Day 96 - Depression

365 daily emails to help you through the grieving process Grief support groups: Click here to find a GriefShare group near you. If you would like to find a group for a friend or relative, try our Search Page. Want to read ahead or resend a previous daily email? Click Here Depression Day 96 Are you experiencing … a complete lack of energy? difficulty sleeping? trouble concentrating? constant fatigue? no sense of enjoyment? apathy? If your answer is "yes," then depression has come to you. "Loss is one of the main causes of depression," states Dr. H. Norman Wright. It is okay to be depressed; even Jesus was depressed when facing death: "He began to show grief and distress of mind and was deeply depressed" (Matthew 26:37 AMP). You might be wondering about the difference between depression and sadness. Dr. Wright explains, "Sadness doesn't last as long; it's not as intense, and it doesn't immobilize you. Depression lasts longer, and it does immobilize you. With sadness, you can still go about your work. Maybe with depression, you can do it at 70 percent of your capacity. "The depression is there sometimes to numb you against the pain. Now, if the depression lasts and lingers for months, then maybe it has taken hold of you. But it's going to come." Take comfort from the fact that your depression is normal and expected with the loss of a loved one. Going from one emotion to the next is part of your movement through grief, so continue to take one step at a time and lean on the steady, secure arms of God. Jesus, I am senseless and paralyzed in the face of my depression. You, too, have felt this emotion. Help me to realize that depression does come to those in grief, and it's okay to feel this way. Comfort me, Lord. Amen. Grieving with Hope This GriefShare-based book contains short, topical chapters addressing issues that grieving people face but are often hesitant to mention to others; it gently guides people to determine whether they're grieving in a way that leads to hope and ultimate healing. Look for Grieving with Hope by Samuel Hodges and Kathy Leonard at a local or online bookstore or at griefshare.org/hope. If you would like to recommend these daily emails to a friend, please click here and choose one of the options under Share. For more information about GriefShare, including how to sign up for these daily emails, please click here. All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved. Copyright © 2003-2013 by The Church Initiative, Inc., All rights reserved. No part of this material may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without explicit permission in writing from Church Initiative. You subscribed to this daily email through www.griefshare.org. We value your privacy! We will never give, sell, rent, or otherwise share your email or personal information with any other organization — EVER. To remove this email address from further mailings Click Here while connected to the internet. If you have any problems or concerns, please contact dailyemailsupport@griefshare.org. GriefShare 250 S. Allen Rd. Wake Forest, NC 27587 (800) 395-5755