I feel so low at present. Although I had diagnosed depression for a couple of years I thought I was over it. Currently, my husband is away on a business trip, but only for another week, one child is preparing for exams, the other unsure of their direction, I have taken on three weeks of teaching for a few days to help our finances, I am trying to finish and submit my PhD thesis but become so distracted from the purpose as the days come and go. I know that in the big scheme of things these achievements and challenges are temporary, but I wish I could handle them better. My question is how long can I continue feeling so fragmented sometimes? Has anyone overcome similar perceptions of life? I should say I am a believer, in good standing with my brothers and sisters in Christ, regularly felloshipping, reading the word, and without my relationship with God I would have sunk long before now! I thank God for His and their support. Last night I picked up guitar to practice for Sunday and felt so useless, it has been a while and with studying and neglect of practice my skills are really reduced now.


Thanks
Louise:o

There are times where we may feel low. Have so many other things going on that we may feel like we are being pulled into so many different directions that our true path, our true road that we want to travel hardly gets travelled on. It is true, this is what happens. To communicate your concerns with God. To be able to meditate and pray, will open you up to help that he will provide to you. Whether it be a friend to talk to. Somebody to confide in. Your never useless. God uses us in so many ways. Everybody has a purpose in life and God is working through all people.

Joe

Thanks Joe For Reminding Me I Can Pray, Meditate And Be A Friend, As Well As Having A Great Friend In Jesus.

I don't know if you'll read this since it is an older post but I thought I would answer you. I too know what depression is like. I play guitar in a Christian band. I've struggled with depression for more than 10 years. Fortunately I got onto an anti-depressant that works for me. It doesn't fix my problmes but it helps me deal with them. Some people get past depression and others like myself have learned to live with it. With help it does get better. Playing the guitar helps me tremendously. I know there will be days when I feel really down and some days when it's the opposite. I'm not bi-polar. My doctor told me I'll probably be on an anti-depressant the rest of my life. If it works then don't change it. I pray every day. I've posted here before about problems in my life that I have created for myself and am struggling through. There are days when I can't sleep. Almost always I wake up consistently around 4:00 in the morning which I have learned from several different doctors is typical with depression. Knowing and understanding that I feel bad BECAUSE of the depression (and not necessarily because of what going on in my life) is a tremendous help in dealing with it. Otherwise you begin to think that you really are worthless, you really can't play the guitar, people hate you, etc. They call it driving the garbage truck. I've learned that if you are in a good mode and sit down and start thinking negative thoughts (driving out the garbage truck) it only takes a few minutes and you really start feeling depressed. In other words, the power of your thoughts really does have a lot to do with helping you through depression. In the negative sense it can be like a vicous circle. I will pray for you. I don't know what is going on in your life but I do know what you are feeling. You are not alone.

Thanks Joe For Reminding Me I Can Pray, Meditate And Be A Friend, As Well As Having A Great Friend In Jesus.

Louise, sometimes reading the Bible also helps and this passage may be particularly useful, Isaiah 40:25-31 and in particular the last three verses in fact the whole of Isaiah is useful. Speaking metaphorically, sometimes you don't know what's inside the washing up sponge in your kitchen until you squeeze it meaning that sometimes you don't realize your own strength until it has been put to the test. Hang in there though, joy cometh in the morning!

This is going to sound like a silly answer but... Try eating a medium sized potato an hour before you go to bed: cook it anyway you want (don't eat anything with protein though). Boil, bake, fry, mash... do this for a couple weeks and see how you feel. I've done it and it works like a charm. Your depression could be from a chemical imbalance in your brain.