Depression Is Serious

The story of Andrew Stoecklein, a preacher who committed suicide at 30 years old after he struggled against depression and anxiety, tore me apart. If I had a difficult time reconciling the warring thoughts in my head, I wondered how his family was coping. Today, I read the letter his wife, Kayla, penned 3 days after his death and it broke something in me. 

“Scared, alone, misunderstood, betrayed, hurt, fighting a dark spiritual war virtually alone, unable to fully get help and support,” these were some of the words she used to describe the battle that Andrew waged. How many pastors and people in ministry are going through these in silence, carrying the burden by themselves, and don’t know how to ask for help even from the people closest to them? How many more of them are we going to lose to this darkness?

No one is immune to the ravages of depression. It grips you like a savage demon, drains you of your joy, and sucks the lifeblood out of you until you are left a shadow, a shell of how you used to be. People who know nothing about this disease think that it’s something you can just snap out of; that they are being dramatic and should pull themselves up by their bootstraps and deal with it. Conditions that target the body such as diabetes, anemia, arthritis, or cancer are easier to understand. But these treacherous killers that plague the mind and psyche are harder to figure out and even more difficult to detect. 

A friend shared how she lived most of her life with her mom sinking into bouts of depression for months. As a child, she didn’t understand how her mother could be sweet, fun, and carefree one day then morose, despondent, and weary of life the next. Her mother is one of the blessed ones. She was diagnosed early and even though she still suffers from it, she knows where, when, and how to get help.

When someone you know expresses a deep sadness, weariness, or lack of enthusiasm for living, be careful not to ignore what they’re saying. It’s possible that it’s a temporary phase brought about by a major financial setback, a breakup, or a tragic death in the family; but it could also be something more serious, chronic, and would require professional help. Don’t be afraid to ask and offer your support. It could spell the difference between life and death. It’s that serious.

Darkness.