|
Stress and Depression
Stress is defined as the body’s
physiological response to demands placed
on it. These demands or stress –
producing agents are referred to as
stressors.
There are many types of stressors.
Physical ones are changes in the body’s
internal or immediate external
environment that require the body to
adapt. Many of the stressors that affect
our lives today are cognitive in nature.
Cognitive stressors occur as a
consequence of an individual’s
perception of an event. Thus whether or
not a demand causes stress depends on
how the individual chooses to interpret
an event and react to it. Events that
are interpreted as stressful elicit
emotional arousal, which is subsequently
manifested in physiological arousal.
Some examples of situations that an
individual might interpret as stressful
are public speaking, taking an exam,
value conflicts, and peer pressure.
A person’s perceptions not only
determine whether or not an event is
stressful but also influence the
intensity and duration of the stress.
When individuals experience stress too
frequently, too intensely or too long,
illness can occur. Management of stress
requires that the individual become
aware of events that lead to stress,
recognize when the stress is occurring (
i.e., become aware of increased heart
rate, anxiety, bodily tension ) and take
steps to reduce stress either by
eliminating the stressor or reducing the
effects.
Different approaches can be used to
manage stress in the natural realm.
These include relaxation, physical
activity, cognitive strategies to change
the person’s perception of the stressors
time management and bio feed back
From a Biblical view point the way to
manage stress is by studying the word
clearly and properly and seeking the
guidance of the Holy spirit to deal with
your situation. Remember your mind is
the battlefield where the devil fights
and his aim is to take control over your
mind. We have already seen that the
intensity and duration of an
individual’s stress is based on his
perception of a situation. When you are
confronted with a situation do not react
to it immediately but allow the Holy
Spirit to take control of your thoughts.
2 Corinthians 10:5 says bringing into
captivity every thought to the obedience
of Christ. We have to learn to bring
into captivity every thought to the
control of Christ. As you bring it into
captivity you allow the Holy Spirit to
take control over your thought life and
you will find a spirit of faith
operating in you
Remember by allowing stress to dominate
your mind, you are only working against
yourself. Management experiments done on
workers have revealed that the same
individual tends to perform with lesser
ability and skill when he works under
stress and with greater ability and
skill when he was working under less
stressful situations. When one is in
stress the blood within starts flowing
faster and there is every chance of him
not thinking with clarity. The danger of
not having clarity is that your reaction
to a situation may not be according to
Biblical pattern.
Bible and Personal
Depression!
The Bible is the answer to a
supernatural and successful living.
Today you may be going through a very
bad patch in your life where nothing
seems to work. You are perplexed and
confused and you do not know what to do.
At this moment, you may be very
discouraged about life. Life may now
appear to you as an endless, tragic
treadmill, not really worth living or
having. Perhaps you are saying, right
now, life holds nothing for me. Nobody
loves me; nobody cares whether I live or
die.
In the midst of your despair, and your
doubt, and frustration, and
hopelessness, I want you to realize that
Jesus Christ offers to you another way
of living which is just what you are
desiring for. Remember that those who
came to Jesus with a problem have always
seen an answer to their problem when
they have fully trusted him and acted in
the way that Jesus wanted them to act.
Look at the words of Jesus. John 10:10
The thief cometh not, but for to steal,
and to kill, and to destroy: I am come
that they might have life, and that they
might have it more abundantly. I am come
or I came that they might have life and
more abundantly. Who are the "they"? It
refers to those who are willing to
believe and come to Jesus.
The Bible tells us that we were created
in the very image or likeness of God,
and you can be sure that if God made us
like himself, then our lives must have
tremendous meaning, destiny, and
purpose.
Jesus came to give each of us a good
life. And you can enjoy the benefits of
that abundant life right here on the
face of this earth. It is very true, of
course, that life has it's high and it's
lows. Sometimes the sun shines and
sometimes the rain and the dark clouds
attempt to bleak out our future. Being
moody and despondent on a temporary
basis is a natural part of every
personality. However you should
understand that as a believer as one who
knows and has the word you are not
expected to allow your deep and
despondent moods to control your very
being. On the contrary you are expected
to turn to the word when you are facing
an awkward situation and try to find out
what exactly the word says about the
situation and whether it has an answer
to the problem which you are facing.
In 1 Peter 5:7- the word says "Casting
all your care upon him; for he careth
for you". It is important that you
understand this. God really cares for
you. When God says he cares for you, He
means it. In John 3:16, we read, "For
God so loved the world that He gave His
only begotten Son, that whoever believes
in Him should not perish, but have
eternal life". Remember 1 John 5:4 For
whatsoever is born of God overcometh the
world: and this is the victory that
overcometh the world, even our faith.
Remember depression is most often the
result of a selfish, self-pitying,
ungrateful heart. Depression has become
any nation's number one emotional
illness, and it is increasing steadily.
Rising suicide rates, especially among
the young, show the final end to which
depression takes people. Broken, unhappy
homes and wasted lives are often the
result of unfettered depression. The
wise Solomon said: "For as he thinketh
in his heart, so is he" (Proverbs 23:7.
In discussing depression, we must
believe fully that God has a remedy for
every problem and that we can-go to Him
for help. Here are some positive,
Biblical steps to take to overcome
depression:
Recognize that God created you in His
image and therefore you are good. He
wants you to be happy. He gave His only
begotten Son so that you might have
eternal life (John 3:16). Abraham
Lincoln once said, "Most folks are as
happy as they make up their minds to
be."
Believe that God is faithful to do what
He has promised for you. Look for His
abundant life. God has promised to meet
our every-need (Philemon 4:19; Ephesians
3:20; Matthew 7:11). It is not ours to
worry about food, clothing and shelter.
God has promised that if we seek first
His kingdom and His righteousness, He
will add these material things to us
(Matthew 6:25-33). Let His spirit dwell
in your richly, causing you to have a
song in your heart, an attitude of
thanksgiving and a submissive spirit
(Ephesians 5:19-21). No misery or
depression can exist in such a heart.
Practice thanksgiving and praising the
Lord for all things. To praise the Lord
when things are going against your will
is to show a submissive spirit. Be
thankful in everything (I Thessalonians
5:18).
Think on positive things, things that
are true, honest, just, pure, lovely and
of good report (Philemon 4:8). Realize
that all things do work together for
good to them that love the Lord (Romans
8:28). Do not dwell on past unhappy
experiences, bad news in the world
today, or ways in which life seems to
have cheated you. Think about all the
ways life has been a blessing to you.
Have a forgiving spirit. Bad feelings or
unforgiven hurts toward your fellow
beings can cause you to feel very
depressed. Telling others you are sorry
you have wronged them or that you have
forgiven them for something they have
done to you in the past can often be the
most therapeutic means of bringing about
a peaceful heart.
Try giving yourself away. Luke 6:38
tells us how richly we will be rewarded
if we give of ourselves. One of the best
rewards will be freedom from depression.
Galatians 6:2 tells us to help bear one
another's burdens. Finding some hard
physical work to do, for ourselves or
for others, is often the very best
medicine needed for depression. Plan
with God's help and prayer not to be
depressed. Live one day at a time
instead of taking on your whole future
life at once. Let God's spirit rule your
life. Ask your Christian friends to pray
with you and for you about your
depression. Hebrews 13:5,6 say, "Let
your life be free from the love of
money, and be content with what you
have; for he has said, 'I will never
fail or forsake you"'. Hence we can
confidently say, "The Lord is my helper,
I will not be afraid; what can man do to
me?" Remembering this verse, we can
"Rejoice in the Lord always," as Paul
suggests in Philemon 4:4.
If you have been Blessed or would like
to know more about this Article,
Please write to
-
.
|
