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This is day 9 of 31 Days of Finding Joy in Depression. Yesterday, I shared about PCOD and depression. Today, I'm talking about the church and depression.
My experience in the church has been one of guilt and shame over depression. This isn't universal, but here are some of the unspoken things I've seen and heard:
You brought it on yourself.
You aren't trying hard enough.
You shouldn't take medication for it.
You don't trust God.
You don't pray enough.
The reality? Depression is an illness. A complicated illness. Sometimes God chooses to heal it instantly. More often, he doesn't. He walks with us through it instead.
As Christ-followers, we need to be understanding of those with depression. Be a friend and a support to those who are hurting. If you experience depression, be open about it. Share your experiences in the church. Create an atmosphere where others who are hurting in hiding can open up and find freedom.
What has your experience been with the church and depression?
If you deal with depression, please comment and share your journey too. If you're a blogger, you can use the button and code below to share your story and link back on your blog. Feel free to leave links to your posts in the comments area.
I'm linking up with The Nester and others who are writing 31 posts this month on various topics. I'm not a doctor or a counselor and this is not intended to be medical advice. This is simply the story of my experience with depression.
