What can I do when I’m depressed? How can I recover?

1 Kings 19:5-9Then [Elijah] lay down and slept under the broom tree. But as he was sleeping, an angel touched him and told him, “Get up and eat!” . . . So he ate and drank and lay down again. Then the angel of the Lord came again and touched him and said, “Get up and eat some more, or the journey ahead will be too much for you.” So he got up and ate and drank, and the food gave him enough strength to travel forty days and forty nights to Mount Sinai, the mountain of God. There he came to a cave, where he spent the night.

Elijah’s experience illustrates several factors that usually accompany recovery from depression. Begin by caring for your body with good rest and nutrition; then reengage with God. Elijah was first cared for physically; then God gave him a fresh vision with specific direction for his next steps.

1 Kings 19:9-18The Lord said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” Elijah replied, . . . “I have zealously served the Lord God Almighty. But the people of Israel have broken their covenant with you, torn down your altars, and killed every one of your prophets. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me, too.” Then the Lord told him, “Go back the same way you came, and travel to the wilderness of Damascus. When you arrive there, anoint Hazael to be king of Aram. . . . I will preserve 7,000 others in Israel who have never bowed down to Baal or kissed him!”

Another way God helped lead Elijah out of his depression was by confronting Satan’s lie that Elijah was all alone. Elijah had good reason to believe that lie—he had lost many friends and was himself running for his life in the wilderness. But God promised Elijah that 7,000 Israelites had remained faithful. What is more, God led Elijah to one of those faithful Israelites—Elisha. Perhaps Elijah was skeptical of all this. Perhaps he doubted anyone would want to join him in his difficult ministry as a prophet. But Elijah still followed God’s lead—and sure enough, young Elisha was eager and ready. Now, Elijah would no longer feel so alone and would have a student to carry on his ministry (1 Kings 19:16-21). If God is leading you to seek new places or people during a time of depression, don’t resist his call!

Ecclesiastes 4:10, 12If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble. . . . A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken.

Galatians 6:2Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ.

Hebrews 10:25Let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.

When we are depressed, social interactions can be tiring. What’s more, we may distrust others or dislike the idea of being a “burden” by sharing about our struggles. But if we give up on seeking honest and sincere fellowship, we will be cutting ourselves off from one of the most powerful ways God works in our lives—through fellow followers of Jesus. We were made to be part of the body of Christ, to care for one another, not only because we need other Christians, but because other Christians need us. This mutual encouragement is so essential for our spiritual and mental health that God actually commands it!

Psalm 13:1-6O Lord, how long will you forget me? Forever? How long will you look the other way? How long must I struggle with anguish in my soul, with sorrow in my heart every day? How long will my enemy have the upper hand? Turn and answer me, O Lord my God! Restore the sparkle to my eyes, or I will die. Don’t let my enemies gloat, saying, “We have defeated him!” Don’t let them rejoice at my downfall. But I trust in your unfailing love. I will rejoice because you have rescued me. I will sing to the Lord because he is good to me.

Matthew 26:38-39, 42He [Jesus] told them, “My soul is crushed with grief to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.” He went on a little farther and bowed with his face to the ground, praying, “My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.” . . . Then Jesus left them a second time and prayed, “My Father! If this cup cannot be taken away unless I drink it, your will be done.” . . . So he went to pray a third time, saying the same things again.

God does not demand false joy from us. Instead, he longs for earnest, candid prayer. There will be times in our lives when we feel frustrated, grief-stricken, and weary—even Jesus faced such a time. Jesus never sinned, yet he asked his heavenly Father if there was a way to avoid the cross. In the same way, we may freely ask God questions about the situations we are in, and we may ask for deliverance and relief. Often, God answers with help. But sometimes, as it was with Jesus and the cross, the trial is necessary to bring about the full fruits of God’s goodness. In such situations, we may not approach our struggles with smiles and laughter, but we can approach them with peace and confidence, trusting that God’s wisdom and goodness will triumph in the end.

Isaiah 38:21Isaiah had said to Hezekiah’s servants, “Make an ointment from figs and spread it over the boil, and Hezekiah will recover.”

1 Timothy 5:23Don’t drink only water. You ought to drink a little wine for the sake of your stomach because you are sick so often.

Medicine like an antidepressant is not unbiblical; in fact, it may enable us to be better stewards of what God has given us. God used the medicine of the day to heal King Hezekiah, and Paul advised Timothy to drink a little wine to improve his stomach health. Perhaps Timothy abstained from wine because he recognized the dangers of drunkenness and addiction—a thoughtful and well-intentioned position. But because of Timothy’s stomach troubles, Paul felt Timothy’s avoidance of wine was causing more harm than good. Wine in moderation would not lead to addiction, and it would strengthen Timothy’s health and allow him to give his best efforts to his ministry. In the same way, when antidepressants are used responsibly, they can be a blessing that God uses to help rewire our brain’s chemistry and equip us to live more fruitful lives for him.

Psalm 40:1-3I waited patiently for the Lord to help me, and he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the pit of despair, out of the mud and the mire. He set my feet on solid ground and steadied me as I walked along. He has given me a new song to sing, a hymn of praise to our God.

John 5:6-8When Jesus saw him and knew he had been ill for a long time, he asked him, “Would you like to get well?” “I can’t, sir,” the sick man said, “for I have no one to put me into the pool when the water bubbles up. Someone else always gets there ahead of me.” Jesus told him, “Stand up, pick up your mat, and walk!”

Self-pity is the opposite of gratitude—it is a pit that threatens to swallow us. The deeper we fall into it, the harder it is for us to see outside it. The sick man at the pool of Bethesda was mired in self-pity. His thoughts were so fixed on the suffering, loneliness, and frustrations of his past that he nearly missed the opportunity Jesus offered in the present.

Psalm 42:3, 6-8Now I am deeply discouraged, but I will remember you—even from distant Mount Hermon, the source of the Jordan, from the land of Mount Mizar. I hear the tumult of the raging seas as your waves and surging tides sweep over me. But each day the Lord pours his unfailing love upon me, and through each night I sing his songs, praying to God who gives me life.

Psalm 130:1From the depths of despair, O Lord, I call for your help.

Lamentations 3:20-22I will never forget this awful time, as I grieve over my loss. Yet I still dare to hope when I remember this: The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease.

Many writers of Bible texts knew depression well, and they were honest about it before God and others—that’s why we have their prayers written in our Bibles. But after acknowledging their depression for what it was, these writers made a choice—they chose to find hope in God’s unchanging goodness. God’s goodness may be harder to see in dark circumstances, but that’s all the more reason to remind ourselves of its truth.

Romans 5:3-5We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.

James 1:2-4Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.

1 Peter 1:6-7So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you must endure many trials for a little while. These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.

Revelation 21:4-5“He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.” And the one sitting on the throne said, “Look, I am making everything new!”

Suffering, struggle, and loss are terrible things to face. Why would Scripture call them an opportunity for joy? Just as athletes face physical pain and struggle to become the best players they can be, our earthly struggles train us for eternity—they are opportunities to grow in patience, empathy, endurance, humility, forgiveness, faith, and many other virtues. That may not make the trial any less painful, but it can give us hope that the trial will prepare us for our eternal joy.

Romans 7:25–8:2Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord. So you see how it is: In my mind I really want to obey God’s law, but because of my sinful nature I am a slave to sin. So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death.

2 Corinthians 3:18So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image.

Philippians 1:6I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.

Depression can come from regret for our sins. On our own we cannot bridge the gap between the perfection we strive for and the reality of our sins and failures. But Jesus has forgiven our sins and mistakes, and he continues to work in our hearts, shaping us to become all we were meant to be. We may not be perfect yet, but even now, we are fully known and fully loved by God—and we can look forward to a perfect eternity with him.

Psalm 42:5-6Why am I discouraged? Why is my heart so sad? I will put my hope in God! I will praise him again—my Savior and my God! Now I am deeply discouraged, but I will remember you.

Psalm 92:1It is good to give thanks to the Lord, to sing praises to the Most High.

Acts 16:22-25A mob quickly formed against Paul and Silas, and the city officials ordered them stripped and beaten with wooden rods. They were severely beaten, and then they were thrown into prison. . . . Around midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening.

Discouragement often comes by concentrating on unpleasant or overwhelming circumstances, and the thoughts we choose to focus on will either lessen our depression or perpetuate it. When we focus on what we don’t have, that scarcity mindset perpetuates depressive thoughts and feelings. But by praising God, we can produce gratitude and hope. Paul and Silas were in prison. There was nothing about their circumstances that was particularly hopeful. Yet they found reasons to praise God despite their situation, and we can too. Thank God for the basic blessings he has given you, the good things in your life that are easy to take for granted: the sight of a loved one’s smile; the taste of your favorite food; the beauty of new fallen snow; or the fresh smell that lingers after a rainstorm. By training yourself to rejoice in what God has done and what God is doing, you can develop a growth mindset that counters the lies of depression.

Proverbs 13:10Pride leads to conflict; those who take advice are wise.

Proverbs 20:18Plans succeed through good counsel; don’t go to war without wise advice.

Friends and family can be powerful sources of encouragement during depression, but their knowledge is often limited. If a king were preparing for war, he would call on advisors who were knowledgeable about the political situation and experienced in battle tactics. In the same way, professional counselors are knowledgeable about the physical and psychological causes of depression, and they can equip you with a practical “battle plan.” Consider reaching out to a Christian counselor who can come alongside you not only in your fight against depression but in your walk with Christ. Let God use others to help you, just as you would for your physical health.

Habakkuk 3:17-19Even though the fig trees have no blossoms, and there are no grapes on the vines; even though the olive crop fails, and the fields lie empty and barren; even though the flocks die in the fields, and the cattle barns are empty, yet I will rejoice in the Lord! I will be joyful in the God of my salvation! The Sovereign Lord is my strength! He makes me as surefooted as a deer, able to tread upon the heights.

Matthew 6:19-21“Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.”

Philippians 4:12-13I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength.

Much depression comes from trusting in the things of this world instead of turning to God. We will be disappointed if our happiness is based on financial security, prestige, possessions, popularity, or even our health. These things come and go. Putting our hope in God helps us persevere through the toughest times—because what we value most can never be taken away.

John 5:3-7Crowds of sick people—blind, lame, or paralyzed—lay on the porches. One of the men lying there had been sick for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him and knew he had been ill for a long time, he asked him, “Would you like to get well?” “I can’t, sir,” the sick man said, “for I have no one to put me into the pool when the water bubbles up. Someone else always gets there ahead of me.”

John 9:2-3, 6-7“Rabbi,” his disciples asked him, “why was this man born blind? Was it because of his own sins or his parents’ sins?” “It was not because of his sins or his parents’ sins,” Jesus answered. “This happened so the power of God could be seen in him. . . . Then he [Jesus] spit on the ground, made mud with the saliva, and spread the mud over the blind man’s eyes. He told him, “Go wash yourself in the pool of Siloam” (Siloam means “sent”). So the man went and washed.

Health troubles and disabilities can increase the risk of depression. It’s easy to feel powerless and discouraged when our own bodies betray and limit us. Two men from the Gospel of John illustrate opposite responses to such a situation. Both men had been disabled for decades, and Jesus healed both of their physical ailments, but the mindsets they had cultivated all those years stayed the same. The man at the Pool of Bethesda in John 5 had allowed his disability to lead to bitter hopelessness. Even while Jesus was speaking to him, he began listing reasons why he could never be healed. In contrast, the man born blind in John 9 clung to hope, even when Jesus didn’t heal him instantly. Both were healed, but their responses were radically different.

When the first man was interrogated by the Pharisees for breaking their Sabbath rules, he threw Jesus under the bus (John 5:9-15). In contrast, the second man defended his healer against the Pharisees—and for that, he was thrown out of the synagogue (John 9:24-34). When Jesus saw the first man again, he told him, “Now you are well; so stop sinning, or something even worse may happen to you” (John 5:14). In contrast, when Jesus saw the second man again, the man worshiped Jesus joyfully (John 9:35-38). Each of these men faced very similar sufferings and experienced very similar opportunities, but one embraced self-pity and the other embraced hope and gratitude. We cannot control the sufferings that come our way, but we can be intentional about the mindset we choose to foster.

John 16:33“I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”

Romans 8:28We know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.

2 Corinthians 12:7-10So to keep me from becoming proud, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger from Satan to torment me and keep me from becoming proud. Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

James 1:2-4Consider it pure joy, my brothers, when you encounter trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Allow perseverance to finish its work, so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

We don’t know what Paul’s thorn in the flesh was, exactly. It could have been a physical pain or disability; it could have been a temptation; it could even have been a specific persecutor. Whatever it was, Paul thought his life would be better off without it. Yet every time Paul asked for God to take it away, God gave him this answer: “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” Jesus never promised us lives free from hardship—in fact, he promised the opposite. But we are also promised that God will be with us through it all, and God will use that hardship to produce good in the end. That doesn’t mean our hardship is a good thing. Paul’s thorn was “a messenger from Satan” and clearly intended for evil! But God turned that evil attack into an opportunity to strengthen Paul’s character and his faith. The book of James tells us to consider trials a source of joy—not because the trials themselves are joyful experiences, but because through them, we can become more spiritually mature and complete.

Philippians 1:6I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.

Depression can come from feeling stuck, like we’re buried in a deep pit of muck. We feel trapped, helpless, and broken. But even in truly grim circumstances, God has the power to create change. Our trust in him will always pay off in the end.

What can I do when I’m depressed? How can I recover? - Depression - TouchPoints