I'm beginning to notice a trend in the Catholic/Christian community that has me scratching my head at best, and pulling out my hair at worst.
Depression is a disease, not the devil.
When you suffer from poor eyesight and realize things you used to be able to see aren't clear anymore, do you blame the devil for distorting your vision? Do you pray to God to restore your eyesight and banish this "demon"?
NO. YOU GO GET GLASSES.
Why is is that we are so uncomfortable with diseases of the mind? Do not be afraid! Recognizing you have a problem, and taking steps to correct that problem, are a sign of courageousness!
I was diagnosed with depression at age 15 in my sophomore year of high school. I can't begin to explain how dark a tunnel I had to travel through to finally allow people to help me. I had been suffering from attacks of despair, uncontrollable anger and/or crying, and self hatred for a number of years. In fact, I first began displaying signs of childhood depression at age four, and my pediatrician mentioned this to my parents, though I continued to go unmedicated for 11 more years. The ages of 12-15 were what I refer to as the Dark Ages.
There's no doubt in my mind that there is a huge stigma surrounding depression/anxiety, and not just in the Christian community (though I find it far more pronounced there). It certainly doesn't help that psychiatrists have been handing out prozac like candy for the past decade as soon as the first teenager mentions they're feeling sad. But for those of us that truly suffer from a disease that never goes away, medication is hope.
If you feel that you can manage your depression/anxiety without medication, then I commend you. But please, keep the demons out of it.
Amen!
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