Faithful Steward Ministries and FSM Women's Outreach

Whether you are a soldier away from home, a wife or girlfriend of that soldier deployed, have someone incarcerated sick or maybe you lost someone around Christmas; depression is real but many folks hide it for a myriad of reasons. Professor Murray points out 7 things we can do to help lift our spirits and in many cases those around us. – Mike

This article is part of the Open Letters series. /  David Murray

Dear Friend,

Depression is tough at the best of times. Perhaps it’s the best of times, such as holiday times, when it’s especially tough. The thought of mixing with happy people fills you with dread. The thought of remembering lost loved ones fills you with gloom. How can people be so happy when you are so sad? How can people celebrate when you are in mourning? It jars your soul and scrapes your tender wounds, doesn’t it?

You may want to run away and hide from the noisy busyness and the social obligations. Or you may want to lash out at the insensitive and uncaring people who exhort you to “Cheer up!” Or maybe you just want to drown your sorrows with binge drinking, binge eating, or binge TV-watching. But none of these options—running out, lashing out, or pigging out—will improve your depression. Indeed, they will only make it worse.

Let me propose a better way that will enable you to carefully navigate this holiday season while also contributing to your long-term healing…

Continued at Source: An Open Letter to the Depressed Christian at Christmas