Mental depression may
be mild, moderate or severe. Or it
may be masked- a person doesn't
even realize be is suffering from it,
though he manifests symptoms to
others.
Wha t Depression
ls
j
Tbe majority of depressed feelings
1
begin in response to a specific loss,
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The PLAIN TRUTH