Dealing with Depression

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I originally wrote this article in nov 09.I have reposted it in order to encourage those trying to cope with Depression. I am no longer suffering depression.  I was taking anti depressant medication for 2 years.
I am sure it helped in the early stages but I had to make a decision to say no more at the end as it was difficult to tell if it was helping or hindering after a while.
As one who was totally anti drugs for depression in the first place I believe there is a place for them in treatment of severe depression.
As one who has now had 3 bouts of  depression in my life , at age 20 age 33  and again in my 60's I can honestly say you never know when something might trigger this off but I am very confident that as a Christian trusting Jesus, in spite of our feelings, is the answer to our Depression.
I don't say that lightly and I am well aware that many Christians go through life never getting on top of their depression.
We do often need someone to show us how to do that.   

      DEPRESSION

Some thoughts by Geoff Thompson

I have recently , since June 2009,through family circumstances, fallen into a state that 2 psychiatrists said was a deep state of major depression. I saw the first one at near the height of my anguish and the second about a month later when I was considerably improved. During the early stages of the depression I could not read  a newspaper, could not watch television even my much liked football and cricket telecasts.

I did not watch all the way through one complete football match for the whole season of 2009.

I didn’t watch the AFL Grand Final.

I could not go into shops without feeling oppressed. In fact I knew I was in trouble when I was trying to buy a vacuum cleaner for my wife’s aunty and could not work out where I had to pay for the item in the shop.

As a keen photographer I found it difficult to even think about taking a photograph.

I could no longer listen to music of any form on radio or cd or vynil record player.

I could not sleep at night.

I missed several weeks of work.

I lost 2 stone in weight which was a good thing.

I walked away from people during conversations without warning.

I had all sorts of random feelings in my limbs and body and often a thick cloud in my head.

One night I had a strange experience of a severe trembling starting of in my head an proceeding down my limbs and legs. I got out of bed and walked around and it did not stop for about 5 minutes,

On a holiday to central Australia in july 09 I felt like I wanted to walk off into the vast desert and perish.

I could go on with some of the other symptoms and feelings including bursting into tears in front of various people as I tried to talk about what had happened and explain why I was so distressed.

I had read some time ago of the Late Harry Lauder who was a world famous entertainer whose only son was killed in the war.He had then decided he had 3 options to Commit suicide, to drink himself to death or to serve God and live by Faith in Jesus Christ, He chose the latter, This is how he described the impact of hearing of the death of his son in an article I found on the internet.

                  Harry was performing in London at the Shaftesbury theatre. He spent part of New Years Eve 1916 at Tom Vallance’s place. Harry was tired and retired early to his hotel room in London.

January 1 1917 dawned and a loud banging wakened Lauder. He sleepily arose and saw a porter standing at the door with a telegram in his hand.

Capt John Lauder killed in action, December 28.

Official. War Office.

Harry was devastated.

‘I felt that for me everything had come to an end with the reading

of that dire message. It seemed to me that for me the board of life was black and blank. For me there was no past and there could be no future. Everything had been swept away, erased, by one sweep of the hand of a cruel fate.’

          That is exactly how I had felt.

           At the time of writing this article I don’t know whether 
           the crisis that I reacted to will be resolved with everyone reconciled and               happy or the opposite.               

                I do know that  MY LORD JESUS CHRIST AND HIS GRACE
                 AND LOVE WILL BE SUFFICIENT TO ENABLE ME 
              CONTINUE IN LIFE AS IT PROVED TO BE TO HARRY LAUDER.

I                 I have been re-visting everything I have learnt in my
 jou              journey of faith and  the postings on this blog are some of those 
 thi               things 

It is             It is my prayer that some may find comfort in these words.

Ge              Geoff Thompson  

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