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Written in turns by a mother, son, and father, this poignant and uplifting account shows how to rely on the Spirit during times of adversity and draw on the Savior's blessings of peace, hope, and healing.
Depression: The chemical imbalance in the brain that attacks the very soul. Yet, as late as 1974, the American Psychiatric Association listed in their diagnostic manual "strong religious belief" as a disorder. Is depression exclusively a chemical imbalance? And as recently as today many pastors in the religious community discourage their parishioners from seeking medical help. Is depression exclusively a spiritual attack? From Depression to Deliverance is a spiritual companion to your doctor's advice demonstrating that depression is an attack on the mind, body and spirit. Thus, in order to win this battle, we have to attack it on all three fronts embracing both the scientific and spiritual communities. You are not alone in this battle. So join us on this pilgrimage from a psychiatrist's office, to the great outdoors with a few church sermons on the way; from mourning to joy, from torment to peace, from darkness into God's wonderful light.
How the saints, the sacraments, and psychiatry can help you break depression's grip and find happiness again Countless Christians—including scores of saints—have suffered profound, pervasive sorrow that modern psychiatrists call “depression.” Then, as now, great faith and even fervent spiritual practices have generally failed to ease this wearying desolation of soul. In these pages, Catholic psychiatrist Aaron Kheriaty reviews the effective ways that have recently been devised to deal with this grave and sometimes deadly affliction — ways that are not only consistent with the teachings of the Church, but even rooted in many of those teachings. Extensive clinical experience treating patients with depression has shown Dr. Kheriaty that the confessional can’t cure neuroses, nor can the couch forgive sin. Healing comes only when we integrate the legitimate discoveries of modern psychology and pharmacology with spiritual direction and the Sacraments, giving particular attention to the wisdom of the Church Fathers and the saints. Here, with the expert help of Dr. Kheriaty, you’ll learn how to distinguish depression from similarlooking but fundamentally different mental states such as guilt, sloth, the darkness of sin, and the sublime desolation called “dark night of the soul” that is, in fact, a privileged spiritual trial sent to good souls as a special gift from God. You’ll come to know how to identify the various types of depression and come to understand the interplay of their often manifold causes, biological, psychological, behavioral, cultural, and, yes, moral. Then you’ll learn about exciting breakthroughs in pharmacological and other medical treatments, the benefits and limitations of psychotherapy, the critical place that spiritual direction must have in your healing, and the vital role that hope — Christian hope — can play in driving out depression.
Experience your healing as you encounter the Lord’s love through the holy Communion. Are you worried about a bad medical report? Or battling a chronic or incurable condition? Don’t give up. Not now. Not ever. Let this inspiring 90-day devotional bring hope and breakthroughs as you learn about the Lord Jesus’ love for you and how He wants you to walk in healing and wholeness. Through uplifting bite-size readings, daily thoughts, and many healing testimonies, discover how the Communion meal is all about encountering the person of Jesus and receiving all He has done for you. And as you learn to come to the Lord’s Table and allow Him to impart His life and health to you, may you begin to experience for yourself the healing power of the holy Communion.
Dont spend one more day without hope! Sometimes we forget that great heroes of the faith endured tremendous struggles and trials. They were not immune to bad days and depression. But many of those heroes experienced mighty works of God and had their mourning turned to dancing. In Depressed People of the Bible, Jeff Zaremsky takes a unique look at depression as he highlights how God carried familiar biblical characters through seasons of depression. At the same time, he presents modern-day stories of deliverance, allowing readers to glean from Gods faithfulness to His people through history. Chapters include Pause, Ponder, and Proceed questions for readers to consider, along with encouragement and instruction on renewing the mind. Depressed People of the Bible gives readers: Insight into what leads to depression. Understanding of different types of depression. Healthy habits that can combat depressive symptoms. A path to healing and wholeness. God is mindful of your emotions. Dont wait another day . . . its time to get started on your journey out of the darkness and into His marvelous light!
DIV Freedom From Depression is a biblical plan with the mission of bringing emotional healing to the depressed-of-heart through spiritual health and wholeness./div
FEARLESS IN 21 DAYS is a testimony of hope and a day-by-day guide to healing the mind using mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual applications for those bound by crippling fear, anxiety, panic disorders, and depression. In the summer of 2013, family and friends watched helplessly as author Sarah E. Ball spiraled into the darkest season of her life. A passionate woman of God, wife, mom of five, and popular blogger, Sarah nevertheless found herself abruptly taken captive by a severe anxiety and panic disorder that left her bedridden for months. Those around her were shocked at her fast derailment because she had always been a very strong, dependable woman. With time and perseverance, her determination and faith in God led her out of anxiety and into a place of complete freedom. After Sarah found deliverance from mental illness she was determined to reach back into the pit and pull the next person out. She began sharing the intimate details of her breakdown and recovery with her readers, creating an online series Fearless in 21 Days as a daily guide to overcoming anxiety. After the series gained an increasing amount of attention, Sarah expanded the series into an award-winning full book manuscript. In FEARLESS IN 21 DAYS, Sarah takes the readers through 21 revelations that focus on healing the whole self-body, mind, and soul-and bridging the gap between effective mental health therapies and Scripture. The book begins with practical tips that can dramatically reduce the immediate symptoms of anxiety and then dives deeper into spiritual and mental truths to create a hope-filled guide to freedom from anxiety so that readers may boldly and bravely fulfill their purpose in Christ-fearlessly.
A compassionate, shame-free guide for your darkest days “A one-of-a-kind book . . . to read for yourself or give to a struggling friend or loved one without the fear that depression and suicidal thoughts will be minimized, medicalized or over-spiritualized.”—Kay Warren, cofounder of Saddleback Church What happens when loving Jesus doesn’t cure you of depression, anxiety, or suicidal thoughts? You might be crushed by shame over your mental illness, only to be told by well-meaning Christians to “choose joy” and “pray more.” So you beg God to take away the pain, but nothing eases the ache inside. As darkness lingers and color drains from your world, you’re left wondering if God has abandoned you. You just want a way out. But there’s hope. In I Love Jesus, But I Want to Die, Sarah J. Robinson offers a healthy, practical, and shame-free guide for Christians struggling with mental illness. With unflinching honesty, Sarah shares her story of battling depression and fighting to stay alive despite toxic theology that made her afraid to seek help outside the church. Pairing her own story with scriptural insights, mental health research, and simple practices, Sarah helps you reconnect with the God who is present in our deepest anguish and discover that you are worth everything it takes to get better. Beautifully written and full of hard-won wisdom, I Love Jesus, But I Want to Die offers a path toward a rich, hope-filled life in Christ, even when healing doesn’t look like what you expect.
Ours is an age of anxiety. We worry about our children, jobs, homes, health, and finances. News and social media feed our fears. Even the fear of missing out leads to anxiety. The solution isn't to rid ourselves of the sources of anxiety but to recognize that anxiety originates from a spiritual influence--and then use the weapons of power, love, and a sound mind to fight back and live in God's peace. Sharing her own story of emerging from the battle with anxiety as well as the stories of others, Dr. Michelle Bengtson reminds you of your identity as a follower of Christ and of the peace he promises you in spite of everything. She provides tools to cope with the crushing emotional burden of anxiety now, and, more importantly, shows you how to reclaim God's peace as a way of life so that you can break anxiety's grip.
Becoming a dragon is a dangerously subtle process. You make a long chain of bad choices. The chain gradually wraps around you. Layer by layer, it begins to take on the aspect of scales. One day you glance at yourself in the mirror and a monster is staring back at you. You aren't who you used to be. You aren't who you want to be. You're not who you were created and designed to be. Instead, you're a dragon. When Jim Burgen was nineteen years old, he realized how easy it had been to become a dragon. He knew he didn't want to be one anymore . . . but how? No More Dragons is the story of our common, hopeful journey from dragonhood back to personhood. As Pastor Burgen narrates the remarkable process of reclaiming himself from himself, he implores modern church goers to shake off the trivialities of churchiness in favor of the substantive questions that make a spiritual transformation: “Is Jesus the only one who can undragon people?” “Why don't I like most churches?” “Where is God in difficult times?” “How do you shed decades of gnarly scales?” Some choices will lead you to a better life. Some will kill you. Some choices will add a new layer of scales to your dragon, and some will slough them off. No More Dragons is about asking Christ to deliver you and learning how to obey him.
