Is it a sin to be depressed?
470982
depression is a mental disease, so no. if you have diabetes or cancer is it a sin? it is time for society to see depression as a real disease and not something people just decide to have.
976807
First off, I think you should go and talk with someone. A leader in your church, someone from a group, your friends, someone who will just listen to you. If you don't want to actively seek out someone, you can pick up the phone and call many of the free lines out there, as they have very caring people on the other end of the phone that can help you out. \n\nYou sound like you are suffering from a severe depressive episode, and I think your best course of action would be to talk with someone who can help you through this. \n\nI hope you do the right thing and help yourself out. Don't hurt yourself; you still feel emotion and pain otherwise you wouldn't be asking this question right now.
381223
only GOD can judge, so i don't have the right to say what is a sin and what is not....but to make u feel better about the situation, it would be a good idea to get married, then u won't feel as bad....good luck!
560553
Hey Cee Jay.\n\nI too am a Christian who has battled depression. Depression is a horrible thing.  People, especially Christians, who have never fought a "true depression"  just do not understand.   I was under a severe depression for 7 years.    \n\nFirst I want to say that I do not know if the sin you were referring to was the cause of your depression.  You seem to think there is a connection.    So I am going to base my response to the clues you left in your question.   \n\nPlease, hang on to the relationship you have with Christ with all that you have within you.  Do not let your sin, or others cruelty tear you away from Jesus.  Please, even if your depression keeps you from going to church at times, hang on to Jesus.    \n\nDo not let the stress of your recurrent sin get you so down.  Use this spiritual block of yours and turn it into a stepping stone.  \n\nTake some time to be with Jesus.  Pray by talking to him in as you would anyone else.  Try to be calm while you are talking to him.  Don't be afraid to say what ever comes to your mind.    If you are being honest with him and yourself - your healing can begin.    God will not be angry with you.   \n\nMedicine did not work for me.  They may work for you.   I had to claw my way out of depression.  When you help yourself overcome depression you will be truly free.   It can be a long hard road.  But I am here if you want talk.   I hope this helped.  May God bless your jouney.
542620
Sweetie, I would LOVE to spend some time chatting with you about all this!  Anyway, when you ask God to come into your life and your heart, just mean it..and you only have to do it once.  There are a few important steps that will help you to follow his guidance.  First, get a Bible you like and understand..and read it (baby steps).  Find a church you like and go regularly..and don't forget the fellowship..it's very important.  Those are the people you lean on in your times of doubt..they will help keep you straight and they will 'feed' you the information and encouragement you need.  The Bible says "Do not forsake the assembling.." (Hebrews 10:25)..which means the fellowship.  Go to Bible study and make Christian friends.  It's a process, but we're all born in and of sin..we will ALWAYS sin, but we repent when we do.  Also, pray for guidance and understanding of His word (Psalms 32:8..I will instruct you and teach you the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you..).  And lastly, how do we have a relationship with anybody??  We spend TIME with them...talk to God..often!  Spend some devotional time with him.  Once you really let yourself open up to all of these things, you'll FEEL the difference..and the depression will fall away.  You'll know true peace and happiness.  I speak from experience!  Good luck to you!  IM me if you have any questions!  Praise God!!
245692
The great thing about being you is that you are in 100% control of your emotions.  There is clearly something difficult you have gone through.\n\n1) It is okay to be sad.  Get those emotions out.\n2) You have the power to DECIDE to be happy.  It is a decision you can make.\n3) If you are a Christian, prayer is a great healer.\n4) God loves you, and so does the vast majority of people.  You are a good and lovable person.
427052
I don't think you, or anybody for that matter, wants to be depressed. I think you are just afraid. So I ask you "What is your deepest fear?"\n\nOur Deepest Fear...\nis not that we are inadequate, \nour deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. \nIt is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. \nWe ask ourselves, "Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous?" \nActually, who are you not to be? \nYou are a child of God. \nYour playing small does not serve the world. \nThere is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. \nWe were born to make manifest the glory of God within us. \nIt is not just in some of us, \nit is in everyone. \nAnd as we let our own light shine, \nwe unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. \nAs we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others. \n\n\n- Marianne Williamson -
674542
First let me start with You have depression. You are in a funk right now. I too have my moments when I think that God has forgotten all about me or has even played cruel jokes on me. It is the depression. You mentioned God so that means that in doing so you have not forgotten him,he too has not forgotten you. It seems like things are so hard to take but everyday you have something good. you just have to look for it.  If you were to end life now all would be for nothing. besides the pain that all who love you feel in that event is so unfair. I have had to endure that kind of pain and I don't want to go through that again. However it plagues my family everyday. Things always get better. If you take medication are you taking it? Is it adjusted correctly? If not maybe you need to see a doctor. good luck to you
107421
in my opinion no. you confess your sins to God and accept him into your heart and you are forgiven. the sins hang over your head kind of as a reminder to not do them again and that they are wrong
91805
it soulds like you honestly are depressed.you should see a doctor.being depressed is a chemical inbalence in your brain .dont feel bad about being depressed but seek help insted
406097
When I was younger it always seemed so much easier to be close to God. After school I use to sneak into my church and lay under the pews in the sanctuary, leaving poems in the hymnals for people to find during the Sunday service. It was my little bit of quiet time with God. I felt that by being there, in his presence, he was listening to my every word. But now, I am disheartened by the whole "Christian" scene. \n\nI am a good person, I volunteer my time twice a week to causes that I believe in. I work with people with disabilities to help them gain independance. I love my family, friends, and all the people around me.  But people find out that I am a lesbian and all of a sudden I am this horrible awful person who is out to ruin their way of life, molest their children, and kill people. I had bible phrases thrown at me left and right, people telling me that I was going to Hell, that I would never be allowed in their life again. All of these things made me spiral into this horrible depression. I felt like throwing myself in front of a moving train.\n\nBut one day I went to church. I crawled under the pew like I use to when I was younger, and I wrote some poetry. And then, the next day I did it again. And after that first day, I reconnected with some old friends that I had forgotten about, and I left the negative people in my life behind. And I kept doing the things in my life that gave me joy. I stayed up late to count the stars, and I got up early to watch the early morning sun rise above the horizon. And then I remembered that God was there waiting to listen, that all I had to do was talk to him.
639710
Hello there! I am sorry to hear you are feeling so down. People are so quick to say someone has depression. You say that you act like you are the happiest person on earth, but you aren't happy on the inside. You just have to believe that you do deserve happiness! I believe that you just have low self-esteem and self worth. 17 is a hard age! Believe me...looking back I felt the same way and wondered what the heck was wrong with myself. Just the pressures nowadays that are being put on young people is enough to make someone want to give up! I know to be happy is easier said than done sometimes, and it is a lot of work sometimes. Once you start believing in yourself it will get more simple. Life is too short not to have fun--experience life. I am not saying go out there and do foolish things, but enjoy the silly stuff. I am an adult and I still like to go to toy stores and play with the puppets! Because it makes me happy. I am not here to make anyone happy but myself. It sounds selfish, but before we can help others, we have to help ourselves. Just the fact that you asked the question on here shows that you are ready and willing to make a change for yourself. I have done a lot of "stupid" things in my life, but I have learned that loved ones are there for you no matter what you do. If people really love you, they are there for you no matter what! You can make little changes in your life. Use positive affirmation..when you start to feel those thoughts of hopelessness creep in--say to yourself that you are not listening anymore. If you are still feeling beyond hopelessness, there are many people you can go to to talk about it. It is not a sign of weakness to ask for some help and guidance. It is you standing up and saying you are sick of being that way and taking control of your life. I wish you luck and hope that I helped a little! Take care!
696348
It is not uncommon to get depressed on special days like your birthday or Christmas. It could have to do with the build up of excitement, and then the letdown, when your expectations aren't met.\n  Or, your think you SHOULD feel wonderful on those days, and you feel sad or guilty when you don't.\n  Yes, Christmas is the celebration of the birth of Jesus. But that doesn't mean that even Christians have to feel happy all the time, even on Christmas Day. I am a Christian, and I have had a few Christmases that I could have done without!\n   Just take things as they come. Don't expect too much from holidays, and you may find you feel better about them.\n  If the sad feelings are too much to handle alone, it is ok to ask for help.\n  Love from a mom. Oh, and, happy birthday!
1185165
You are assuming a lot.  I'm neither sinful nor full of shame, I live in a world of light and I try to walk with God everyday.  It's a joyful walk, not one of shame and desperation.\n\nI feel I must follow God, otherwise my life would be in the potty by now lol.  I need His hand on my life, or I'll just mess it up very bad.
815498
The Bible says there is no sin for which you can't be forgiven if you've accepted Jesus as your personal Savior. I think suicide is easing your own burdens while dumping them all on the people who loved you that you've left behind.
847224
It's not a sin.  Enjoy yourself.  Just don't get too obsessed with it.  All things in balance.
617689
Anxiety in the heart of man causes depression,\n But a good word makes it glad.  Proverbs 12:25\n\nMy grandfather believed that anything could be solved with the scriptures.  I can see what he meant, but I'm not so sure they should work alone.\n\nDepression is emotion (like anger, guilt, or anxiety) turned inward.  Some people rage at every little thing, and it's obvious they need to do some growth work.  Depression is insidious - especially in religious circles - because it is rewarded.  If you are angry and can effectively keep yourself from showing it, you're a good girl.   \n\nThe problem is that the anger isn't really dealt with in a more righteous way than if one flew into a rage.  Less people may be affected by it, but trying to control the rage and appear calm makes you live a lie.  Lies are not good.  They destroy our peace of mind and our health.\n\nIn that sense, sure, the Bible can help someone deal with depression.  If the depression is about dealing with emotions, a good Christian counselor should be able to guide someone to passages that deal specifically with thoughts and behaviors or attitudes or heart that need to be changed.  When we are at peace with God and ourselves, there is no depression.\n\nThe problem is that when my grandfather was alive and studying these things, depression was predominantly about thinking and feeling.  Now, it is also hormonal and chemical.  (I'm not saying that NEVER happened in the past, but I don't think it was a prevalent as it is today.)\n\nWe have so many new chemicals introduced everyday.  We are getting xenoestrogens in our food, water and product packaging.  We have all sorts of substances we are exposed to that may not kill us immediately, but pose a danger to us that most of us are blissfully unaware of.  Chemical estrogens can interfere with the way our natural estrogens work in the body.  Our hormones need to be kept in delicate balance or we start feeling unwell.\n\nBirth control pills are one example.  Premarin makes me cry uncontrollably, and it makes my hair fall out.  I don't want to be in the same room with it.  It alters my personality, and yes, it depressed me.  When I got it out of my system, I was no longer depressed.  If you're taking birth control pills or using patches, think back - how long have you been taking them?  Does your depression coincide with a change in prescription?  Have your cycles changed at all?\n\nGet a Basal Body Temperature thermometer (BBT), take your temp every morning before getting out of bed, and chart it on a calendar along with your cycle and any mood changes you have.  This will be useful information to take to your doctor.  \n\nDon't wait to see a doctor till you have charted yourself a while, but I think this is something every woman should do for herself.  It gives your doctor a good indication of how your hormones are affecting you.  It's useful for your long-term care.\n\nI'm not opposed to anxiety/depression medications, but I don't think they were ever meant to be used alone.  Be wary of any doctor who just wants to medicate you without getting you some counseling.  The meds are supposed to help you work with behavior modification and other therapies.  \n\nI think the drugs are amazing and I'm glad we have that resource for people, but I worry that we as a society are using them at times to avoid the growth work we need to do.  They numb us from the pain we need to come to terms with.  They enable us to continue unproductive behavior because we are too chilled out to care that our lives are unmanageable.\n\nLife is sad, sometimes.  And that's okay.  If we never felt the pain or sadness, something would be seriously wrong with us.  Even so, seek counseling.  Tell your doctor.\n\nStudy what your teachings say about anxiety, anger, guilt, and depression.  Pray for God to show you what you need to see and to do differently.  \n\nDo all of these things in balance and conj