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Overcoming Depression: Lesson #9

Adopting God's Hope

Discipleship Level 2: Reaching Beyond Mediocrity

Rev. Paul J. Bucknell

Depression in the News | Obtaining Hope | Emotions, Feelings and Depression
Gaining Discernment | Root Cause| The Path (5Ds)
Hope Through Obedience | A Strong Shield | Rebuild Foundation
Deeper Trust | Two Truths | Deliverance Cycle

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Exercises#1-5 | Handout | Video Podcast | D2 Index | RSS

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The Downward Cycle of Depression Linked to the Root Problem

The Downward Cycle of Depression Linked to the Root Problem is part 5 of 12 that shows the root cause of depression normally stems from some form of disobedience. 'Adopting God's Hope, Overcoming Depression' is the ninth lesson in a series on "Reaching Beyond Mediocrity."

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The basic root problem of depression is disobedience. Whenever a person disobeys, there is a sense of guilt that pops up. How does that person deal with that guilt? If he or she confessed the sin, then forgiveness through Christ's blood would readily be found. A birth of hope would enter our soul and lead us closer to the Lord.

downward depression cycleIf we, however, respond by covering it up and denying that it is a problem, then this spiritual problem begins to cause other problems, both physical and emotional. Most people, however, do not see depression as a spiritual problem. They are distracted with the symptoms. Let's look at an example.

The housewife has been putting off doing laundry. She does not feel good about getting behind. She might even tell her husband that he should do it. She knows it should be done but avoids it by being busy with other activities, from good stuff like volunteering to bad habits like gambling, caught in a gossip chat or watching television dramas.

Her husband might make a little comment about not having some socks, but a great conflict occurs between them. She might lash out, "You don't care for me. Why don't you do anything around the home!" (Click Ephesians 4:31 for article on handling bitterness in marriage).

She makes it appear that the real problem is him and his neglect, but she has neglected things. She has been unfaithful to her responsibilities and is avoiding blame (see downward cycle chart).

One might think that her problems have nothing to do with depression, and at this stage, one would be right to state that. But the foundations for depression are being laid. Remember, depression just does not come upon a person. The dark mist starts off only as a vapor at first, but soon like thickening clouds, vapors become more and more dense.

bitternessWhat starts as a small problem grows as one covers up one's faults, blames others and runs into more failures. In this sense the downward cycle is really a number of small repeating cycles (subroutines in computer language).

Depression often forms from this sense of failure. "You can't do it." "You are no good." This is especially true when a person has been dreaming about being that perfect wife with a great home. All of a sudden, there is clash between the spouses (in the story above) and the looming despair of her failures. Failures in one area such as laundry can easily spill over to other areas of sloppiness, rudeness, being overweight, etc..

Before we can make much progress, one has to see how one area is connected to the other. A cycle is dependent on another previous action to progress.

Read on to see what this path looks like.