Tag: depression

He Loves Us Anyway

Have you ever felt unlovable?

I’ve been feeling a little like that this evening.

My heart is discouraged and I’m not quite sure why. I don’t have a specific reason…I just feel “down,” and I wonder why anyone would want to be around me.

As I was driving home from visiting my husband at work, however, a song came on K-Love radio that encouraged me. It’s called “You Love Me Anyway,” by the Sidewalk Prophets. Some of the words really hit home.

I am the thorn in Your crown
But You love me anyway
I am the sweat from Your brow
But You love me anyway
I am the nail in Your wrist
But You love me anyway
I am Judas’ kiss
But You love me anyway

The amazing thing is that the focus is not on what we have done or how horrible it is. The focus is on what Christ has done and how wonderful it is! It is just so amazing that He loves us anyway, even after all of the ways we’ve (knowingly or unknowingly) fallen short of His best for us.

Be encouraged today. No matter what you’ve thought, felt, said, or done, God loves you (and me!) anyway. ❤

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Photo credit: LifeLongDisciple

Through the Darkest Valley

1 The Lord is my shepherd;
     I have all that I need.
2 He lets me rest in green meadows;
    he leads me beside peaceful streams.
3     He renews my strength.
He guides me along right paths,
    bringing honor to his name.
4 Even when I walk
    through the darkest valley,
I will not be afraid,
    for you are close beside me.
Your rod and your staff
    protect and comfort me.
5 You prepare a feast for me
    in the presence of my enemies.
You honor me by anointing my head with oil.
    My cup overflows with blessings.
6 Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me
    all the days of my life,
and I will live in the house of the Lord
    forever.

~ Psalm 23

These words were a balm to my soul last night. My doctor increased one of my medicines two weeks ago to help me with my anxiety, and unfortunately it seems to be having the opposite effect. I have been more anxious and depressed than normal–and even somewhat paranoid. Noises were bothering me and making me scared, and I was worrying about everything.

I decided to take a hot shower and fill my senses with my body wash of lavender and chamomile in an attempt to calm down and prepare for bed. Sometimes I find that heading to bed is the only way to escape the thoughts and the worries…that is, if they don’t keep me from sleep, anyhow.

But before I turned out the light and snuggled into bed, I “snuggled into” Psalm 23. It is a chapter in the Bible that always seems to calm and encourage, no matter what your circumstances.

I meditated on and prayed through each phrase, attempting to let them calm my tortured soul. Thank God for His Word. I don’t know what I would do without it, and without the Living Word, Jesus Christ.

Father, thank you for Your Word, and thank you for Jesus Christ, the Living Word of God. Thank you that your Word is practical–that it meets me where I am and comforts and encourages me when no one and nothing else can. Please help me to continually return to You for renewed peace and strength. Help me to trust that “even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me.” I love You, and I rest in Your unfailing love for me. Amen.

Photo Credit: Crystal Knauss

12 Nuggets of Wisdom from My Experience with Mental Illness: Part 2

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Do you struggle with a mental illness or know someone who does? Please find below the remaining “nuggets of wisdom” that I have learned in my own struggle with OCD, anxiety, and depression. Also feel free to pass them along! 🙂 (If you missed 12 Nuggets of Wisdom from My Experience with Mental Illness: Part 1, you can view it by clicking on the link).

  • Locate and make use of the resources available to you. There is help out there for your struggle with mental illness. See if there is an employee assistance program where you (or your spouse) works that could provide you with free counseling. I have taken advantage of this opportunity, and it has very much helped me take steps forward in my recovery. If you are struggling with acquiring or keeping a job, look into government options such as temporary disability or permanent disability. Note: this type of help does not often come easily and will probably take a lot of time and effort on your part–but be persistent, and do whatever it takes to get the financial help that you need. There is also an organization called the Community Health Law Project in New Jersey that offers free or low cost legal advice and assistance. Check to see if a similar organization exists in your area. If you desire to work but need support and/or training throughout the process, try looking into a DVR (Division of Vocational Rehabilitation) located near you.
  • Medication management is paramount. One of the most difficult things about dealing with a mental illness is finding the right medication regimen for YOU. Unfortunately, the medications that treat some mental illnesses (like depression and OCD) can take six to eight weeks until you receive the full effects of their benefits. Also, there are side effects with almost every medication, and it is difficult to deal with these and to establish if the benefits of the medication outweigh the side effects. It’s important to never go off of your medication or make dosage changes without the assistance of your psychiatrist. Just because you’re feeling better does not mean you can go off of your medication. It may just mean that the medication is working!
  • Fight depression by taking steps forward–even when you don’t feel like it. When you have depression, a common symptom is that you lose interest in activities that you would normally enjoy. What have I learned to combat this? Do the activities anyhow! You most likely will not feel the same satisfaction while completing the activity–at first. In my own experience, however, if I have been persistent about involving myself in these activities again, the passion and enjoyment that I used to gain from them have begun to return. Try it and see if it may help YOU! 🙂
  • Remain as positive-minded as you possibly can. The mindset with which you battle your mental illness is very important. For example, when I first began my behavioral health program, I was very uncertain if the group therapy that comprised two hours of my day would help me at all. I had only been exposed to individual therapy in the past, and I was doubtful that one therapist in a room full of people would be able to help me with my problems. But I tried to refrain from negative and/or distorted thinking, and soon learned that the group therapy WAS helping me–a lot!
  • Keep a journal or some kind of written record of your recovery process. Maybe it’s just me, but writing down my struggles and the solutions that I learn to combat those struggles is extremely profitable. Not only does it help me to reinforce what I have learned, but also to remember what I have learned. Another benefit of keeping a journal is that you are then able to return to those pages during difficult times and be encouraged by how far you have come.
  • Rely on God for the moment-by-moment strength you need to keep moving forward. It’s easy to feel like our maladies are insurmountable; but this is very far from the truth! If you know the Lord as Savior, you have the Holy Spirit living inside of you to be your Helper, your Father, your Friend, your Prince of Peace, and everything you will ever need. Lean on Him and watch in wonder as He infuses you with His own strength and brings glory to His name.