Medicine or Therapy? Part 3
So we've looked at various ways of "doing therapy", those attached to the medical world and others in our every day life. They say that laughter is the best medicine, but what if you cannot find anything to laugh about?
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Sometimes we need some extra help in the form of medication prescribed by your doctor. Sadly, even with all our advancements and knowledge there is still a lot of stigma around concerning both mental health and medication. I found it very encouraging that the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry are on board with mental health, raising its profile. (Heads Together)
Some Christians believe that if you are a Christian, you don't hav depression because God is in your life. I disagree.
As I said at the beginning of this series, with the ball analogy, we all have down days, but we do bounce back. There is a difference between a down day and being clinically depressed.
How many times have you heard somewone say they had been off with flu? 99% of the time, it means that they have had a heavy cold. I had flu once as a teenager and, believe me, there is a world of difference between flu and a cold.
So it is with depression. Some say they were depressed and "snapped out of it", but the chances are, they were having a down time and were not clinically depressed.
No matter whether or not you are a Christian, or follow any other faith, or no faith at all, you can suffer clinical depression just as you can suffer any other illness. Just as with other illnesses, you usually need to take medication. Who needs to know you are on medication? No one! Sometimes medication is take short-term for any illness, sometimes for a prolonged period, or even for life.
The may make you feel worse before you feel better, but when the correct balance is found, and the tablet that suits you best, you will feel much better.
Personally, I believe that medicine and therapy work hand in hand. You need to find the right balance for you. Perseverance is the key. It takes time, sometimes quite a long time (more about time in the final installment of this series) but don't lose heart, keep moving toward the solution that is right for you.
Jeany Pavett, Author of Life After Death: A Mother's Story
Photo by JOSHUA COLEMAN on Unsplash