Sorry to break it; God can’t cure depression.
Tags: Mental Health, Depression, Conversation, Religious, God

In moments of catastrophe and problems, people around us repeatedly told us that there are no challenges that our God gave that we can’t resolve. God didn't create a problem we can’t surmount; we have to trust.

God is where we seek refuge: when we are lost and when we are down or devastated, God is always the answer. There is no problem; we can’t pass without God’s grace and guidance.

Being raised in a community where God must be the center of the Family, at a young age, I learned that communication with God is an essential part of solving one’s problem.

Living in a country where a connection with God is valued. So it is hard to share some insights about mental health illness, especially when they have this certain idea that any problems or hardships would be resolved when we trust God.

That’s why when a news outlet here in the Philippines reported a story of a high schooler boy who committed suicide for unknown reasons. My mother pointed out that it is because of his lack of connection with God. In the report from Inquirer.net, the 18-year-old student, whom the police suspected of having trouble in school, jumped to his death from a car park building in Makati City.

I was not really impressed with her commentary about the report, so I immediately retorted, telling her that Depression is something. With a creasing forehead, she asked me why? I told her that God couldn’t treat depression.

And to tell you, I am not an atheist; at some point, I do believe in miracles of God. My mother was a believer of Black Nazarene at Quiapo, and I remember joining her in some of its activities. For example, I remember joining the Translacion — an event where Nazareno devotees gather together to show love and devotion to the Nazarene — and went home fulfilled.

However, when I told her that God couldn’t treat depression, she immediately creased her forehead and unleashed her tigress nature. She gave me a look, telling me how stupid it is to question God’s divine grace. I told her my side, and good thing she did listen thoroughly and ended the argument.

And I realized this does not only happened to me. The stigma about depression is experienced inside the comforts of my home, but other middle-class households in the Philippines suffer from the same experience.

The stigma about depression is not only experienced inside the comforts of my home but other middle-class households in the Philippines suffer from the very same experience.

If my parents view suicide like it was something caused by disconnecting with God. It shows why the root cause of suicide, depression, is still hard for them to understand. This experience is very telling of how people perceive depression and mental health problems.

It’s a hard pill to swallow that these beliefs are often held by those closest to us — by the people from whom we so desperately want support.

When Eat Bulaga’s host Joey De Leon, a popular host of the longest variety show here in the Philippines, received a backlash for his statement saying that depression is just a state of mind, he even reiterated that this is just a figment of imagination.

“Pag mayaman, depression. Pag mahirap, wala, wala ka nang pag-asa sa buhay,” said De Leon during his stint in the longest running noontime variety show.

Even though he apologized for this, the damage has been done a day after this event transpired. His way of thinking only proves that some people are still not aware of this battle.

Since only the rich could afford to get a therapist, most Filipinos are left to their own devices instead of seeking professional help. What makes this condition even harder to understand is how these beliefs are often held by those closest to us — by the very people from whom we so desperately want support.

If suicide is viewed by my parents like it was something caused by disconnecting with God. It goes to show why the root cause of suicide which is depression is still hard for them to understand.

Depression is not about feeling unhappy; it’s a conversation that encompasses acceptance and respect.

In the Philippines, dubbed as the third happiest country in the world 2018 and named as this year’s 69th happiest place globally by U.N., depression is a discussion that gets frowned upon.

In a place where we are told to be happy regardless of the problems that we may encounter: it’s no wonder why depression seems to be the most complex mental health illness. People can’t just comprehend what depression is since the conversation always surrounds being unhappy, and Filipinos are often known for their jovial personalities.

The very idea of suffering from depression creates a unique set of challenges for young people struggling with depression. Most people don't recognize and acknowledge depressive symptoms and seek treatment since most people don't have the courage to discuss their battle against depression.

This avoidance of discussing depression creates a vicious circle. It’s a situation wherein a situation that doesn't often get addressed establishes a chain of events in which the response to one difficulty creates a new problem that aggravates the original difficulty.

According to the Centre for Clinical Intervention, one of the ways of breaking the vicious cycle of depression is through medication. Medication such as antidepressants can help change your energy level and improve sleep. Another way is to increase your activity level, especially in pleasurable activities and tackling your list of tasks and responsibilities, but doing it in a realistic and achievable way so that you set yourself up to succeed. Centre for Clinical Intervention also emphasized that everyone should look at how thinking patterns contribute to the vicious cycle of depression. The depression battle ended when one was able to break the cycle.

Depression is like a God; it has no face.

A key factor of why depression is dangerous because it has no face. Everyone could suffer from it. No one is immune to depression. Everyone could have it—student, mourning wife, newly pregnant, businessman, war veterans, senior citizens, and teenagers.

That’s why there is still an active conversation about mental health, and various organizations are doing their very own initiatives to raise more awareness regarding the mental health issue. Because ignoring this very issue can cost the lives of people who could have been saved in the first place.

Even though you ask for prayers, as long as you don’t do anything to keep progressing, nothing will happen. Professionals will give medicine or advice on how to cure depression. But in the end, it is in our hands if we would like to survive or get drowned. Because at the end of the day, it is ours who make decisions.

Even the faithful get depressed.

In 2019, the megachurch pastor and a mental health advocate made headlines after committing suicide. An article from the Time revealed that the Californian megachurch pastor, Jared Wilson, who devotedly spoke out on mental health issues and his own struggles with depression, died by suicide at the age of 30.

He was often described as someone with contagious energy. His enthusiasm to share the words of God and his vibrant personality is a joy to others. That’s why when he committed suicide every one was shocked since he never showed susceptible signs of depression. Instead, he was often smiling, and he often gave lengthy and inspiring advice about life.

His story is a constant reminder that the battle with depression does not end just by reconnecting with God. It’s about reconnecting with yourself. It’s about battling the demons inside your head.

God can’t cure your depression. It’s a battle more than that.

Depression is a conversation everyone should participate in.

The root cause of depression is a problem that caused us to be sad, and we wanted to cure it by completely removing sadness from our life. It’s not possible.

Our real problem is not sadness. It is how we dwell with sadness. Since there is too much sadness drowning us, it feels like no matter how we swim.

We can pray, we can call the doctor and whatnot. However, we also have to remind ourselves that we have to change the way we think to survive. We have to regain the voice that we should have first; we need to have courage in moments that we are deemed powerless.

There are a lot of causes of depression. One could be depressed for the loss of their loved ones or due to bullying or insecurities. One thing is for sure depression blinds us into thinking that we can’t attain happiness anymore. People out there told us that we should be happy all the time; sadness should not share that sadness in any way.

In this battle against depression, the voices and the empathy and support from those who don't suffer from it are greatly helpful to triumphing this crisis.

Vulnerability is not synonymous with weakness.

However, in the end, it is your voice that matters. People out there are willing to extend their help; talking to God also helps alleviate the pain. So now it is still in your hands if you want to be a survivor or choose to be another casualty. Whatever your mechanism in coping with depression, for as long as it is not mentally and physically damaging, take that as a small step of your journey to winning this battle.

Sorry to break it; God can’t treat your depression. He can help, not totally cure. Depression does not need a cure. It needs treatment. Hence, God can’t treat your depression if you remain persistent and resist being helped.

So at the end of the day, you should know who can. It’s the people who surround you. It’s the little things you learn to appreciate. It’s the therapist you talked with. But, above all else, it’s you.