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Good Mood, Bad Mood: Help and Hope for Depression and Bipolar Disorder
Depression and bipolar disorder are two of the most common diagnoses made in medicine today. Good Mood, Bad Mood; examines whether we are in an epidemic or if we have simply misdiagnosed common sadness as depression. Current research in the medical community seems to indicate that the criteria we use to diagnose depression has resulted in an increased and incorrect labeling of common sadness as depression. While medical treatment is now the commonly accepted way to deal with pain and sadness, its promise has not been fulfilled. In Good Mood, Bad Mood, Dr. Charles Hodges offers an explanation to help the reader see the importance of sadness and the hope that God gives us in His Word.
194 pages, Paperback
First published October 31, 2012
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October 25, 2021
Very helpful book. Dr. Hodges addresses the multiple issues surrounding the diagnosis of depression according to the DSM. He explains that most of what the psychological world calls depression is in reality nothing more than sadness over loss. The problem is the vague criterion given in the DSM for depression. The final two chapters explain how the poor standards for diagnosing depression, and the subsequent prescription of anti-depressants, has exponentially increased the diagnosis of Bipoliar II. If you are interested in biblical counseling, this is a must read.
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February 4, 2026Our culture needs a category for “normal sadness”
July 23, 2026
The title is misleading.
June 15, 2020
Written by a doctor, this is an excellent biblical approach to the topic of depression and bi-polar disorder, two diseases that are being diagnosed at exploding rates.
Dr. Hodges dives into the topic by exploring what we called it in the past, what our current criteria are for a diagnosis and how the rates of diagnosis differ from the past to today.
His insight into the well meaning intentions of the DSM criteria for a diagnosis as well as its paradoxical effect on those receiving the diagnosis is important.
To give an example, there is reason to believe that 90% of depression diagnosis are actually people suffering with normal loss or sadness.
Hodges is not dismissive at all of depression or bi-polar disorder, rather he thinks that our criteria are too loose. Not only that, he believes, from a biblical perspective, that some sadness is good and can be for our sanctification and from God, so we should have an appropriate approach to sadness.
He is not dismissive of medicine for those that require it, however he does dive into the data on the effectiveness of medicine, especially with the placebo effect.
Overall, it was a well rounded approach to depression, with fact based observations about the diagnosis criteria itself, the effectiveness of current available medications as well a biblical approach to general sadness and depression.
Well worth the read, I cannot give a just summary of such a well reasoned and well rounded approach to a sensitive topic.
Dr. Hodges dives into the topic by exploring what we called it in the past, what our current criteria are for a diagnosis and how the rates of diagnosis differ from the past to today.
His insight into the well meaning intentions of the DSM criteria for a diagnosis as well as its paradoxical effect on those receiving the diagnosis is important.
To give an example, there is reason to believe that 90% of depression diagnosis are actually people suffering with normal loss or sadness.
Hodges is not dismissive at all of depression or bi-polar disorder, rather he thinks that our criteria are too loose. Not only that, he believes, from a biblical perspective, that some sadness is good and can be for our sanctification and from God, so we should have an appropriate approach to sadness.
He is not dismissive of medicine for those that require it, however he does dive into the data on the effectiveness of medicine, especially with the placebo effect.
Overall, it was a well rounded approach to depression, with fact based observations about the diagnosis criteria itself, the effectiveness of current available medications as well a biblical approach to general sadness and depression.
Well worth the read, I cannot give a just summary of such a well reasoned and well rounded approach to a sensitive topic.
January 28, 2013
Is it possible that almost 90% of the people in American who are diagnosed with clinical depression are diagnosed incorrectly? It is possible that most of these people are really just going through a natural process of normal sadness that happens to most people when they suffer loss of one kind or another? The steaks in a massive misdiagnosis of thousands of people for the same illness are huge.
The section of the drug industry that produces medication related to helping people cope with medical depression, bipolar and the like is vast, well-funded and has a lot at stake in the continual diagnosis of these diseases. Through varied sorts of advertisements, one could draw the conclusion that a lot of people could be, and are suffering from medical depression and the like. In fact, it is estimated that over 25% of Americans at any given time are believed to be suffering from depression, anxiety or bipolar disorder. (p. 20)
No doubt there are people who genuinely suffer from an abnormal type of sadness that is sometimes unexplained such that it is proper to call it a disease and treat it accordingly. I know of three family members and long-time friends who have dealt with depression and bipolar. This issue is very real to me and I have put a lot of thought into understanding the disease, diagnosis and treatments.
If it is true that the majority of people diagnosed with depression and the like are not truly clinically depressed then what hope is there to offer them outside of medical and psychological treatments? In his new book, Good Mood Bad Mood: Help and Hope for Depressed and Bipolar Disorder, medical doctor and counselor Charles D. Hodge offers his insights and experience on these sensitive diagnosis’.
To say that the history of depression is peppered with obscurity and subjectivity is to ignore it all together. Prior to 1980 manic depression was the closest diagnosis to depression. Then, depression entered the picture in the DSM 3rd Ed. and now one in four people are diagnosed with it. There is something amiss.
Sadness vs Depression
The crux of the issue for Hodge and others is two-fold: (1) there are no clear criteria to establish the difference between clinical depression and normal sadness associated with loss and (2) if many people with normal sadness are misdiagnosed as having clinical depression then what else might be the cause and potential treatments?
In dealing with the first issue Hodge points out that “there is an important difference between sadness that came with adversity and sadness that appeared without any cause.” (p. 63) What Hodge calls “normal sadness” is the kind of sadness that is a natural result of dealing with loss in life which is connected with adversity. True clinical depression would be defined as sadness that is not connected with adversity in a person’s life and is therefore apparently without cause.
There are three features of normal sadness. First, the sadness one feels fits the situation. The loss of a child or job can trigger sadness. Second, the intensity and duration of the sadness are related to the size and duration of the loss. The loss of a child can bring about very intense sadness and the length of being without a job can determine the length of time a person feels sadness. Finally, normal sadness goes away when the tiger that set it off goes away. With the loss of a child, sadness can carry on throughout a person’s life. When a person gets a new job after losing their previous one then their sadness should go as well. (p. 62) With clinical depression there is no apparent trigger in the person’s life, no explanation for any intense feelings of sadness for a duration of time and there is no apparent end in sight.
The problem with the diagnosis criteria for clinical depression is that there are no built in guidelines to distinguish between normal sadness and apparently unexplainable sadness. Thus, there is a significant over diagnosis for the wrong problem and many people are not receiving the treatments that could most likely help them through their normal experiences of sadness. To be misdiagnosed can have devastating consequences. Hodge writes,
"Being labeled has its own set of difficulties. It makes a person feel as if he is a victim of disease. The label (or rather the diagnosis) means that the bearer is ill and cannot recover without help. The label means that I must depend on someone else to fix me." (p. 154)
What is the Hope for the Naturally Sad?
So if many people with normal sadness are not receiving the help they need, what is it that they need? For these people Hodge states,
"The labels they receive and the prescriptions they are given might only result in more labels and prescriptions without a cure and at some expense. This opens a door of opportunity for us to look at depression from a different angle." (p. 35)
Drawing heavily on the story in Luke 8 where Jesus healed the women with the hemorrhage after the doctors could find not cure, Hodge teases out from Scripture how the sadness we can experience from the adversity in our lives can be addressed through the gospel of Jesus Christ as revealed to us in Scripture. Throughout the main portion of the book Hodge seeks to offer help for those dealing with sadness by answering three questions:
1. Where does sadness come from?
2. What benefit can come from it?
3. What can we do as Christians to bring it to a useful end? (p. 75)
In answering these three questions Hodge digs deeply in Scripture through the lives of many people saddened for one reason or another and from many passages in Scripture that offer freedom from the sadness that life in a sin cursed world can bring. There is hope for the sad. We are not a helpless and hopeless victim of our circumstances or genetics. We must see the redemptive blessings that God wants to draw us to through our suffering. What is best is that God understands our suffering in sadness in Christ. Jesus experienced loss and sadness throughout his life leading up to the cross. This is encouraging and freeing. There is hope for the sad in Christ.
Conclusion
While Hodge is trying to help us rightly distinguish between natural sadness and genuine depression, the reader must not come away thinking he does not believe there is no one who suffers from clinical depression or bipolar disorder. Hodge is sanely open minded to the reality that there are those whose sadness is apparently unexplainable and that it is right for them to undergo medical treatments along with counseling for the accompanying spiritual and life struggles that will go with them.
In Good Mood Bad Mood Hodge takes the right perspective on the issue of depression. Hodge speaks with the experience of a medical doctor and counselor and with a true grasp of how Scripture speaks to our normal sadness. This is a sane book amidst the insane world of over diagnosis of depression. Don’t let a label keep you from help and hope.
NOTE: I received this book for free from Shepherd Press through Cross Focused Reviews in exchange for an honest review. The words and thoughts expressed are my own.
The section of the drug industry that produces medication related to helping people cope with medical depression, bipolar and the like is vast, well-funded and has a lot at stake in the continual diagnosis of these diseases. Through varied sorts of advertisements, one could draw the conclusion that a lot of people could be, and are suffering from medical depression and the like. In fact, it is estimated that over 25% of Americans at any given time are believed to be suffering from depression, anxiety or bipolar disorder. (p. 20)
No doubt there are people who genuinely suffer from an abnormal type of sadness that is sometimes unexplained such that it is proper to call it a disease and treat it accordingly. I know of three family members and long-time friends who have dealt with depression and bipolar. This issue is very real to me and I have put a lot of thought into understanding the disease, diagnosis and treatments.
If it is true that the majority of people diagnosed with depression and the like are not truly clinically depressed then what hope is there to offer them outside of medical and psychological treatments? In his new book, Good Mood Bad Mood: Help and Hope for Depressed and Bipolar Disorder, medical doctor and counselor Charles D. Hodge offers his insights and experience on these sensitive diagnosis’.
To say that the history of depression is peppered with obscurity and subjectivity is to ignore it all together. Prior to 1980 manic depression was the closest diagnosis to depression. Then, depression entered the picture in the DSM 3rd Ed. and now one in four people are diagnosed with it. There is something amiss.
Sadness vs Depression
The crux of the issue for Hodge and others is two-fold: (1) there are no clear criteria to establish the difference between clinical depression and normal sadness associated with loss and (2) if many people with normal sadness are misdiagnosed as having clinical depression then what else might be the cause and potential treatments?
In dealing with the first issue Hodge points out that “there is an important difference between sadness that came with adversity and sadness that appeared without any cause.” (p. 63) What Hodge calls “normal sadness” is the kind of sadness that is a natural result of dealing with loss in life which is connected with adversity. True clinical depression would be defined as sadness that is not connected with adversity in a person’s life and is therefore apparently without cause.
There are three features of normal sadness. First, the sadness one feels fits the situation. The loss of a child or job can trigger sadness. Second, the intensity and duration of the sadness are related to the size and duration of the loss. The loss of a child can bring about very intense sadness and the length of being without a job can determine the length of time a person feels sadness. Finally, normal sadness goes away when the tiger that set it off goes away. With the loss of a child, sadness can carry on throughout a person’s life. When a person gets a new job after losing their previous one then their sadness should go as well. (p. 62) With clinical depression there is no apparent trigger in the person’s life, no explanation for any intense feelings of sadness for a duration of time and there is no apparent end in sight.
The problem with the diagnosis criteria for clinical depression is that there are no built in guidelines to distinguish between normal sadness and apparently unexplainable sadness. Thus, there is a significant over diagnosis for the wrong problem and many people are not receiving the treatments that could most likely help them through their normal experiences of sadness. To be misdiagnosed can have devastating consequences. Hodge writes,
"Being labeled has its own set of difficulties. It makes a person feel as if he is a victim of disease. The label (or rather the diagnosis) means that the bearer is ill and cannot recover without help. The label means that I must depend on someone else to fix me." (p. 154)
What is the Hope for the Naturally Sad?
So if many people with normal sadness are not receiving the help they need, what is it that they need? For these people Hodge states,
"The labels they receive and the prescriptions they are given might only result in more labels and prescriptions without a cure and at some expense. This opens a door of opportunity for us to look at depression from a different angle." (p. 35)
Drawing heavily on the story in Luke 8 where Jesus healed the women with the hemorrhage after the doctors could find not cure, Hodge teases out from Scripture how the sadness we can experience from the adversity in our lives can be addressed through the gospel of Jesus Christ as revealed to us in Scripture. Throughout the main portion of the book Hodge seeks to offer help for those dealing with sadness by answering three questions:
1. Where does sadness come from?
2. What benefit can come from it?
3. What can we do as Christians to bring it to a useful end? (p. 75)
In answering these three questions Hodge digs deeply in Scripture through the lives of many people saddened for one reason or another and from many passages in Scripture that offer freedom from the sadness that life in a sin cursed world can bring. There is hope for the sad. We are not a helpless and hopeless victim of our circumstances or genetics. We must see the redemptive blessings that God wants to draw us to through our suffering. What is best is that God understands our suffering in sadness in Christ. Jesus experienced loss and sadness throughout his life leading up to the cross. This is encouraging and freeing. There is hope for the sad in Christ.
Conclusion
While Hodge is trying to help us rightly distinguish between natural sadness and genuine depression, the reader must not come away thinking he does not believe there is no one who suffers from clinical depression or bipolar disorder. Hodge is sanely open minded to the reality that there are those whose sadness is apparently unexplainable and that it is right for them to undergo medical treatments along with counseling for the accompanying spiritual and life struggles that will go with them.
In Good Mood Bad Mood Hodge takes the right perspective on the issue of depression. Hodge speaks with the experience of a medical doctor and counselor and with a true grasp of how Scripture speaks to our normal sadness. This is a sane book amidst the insane world of over diagnosis of depression. Don’t let a label keep you from help and hope.
NOTE: I received this book for free from Shepherd Press through Cross Focused Reviews in exchange for an honest review. The words and thoughts expressed are my own.
March 23, 2022
Excellent book. I highly recommend as I learned a lot and it made me think. So much sadness is diagnosed as depression these days. We are way over-psychologized and people become victims of “diseases” when God uses emotions.
February 5, 2026
More like 4.5. Solid book and gives some great insight into depression and other mood disorders. Dr. Hodges has over 50 years experience as a medical doctor and 30 as a Biblical counselor. Well worth the read.
February 19, 2013
Good Mood, Bad Mood by Charles D Hodges MD is a useful and readable book on how to help people who feel sad or who suffer from depression. I would say it is invaluable for anyone wanting to offer help and hope to anyone suffering in this way. The book is full of godly wisdom and medical insights. As a practicing physician and Christian counsellor, Dr Hodges is well qualified to discuss these issues with wisdom, compassion and knowledge. It is not a long book, nor is it filled with medical jargan. It is easily accessible to anyone with an interest in such matters.
In the first three chapters, Dr Hodges looks at the way society views depression. The next two chapters discuss the fact that the emotion of sadness is now often diagnosed as depression, leading to sadness being classed as a disease rather than a normal emotion. The second half of the book examines the hope that God offers through His Word when we struggle with problems and emotions such as sadness, anger and worry. In the final two chapters (14 and 15), Dr Hodges unpacks bipolar disorder and how sufferers can be helped.
I liked the fact that Dr Hodges uses examples from the Bible, as well as case studies from his own practice, to look at real people suffering genuine problems and emotions. He shows our sympathetic and wise God who cares deeply about us when we go through hardships and sadness by looking at Mary, Martha and Lazarus in the New Testament. He points out that sadness is a necessary emotion whose purpose is to drive us to God, as seen in the story of Hannah, Samuel’s mum, in the Old Testament. Did you know that sadness is a gift from God? The first time sorrow/sadness is mentioned in the Bible is when we have a description of the way God feels about creating mankind in the time of Noah – God was sad that He had created mankind because all we think of and do is sin (rebelling against God in one form or another).
Dr Hodges dispels various myths such as depression simply being a chemical inbalance in the brain. He backs up his statements with medical research, science and the Bible.
There is definitely a place for medication and cognitive therapy for people suffering from depression. Our problem in the West today is that all too often people are diagnosed with ‘depression’ when actually they are ‘sad’ for legitimate reasons – maybe the loss of a family member, being unable to have children, losing a job, illness. Medics are sometimes quick to prescribe medication to help but, as Dr Hodges points out, very often the medication either doesn’t help or causes horrible side effects that require more treatment. There is a definite place for Christians to listen to, pray with and learn to counsel people struggling with these problems. People suffering with sadness, anger and worry desperately need the hope offered in God’s Word; they need to compassionately be told that God knows all about their problems and that He loves and cares for them. People need the truth of the Bible spoken to them in love today.
Good Mood, Bad Mood is essential reading for anyone involved in counselling, especially in the church. I cannot recommend it highly enough. I suspect it is a book I will constantly be referring to and dipping in and out of.
My thanks Cross Focussed Reviews and Shepherd Press for providing me with a complimentary copy of this book for the purpose of a review.
In the first three chapters, Dr Hodges looks at the way society views depression. The next two chapters discuss the fact that the emotion of sadness is now often diagnosed as depression, leading to sadness being classed as a disease rather than a normal emotion. The second half of the book examines the hope that God offers through His Word when we struggle with problems and emotions such as sadness, anger and worry. In the final two chapters (14 and 15), Dr Hodges unpacks bipolar disorder and how sufferers can be helped.
I liked the fact that Dr Hodges uses examples from the Bible, as well as case studies from his own practice, to look at real people suffering genuine problems and emotions. He shows our sympathetic and wise God who cares deeply about us when we go through hardships and sadness by looking at Mary, Martha and Lazarus in the New Testament. He points out that sadness is a necessary emotion whose purpose is to drive us to God, as seen in the story of Hannah, Samuel’s mum, in the Old Testament. Did you know that sadness is a gift from God? The first time sorrow/sadness is mentioned in the Bible is when we have a description of the way God feels about creating mankind in the time of Noah – God was sad that He had created mankind because all we think of and do is sin (rebelling against God in one form or another).
Dr Hodges dispels various myths such as depression simply being a chemical inbalance in the brain. He backs up his statements with medical research, science and the Bible.
There is definitely a place for medication and cognitive therapy for people suffering from depression. Our problem in the West today is that all too often people are diagnosed with ‘depression’ when actually they are ‘sad’ for legitimate reasons – maybe the loss of a family member, being unable to have children, losing a job, illness. Medics are sometimes quick to prescribe medication to help but, as Dr Hodges points out, very often the medication either doesn’t help or causes horrible side effects that require more treatment. There is a definite place for Christians to listen to, pray with and learn to counsel people struggling with these problems. People suffering with sadness, anger and worry desperately need the hope offered in God’s Word; they need to compassionately be told that God knows all about their problems and that He loves and cares for them. People need the truth of the Bible spoken to them in love today.
Good Mood, Bad Mood is essential reading for anyone involved in counselling, especially in the church. I cannot recommend it highly enough. I suspect it is a book I will constantly be referring to and dipping in and out of.
My thanks Cross Focussed Reviews and Shepherd Press for providing me with a complimentary copy of this book for the purpose of a review.
February 20, 2013
I’ve discussed at length my struggle with depression. I’ve experienced what Dr. Hodges calls sad feelings through out my life--sometimes because of sin, loss, and sometimes for no reason at all. I made what I consider an important decision in my life. During the last episode of depression more than four years ago, I decided I wasn’t going to medicate myself (I exhibited all nine markers for depression p. 26). I had friends telling me I should but I had seen so many people who took medicine who were hooked on it and who were different people after taking it. I didn’t want to do that because of my daughter. At that time far away from God, I leaned on the training I received for counseling in college and seminary. I also had done my own research and was unsatisfied with what I found. As Hodges points out, “Sorrow, anger, and worry are problems for which the Bible offers answers” (p. 10) and
Just like the man at the pool, we have a strong societal norm that says if you are depressed or anxious, it is likely due to an abnormality in your brain chemicals, which can be cured by medication. Yet current research indicates that this theory may be no more certain than the hope of being cured by the troubled waters in the pool of Bethesda (p. 19)
What he goes on to document is the medical history for the uprising in depression and bipolar diagnosis (not to mention suicides). He demonstrates the medical industry hasn’t discovered an actual pathology for the chemical imbalance theory of depression (pp. 45, 47, 48, 49). And research suggests 90% patients are unchanged by the medicine they are consuming to combat depression (p. 34). He doesn’t say some people may not have a physical issue causing depression but that the medical industry hasn’t proved it yet and the current line of treatment causes more problems than solutions.
He also makes explicit something that I learned and has been more helpful to me than anything. First, hope is one the deciding factors for people overcoming most natural sad feelings. Faith in God and a related hope in him drastically increases overall recoveries. I’ve found rooting myself in the gospel and the hope I have in Jesus Christ makes a large impact on me not experiencing lasting feelings of sadness for the last four years. Yes I’ve been sad but not for extended periods of time and not for no reason. But also changing behaviors helps change feelings. Previously I would allow my sad feelings to stop me from doing all the things I knew I should do (Bible reading, prayer, chores, etc). Stop doing those things intensifies the sad feelings. Doing the simple tasks you know you should do keeps them at bay. Finally, sadness is beneficial. I learned quickly that quite possibly my struggle with depression was God’s method in driving me to him. And it has. Nothing has made me understand I need God more than my experience with depression.
Because of the depression epidemic, everyone should read Good Mood Bad Mood. Familiarize yourself with the research that’s ongoing in this field. Don’t give anyone your blind trust but most of all learn to allow your sadness to drive you to Jesus. Dr. Hodges writes with the heart of a pastor but also the background and knowledge of a medical doctor. That’s a balance that’s hard to come by.
Just like the man at the pool, we have a strong societal norm that says if you are depressed or anxious, it is likely due to an abnormality in your brain chemicals, which can be cured by medication. Yet current research indicates that this theory may be no more certain than the hope of being cured by the troubled waters in the pool of Bethesda (p. 19)
What he goes on to document is the medical history for the uprising in depression and bipolar diagnosis (not to mention suicides). He demonstrates the medical industry hasn’t discovered an actual pathology for the chemical imbalance theory of depression (pp. 45, 47, 48, 49). And research suggests 90% patients are unchanged by the medicine they are consuming to combat depression (p. 34). He doesn’t say some people may not have a physical issue causing depression but that the medical industry hasn’t proved it yet and the current line of treatment causes more problems than solutions.
He also makes explicit something that I learned and has been more helpful to me than anything. First, hope is one the deciding factors for people overcoming most natural sad feelings. Faith in God and a related hope in him drastically increases overall recoveries. I’ve found rooting myself in the gospel and the hope I have in Jesus Christ makes a large impact on me not experiencing lasting feelings of sadness for the last four years. Yes I’ve been sad but not for extended periods of time and not for no reason. But also changing behaviors helps change feelings. Previously I would allow my sad feelings to stop me from doing all the things I knew I should do (Bible reading, prayer, chores, etc). Stop doing those things intensifies the sad feelings. Doing the simple tasks you know you should do keeps them at bay. Finally, sadness is beneficial. I learned quickly that quite possibly my struggle with depression was God’s method in driving me to him. And it has. Nothing has made me understand I need God more than my experience with depression.
Because of the depression epidemic, everyone should read Good Mood Bad Mood. Familiarize yourself with the research that’s ongoing in this field. Don’t give anyone your blind trust but most of all learn to allow your sadness to drive you to Jesus. Dr. Hodges writes with the heart of a pastor but also the background and knowledge of a medical doctor. That’s a balance that’s hard to come by.
February 23, 2013
A complimentary review copy was provided to me by Cross Focused Reviews (A Service of Cross Focused Media, LLC). I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
To be honest, when I began reading this book, I was not to sure about it in that would be helpful. Some facts about Depression and Bipolar Disorders. It is a billions of dollars spent on medication. Some studies indicate patients given a placebo felt better in a given time. Maybe as high as 90% of those diagnosed may be diagnosed incorrectly.
So given these facts, where does this leave people suffering. From a bibilical stand point, most sadness (depression is not mentioned in the bible) is started with a loss. Take example Hannah, the mother of Samuel. Her loss of not being able to conceive. Her loss lead her to God's santuary and to prayer. This is where I found this read so helpful. We all suffer some type of loss and suffering which in God's design and because of sin, either leads us to God and his truth or away from him to destruction. Hodges uses examples of his own patients (their names of been changed and details are very limited) and shows a bibilical approach to facing depression. When those that suffer from depression, they are in desperate need of a support system. From family, from the church and also a good bibical counseler to show and lead them the word and to the truth. Truth is not the enemy but the enemy is the lies that we believe to be true.
Another thing that sadness can bring us to is repentance. With repentance comes healing. Is repentance a one time thing, no it is a lifesytle. I appreciated the truth in this and what this looked like for all Christians. The result is that when we choose to do wrong, we bear the emotional consequences. However, our society is turning our emotional struggles into something that has nothing to do with our own behaviour. It is more convenient to turn our sadness into depression than it is to repent. (kindle location 1503). The result then becomes not healing but a flux of people suffering needlessly.
Hodges stress that doing nothing and denying depressed moods is not a solution. We are to face our sadness in the truth of scripture. In doing so, we become more like Christ. That is good news for everyone!
To be honest, when I began reading this book, I was not to sure about it in that would be helpful. Some facts about Depression and Bipolar Disorders. It is a billions of dollars spent on medication. Some studies indicate patients given a placebo felt better in a given time. Maybe as high as 90% of those diagnosed may be diagnosed incorrectly.
So given these facts, where does this leave people suffering. From a bibilical stand point, most sadness (depression is not mentioned in the bible) is started with a loss. Take example Hannah, the mother of Samuel. Her loss of not being able to conceive. Her loss lead her to God's santuary and to prayer. This is where I found this read so helpful. We all suffer some type of loss and suffering which in God's design and because of sin, either leads us to God and his truth or away from him to destruction. Hodges uses examples of his own patients (their names of been changed and details are very limited) and shows a bibilical approach to facing depression. When those that suffer from depression, they are in desperate need of a support system. From family, from the church and also a good bibical counseler to show and lead them the word and to the truth. Truth is not the enemy but the enemy is the lies that we believe to be true.
Another thing that sadness can bring us to is repentance. With repentance comes healing. Is repentance a one time thing, no it is a lifesytle. I appreciated the truth in this and what this looked like for all Christians. The result is that when we choose to do wrong, we bear the emotional consequences. However, our society is turning our emotional struggles into something that has nothing to do with our own behaviour. It is more convenient to turn our sadness into depression than it is to repent. (kindle location 1503). The result then becomes not healing but a flux of people suffering needlessly.
Hodges stress that doing nothing and denying depressed moods is not a solution. We are to face our sadness in the truth of scripture. In doing so, we become more like Christ. That is good news for everyone!
September 28, 2018
Great read
Dr. Hodges does a great job of presenting solid statistical facts in a way that is easily understood. This book is written not from opinion, but from statistics and the Word of God, which demonstrates the validity that those suffering from depression can receive help and have the hope that they do not have a disease and can live joy filled lives. With so much hurt in the world, this book does a great job of putting the focus on how God can wipe away our tears and how He can help us to live joyfully in a broken world. I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in helping people, or anyone who struggles with depression.
Dr. Hodges does a great job of presenting solid statistical facts in a way that is easily understood. This book is written not from opinion, but from statistics and the Word of God, which demonstrates the validity that those suffering from depression can receive help and have the hope that they do not have a disease and can live joy filled lives. With so much hurt in the world, this book does a great job of putting the focus on how God can wipe away our tears and how He can help us to live joyfully in a broken world. I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in helping people, or anyone who struggles with depression.
June 11, 2022
It is estimated that 90% of all those with a diagnosis’ of bipolar/manic depression are misdiagnosed. Sadness and depression are real issues in our society. While many would say that the root cause is a ‘chemical imbalance,’ Dr. Hodge use the Bible to discuss the fact that in most cases it is a heart/soul issue. Using both Biblical and clients as examples, Dr. Hodge demonstrates that Jesus is the healer of heart/soul disorders. This is a refreshing as it means that most followers of Christ can be healed from these disorders in this life. The Biblical counselor will want to read this book and keep it for a helpful reference in their counseling.
August 14, 2026
Excellent Information for Pastoral Counselors
Though the book is billed as a means to help those with bipolar, the text takes an interesting turn because of the research this doctor studied. He makes clear distinction between bipolar 1 and 2, and helps the layman understand how diagnoses are made. He also relates a helpful and Scriptural path forward to help those who struggle with depression. It is a book I would highly recommend to all those who consider themselves to be “people helpers.”
Though the book is billed as a means to help those with bipolar, the text takes an interesting turn because of the research this doctor studied. He makes clear distinction between bipolar 1 and 2, and helps the layman understand how diagnoses are made. He also relates a helpful and Scriptural path forward to help those who struggle with depression. It is a book I would highly recommend to all those who consider themselves to be “people helpers.”
July 21, 2022
This book really helps gain a Biblical viewpoint on sadness and loss. Also to understand why there has been such an increase in psychiatric diagnosis of depression, anxiety, and bipolar disorder with in the last 30 years in America and even within the church. I very much recommend this book to help bring clarity to the issue of "mental illness" within the church and how to counsel those who struggle with feelings of depression.
January 1, 2018
Awesome and informative book on MDD/BPD
Studying Biblical Counseling and this book not only helped me understand MDD/BPD in a more biblical way, but also, grew me as a Christian when dealing with my own feelings of sorrow, sadness and depression due to losses in life, that I have faced. Well-written and recommended.
Studying Biblical Counseling and this book not only helped me understand MDD/BPD in a more biblical way, but also, grew me as a Christian when dealing with my own feelings of sorrow, sadness and depression due to losses in life, that I have faced. Well-written and recommended.
November 19, 2018
Hodges has written a fascinating and extremely informative book on an often misunderstood and misdiagnosed problem. Here he shows that what is often labeled as bi-polar disorder is actually sadness over loss, and he gives the biblical cure for such sadness. A must read for those who wish to counsel those who are suffering with depression.
October 22, 2023
Written by a Christian medical doctor, this book sadly shows how the medical establishment is failing in diagnosis and treatment of depression. Even though this book was written over 12 years ago, Dr. Hodges updates his blog and it appears that little has changed. This book does offer great help and hope.
January 12, 2024
Really helpful book. It presents the logic behind biblical counseling but it doesn’t completely discredit medication or say that depression isn’t real. I appreciated the distinction between normal sadness and a disease. Also, the biblical integration wasn’t forced—he stayed true to the text while applying it to this topic.
November 10, 2026
Crucial clarification for all who counsel in Christ
This book helped me clarify my categories, encouraging me not to shy away pastorally from those precious brothers and sisters seeking care in the face of an intimidating diagnosis. A timely reminder of the extraordinary ressources we have as Christian caregivers in the Word of God and by the Spirit of Christ.
This book helped me clarify my categories, encouraging me not to shy away pastorally from those precious brothers and sisters seeking care in the face of an intimidating diagnosis. A timely reminder of the extraordinary ressources we have as Christian caregivers in the Word of God and by the Spirit of Christ.
March 15, 2018
Excellent Biblical View
In this book you will learn about the rise of people being diagnosed with various mood disorders. Written by a Doctor that carefully cites his sources. Anyone interested in helping someone diagnosed with a mood disorder.
In this book you will learn about the rise of people being diagnosed with various mood disorders. Written by a Doctor that carefully cites his sources. Anyone interested in helping someone diagnosed with a mood disorder.
May 13, 2021
Excellent presentation of the explosion of misdiagnosis of depression and bipolar. Really eye opening progression of deeming disease rather than grief or sadness. Support is given from secular sources that the approach is failing and many of the psychotropic drugs are not working.
June 7, 2023
With both care and precision appropriate in a physician, Dr. Hodges explores the facts, explains the root, and encourages the hurting in the realm of depression, bipolar disease, and mental health at large.
June 1, 2018
Dr. Hodges explain what is going on with the current trend of so many depression diagnoses. If you are interested in Biblical Counseling, this is one book that you must read.
July 19, 2019
Great Book and for those who are in Christ it gives you that extra incentive to "get back to the basics".
January 9, 2020
Loved this book. Such in sight into our moods and those around us. Great book
February 20, 2020
Very good and practical.
September 13, 2020
Best book
I read like the book give me a prospective of depression of a chirstian but also a doctor.
Very well written.
I read like the book give me a prospective of depression of a chirstian but also a doctor.
Very well written.
June 20, 2021
A helpful and very hopeful resource.
August 9, 2021
A hard read, but a very good look at depression, manic depressive disorders, and bipolar disorders. A look at how some can be helped biblically and how some needs to be helped medically.
February 28, 2025
One of the more insightful books I've read about mood disorders and their diagnoses. Would recommend.
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