What are the causes and cures
of SPIRITUAL DEPRESSION?

Many people are not even aware of it, but they suffer from a low grade mental depression. Researchers are convinced that one of the causes of alcoholism is an underlying state of depression. Drugs are often prescribed in an attempt to relieve this depression.

In my pastoral work over the years as well as in my clinical practice, I have seen people try to mask the symptoms of depression by using other substances. Some use prescription drugs and others use alcohol or street drugs. By the way, the number one cause of depression in America is the over use of alcohol.

Many use food to relieve depression. Overeaters often eat to relieve feelings of low self-esteem and the depression that goes with it.

Marriages are adversely affected when one or both of the partners are depressed. Imagine the irritability that exists when a partner in a marriage is depressed. A further complication is that depressed people often employ negative and pessimistic thinking.

What effect does a depressed parent have on the children? One can only imagine what it is like to live in a home where one or both parents suffer from depression. And, sadly, depression seems to run in families as well. So, it is possible that one of the children will suffer from it.

The Two Major Types of Clinical Depression

Clinical depression usually comes in two forms:

1. Reactive depression

2. Endogenous depression.

Reactive depression may range from an emotional sadness that comes from a relatively minor event all the way to intense sadness from grief over the death of a loved one.

Endogenous depression is characterized by ongoing deep depression when there seems to be no reason to be depressed. The source is usually a disease or a chemical imbalance.

Common Symptoms to all Depressions

There are symptoms common to all depressions. They are:

1. Sadness

2. Emptiness

3. The inability to experience pleasure (called anhedonia)

4. Low self-esteem

5. Withdrawal

6. Irritability

7. Excessive emotional sensitivity

8. Thoughts of suicide

9. Low motivation

Diseases that can cause Depression

Many diseases can cause depression. Here are some of the most common ones: asthma, anemia, cancer, malnutrition, premenstrual syndrome, rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes, congestive heart failure, hyperthyroidism, hypothyroidism, infectious hepatitis, ulcerative colitis, multiple sclerosis, chronic infections.

Many psychologists believe that one of the causes or at least an exacerbation of the depression is negative, pessimistic thinking which creates low self-esteem.

When depressions are pronounced a person may experience decreased sex drive, appetite disturbance, impaired concentration and forgetfulness, restlessness, agitation, extreme fatigue and sleep disturbance. There is also an intense anhedonia (inability to experience any pleasure).

In a recorded sermon on depression, I talk about how often low thyroid function is a cause of depression. In fact nearly 8% of the population suffers from low thyroid function called hypothyroidism. Here are some of the signs and symptoms of hypothyroidism: weakness, dry skin, coarse skin, lethargy, slow speech, sensitivity to cold temperature, thick tongue, impaired memory, constipation, gain in weight despite little or no appetite, difficulty in losing weight, loss or thinning of hair, muscle pain, joint pain, slowing of mental activity, choking sensations. Not all of these symptoms have to be experienced to have hypothyroidism.

Spiritual Depression

There is another kind of depression -- spiritual depression. It is a malaise that seems to be upon many people from time to time when they feel "cut off" or "far away" from God. While in this state of mind they have no enthusiasm for studying God's Word. They seem "weary in well doing." They seem ready to collapse under persecution.

They sound like King David the Psalmist when he wrote:

"Why are you cast down, O my soul?  And why are you disquieted within me? . . . " (Psalm 42:5, NKJV)

David repeats this refrain over and over. He says his soul thirsts for God (verse 2) like a deer longs for water (verse 1). He acknowledges that he is in mourning (verse 9) and that:

"Deep calls unto deep at the noise of Your waterfalls.  All Your waves and billows have gone over me." (Psalm 42:7, NKJV)

It is almost as though things are too hard to bear.

What is the solution to this depression? It is self-talk. Psychologists have known for some time now that negative, irrational self-talk in the form of simple declarative sentences often leads to depression. And therefore, appropriate self-talk can lift us out of depression -- unless depression comes from an endogenous source like hypothyroidism.