depression and anxiety: a journey. if your strength, and feeling of purpose are stripped away from...

Depression and Anxiety:

A Journey

If your strength,

and feeling of purpose are

stripped away from you,

are YOU still YOU?

joy,

http://www.flickr.com/photos/whatmegsaid/

“The reason we struggle with insecurity is because we compare our

behind-the-sceneswith everyone else’s

highlight reel.”Steve FurtickPastor of Elevation Church,Charlotte, NC

Photo referred to in recording was removed because of copyright issues.

A good counsellor can make a huge difference.

Depression/Anxiety Symptoms

Physical 

• Sensitivity to noise, light, smell• Trembling• Adrenalin overload (fight or flight response for no reason)

• Heart racing, pounding (even without any feeling of worry or dread)

• Very limited reservoir of physical strength• Weight gain or loss• Inability to sleep or the tendency to sleep all the

time

Depression/Anxiety Symptoms

Mental• Deadness of emotion (during deep depression)

• Inability to deal with anything or anyone outside of myself

• Brain noise - too many thoughts, or bits of unrelated thoughts that can't be shut down

• Lack of focus • Memory loss• Confusion (like a fog)

• Inability to make decisions - can't come to a conclusion• Fear, a feeling of inexplicable dread• Deep, crippling sadness, despair, hopelessness (completely

separate from circumstance)

Ainsworth, P. (2000)Understanding Depression

“Depression may be caused by episodic misfiring of areas of the left Frontal lobe and left Temporal lobe as a result of genetic, environmental, social or physiological factors.”

Not my burden to carry.

My Role as a Mom

• Cherish little things

• Use strength for important things

• Just do what you can

• Make a game of erasing a bad experience

• Celebrate good days or parts of days

• Give yourself permission to fail 

My Role as a Wife

• Be honest• Trust your husband• Be openly grateful and encouraging• Push yourself to occasionally date or go

away with your spouse 

My Role at Work

• Let it go 

My Role as a Friend

• Good friends will endure• Stay connected somehow• Let people help you• Know that you will support your friends

sometime in the future

My Role as a Stranger

• Smile • Pay for the meal of someone else in the

drive-through• Little random acts of kindness • If you think something nice about

someone, tell them • Donate blood (I also donated my hair)• Buy a chicken purse

Here is a picture of the wonderful “chicken purse” mentioned in the recording.

If your strength,

and feeling of purpose are

stripped away from you,

are YOU still YOU?

joy,

I didn’t understand

depression before and

now I do.

Maybe that is all that

matters.

God is not going anywhere

We’re going to be alright