Depression is a major issue in America. It’s the physical embodiment of an emotional situation. It is a symptom of an unresolved crisis in a person’s life leading to an increasing sense of hopelessness. As you emotionally lockup you physically seize on life. Depression is not to be shoved to the side in a bus ride conversation over ambient noise and assumed dealt with. You can’t hang up on depression and close down the conversation.

Depression is serious. If you treat depression with a casual attitude it will close in surely with a death grip and lock your life down. But there is more than help available, there is a solution ready and waiting to change your life. But you have to take three steps…

1. Seek Yourself (take off the mask and be honest about your depression)

2. Seek Help (Reach out to those around you that can assist, counseling, friends, medication)

3. Seek God (He is called Jehovah Rapha for a reason, He heals. Medication only treats the symptoms, but God heals the source and redeems the life.)

Often that is where we stop short is step number 2. When the friend or the medication provide some level of relief we think the problem is solved. That is until life throws another curve our way and we spiral down and back to the doctor’s office for another mix of meds. Any honest doctor will tell you that they don’t heal. At best they aid the body in it’s own healing process. Again, only God heals!

So if you know of someone who is locked up in this battle or you are that person take my advise seriously and setup into these three simple steps. It is your path to freedom. How do I know, I suffered from depression.

“LORD my God, I called to you for help, and you healed me.” (Psalm 30:2)