Faith, Growth, and Healing: A Journey to Overcoming Depression and Anxiety

• By candidasullivan
• September 16, 2024
• No Comments

I love it when God blesses me to reflect on the past and to see how far He has brought me. Years ago, during the most challenging part of my life, I was depressed. The only thing I had to do all day was get out of bed and take my children to school, and most days, I struggled to do that simple chore. Then, after I managed to take them to school, I returned to an empty home and spent my day sleeping or crying. I felt like I was in a deep, dark hole and didn’t know how to get out.

At that time, I was afraid of everything. What time I wasn’t sleeping or crying, I used to worry. I stayed in a looping cycle of worry, fear, and misery all of the time. I couldn’t even enjoy my children worrying that something might happen to them.

I took several different medications several times a day. While the medicine stopped my anxiety attacks when they started, it did not prevent them from happening. While I lay on the couch one night and imagined taking my own life, I knew that I had to do something. The medicine was not working.

I started with exercise. The first time I attempted to exercise, I cried the whole time but would not allow myself to quit. It took me several workouts to stop crying. Plus, I had lain in the bed for so long that my muscles were chronically stiff and so painful.

Next, I started making myself get ready every day. At the time, I didn’t have a job, so I usually wore my pajamas or comfortable clothes. It made me feel better when I wore real clothes and fixed my hair and make-up. Every night, I went and sat on my deck, told God all about my problems, and asked for His guidance.

God helped me change my thoughts, and that changed my life.

He helped me look at my situation differently and find joy again. I learned to enjoy the moment. Instead of fretting over the past or worrying about the future, God showed me how to live in the present moment. Part of my problem was that I felt stuck and didn’t know how to change my life. He showed me that the little things we do daily change our lives.

I needed a dream and a reason to grow in my life. If not, we will slowly die inside. Finding a purpose in writing helped me so much, especially when my life became about others and how I could help them instead of my own heartaches.

While I still struggle, at times, with feelings of worry, anxiety, and depression, God helps me to overcome them all. I am so grateful for His peace that passes all understanding.

What I learned throughout this process:

1. God is always in control. I can’t control anything. Worrying about it doesn’t change the outcome, but prayer can. I’ve learned to pray, turn my heartaches over to God, and leave them with Him.
2. All things work for my good.
3. God not only loves me, but He cares for me as well.
4. If we are not growing, then we are dying. We don’t just get to stay in the same place.
5. Find the joy in something every single day. Whatever we focus on in our lives will expand. Therefore, I want to focus on the good things.
6. When I change my thoughts, I can change my feelings.
7. No one can make me feel anything. I get to choose how I will feel at any given time.
8. God knows what I need to help me grow into who He created me to be. Therefore, He handpicks each trial for me.
9. My trials are not meant to destroy me but to help me.
10. I am always stronger than I realize. If I can’t walk, I need to crawl, but giving up is not an option.