“I’m feeling depressed!” 

We’ve probably heard something similar said or even said it ourselves to refer to a situation we are in that seems out of our control. Maybe this was said when a highly anticipated event had to be cancelled, or it was when we felt sick and low, or even when a situation we were in seemed truly hopeless. 

It can be a term that is used loosely and there is no question that people feel sadness and disappointment. However, the true experience of depression has been referred to as a heavy blackness; a hellish experience that compels people to give up on life or feel like life has given up on them. 

Feeling Hopeless

Charles Spurgeon, a highly influential 19th century English Baptist preacher, struggled with depression and likened it to “the horror of a soul forsaken by God”. He said,

“You may be surrounded with all the comforts of life and yet be in wretchedness more gloomy than death if the spirits are depressed. You may have no outward cause whatever for sorrow and yet if the mind is dejected, the brightest sunshine will not relieve your gloom. … There are times when all our evidences get clouded and all our joys are fled. Though we may still cling to the Cross, yet it is with a desperate grasp.”

There can be many reasons for a person to slip into depression, and significantly, there are those who also experience depression seemingly without rhyme or reason. Regardless of how it comes about, depression can hold the soul hostage as few other personal experiences can. The relentlessness of a situation can bring about hopelessness, with no end in sight, no resolution and no escape. Before long, the despair turns into the darkness of depression. 

Am I Depressed? 

Maybe you’re wondering if what you are feeling is normal or if there is actually something deeper going on. Consider the statements below and note down which ones you identify with:

• I feel consistently sad or numb nearly every day
• I have little or no interest in activities that I used to find enjoyable
• I’m having difficulty sleeping
• I’m sleeping too much
• I’ve lost my appetite
• I’m eating too much nearly every day
• I feel tired most of the time
• I find it hard to concentrate or stay focused
• My interest in marital intimacy has lessened
• I feel overwhelmed by the burdens of life
• I don’t hold out much hope that my life will improve in the future
• I shift between feeling powerless and unworthy to feeling angry and victimised
• I think about death or killing myself
• I’m involved in an unhealthy behaviour that I can’t stop

If you identify with five or more of these statements and at least one of the first two statements (feeling sad or a loss of interest), you should probably seek professional help as you may be struggling with major depression. Those who identify with two to four of the statements should, at the very least, consider seeing a physician for a complete medical checkup. Sometimes these are symptoms of a medical condition. 

It is not a failure on your part to acknowledge that you need more help and to seek it out. In fact, it could very well be the bravest and most difficult step to take. To keep going when it all seems hopeless and futile requires tremendous courage and you don’t have to do it alone. 

The Process of Recovery

As depression is a serious struggle and can be a multifaceted issue, the road to recovery can be a long and complicated one, and might well be under construction until we get to heaven. 

Recovery can feel like a gradual resurrection from the dead. The Spirit of God working in us can bring what is dead back to life - and in a way that honours God and the dignity He has instilled in each of us. The process of recovery is built on the foundation of facing the truth, no matter how much it hurts. 

Pain is not the enemy – it’s a sign that life and feelings are returning to our deadened hearts. Only as we begin to face the truth will we be able to recover faith through doubt, and recover joy through giving to others. 

This article was adapted from the Discovery Series ‘When Hope is Lost: Dealing with Depression’ by Jeff Olson.