Steady She Goes - Personal Therapy 101

Personal Therapy 101
I believe everyone has either experienced depression first hand, or knows someone close to them who suffers with it.  Depression is one of the most difficult and deadly foes.  It attacks from within, and can be caused by many different sources.  I have observed it as a result of grief, or natural causes through an imbalance of hormones and other physical imperfections, or self inflicted through destructive decisions and magnified through self-medication and chemical abuse.  It's stealth entrance often goes undiagnosed or unrecognized for a long time, until it has often caused serious damage.

The person suffering from this malady becomes self absorbed in their own failure to see and cope with life in a happy and productive way.  Instead, all joy leaves and is replaced by feelings of hopelessness, failure and abandonment.  No amount of outside comfort seems to change these feelings of despair.  And the other victims of this affliction, those who are at the mercy of someone's anger, unreasonable demands, destructive behavior or withdrawal, are tempted to feel responsible for the behavior of their loved one, and face their own decisions to withdraw or retaliate out of self preservation and protection.

"Steady she goes," is a powerful concept, that I have focused on when my challenges surface.  The phrase is a term taken from those who have faced storms at sea.  "Steady she goes," enables a ship to stay upright and on course.  Knowledge about the purpose of opposition is key to accepting it's difficulties and riding through them, with patience and understanding.  Recognizing the real enemy is essential, and allows one to remain calm in the face of destructive winds and waves.  Seeking inspiration and strength from God, is essential in the search for answers and the power to endure.

My own experience has taught me that the answers come from the Lord, in a myriad of ways.  Sometimes he chooses to heal us immediately and completely.  Sometimes answers come through our individual, prayerful search and inspired thoughts and actions; or sometimes answers come through others, through medication, counseling or simple listening, compassion and understanding.  But, when we enlist the power of heaven, there is always, eventual change and hope.  Christ is the source of ALL hope, truth and light.  He has power to heal the sick and comfort the weary.  He has experienced the depths of depression, and the pain of all our afflictions.  In the end, he will remove all pain and heal all wounds, and restore us to a state of health, happiness and joy.  If we endure with patience (continued faith in the power of God to save us), and act in faith upon the answers we receive, we will gain the strength to carry our burdens and eventually experience his healing power.