One in six New Zealanders are likely to experience an episode of depression during their life, and it’s great to see that John Kirwan is making such inroads to combat the stigma and lack of understanding associated with this condition.
I had a brush with postnatal depression after the birth of our second child, feeling overwhelmed with sadness. My GP helped me with some medication, I had a couple of sessions with a counsellor, and eventually my joy in life returned.
Over a decade ago, my husband started having his own battle with depression. Compounding this were periods of chronic insomnia. In fact, for a while it was a real ‘chicken and egg’ thing trying to separate these two challenging conditions, each of which seemed to compound the other.
Then, almost five years later, he had a major depressive episode. Again, an understanding GP, medication and, this time, some cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) was the pathway to wellness. For those unfamiliar with CBT, it helps people make changes in the way they think, which affects what they do and also what they feel. It reminds me of the New Testament’s advice to ‘be transformed by the renewing of your mind’ (Romans 12:2).
During this time, I saw in my husband what I describe as a ‘terror of the soul’, but I also saw in him a determination not to give up. He worked at finding a way through depression so that today, it is not gone from our lives, but it is understood and manageable.
Some people still believe the myth that Christians don’t get depressed, which can lead those with depression to experience a sense of undeserved guilt. And sometimes we can also wrongly believe that our mental suffering indicates that our relationship with God is insufficient, or that we are not sufficiently ‘godly’. These, too, are unhelpful beliefs.
The reality is that God never abandons us to depression. Also, God routinely uses broken people. Most of all, God doesn’t want us to sit passively in despairing misery—he wants us to find ways to grow in hope. If depression is your companion at this time, reach out for all the help you need. Reach out for hope.
Christina Tyson
Editor
Psalm 34:18 Contemporary English Version
‘The Lord is there to rescue all who are discouraged and have given up hope.’
Nga Waiata 34:18
‘E tata ana a Ihowa ki te hunga ngakau maru: ka whakaorangia ano e ia te hunga wairua iro.’