Brothers and sisters,

A friend and i who attend the same church have been asked to give a workshop on depression.

I would very much appreciate your prayers on this very sensitive topic. While my friend is a psychologist, I am untrained in any way (even how to give a talk).

Pray that our workshop will glorify our God and be benefical to those who attend.

thanks
Angela

Angela

Will do!!

By the way you know God and His word. That is training!! And He is faithful!!

Go for it!!

cheers Di

Hi Angela,

Can I recommend two books to you for background reading:

+ The secular book “Feeling Good: the New Mood Therapy” written over 25 years ago by Dr David D Burns, one of the founders of Cognitive Behaviour Therapy and still in print. This book is very good at explaining the faulty thinking processes that are a key part of depression and related illnesses.

+ The Christian book “How to Beat Burnout” by Minirth, Hawkins, Meier and Flournoy (Moody Press) .

‘Burnout’ is a lay term - not a health professionals’ term. However, the book covers many of the issues related to avoiding or beating “burnout” in a ministry or work context, including the depression that is typically part of burnout.

This book is sometimes combined with another from mostly the same authors called “Before Burnout” . The combined volume is called “Beating Burnout”.

Hey Ange

If your comments on this forum are anything to go by I know you will be brilliant.

Will pray.

Gordon

Talk on Depression

Hi Angela, you didn’t give the date, but I will be praying.  I also have been asked to give a talk on Depression at one of the local Churches, no date set at the moment.

www.beyondblue.org.au has some helpful information, and also the DepressionNet website has some forums that people enjoy using.

Happy preparing - I would love to know how you are tackling it.  I will be praying too.

regards
Gill.

There’s also my old favourite, Archibald Hart’s “Dark Clouds, Silver Linings”. Which is available on-line to download for free.

There’s a very good chapter in there on how to be a helpful and supportive friend to someone who’s depressed.

I pray for God’s wisdom for you as you prepare, so that you can speak His words of comfort and encouragement and thus be an instrument for healing in the lives of people who hear your talk.

I’ve preached on this topic, and although I know lots of strugglers, I have been blessedly free of the experience myself, so I did it with trembling. Apart from various Briefing articles over the years, one of the things I found most helpful was John Piper’s biographical sketch of the hymn-writer, William Cowper (pronounced ‘Cooper’), who suffered what we would today label chronic depression. It was very moving. It also highlighted the value of John Newton’s long term faithful friendship.

You can read it here
which also has a link to an mp3 audio version for those who prefer to listen. {Seeing the link seems too long you coould just go to Piper’s biographies index page instead .}

Anyway, I guess Angela didn’t probably want a flood of suggestions about things to read, but I guess we post these suggestions more for the benefit of others who might want to read on the topic.

I too have prayed for your talk.

Edit: try to fix links

William Cowper (pronounced ‘Cooper’)

You got it, Sandy.
Named our cockatiel after this same bloke who told us that

God made the country
Man made the town

and gave us the wonderful words of
God Works in a mysterious way
his wonders to perform

Now, let’s have Halley’s Comet pronounced HAWLEYS and Ralph Vaughan Williams pronounced RAFE.

Many thanks to everyone who has replied with a post or a PM. I’m very encouraged already and it’s only the day after I posted my prayer request.

Just to fill you in. My friend is a pyschologist and she will examine the clinical side of depression. She is a lovely Christian women who has already given talks on depression which were well received.

I’m still in the stages of reading so am still open to suggestions. Thank you for the links. While I am open to suggestions, I’ve become more and more convinced that the following areas need addressing:
1. Common misconceptions/half-truths/myths about depression by Christians and possible biblical response (eg, you don’t have enough faith - bible says “All you need is faith the size of a mustard seed)
2. Common distorted thoughts depressed Christians have about God, themselves and their future (eg, God is distant, I am worthless and unlovable)
3. Help for Christians (and their carers) living with depression.

I have trawled through so many websites and found the majority of Christian websites on the topic to be well meaning but appalling. An English website by Christian psychiatrists is EXCELLENT. Their theology is clear, especially their theology regarding illness and suffering (yes, they have one!). I will post a link to it in the near future and hope that it will benefit all those who care to check it out.

Many thanks
Angela

There was an excellent Briefing article last year on helping people with depression. I’d lend it to you, Angela, but you know me - can’t find anything when I need it. I’ll probably find it the day after you give your talk. :P

Cheers,
Andrew

and please remember Ms Barrett-See’s very couragous insight column and the discussion following on the forum

I tell you what things work for me:

*Join a fitness club, go there 3-4 times a week, each time stay there at least 1.5 hrs; do some very serious exercise meanwhile check out some muscular guys and hot gals

* Listen Classical music.

* Go out for a walk

* If you have money, go out for a nice dinner with your friends

* do anything which can make me sleep

Hi Ray,

I was disappointed to see that in your long list of things that help you get over depression you did not include our Wednesday night young adults Bible Study nor our Sunday night church services.

Oh wait…

Ray Lau said:

* do anything which can make me sleep

Pardon me, Ray, I stand corrected.

Hi Joseph,

Why do you stand while using your computer?

In the old days, people used to stand to write and read, if I recall correctly, Andrew.

This was several hundred years ago, though.

And hundreds of years before that , they used to read everything aloud.

Hi David,

I wasn’t around then. I didn’t know that you were

Cheers,
Andrew