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Defeating Depression

“I have had enough Lord . . . Take my life” (1 Kings 19:6)

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Even if you’re fortunate enough not to suffer from depression, chances are that you know someone who does, since experts estimate that as many as 40 million do. 1 In fact, depression is the number two condition behind pain that sends patients to see their primary care physician. The cause of this physiological/psychological malady remains a source of debate. Many professionals in the field blame external societal issues such as breakdown in the family, increased materialism, media overload and a prodigious preoccupation with “self.” Others classify depression as a disease. Or more specifically, a chemical imbalance. And though research reveals that those born silence 1945 are ten times more likely to suffer from depression than those born before, 2 this “darkness of the soul” has plagued mankind for millennia, operating under other names and often going undiagnosed. I am well aware that this is typically a physiological condition that requires medical attention. Not being a physician, I can’t speak from that standpoint. As a pastor and believer with a background in theology, however, I can approach depression from a biblical/spiritual perspective.

2 Medical Causes of Depression, www.clinical-depression.co.uk. 1 Joan-Marie Moss, NetEzShop Health Articles.

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