Aj Schwanz

So I didn’t make it through National Blog Posting Month: the flu kinda kicked my patootie. I could beat myself up as I’m inclined to do (stinkin’ perfectionistic tendencies), but instead I’ve decided to say, “Hey. I did half of November: yay me! And November will come around again: better luck next time.” Sometimes it’s hard to look at the big picture and recognize that there will be another chance, that things come around again.

Sometimes whether you want them to or not. Another cyclical element in my life has been depression. It’s come and gone since I was a teenager. I’ve dabbled in things here and there to waylay it: ignoring, medication, counseling, too much tv watching or eating or working out or cleaning or organizing, etc.

Last year I took a 10 week course on Overcoming Depression by Dr. Nedley (who I affectionately refer to as simply “Nedley”. If you saw him, you’d understand - a little on the stiff side) which focused basically on healthy living, but reinforcing that for us with a chemical predisposition towards depression, the recommended activities are a *must*.

I’ve also found some healing through Theophostic Ministry as well as prayer and healing and self-identity stuff at the Journey to Wholeness.

I’ve found comfort in listening to Graham Cooke talk about how God calls folks out into wilderness periods because He wants to reveal Himself to them - to ge them alone - that He does it out of love (note: when did Jesus go into the wilderness? Right after God proclaimed his approval of Christ’s intentions). Graham’s talked about learning to abide in the wilderness: to receive and respond, which is very different from our can-do American attitude.

It’s also been helpful to understand my personality type according to the Four Temperaments. One quarter of the population is a melancholy (like me). One quarter of the population is prone towards depression. Hmm: stats lining up? Our temperament feels things very deeply and goes through a much more extensive process of grieving those losses (which looks like depression to other folks, and may be, if we’re told to “get over it” instead of getting through it).

Lately I’ve heard a number of folks talk about feeling abnormally blue/down/tired/discouraged/anxious/irritable/in a fog. Which seems to fall under the umbrella of depression. I think it’s an epidemic in Oregon: people can tell me as much as they want that the weather doesn’t affect them, but until they visit a state where there’s sun and actually happy people, I beg to differ.

I’m wondering what to do with these noticings and the information I’ve collected. Record numbers of folks in the church are experiencing spiritual bleakness: how much more is beyond the church walls?

What would be helpful to folks who are going through this time?

Education? — How to live in the day to day (proper diet, exercise, etc.)?  Education on how to think properly (cognitive behavioral therapy)?

Prayer and healing? — Praying to reveal the lies we’re believing?

Practical? — Bringing meals to folks who are too tired/blue to take care of themselves?  Finding childcare?  Household help?

Discernment? — Perhaps God is allowing depression to enter our lives as a means to gather us together to discern something bigger God’s calling us to?

I don’t know if any of this rings true with you, if any of it sounds good or right, or if you’ve even thought about something like this.  I don’t know that I’m explaining myself very well (verbalization and sleep deprivation aren’t necessarily friends); if only Steve-O was here to interpret for me - he’s great at that.

Thoughts?  Comments?  Political statements?