When You're in the Pits
He redeemed my soul from going down to the pit, and I will live to enjoy the light. Job 33:28, NIV.
Life isn't always a bowl of luscious cherries—you can end up in the pits! If you've suffered from depression, you know how terrible it is. You feel all alone, and nobody seems to understand. It's difficult to concentrate. Everything takes extra effort. Feeling washed out and tired, you can't make up your mind about anything. And you have no ambition or interest in what is going on around you.
How can you climb out of the pits?
Try eating "cherries" and other wholesome food at regular times, spaced about five hours apart. Regularity is important in controlling blood-sugar levels and in providing your digestive system with its necessary rest.
Many disturbed and easily depressed children come from homes where mealtimes are unimportant. They develop habits of eating junk food (empty calorie food high in fat, sugar, or salt) at all hours. Refined sweets, if used at all, should be eaten sparingly. Carbohydrates should come from fruits and whole-grain food, such as wheat, corn, oats, and millet. You can usually prevent low hemoglobin by meals rich in iron, vitamin C, and vitamin B12—eat plenty of dried fruits, dark, leafy green vegetables, and whole grains.
The second thing you should do when depressed is make a change in your environment. It will help transform your thoughts. Physically move out of the spot where you are and think about something you can do with your hands. Deliberately bring your mind to a new task—scrubbing, digging, planting. Drink a glass of water. Breathe deeply out in the fresh air. Vigorously wash your face and the back of your neck with cold water. Take a warm shower followed by a cold one.
Any of these mechanical methods will tend to shift the circulation of the blood and the firing patterns of your nervous system and make it easier for you to use your willpower to think of the positive, wholesome, and rewarding experiences of your life.
Finally, remember who ultimately brings victory over depression. "Thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Cor. 15:57, NIV).
Thank You, Lord, for giving me the victory over depression, and may I consider my problems pure joy knowing that You are in the process of maturing me.
Life isn't always a bowl of luscious cherries—you can end up in the pits! If you've suffered from depression, you know how terrible it is. You feel all alone, and nobody seems to understand. It's difficult to concentrate. Everything takes extra effort. Feeling washed out and tired, you can't make up your mind about anything. And you have no ambition or interest in what is going on around you.
How can you climb out of the pits?
Try eating "cherries" and other wholesome food at regular times, spaced about five hours apart. Regularity is important in controlling blood-sugar levels and in providing your digestive system with its necessary rest.
Many disturbed and easily depressed children come from homes where mealtimes are unimportant. They develop habits of eating junk food (empty calorie food high in fat, sugar, or salt) at all hours. Refined sweets, if used at all, should be eaten sparingly. Carbohydrates should come from fruits and whole-grain food, such as wheat, corn, oats, and millet. You can usually prevent low hemoglobin by meals rich in iron, vitamin C, and vitamin B12—eat plenty of dried fruits, dark, leafy green vegetables, and whole grains.
The second thing you should do when depressed is make a change in your environment. It will help transform your thoughts. Physically move out of the spot where you are and think about something you can do with your hands. Deliberately bring your mind to a new task—scrubbing, digging, planting. Drink a glass of water. Breathe deeply out in the fresh air. Vigorously wash your face and the back of your neck with cold water. Take a warm shower followed by a cold one.
Any of these mechanical methods will tend to shift the circulation of the blood and the firing patterns of your nervous system and make it easier for you to use your willpower to think of the positive, wholesome, and rewarding experiences of your life.
Finally, remember who ultimately brings victory over depression. "Thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Cor. 15:57, NIV).
Thank You, Lord, for giving me the victory over depression, and may I consider my problems pure joy knowing that You are in the process of maturing me.
Used by permission of Health Ministries, North American Division of Seventh-day Adventists.
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