One of the greatest challenges we all face
has to do with stress; it does not have to be with major traumas’ in life but
with life in general, with the daily pressure that we so often face.
Doctors report that up to 90 percent of
patients they see come with stress-related complaints. Science has shown that
when we are stressed, we release certain hormones that can affect various
organs in our bodies.
Over long periods of time, the organs can
be weakened by these hormones, making them more susceptible to disease.
Stress for instance, can release
adrenaline, which causes the heart to beat faster and more powerfully, leading
to palpitations. some stress hormones cause
the blood vessel to constrict, causing hyper tension. Stress can induce
shallow and rapid breathing, even hyper ventilation. stress can result in
diversion of blood from the stomach, causing digestive problems.(who has not
felt what fear ,anxiety and worry can do to the stomach?)
Stress can cause an increase In blood
glucose, which in some people can lead to diabetes. Stress is also known to
have a negative impact on our sleep, which in turn can have a negative effect
on our overall health. Stress has been
shown ,too, to effect negatively our immune system, our body’s frontline
against disease.
The list can go on and on. And so the point
should be clear. We need to learn to handle stress.
Hope against Depression
Depression, or extreme discouragement to
the point of becoming disabled, has been experienced by many people. Hopelessness
is a symptom of depression. All people at times ,face moments of extreme
discouragement for any variety of
reasons.
Of course when depression is severe, it’s
important to get professional help, when possible. No wonder , then the word
of God is filled with promises that can
give all of us, no matter our situation, the reason to hope for abetter future,
if not in this world, then certainly in the next. After all, regardless of your relation ship with God, were you
physically ill you would seek help of a doctor or health professional. Its the
same with those who are suffering from sever clinical depression, which often
is caused by a genetic predisposition and chemical imbalance in the brain. Thus,
even Christians, at times, might need the help of professionals.
Catastrophic thinking
When one sees oneself negatively (“ I am
dumb”), looks at the world pessimistically (“life is always unfair”), and
contemplates the future hopelessly (“ it will never improve”) chances of
depression become high. This kind of thinking is called “Catastrophic thinking”
There are cultural differences in
manifesting emotional distress. People in certain context suffer in silence,
avoiding any obvious or visible complaint. Others use moaning and wailing when
going through sorrow. There are also personal differences; some people are able
to approach death with more tranquillity than others can.
Depressive symptoms commonly are found in
individuals with prolonged or terminal disease. Depressive symptoms are so pain
full that many will attempt suicide to end this horrible experience. Infarct more
than 10 percent of clinically depressed patients kill them selves. Clearly , clinical
depression is a serious matter and must be treated that way.
Depression causes a variety of painful
manifestations;(a) a deep sense of a sadness (sorrow),a lack of motivation to
do any thing, even enjoyable activities, a change in appetite and either weight
loss or gain, sleep disturbances, sleeping either not enough or too much, feeling
of low self –esteem, poor reasoning and memory and thought of death and
suicide.
Some people experience one or two symptoms,
while others manifest several and suffer for moths until the episode ends. In
any case, the burden of depression is enormous and must be relieved by medical
and spiritual intervention.
Relief from Depression.
Like most emotional disorders, depression
necessitates that the sufferer speak about his or her struggles. This act
alone can begin to initiate healing. Approaching the Lord in fervent and
sincere prayer is a safe way to release tension and psychological pain. Often
more is needed, but it can be a good start.
A basic coping strategy for depression
consists of talking to a friend ( or a therapist) who knows how to listen and, even better, who
knows to help access more intensive
resources, if needed.
There is a healing effect in verbalising thoughts and feelings .It
is important for any one going through hard times and who feels discouraged or
even depressed to have some one they trust talk to. Sometimes merely talking to
someone can go along way in helping a person feel better.
The counsellor’s appointment, if possible
at all, may not be available until next week. But we can turn to the Lord any
time, any hour of the day or a day of the week.
Even secular psychologists are recommending
that clients who believe in prayer pray. All of us, even when not suffering
with something such as clinical depression, can experience the impact of how
praying to the Lord does help to make us feel better. No matter who we are or
how deep our discouragement, having a relation ship with God can go a long way
in bringing us hope and discouragement and healing.
When we meet sufferers of depression, we
must be extremely careful not to blame them, nor should we simply conclude that
they are wicked people, and that’s why they are in distress. It is unfortunate
that many people seem to be able to offer concern and understanding to those suffering
from an organic malady, true clinical depression, but tend to be quite
judgmental in dealing with mental or emotional turmoil brought about by their
own actions.
Edgar Allen Poe in his “Tell-Tale Heart”
refers to the story of a man who committed murder and hid the victims body
under the flood boards of the room in which the murder had been committed. He
hoped to leave his guilty hidden with the body, but a strong sense of remorse
grew within him. One day he heard the victims’ heartbeat; and the beat grew
louder and louder .Later it became clear that the pounding was coming not from
the grave below but rather, from his own
heart.
At the same time, too ,there are people who,
fill greatly distressed from a sense of
guilt. They often feel unworthy of forgiveness and lament the horrible
suffering that their actions have brought
this can be a source of great distress. In such cases, its important to
learn from our past mistakes and, to whatever degree possible, make restitution
for whatever wrong we have done
Hope
against distress
Hope is essential to live our lives with a
reasonable amount of mental health. Hope must be alive even for unbelievers---
youth in search for employment must hope they will find a job , a lost
traveller must hope he will find his way, and investors who have lost their
money must believe that their will be
better times. living with zero hope
leads to meaninglessness and death
When Italian philosopher and poet Dante
Alighieri (A.D. 1265-1321) attempted to describe hell in his Divine
Comedy , he envisioned a big sign at the entrance saying: “ Abandon all
hope, ye who enter here!”
The worst possible punishment is deprive
someone of hope.
We all suffer sadness and discouragement in
one form or another at one time or another. Think a bout this; what things
bring you down and why? How can you help those who are suffering depression , discouragement
,guilt ,sorrow or emotional distress for
any reason not to give up their faith but cling on hope