Dealing With Depression: Trusting God through the Dark Times

by Sarah Collins, Jayne Haynes

Depression is a common complaint in the doctor’s surgery and 1 in 5 of the population that is 20% of people will have at least one major episode in their lifetime. We are reassured here that just like our physical health we can go through good and bad emotional health. But how does the Christian deal with this? It is so easy for us to be riddled with guilt but in this book the Christian is reassured that God knows and deals with us by grace, He helps us move from guilt to grace. Written from a Biblical and medical perspective.

Genres: Christian Living, Nonfiction

128 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 2011

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Reviews

[Adam Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

If a church member came to me this afternoon and said, "Give me a book about depression," I would almost certainly give them this book. Suitable for sufferers, carers, leaders, and doubters alike, this is a short-but-surprisingly-comprehensive Christian introduction to depression. This is not necessarily the best book you'll find on the topic (Meynell is currently top of my list), but I'm not aware of another book that does so much in so few pages so clearly, accessibly and encouragingly.

The first few chapters cover the basics of defining depression, before a brief review of medical treatments. There's much more to say, of course, but this will reassure Christians who are questioning the validity of secular treatments. They then discuss whether Christians can legitimately suffer from depression (spoiler: yes), before reviewing some passages in the psalms. This was one of the highlights, showing how the reader might find his/her/a friend's experience in Scripture. There are then a few short chapters on caring for oneself and others - nothing mindblowing, but very good for people who aren't sure where to start (or whether they've started in the right place).

The whole book is very readable, in short chapters, so ideal for someone who is actually going through a dark time, as well as someone looking for a quick overview. Also ideal for giving out to people in church. It is also very real and grounded - definitely a book about "dealing" with depression, rather than just "thinking" about it (yet without being simplistic). Possibly the most valuable aspect of the book in this sense is the short testimonies by everyday believers at the end of each chapter. Yes, many other Christians get depressed, and yes there is light ahead! There are a few helpful appendices at the end along similar lines.

If I was going to be picky, I would the question the omission of anything substantial on self-harm. It is mentioned in the symptoms at the beginning, and briefly in a testimony from Roger Carswell (yes, he's experienced depression too!), but something more would have been helpful. And yet, this book explicitly claims to be not-all-there-is-to-say, so I won't say anymore on that.

An excellent contribution to Christ's church. Thank you Collins and Haynes!

[Eudora · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read the most part of this while travelling, first by plane (4hours) & then another bus journey of the same duration.

The first part of this book reads like any other depression manual, detailing the various symptoms of & types of depression. It is helpful both for those interacting with persons with depression & those with depression themselves, though none of the information was new to me.

I echo the sentiments of the author that depression is as much a part of our fallen world as any physical illness, & find it beneficial that the author acknowledges this. The sections on Psalms, however, are the unique selling points of this book - the author does attempt to illustrate how the Bible points to depression being a reality independent of the individual's faith. Yet, although the short chapters make for a quick & easy read, I felt like it was a rough skim through, like it was teasing me to want something more that it never gave.

The appendices at the end were less of an easy read, a large part of the reason why despite reading most of the chapters on the trip, it took me awhile to finish the whole book - simply because it felt a little repetitive of the main chapters, though I would understand if the author's intention was to put the earlier content into a real-life situation/context.

A good book for those new to the topic & looking for a Christian perspective on the issue. Otherwise, there are other books out there on depression that have
covered this issue more engagingly, both Christian & otherwise.

#December2015

[Phil Butcher · Rating 4 out of 5]

For such a short book it covers a lot, both clearly & honestly. I think every Christian would benefit from reading this - whether someone with depression or not.

[Chen Ng · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a useful booklet aimed explicitly at Christians as a short introduction to depressive illness. It very helpfully covers the basic medical aspects of depression, and sets this in the context of the Christian worldview. It is very accessible, can be read in a single sitting, and is easy to read.

I felt one of the most helpful parts of the book was its clarification of the misconceptions that depression is either purely medical or purely spiritual. The appendices and 'case studies', which dealt with stories of Christians who have either experienced depression themselves or have been relatives and friends to those who have, were also very good.

I was, however, unimpressed with the recommendation of St. John's Wort as a herbal treatment for depression, especially given NICE's explicit advice against its use.

I would suggest that this book is most appropriate for Christians wanting to be informed about depression in order to help and walk alongside fellow believers, rather than for people experiencing depression themselves. With this in mind, 'Dealing with Depression' serves its purpose very well indeed.

[Will Turner]

Short, solid.

One thing that struck me is an underlining message that came across: often, the writers or even some of the testimonies in the appendix talked about coming out of depression. It was not intentional, but I kind of felt that cumulatively it would convey the idea that depression is always something you come out of. Life and depression are not that simple.

For some, depression will be a life-long struggle. There is no coming out of it. Sure, there are better days than others, but life is simply hard, difficult, and painful. We are not promised any coming out of the darkness in this life. Yes, there is an eternal glory we will have where we are brought out of the darkness, but nothing in this life promises us that.

Otherwise, I appreciated the testimonies in the appendix from differing perspectives of sufferers, and those who have walked alongside them. One in particular: "God is in the business of making us more and more like Jesus and seeing depression as part of this, rather than the plan gone wrong, has been crucial" (115). This is really helpful and deserving of more thought.

[Rob Green · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very helpful, readable, short, understandable, practical.
Could read in 1 sitting of about 90minutes.
Highly recommend for anyone who knows any who struggles with depression or may in future do so or struggles the self.
So everyone!!
Super helpful. Thankyou!

[Xing Yi Ngiam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Exactly what it professes to be: an entry-level primer to depression from a Christian perspective