5 Things I Do When I Feel Chronic Illness Related Depression
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One thing I’ve learned with adrenal fatigue is that recovery is not a straight line from sick to well.
Wouldn’t that be nice?
Instead it looks like this.
I will just say that this process is much longer than even this graphic portrays.
I just didn’t have room for all of the scribbles and crashes necessary to adequately describe what it’s like.
I’m somewhere between the second crash and “Found what works. Yay!”
And when I’m in a crash, I tend to fall into a depression as well. Have you been there?
Depression is a familiar foe to adrenal fatigue sufferers.
I remember the first time I truly acknowledged that I was in a depression. I’d been there before, but I didn’t want to admit it.
Somehow, to me, saying I was in a depression was right up there with a 4-letter, dirty word.
I couldn’t allow myself to say it.
Saying it would make it real, and I am a Christian – I’m not supposed to be in a depression.
At that time, I didn’t realize that a physiological depression wasn’t the same as a demonic oppression.
In my mind, depression was almost always demonic oppression.
The more I began to research adrenal fatigue, the more I learned that when the body is lacking essential resources for it’s function and survival, it often has to turn off unnecessary resources.
There were times when I literally felt emotionally dead.
When I felt happy, it was such a faded feeling that it was almost a mirage. I didn’t even really feel sad when it was appropriate.
I just didn’t feel at all.
After going through a number of crashes, I began to see a pattern – and a part of that pattern was depression.
5 Things I Do When I Feel Chronic Illness Related Depression
I want to make a distinction in this post that this depression is purely physiological.
I also want to emphasize that this is my personal response that I am sharing with my readers.
This is not advice I am giving as a professional, because I am not a professional.
If you are experiencing depression and/or are suicidal, please reach out to a trusted source or call 1-800-273-8255 (1-800-273-TALK).
1. I remind myself that this is physiological.
Somehow, just knowing that it is physiological and not psychological or spiritual is a huge help to me.
I will often take time during the day to just speak to my heart that this is a result of my chronic condition, that I’ve been here before, and that there are better days ahead.
This reminder has proved to be an enormous help.
2. I remind myself that it there is an end in sight.
While crashes don’t last forever, it’s impossible to know how long they’ll last.
So much of it depends on your health before the crash, your response and immune function during the crash.
But the good news is that it doesn’t last forever.
Knowing that there is an end, even if I don’t know when that end will be, is very helpful in keeping my heart encouraged.
3. I practice biblical meditation
I have found that biblical meditation is essential in walking through depression.
Filling my heart and mind with Bible verses and passages that encourage and build up tend to give me a strong foundation that keeps me from falling into a dark abyss.
Here are articles I’ve written about biblical meditation.
4. I choose to walk in joy…even when I don’t feel like it.
It was during one of my early depressions that I learned the value of choosing joy.
Happiness is the natural outcome of positive circumstances.
Joy is a choice we make no matter our circumstances. And we all have the ability to choose to walk in joy because of the power of the Holy Spirit.
I will often take verses on joy to meditation on, and will instruct my heart out loud to be joyful.
This is particularly essential when I don’t feel like it.
What I don’t do is give in to the temptation to be lazy, sad, or walk in self-pity.
This is destructive and can potentially turn a physiological depression into a spiritual one.
5. I do things that promote happiness
During these times I will try to limit my time online, because screens tend to cause stress on the body.
I will try to get extra sleep, continue to be diligent about taking my supplements, and watch my diet.
These are all things that help to support good immune function and limit chronic inflammation in my body, that can prolong a crash.
I will also try find time for fresh air each day, spend extra time with my family, and just do fun things.
I do this especially when I don’t feel like it.
Many times, doing what I “feel like” is destructive — because what I feel like doing is mindless scrolling through social media, distracting myself with binge-watching shows, eating junk food, and being selfish by not giving time to my family.
Many times our bodies will want the very thing that keeps it in an unhealthy state.
This is when we must be the grown up in the room and take control.
This is when joy must be a choice.
This is when making healthy choices for our behavior, diet and health must be a choice.
This is when making wise choices for our activities must be a choice.
Having been down this road more times than I care to recount today, and knowing that there will be more days like this ahead…
I have found that these 5 things have been enormously helpful in staying positive and joyful for my family and me.
For more articles like this, click the links below:
5 Bible Verses for the Exhausted Woman
5 Decisions To Make On a Bad Day With Chronic Illness
Does My Battle With Chronic Illness Mean I Lack Faith?
10 Bible Verses for Chronic Illness – Free Download
6 Tips for Homeschooling With Chronic Illness
3 Important Truths for the Suffering Christian
5 Things I Do When I Feel Adrenal-Fatigue Related Depression
Adrenal Fatigue Series
How to Walk in Joy as a Christian Woman With Chronic Illness
How to Find Rest as a Christian Woman With Chronic Illness
Christian Meditation for Chronic Illness
How to Organize Your Schedule When You Battle Chronic Illness
How to Homeschool With Chronic Illness
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