depression

DEPRESSION: Many of us feel depressed around Christmas. Did you know scientists and biblical counselors recognize at least three myths about depression?

In part 2 of this three-part series, learn the truth about a depression diagnosis. Part 3 covers medication. Part 1 looked at causes of depression. This post first appeared here on CareLeader.org, June 29, 2016, and is used with permisison.

Would you like caring biblical counseling for depression? I offer counseling by Skype and in person. Contact me. Let’s set up a short complimentary consultation. Don’t go it alone.

Myth #2: A Diagnosis Explains a Person’s Symptoms

According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (used by medical professionals — Ed.), Major Depressive Disorder is characterized by nine symptoms:

a depressed mood, diminished interest or pleasure in anything at all, significant weight loss or weight gain, insomnia, psychomotor agitation, fatigue, inappropriate feelings of guilt, inability to concentrate, and recurrent thoughts of death.

For a person to be diagnosed with Major Depressive Disorder, he (or she) must experience at least five of these symptoms, at the same time, for a minimum of two weeks.

It lists numerous symptoms—but gives no explanations for why those symptoms occur. Unfortunately, many people view their diagnosis as an explanation for their behavior. Perhaps you’ve heard people say things like:

“I don’t have any energy because I’m depressed.”
“I don’t want to go out because I’m depressed.”
“I don’t feel like studying the Bible because I’m depressed.”

Dr. Michael Emlet, M.D., explains why people tend to think of the diagnosis as an explanation for their behavior.

Giving a summary label to a set of symptoms gives the appearance of explanation, particularly in our medicalized culture. It suggests that each diagnosis is a discrete and largely brain-determined entity, and there is simply little evidence for that except in the major psychiatric categories of schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and severe depression.

A Better Way to Think About a Diagnosis

In the article DSM-5: The New Normal? Dr. Emlet suggests a more helpful way to think about a diagnosis like major depression:

It’s important to remember that psychiatric diagnoses are descriptions of a struggling person’s thoughts, emotions, and behaviors; they are not explanations for them. They tell you what but not why. The [Diagnostic and Statistical Manual] admits that.

And even if the scientists were able to link symptoms of depression to particular biological markers, they still couldn’t say with certainty whether those biological abnormalities were caused by spiritual-relational-behavioral-cognitive dynamics or vice versa.

Help from the Bible

To be fair, pastors can’t say exactly why a person gets depressed either. But they can point to some of the reasons God says people can be depressed. Those reasons may not apply to everyone, but they should be considered.

Here are a few examples:

  • The Bible says that hope deferred makes the heart sick (Prov. 13:12). Experiencing the postponement or the loss of a dream or personal goal can result in sadness, discouragement, and lack of motivation. A person may tire of waiting for a desired result, or he may wonder why he should continue to try when his efforts seem fruitless. The sadness and discouragement are more potent when an individual’s dream was his primary driving force in life. Without that, he may feel empty and purposeless.
  • In Psalm 43:5, the psalmist asks himself, “Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me?” He proceeds to counsel himself to put his hope in God. Exploring what a person is hoping in, counting on to provide success, meaning, or happiness, can reveal areas in which he is not trusting God.
  • Guilt is a common emotion associated with depression. The psalmist says that sin made him feel as if his bones were wasting away (Ps. 32:3). Dr. Linda Mintle has observed, “Unforgiveness is a cause of depression. Harboring anger, harboring resentment, allowing it to take root in one’s spirit and soul in a bitter way creates depression.”
  • There are also biblical references to certain behaviors, thoughts, and values that can result in joy and zeal (Ps. 94:19; Ps. 122:1; Phil. 4:1, etc.). It is possible that the absence of such actions and thoughts would limit one’s experience of those emotions. Keep in mind, however, that it is possible for a person to obediently pursue God and still battle depression.

Now What?

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