What is Depression? Part 2

Depression is like an oil leak in an engine. One of the things that happens when you are depressed is you become disconnected from that part of you that is a positive, hopeful person. Your optimism is slowly replaced with hopelessness and isolation. What may have been experiencing some ups and downs in life but these ups and downs turn into ruts, with no end in sight. Much like a car with an oil leak, over time you may feel like you are breaking down.

Let's look at the car analogy for moment. Oil helps your car run well because it reduces the friction between the moving parts of your engine. Car manufactures recommend that you change your oil and oil filter every 3,000 miles. Why? Because as you drive your car around you get wear and tear on your engine, your oil gets dirty and the filter doesn't work as effectively. Other than regular oil and filter changes you really don't have to do too much to maintain your oil in your car.

Problems arise when there is a leak in they system. It may start as a small leak that constantly requires new oil, or in a really bad situation, you may have a cracked oil pan.

That is how depression can be for some people. The depression-resistant person maintains their oil levels well, and when the engine needs a tune up or repair, they do it. The depression-prone person usually has a leaky oil system or a cracked oil pan that requires continual love, success, or reassurance to operate effectively, unless something is done to repair the system.

Depression impacts us in six primary areas;

1. Feelings - how we manage our emotional lives
2. Behavior - how we direct our actions, how we arrange our time, our habits, and our energy
3. Thoughts - how we watch over our thoughts, our assumptions about our self, the world, and how things work
4. Faith - how we view our relationship to God
5. Relationships - how we act with others as well as what we want and expect from them
6. Self Image - how we think about and perceive ourselves

Depression is a hope stealer.

Now for some good news! You can learn to overcome depression!

Here are some things you can do to begin the process of moving out of depression into hope.

• If you have been depressed or have had feelings of hopelessness or suicide get checked out by your physician, particularly if you have felt this way for more than a couple of weeks.
  
• If you need therapy, get some.
• Begin taking a good multivitamin and some Omega 3, (this will not cure depression, but will help your brain and body push back on depression.
  
• Check out some helpful websites: Dr. Daniel Amen, My Depression Tip Sheet, Focus on the Family
• Check out my Bible Study on Depression
• Avoid isolation, be sure to be around people who know and love you.
• Begin moving, working out, walking around your block. Physical exercise can give you additional energy to defeat depression.
• Look at coming to my Overcoming Depression Conference in Colorado Springs in late January