How To Fight Depression

Depression and anxiety seem to be ruling the modern world today.  Look at these stats. (source )  

Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)
GAD affects 6.8 million adults, or 3.1% of the U.S. population, yet only 43.2% are receiving treatment.
Women are twice as likely to be affected as men. GAD often co-occurs with major depression.

Panic Disorder (PD)
PD affects 6 million adults, or 2.7% of the U.S. population.
Women are twice as likely to be affected as men.

Social Anxiety Disorder
SAD affects 15 million adults, or 6.8% of the U.S. population.
SAD is equally common among men and women andtypically begins around age 13. According to a 2007 ADAA survey, 36% of people with social anxiety disorder report experiencing symptoms for 10 or more years before seeking help.

Specific Phobias
Specific phobias affect 19 million adults, or 8.7% of the U.S. population.
Women are twice as likely to be affected as men.
Symptoms typically begin in childhood; the average age-of-onset is 7 years old.
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are closely related to anxiety disorders, which some may experience at the same time, along with depression.

So it's pretty clear our culture is struggling with fear and depression.  So we've clearly defined that there is a problem, but the question really is how in the world do we fight these things? How can we overcome these monsters?  


Glad you asked!  
Bottom line is this! We have to understand God better.  I know that sounds like a really lazy answer, but in reality, if we understand what God has intended for us.  Jesus is our heavenly Father.  More than that, he's a PERFECT father who is not lacking in any area.  Look at the following verses:

25 “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?27 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?[g] 28 And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, 29 yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

34 “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

You see what happened in this text.  God is telling us here that if he does take care of grass and birds, who are simply just his creation how much more is he going to take care of his CHILDREN?  

We have to know and trust what God is doing in our lives.  And so often I think that because we are looking at the wrong person we tend to get depressed.  When we start looking at Jesus and stop looking at what's going on around us things start to look at those things differently.  When start viewing this life as a temporary thing and not an eternal thing. We start to change our actions and the things that we are wanting to chase after when we view Jesus as the end all be all.  

When we view Jesus as our life everything else that might sparkle or seem horrible has a different appearance, because the KING is all we see.  

If we are involved in His mission of spreading the His message to the people around us we will not have time to live in anxiety.  The answer to understanding how to fight depression is realizing and understand that Jesus has given us everything we will ever need for life and Godliness  

His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, 2 Peter 1:3 


I mean I've struggled with depression.  I really have.  But the moment I got my eyes on the right Person the other person's issues did not seem that monumental.  

Focus on JESUS!  I mean it.  Get alone.  Spend time with him.  Read his word regularly.  Everything else will fall into place.!  
    

33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Matthew 6:33