Advice on mental health

Contextually Paul is speaking about his preaching of the Gospel and has nothing to do with whether or not one may suffer from any form of mental illness. It isn't a proof text, as you are misusing it, to prove that a person is not to suffer in this life from mental maladies. Please attempt to respect and use 2 Timothy 2:15.

Please stop abusing and misusing Scripture.

Is it wrong to ask your age? Reason being that many of our systems break down with age. Thyroid, adrenal, and other hormone producing organs may be sluggish. Digestion, can be compromised limiting needed nutrients from entering the body. As much as we think the body and brain are separate, everything is connected and one small imbalance can effect everything. Just think about the difference one pill or one B12 shot can help or hurt. Just thought it was worth mentioning.

Note to self: better be careful with people giving me bible verses

I’m 32, I take a multi vitamin, try to eat somewhat healthy, and go on walks. I have a very sensitive central nervous system

That is a totally nonsensical statement.

What is given to Timothy is given to every believer.

1. No fear ("perfect love casteth out fear")

2. Power (the power of the indwelling the Holy Spirit)

3. Love ("the Love of Christ constraineth us")

4. A sound mind ("we have the mind of Christ").

Looks like you don't believe God. That does not mean that the OP should not.

I believe Paul when he says when we will be persecuted as disciples and will have spiritual battles. Ones human spirit can not fully understand and except the Gospel without faith and the Holy Spirit.
“Happier were the victims of the sword than the victims of hunger, who wasted away, pierced by lack of the fruits of the field.”
‭‭Lamentations‬ ‭4:9‬ ‭
The battle between human spirit and gods spirit can cause quite strife for some people.

The passage has absolutely nothing to do with your misapplication. Context denies such an asinine, misinformed misusage.

But, given your track record, you simply cannot learn, admit you are wrong. Ever.

For the OP: Here is Gill on the matter of 2 TImothy 1:7:

For God hath not given us the spirit of fear,.... A pusillanimous, cowardly spirit, so as to be afraid of men or devils, of what they will say or do; and so as to be discouraged in, sink under, or be deterred from the work of the Lord, the preaching of the Gospel, opposing the errors of false teachers, and reproving men for their sins, and doing other parts of the ministerial function; such a spirit is not from God, and such a fear brings a snare:

but of power, and such is the Spirit of God, who is called "power from high"; Luk_24:49 by which the minds of Christ's servants are fortified against reproaches and persecutions for his sake, and are strengthened to resist Satan's temptations, to endure hardness as good soldiers of Christ, to quit themselves like men, in opposition to false teachers, and to do the will and work of God:

and of love; to God, and Christ, and his church, and which is a fruit of the Holy Spirit; and such who have it seek not their own ease and credit, but the glory of God, the interest of Christ, and the good of souls; and having such a spirit, and fired with such love, they are not easily intimidated by the adversary;

and of a sound mind: in the principles and doctrines of the Gospel; and which shows itself in a prudent conduct and behaviour; in sobriety, moderation, temperance, purity, and honesty; all which may be signified by the word here used: and these who have such dispositions and qualities from God, will not easily give way to the enemies of religion, or decline their duty for fear of them.

As you can see, John Gill interprets this passage properly and contextually, and applies it in that intended sense. It has to do with the preaching of the Gospel in the face of enemies and opposition.

Keep in mind we will suffer in this world as believers, even with anxiety, depression, despair &c. God bless and keep praying.

I fully believe this. I fully strive for this. May be it my lack of faith... but I do suffer and am d

Well, do your best for your family, recognizing that is the will of God.

Quantrill

You are only adding to your guilt by thinking you do not have enough faith.

I do know one thing depression is complicated, neurological, emotional and spiritual, if you can, you need to research and seek the support of a trustworthy therapist hopefully one with a Christian perspective.

You clearly don't fully grasp what depression is or you wouldn't say such things. To someone with depression your post sounds ludicrous.
Depression can be a temporary thing at times, such as situational depression, but those that suffer from chemical depression can assure you there is no misinterpreting it as bad.
For people with such depression it's not a reaction to the world around you. In fact you could have an ideal life in every way and still be depressed because the problem is within your brain.
Imagine life like this...
People with depression often have aches and pains with no obvious cause.
People with depression can't regulate their mood and sometimes not even their thoughts.
People with depression often deal with thoughts of suicide and some genuinely desire it.
People with depression isolate themselves, at times even away from their own friends and family. Spouse and children.
People with depression feel they are a burden to everyone around them.
People with depression often contend with anxiety on top of the depression.
People with depression either can't sleep, or sleep too much.
People with depression can find it hard to do simple tasks other find effortless.
People with depression can feel shame or embarrassment about having depression.
People with depression can be overly sensitive.
People with depression often lack faith in themselves.
People with depression can feel a need to hide their depression, making it worse.
People with depression can often be treated as if it's their fault for being depressed.
People with depression are prone to have more health problems.


I could go on, but that gives a good picture. And that's just off the top of my head. Notice not one mention of external factors such as the condition of the world.

And the ideas of being "stuck" makes perfect sense. I, too, have felt this way as one whose had depression for nearly 30 years.

Mental illness is a form of physical illness. It's when the physical brain is not working as intended and this affects the thoughts, behaviors, understanding and outlook of the person affected.
And most Christian responses are more damaging than helpful. I see damaging responses in this thread.
For some reason if people go to Christian's and state a physical illness they have most Christians will support them, pray for them and not expect them to magically change. Yet when you inform most Christians that your physical brain is ill it's your lack of faith or lack if trust in God or lack of bible reading or too much of the world, or sin in your life, etc, etc...
Imagine talking like that to someone in a wheelchair. Most Christian's wouldn't dare to say such a thing to one in a wheelchair yet feel fully justified to saying it to the mentally ill. Though both are in similar situations with physical problems.

Ata, do you believe that you are fulfilling your purpose? Do you have a passion or something you feel is your reason for being? Sometimes continually unmet expectations or continual disappointment causes our motivation to shut down. It’s like accepting that you will never be happy, and this life, despite maximum effort will never deliver return on investment. There is an exchange that is supposed to take place in everything that helps us quantify value. If I work for a week, my employer pays me money. If I serve my family, I expect my efforts to be appreciated and given respect, and love. How motivated would we be if at the end of the week a boss never payed us or we just had to give our money away, to a cause we never chose, before we could see it. The truth is that I’m not crazy about my life. I could see how someone could easily slip into darkness...if they chose the wrong motivators. Some people who are passionate about something defy all obstacles on their way to dream achievement. Sometimes it is investing in someone else’s dream hoping along the way the passion will infect us, but it never does. Whether it’s entrepreneurship, physical fitness or raising a family, if these are not passions, which give us constant gratification sustaining reward and meeting expectation then they are vampiric, weights upon our lives. Divorce is so prevalent because most people were never supposed to get married. It is oversold, as is sex. By the time most figure it out, they are already married. Same with having children in today’s age.

Search your soul, find what passion truly drives you, that you are not fulfilling. Then figure out why it drives you. Figure out what steals your energy and makes you want to jump in the car and leave it all behind. Then you will have your answer of why you are depressed.

You want to know what 'ludicrous' is? You spent a lot of time and words telling me how smart you are concerning depression and mental health, and yet have not offered one word of advice to Ata041114.

I believe both the world and the spiritual warfare affects depression. How could it not?

Due to the fall of Adam and the whole human race, we all have a degree of mental illness. We are broken, less than what we should be. The world, flesh, and devil, plays on that.

As believers we are still in the world, still have the flesh, and the devil devotes much time to our demise.

If one is a believer, and chooses to go to a therapist, they should certainly go to a Christian one. For we have the Spirit of God and that is an ingredient others do not have and cannot utilize.

Quantrill

I am unequally yoked in my marriage. I know God’s purpose for me is to love and care for
i saw a Christian therapist for a year, although she never used bible reference to anything, and a psychiatrist and tried many different medicines. I’ve been made aware of a lot of the underlying issues behind my depression, and the anxiety. I suffer from PTSD and ADHD. I’m a highly sensisitive and emotional person and I’ve learned not to let others effect how I live life, besides my spouse unfortunately 😦 marriage counseling is our next step

Ata041114, here's something you could try that's worked wonders for me

You may wish to try replacing things like I'm stuck with I'm getting better and better at finding New Paths to Freedom. Or whatever positive set of words works for you!

I did search for a passion, and I found Christ... I am a stay at home mother my youngest is finally in preschool a couple days a week. 1/2 days and I’m just trying really to find things that do bring me joy.... you’d think my family would, you’d think that God blessing me with 3 kids (my eldest being 14) would suffice for this season. It’s a long history, it’s a long road I’ve been down... I’ve been shut down as a person to make an entire family happy, and now I’m just trying to bring myself back to life, I believe when the say God gives you life, and I believe I face many more factors as a Child of God... I try to see the light in my struggle everyday, I try to do what’s best no matter what. 🙏

So, common among Christian's, rather than take an opportunity to learn so, in the future you may be a greater benefit to others, you'd rather ignore it all and instead argue with me.
See, though I may not have given Ata direct advice, i had hoped (as has happened in the past with others) that seeing someone who understands how they feel and defending them would be, in some small way, an encouragement.
So while I did not address them directly that does not mean I ignored them either.
And either way there was a lot of useful information provided to you, and anyone else who chooses to listen, that could be an aid for ministering to people in the future.
And nothing in my post revealed or suggested at my intelliengence on the subject. But as one that has nearly 30 years of depressive suffering under my belt I merely revealed what my trial has caused me to learn and the insights I've gained after spending 3/4 of my life with this burden. How sharing 30 years of experience and learning for the growth and betterment of others is perceived showing how "smart" I am I'm not entirely sure.
I'd hoped you'd walk away wiser on the topic and have an increased compassion for the people bearing this weight. Instead you felt a need to twist things so you could tear down what I was trying to teach and dismiss it.

I hear you. I can testify that parenting is a thankless job. I too have made peace by committing to a higher purpose and a Lord who will reward me in the life to come.

It is our duty to raise Godly children, however unrewarding it feels... it’s a difficult task in the world we live in today, especially if you weren’t even born again until after you had kids. Our higher purpose is to glorify and obey the lord, through every purpose he sets in front of us, or every purpose we seek out ourselves. 🙏 Praying I can make this come together somehow.