Depression is an increasingly common form of mental illness and may strike a person at any age from childhood right through to those who have long since entered their retirement years. There are a wide rage of individual conditions which come under the umbrella of depressive illness including the following: bipolar disorder, major depression, postnatal depression, premenstrual depression, seasonal affective disorder and reactive depression.
Each of the above mental health conditions involve a variety of symptoms which may vary in terms of intensity ranging from fairly mild such as fatigue to extremely serious, even life-threatening for example when a person feels suicidal and begins making plans to take their own life. Such symptoms common to both Christians and non-Christians alike identified by Lockley (2005) include:
- Low levels of self-esteem
- Increased levels of anxiety
- Guilt
Low Self-Esteem in Depression
In depression, a person's amount of self-esteem is often greatly affected as one may feel weak, unable to perform tasks that would have easily been completed in the past, lacking in confidence and due to other common symptoms such as insomnia and fatigue they may feel simply unable to cope with life. In particular if a person is unable to continue working due to the severity of their depression then this may very likely have a huge impact on their self-esteem.
Low self-esteem may be experienced by Christians as feeling unworthy or simply that God cannot possible use them when they feel so badly about themselves.
Increased Anxiety in Depression
Anxiety and depression often go hand in hand and one may exasperate or perpetuate the other. Anxiety is rooted in fear and may make one feel as if even the simplest tasks or social situations are too much to deal with. A direct result of anxiety is avoidance which in turn increases anxiety and depression as it deprives the individual of a helpful support system which is key to achieving and maintaining recovery.
A Christian may relate anxiety to feelings of fear towards God and also may feel that their prayers have gone unanswered.
Guilt in Depression
Guilt is a very common factor in those suffering from depression as one may feel guilty for even having depression, guilty that they are unable to do the tasks they previously did, guilty for not being able to help as much at home or guilty if they are on sick leave from work or indeed just feel a sense of 'free-floating' guilt where they are unable to identify from where such feelings have arisen.
A Christian may feel guilty for taking medication if they believe that this is incompatible with their belief system. A religious individual may also feel guilty if they stop attending services or home group meeting as a result of feeling too tired or unwell. Fear that one is being punished for some past sin is also a common issue.
As highlighted above the symptoms are the same regardless of a person's faith. It is important, however, that the Christian suffering from depression is aware of how such symptoms impact upon one's spiritual life.
Source:
Lockley, J. A Practical Workbook For The Depressed Christian (2005) Milton Keynes: Authentic.
Kate Le Page - Kate Henning-Le Page writes about eating disorders, body image and recovery issues. She specializes in anorexia recovery.
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