Clinical depression is one of the most serious and common mental illnesses affecting adults all across America.  Despite this, there is still an enormous amount of misinformation and misunderstandings about depression.  Depression is more than just feeling sad and blue.  Likewise, it is not something that can be remedied by simply telling yourself to, “Get over it” or “Snap out of it.”  Depression that lasts for more than a couple of weeks and interferes with normal life functioning is “major” or “clinical” depression.  This type of depression is marked by dramatic and noticeable changes within a person.  For example, a social, outgoing woman who decides to stay home alone and a well-kept man who lets his appearance fall apart, may be showing signs of clinical depression. 

The symptoms of clinical depression include loss of interest in things that you used to be interested in, sleep disturbance, changes in appetite, poor concentration, and feelings of hopelessness.  Depression can be treated and resolved.  Treatment involves therapy, antidepressant medication, or a combination of the two.  Typically, those who struggle with depression recover and return to their original level of functioning.  While additional bouts of depression may occur, the coping strategies learned from the first episode will often enable the person to resolve successive bouts more quickly. 

Few things are more important to mental health than hope.  While hopelessness will not disappear overnight, it will gradually decrease with treatment.  When coping strategies are learned and implemented, each day will have more hope than the day before.  Hope, meaning, and purpose in life come with the assurance of God’s promises.  Paul writes, “I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love.  Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow – not even the powers of Hell can separate us from God’s love.  No power in the sky above or in the earth below – indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8: 38-39).  Clinically depressed people do get better – the darkness does not last forever!