Concerning depression one person stated,
“As the light begins to intensify, so does my misery, and I wonder how it is possible to hurt so much when nothing is wrong.” …
When a person is draped in darkness, no amount of music, laughter, words, or ability to feel hope can penetrate the dark veil many are cloaked in.
What does depression feel like? You don’t want to live, but you don’t want to die. You don’t want to talk to anyone, but you feel very lonely. You wake up in the morning and simply wait for the night to come. – Unknown
One of the newer studies found that depression and anger go hand in hand. So if you’re feeling depressed there could be some underlying anger. The diagnostic manual of medical disorders has a list of core symptoms for mayor depression but it does not include anger.
It’s not included at all in the adult classification of depression,” says Dr. Maurizio Fava, a psychiatrist at Massachusetts General Hospital and a professor at Harvard Medical School.
Zimmerman and some colleagues recently surveyed thousands of patients who were making their first visit to the Rhode Island Hospital’s outpatient psychiatric practice. All were asked about the level of anger they had felt or expressed in the preceding week.
“Two-thirds of individuals reported notable irritability and anger,” he says, “and approximately half reported it at a moderate or severe level. Another large study by a different research group looked at more than 500 people who had been diagnosed with major depression. It found that more than half showed “overt irritability/anger,” and that this anger and irritability appeared to be associated with more severe, chronic depression.
More Here
Seven stories in the Bible are about suicide. This topic is hard to chew on. We all know someone who left us too early. I lost an uncle to suicide and a cousin. Many times, we were oblivious that they were packing a bag until they left behind a note.
Sometimes days are so thick with “heaviness” it’s hard to breathe. Usually, after a long winter season, a ray of light finds us and pulls us out of the suffocation into an open space with light and life. But sometimes, for many who have had great tragedies, trauma, and both mental and physical health issues, even spring feels like winter. When studying the men who took their lives in the Bible, I was astounded by their reasoning because it screams cowardness. Cain could have checked out after he killed his brother, but he didn’t.
The first man’s name is, Abimelech.
“Abimelech called hastily unto the young man his armor-bearer, and said unto him, draw thy sword, and slay me, that men say not of me, A woman slew him. And his young man thrust him through, and he died” (Judges 9:54).
Abimelech was not depressed but evil. He murdered 70 of his brothers, and after his burnings and destruction, a woman threw a milestone on his head. Abimelech could not deal with a woman slaying him (misogynist), so his assistant took him out at his request, but that’s not suicide by definition of wanting to die because you find no reason to live. No, Abimelech was like many of the suicides in the Bible, a rotten scoundrel whose evil had caught up with him.
King Saul took his sword and fell on it so that a Philistine would not kill him, ironically, Saul had become as uncircumcised as any of the Philistines at this point in his life. He ate his last meal, a calf prepared by a witch. See Spirits Unveiled.
Saul took a sword and fell on it (1 Sam. 31:4).
After Saul kills himself, the man who was in charge of protecting him, took his life as well.
“When his armor-bearer saw that Saul was dead, he too fell on his own sword and died with him. So Saul, his three sons, his armor-bearer, and all his men died together that same day.” (I Sam. 31:5-6).
Ahithophel, gave counsel to Absalom and was a traitor to King David. He, too, can’t face the mirror, but before checking out, he prepares his will and tries to get his affairs in order.
When Ahithophel saw that his advice had not been followed, he saddled his donkey and set out for his house in his hometown. He put his affairs in order and hanged himself. So he died and was buried in his father’s tomb.
II Kings 17:23.
After Judas betrayed the Messiah, he could not get peace. He traveled to the leaders who had paid him to kiss Yeshua as a sign of who they should arrest. In Matthew 27, we learn that even the High Priest did not want the blood money and used it to buy a field:
Judas cast down the pieces of silver in the temple and departed and went and hanged himself. (Matt. 27:5).
However, under this list of seven men who took their lives, there is one who has a different reason for dying; his name is Samson.
Now, the rulers of the Philistines assembled to offer a great sacrifice to Dagon, their god, and to celebrate, saying, “Our god has delivered Samson, our enemy, into our hands.”
24 When the people saw him, they praised their god, saying,
“Our god has delivered our enemy into our hands, the one who laid waste our land and multiplied our slain.”
25 While they were in high spirits, they shouted, “Bring out Samson to entertain us.” So they called Samson out of the prison, and he performed for them.
When they stood him among the pillars, 26 Samson said to the servant who held his hand, “Put me where I can feel the pillars that support the temple so that I may lean against them.” 27 Now the temple was crowded with men and women; all the rulers of the Philistines were there, and on the roof were about three thousand men and women watching Samson perform. 28 Then Samson prayed to the Lord, “Sovereign Lord, remember me. Please, God, strengthen me just once more, and let me with one blow get revenge on the Philistines for my two eyes.” 29 Then Samson reached toward the two central pillars on which the temple stood. Bracing himself against them, his right hand on the one and his left hand on the other, 30 Samson said, “Let me die with the Philistines!” Then he pushed with all his might, and down came the temple on the rulers and all the people in it. Thus he killed many more when he died than while he lived.
Judges 16: 23-30
#7, and not in any particular order, is Zimri:
In the twenty-seventh year of Asa’s reign over Judah, Zimri reigned in Tirzah for seven days. Now the troops were encamped against Gibbethon of the Philistines, 16and the people in the camp heard that Zimri had not only conspired but had also struck down the king. So there in the camp that very day, all Israel proclaimed Omri, the commander of the army, king over Israel.
17Then Omri and all the Israelites marched up from Gibbethon and besieged Tirzah. 18When Zimri saw that the city was captured, he entered the citadel of the royal palace and burned it down upon himself. So he died 19because of the sins he had committed, doing evil in the sight of the LORD and following the example of Jeroboam and the sin he had committed and had caused Israel to commit.
I Kings 16:15-19.
All of America watched recently as a young man named Aaron, an Air Force member of the United States military poured fuel over himself and lit himself on fire. Is a nation such as America, reminiscent of Zimri, who Adonai used at first to remove evil but then destroyed later due to his wickedness?
“As soon as Zimri began to reign and was seated on the throne, he struck down the entire household of Baasha. He did not leave a single male, whether a kinsman or friend. 12So Zimri destroyed the entire household of Baasha, according to the word that the LORD had spoken against Baasha through Jehu the prophet.”
I Kings 16:11
But now Adonai is destroying Zimri by fire and its self inflicted. Most of my problems in life, I have only myself to blame for. Sure others can cause harm and bring pain in our lives, those like Jezebel and Ahab, but our choices at times are lacking wisdom.
I am thankful for Yeshua who gave up his life willingly so we can have life more abundantly. (John 10:10)
Life more abundantly is what those dealing with depression need. In my darkest hours praise and gratitude helped.
Job was able to fall on his face and worship after great suffering. Job humbly said, ” The Lord gives, the Lord takes away, blessed be The Name of the Lord !
Today if you are feeling depressed, unable to breathe, unable to find one spark of joy, I want to leave you with a message “ Who Has a Broken Heart?” I wrote concerning my own journey. A broken heart can also be a form of depression and anger. I had both at the time. Why was I abandoned during my illness? How could God allow me to go through such darkness? I hope it blesses you and lets you know that you are not alone. God sees YOU!
For more on healing for the soul, pick up a copy of my award-winning book, Jumping for Joy in the Midst of Sorrow:
