Depression: A Silent Killer 1

1 Kings 19:1-18; Psalm 42:3-11; Prov. 18:14

Why art thou cast down, O my soul? And why art thou disquieted in me? Hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance. Psalms 42:5.

Life’s challenges and circumstances produce various modes in all asundry. Depression does not easily advertise its presence, but it stings as a silent battle hidden behind “it is well,” plastic smiles, religious activities, and even success. The enemy we see is easier to tackle than the battle we cannot see, more so when it is hidden under spiritual coloration. In this study, we shall look at:

• The Meaning of Depression
• The Message of Depression
• The Modus Operandi of Depression
• The Method of Liberation from Depression

1. The Meaning of Depression

1 Kings 19:4-5; Ps 42:3-5; Prov. 18:14

Depression is a mental health condition that can cause sadness, loss of interest, fatigue, difficulty in concentration, sleep distortion, feelings of worthlessness, and in extreme cases, an upsurge in suicidal tendencies and strange pleasure to embrace death. For example, it is common to hear a depressed person say, “If die come now, I go likam or e go better for me.” Note that sadness is not depression, for it soon passes with time. Key factors to note about depression include, but are not limited to:

1. Emotional Instability: Challenging thought patterns in decision-making, inexplicable withdrawal from people, feels nothing good about life. This is nothing but a downtrodden spirit. Prov 18:14 gives us a vivid analysis. When the human spirit is alive and strong, it can sustain an individual’s bodily weakness, but a crushed spirit is extremely difficult to bear. A crushed spirit here refers to depression.

Caution: When you now have persistent sadness, a feeling of emptiness, despair, loss of interest in things you once enjoyed, or strange allusion to death, SPEAK OUT TO SOMEONE WHO CARES!

2. Social Withdrawal

1 Kings 19:3-4

Sudden tendency to withdraw from the public glare, switch off phone to avoid communication with anybody, considers every call as a disturbance of your “peace” that does not exist, not attending church activities, incommunicado with family members, responds to greeting in an irrational way, e.g., good morning Sis, (response) what is good about the morning? etc. are not healthy steps to finding a solution. Isolation can increase emotional distress.

Panacea: Speak out. A caring relationship can help such a person reconnect with the realities of living. Don’t give up on such a person. If your attempt fails, connect with the person you know he respects. Job 10:12

3. Spiritual Distress

Job 3:1-26; Ps 13:1-2; 22:1-2

Depression can cause a person to feel distant from God. Signs include: inner struggle to pray, loss of interest in worship, questions about God’s reality, etc. Ps 42:5