Defeating Depression

One of the things that took me most by surprise when I had children was depression. I knew that the primary source of the problem had to be physical since it seemed to arrive like clockwork as soon as I conceived, as one of the first symptoms of pregnancy, and left as soon as I weaned my last child almost 10 years ago. As I struggled with my feelings in this regard, I also struggled to find a solution to the situation. On the one extreme were those who believed that "real Christians don't get depressed" (and a few even caused me to doubt my salvation), and on the other hand, were those who saw it as solely a medical issue needing little more than the right pill. While medicine does help some, I was not willing to risk my unborn and nursling's life by taking medications that couldn't be guaranteed to help me without negative side effects, after reading up on it more (I suggest, as does the writer of the book I mention below, that you don't discount medications if you need them, but that you do some research into the pros and cons). Instead, during this time, I began my love affair with the Psalms and Proverbs, my two favorite books of the Bible, and I did a lot of crying out to God.

During that dark period in my life, as I struggled with wanting a large family, but not wanting the emotional rollercoaster I seemed to be on with each pregnancy, God showed me so many good things in His word, and helped to sustain me. I can't say that I read the Bible enough and it all went away, nor can I say I always handled it well (understatement of the century), but I can say that I serve a faithful God, and a good God who does all things well. When I came out on the other side of that season, I saw how much God had done in my life to prune me for His glory.

Because of this issue in my own life, and running a website with resources for moms, I have kept my eyes peeled for a great book, audio, or program that would be a blessing to Christian women who value children, value family, and love the Lord who still struggle in this area. As I looked around, I found things that seem to fall on the one side or the other, but never in good balance until now.

Cynthia Carrier, of Values Driven Family, created a program that I feel does strike that Godly balance I've been looking for. Her package, "Defeating Depression: Cooperating with God to Experience Victory over Negative Emotions", is a biblically based examination of depression and other negative emotions, with practical helps and encouragement. Mrs. Carrier's Audio Seminar Package is packed with good things to bless and encourage you: a 45 minute MP3 audio, an ebook, a workbook/journal, 20 designed Scripture memory cards, Cindy Rushton's "Mommy Care Package" Audios, and some uplifting audios from OneVoice.

After reading Cindy's Ebook and listening to her audios, I was encouraged that finally someone got it right, and had created such a helpful resource, but I also wished I had this available to me when I first began struggling in this area myself as a first time mom. Though the ebook is small (just 15 pages of text), it is absolutely packed with meaty encouragement and uplifting, practical advice. Everything she says, I felt, was spot on for any momma struggling in this area.