Depression: a three part concept

The body is more than just flesh and bones. It is comprised of complex emotions, a will to persevere, and a soul that longs for answers. A body is a three part concept that involves the physical, emotional, and spiritual. When your body is sick, you do everything you can to get relief. When your heart hurts, you seek reconciliation. And when you are overtaken in spiritual warfare you pursue counsel. Laid out, it appears that these are three separate entities; however, each one is intertwined with the other. Therefore, when one part hurts, they all hurt. So why would you just focus on the physical when your body is sick? Why would you ignore the physical and spiritual when the heart aches? Why would you dismiss the idea that a spiritual battle could penetrate and destroy emotional stability and physical strength?

Depression is very real and it's effects on the body are very real. No one seems to raise on eyebrow on that statement. The controversy arises when we define the source of depression. Some say it is completely a chemical hormonal imbalance. Others argue that it is caused from emotional stress, while others staunchly believe it is all from spiritual issues and lack of trust in God. Who is right? Answer this for me, if depression can be fixed by popping a pill every morning, then why are people on it for ten, twenty, or thirty plus years? Aren't medications supposed to fix the problem? A second question, if depression is simply caused by emotional stress and a diagnosis of regular counseling sessions are prescribed, then why does that individual continue to suffer with physical pain and evident physical limitations and impairments? Last question, if someone just needs to increase his trust in the Lord to cure his depression, who has the right to judge, mediate, and weigh another person's level of trust?

Just as the health of the body doesn't involve one source, neither is depression caused by one source. Depression involves the entire body-physical, emotional, and spiritual. So, how do we treat something that is comprised of three drastically different concepts? Does a pill fix spiritual? Does counseling fix the physical? Does increasing one's trust in the Lord fix emotional stress and abuse? When we ask those questions, the answer is pretty obvious; no, it's not a cure all or a fix it quick remedy. All three aspects of the body must be involved in the healing, maintaining, and preventing depression.

Let's start with the physical body. Your physical body is a miraculous machine; it runs more efficiently than any man-made machine, stores more information than a super computer, and each part communicates with each other instantaneously. Just like a well run machine must be maintained, so the body must be maintained. How you care for your body will determine the efficiency of its output. The body is fueled by food-the right kinds of food. You wouldn't put regular gasoline in a diesel run truck, so why would you put the wrong food in your body? I'm talking about all those man-made processed foods, the Pizza Rolls, Hot Pockets, Lean Cuisine, Kashi, and the list could continue. Even the health conscious frozen meals and snacks are loaded with sodium for preservation. And if the brand advertises low fat, I guarantee you it will be loaded with sugar to compensate taste for the low fat content. All these products are enhanced, fortified, and modified. There is nothing natural about these foods. Many foods have had increased hormones added to increase the body mass of the animal so that retailers can sell more. When you ingest these foods it messes with the natural composition of your body which leads to chemical imbalances, such as increased or decreased hormone production, insulin, and even white and red blood cell production (to name a few). When your body is not working right it will lead to system problems which will lead to signs of depression. I guarantee you this.

Because the body is ingesting the wrong types of foods, systems are suffering, production is inadequate, and mutations have a high probability of occurring (source of cancer cells). The chemical imbalances eventually lead to emotional instability. You may not be able to see any physical signs of depression, but emotionally you can't handle the everyday tasks; getting the milk out of the fridge becomes more and more difficult, going grocery shopping seems like a daunting task, and exhaustion overtakes you in an instant. You don't understand why such medial tasks seem so overwhelming; frustration begins to build, and your emotional stability begins to become a house of cards. Not only does emotional instability affect you but also everyone around you. From my personal experience, I struggled with comprehending what people were telling me. I could sit there and listen to someone tell me a one sentence statement, a joke, a story, or his entire day, get up from that conversation and have no idea what we just talked about. When the inside isn't working right, it will be revealed through your cognitive responses.   

Spiritual is a special concept because not everyone agrees on the same philosophy. I believe that God is the creator of this world and His Son, Jesus Christ, died to save every person's wicked soul so we can live eternally with Him after we die; while those who reject His love will live eternally in hell. This takes faith, faith is the substance of things hoped for, not the evidence of things seen. When we are not eating correctly, our emotional stability is compromised; when our emotional stability is compromised, our mental defenses become weakened. Why is this such a cause for concern? When our body isn't healthy, our mind won't be healthy, and Satan will have opportunities to discourage us through circumstances. You have already helped him out with that process because you have put yourself into a state of emotional instability due to lack of nutrient dense foods. When Satan gets a foothold, he can wiggle his way into your mind and weaken you even more. Becoming spiritually sick is extremely dangerous and Satan can use discouragement, overwhelming situations, and even the lack of knowledge of depression and its treatments against you.

Am I stating that depression is cause for all spiritual warfare and discouragement? Absolutely not. Am I saying that all emotional instability leads to depression? No. Does all depression cause physical ailments and limitations. No, it does not. But depression is very real and its treatment is possible-naturally. The body isn't just chemicals and hormones, neither is it emotional and spiritual; but a concept of all three, working together to perform and maintain a healthy body.