Episode 88 - Mental Health - When Depression Visits the Pastor

On our blog post for Monday, September 15, 2014 Jeff shared his story of walking through the valley of anxiety and panic with his wife, Debbie. He talked about how they didn't know what was going on, why she would have panic attacks, and why anxiety was her daily companion. It took them ten years before they found help... in their doctor's office.

On today's podcast, episode 88, Jonny's father recounts his virtually life-long experience with depression. As a pastor for forty years, he has been in the depression management business the entire time. Wait until you hear when he finally began to talk about it and reach out for help! (hint: you'll only need the fingers on one hand!)

Our desire is for YOU to find help and hope a lot sooner than Jeff and his wife did, or than Jonny's father did. In our day medicine has figured out so many of the mental health mysteries. There's more discovery to be had for sure, but we are so much farther than we were in the 60's... or 90's.

Jonny's Dad, David Craig, has written a book about depression, the first of a trilogy. You can find his book, The Birds Sang A Sad Song, here on Amazon, or at his website at DavidCCraig.net.

Are you suffering with challenges related to mental health? Please get help! You don't have to face it alone. That is the LIE that so many people with mental health problems face - "no one cares, you are all alone". People do care about you, you are NOT alone.

RESOURCES TO HELP YOU
First, if you feel that you have no one, try us! Email us at jeff@200churches.com or jonny@200churches.com.

Here are a couple websites that offer help. We cannot vouch for everything on these sites, we're just small church pastors, after all! But, they are a place for you to get started:

• Here is a great conversation with a pastor who struggles with depression and suicidal thoughts.
• The Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance
• Ministries and Programs for pastors and their families from ThrivingPastor.com
• Below are 117 words from a fantastic 7,000+ word article titled Coming Out of the Dark: Two Pastors’ Journey Out of Depression. This is a great article that covers pastoral depression from every angle! It talks about sabbaticals, medication, church boards, denominational structures, marriage and family issues, and so much more! 
  

I thank God that nonaddictive medication is available. Medication for depression is not like sleeping pills or Valium. Antidepressants are nonaddictive. They are taken until one’s body learns to produce enough serotonin again and a person is able to get proper rest. When a person breaks his arm, he wears a cast until it heals. It is a similar process with serotonin.

When I pastored, I frequently worked with ministers who were in severe depression. I recommended they visit a Christian psychiatrist or psychologist, get on antidepressants, and get balanced out. It is okay to get help. Antidepressants are a great gift. They are like insulin for a person with diabetes. What would we do without insulin?

David Craig (Grampa!) with Jonny's son Joseph, his mother, his wife Kayla, and son Asher