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I have been surprised lately by how many people I know that battle with depression on a daily basis. It's something we can all deal with from time to time, but someone who is clinically "depressed" struggles with this continually, and I am finding out about more and more people close to me that battle this daily.

The constant debate on depression includes different theories, called models. There are biological models, psychological models, or combinations of both. After having training in both fields, I can tell you it is neither biological or psychological...completely. There are elements of both involved, but it is more than can be defined by one of these models. I am also not one of the people who thinks it is a spiritual condition either. I have actually heard someone say to another person, "If you are depressed, you must be in sin." Come on.

The reality is that for the most part, depression is individually based. There is not a continuum for the model because personalities and traits vary, therefore the way depression effects people will vary with each person. But we seem to think that even with this information, we can treat depression the same way across the board. Does that make sense to anyone?

I can tell you prescription drugs are not the solution. Although they have helped some people, there is danger in using drugs like this as a blanket solution. Two people close to me have used them with very bad outcomes. I have seen doctors prescribe these with little know about the person (Not the doctor's fault--this is what the system teaches). I cannot offer any perfect solution, but here are some facts, and some trends I have observed.

Facts:

-There is NO WAY to measure a neurotransmitter (aka: brain chemical). We prescribe SSRI's (Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors), and we understand how they work based on blood levels of a Serotonin precursor. Brain fluids of some people who suffered with depression have shown low Serotonin levels, however, this cannot be measured in a living person's brain. Traces can be found in the blood, but this shows nothing about the activity in the brain.

- We know little about the mechanisms of depression. Because of this, there is a fair amount of guesswork involved.

- The drugs which target depression and have effects on neurotransmitters are known to have those actions, but can also effect several other things of which we know little about. Because of this, there is a potential for adverse reactions that we are unaware of at this point.


Some things I have seen work:

(Again, the way depression effects people is an INDIVIDUAL thing, so there is no solution that works across the board. But, here are some key things people I know have done that don't involve medication that I have seen help them.)

- Change of diet. (Eating healthier, increased vitamin intake. Obvious benefit)

- Exercise. This has been shown to have a direct benefit to NT function and emotional stability. I have seen this help people more than any other thing. Simply walking around the block daily would change a depressed person's mood drastically. Unfortunately, when someone is in the state, the hardest part is making it out of the front door. Once they do, the benefits are felt. But up until that point is a battle, and a cycle that keeps the person sedimentary.

-GETTING OUTSIDE OF YOURSELF/ HELPING OTHERS: This is one of the most overlooked things that does wonders for any person, especially someone battling with depression. (Matt 16:25)

This is also where the spiritual relationship comes into play. I said I don't believe depression is a spiritual problem, and I don't. BUT--selfishness/being self-focused IS a spiritual problem. When you invest into others and give of yourself when you don't feel like it, the rewards are large. The inwardly focused cycle of depression will only increase until you get the focus off yourself completely. This can be tough to start, but once started, it becomes easier and easier to accomplish.