Ruth Marlene Friesen: Welcome!

This site is like Ruthe, the heroine of my novel, Ruthe's Secret Roses

Ruthe is . . .
intimate with God,
prays a lot,
a bleeding heart for the hurting,
a big sister,
rescues friends,
has creative ideas,
likes to give surprise gifts,
loyal to friends,
dreams of love and marriage,
dreams of writing a book
goes the extra mile

So this site offers;
good books to read!
help to become Friends with Jesus,
The One Ideal Real Friend
a cure for loneliness
An Older Sister's Coping Secret
how to pray Panic Prayers,
& regularly/daily
devotionals,
how to grow in faith
Christian mentoring,
how to share your faith
character development
how to become a writer

Join The Customer Advantage - so I can bless you AND your friends!

So many talk about having depression, that it's almost a status symbol now. Of course, those who truly suffer this affliction do not enjoy it much. I KNOW there are spiritual answers.

There are however, certain other emotions that often are mistaken for depression. They should not be treated the same, so it's important to distinguish which you are dealing with.

DISCOURAGEMENT
This is what you feel when you lose hope. You're unable to do the work God gave you. You get sadder and sadder, and give up - on yourself, on God, on life.

Put a discouraged person with other depressed and sad people, and it will only get worse. This individual needs to be with encouragers who speak with hope and gladness.

SORROW
This is a deep sadness of the soul, yet it is possible to be very sad about one thing, such as an illness, or death in the family, and joyful on another. A sorrowful person can be encouraged by someone weeping with them, and can still have a sense of purpose, and acknowledge that God can use this time to help him or her grow up spiritually.

GRIEF
This is an anguish of the spirit affecting both soul and body. It drains you of all emotional energy, causes sleeplessness, and can distort perspective. Often it involves a total disinterest in food. Grief that drags on and on can become depression.

Medical professionals use the following criteria for depression, the most common mental disorder in America, and twice as common in women as men.

At least two weeks of any four of these symptoms;

- poor appetite and weight loss, or of eating too much, and gaining weight,

- sleeping problems, either too much or not enough,

- no interest or pleasure in usual activities,

- fatigue, no energy,

- excessive or wrong sense of guilt, feeling worthless, and reproaching self,

- unable to think or concentrate,

- thinking of death or suicide a lot.

The medical people refer to categories and special terms. A Neurotic depression is mild, a Psychotic depression is severe.

Bipolar means two extremes of emotion. Inappropriate exhilaration is mania; severe sadness is depression, so a manic-depressive is one who swings both ways.

Unipolar (uni means one) depression is only the one end of the spectrum, the extremely sad person.

Reactive or situational depression comes to those who have a bout of great downer feelings after a huge disappointment or a trauma, like a death in the family, loss of a job, or a personal financial catastrophe.

What can bring on any of these depressed states? Well, almost any factor, from external, spiritual, and some physical causes. (We'll explore some in later articles).

External reasons can range from a cloudy, over-cast day, to a cluttered home or office, unrealistic goals you cannot meet, or constant interruptions by phone, etc.

Spiritual causes are bitterness against God, not having a worthy purpose in life, secret sins, anniversaries of bad times, objects with occult connections, and an ungrateful spirit.

Physical factors include hormonal imbalances, or a sluggish thyroid, lack of true deep sleep, chronic illness, adjustments to delivery of a baby, a spinal misalignment, too much sugar, lack of vitamins, or good nutrition.

There is also work being done on genes causing hereditary depression. However, I believe if that were so, God would have mentioned or hinted at it in the Bible. I agree with Bill Gothard who says these will most likely be spiritual causes. And yes, spiritual problems can be inherited.

Let me say again, I KNOW there are spiritual answers and cures for depression. God does not want to see us in that pit all our lives. I want to challenge you, if you are coping with this problem to diagnose yourself carefully, and honestly.

Like King David of the Bible in Psalm ... Give yourself a little positive talk, and say, "Now, Self, Hope in God! He cares. He will help!"


~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`
Ruth Marlene Friesen makes friends wherever she goes!
Just like her heroine, Ruthe, in Ruthe's Secret Roses,
http://Ruthes-SecretRoses.com/RSR.html Her friends
become her rare roses. http://Ruthes-SecretRoses.com
Subscribe to RoseBouquet, her biweekly blog/ezine
http://Ruthes-SecretRoses.com/RoseBouquet/index.shtml
~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`

[Article may be reprinted only with this resource box].

Giveaways

Ruthe's Secret Roses available in softcover! Purchase it at BookLocker.com and it will be in the mail to you within 48 hours!


The novel:
Order NOW
Author
Read it Right NOW!

Available at:
BookLocker.com
Amazon.ca
Amazon.com

Or ASK at any bookstore!

Have the RoseBouquet
(my inspirational blog/RSS feed)
sent to you weekly by email: