Joy

Season of Sadness (Headline)

Have you ever noticed just how different people act during this time of year? There are some who are typically unappealing the entire year who turn into the most wonderful people to be around. And then there are people who are usually very delightful who start becoming sadder, removing themselves from people, and walk around with an attitude of glumness.

I’m sure I'm not the only one who notices this common trend, right? Well, if you were not aware, there is something called seasonal depression. Now, there are many theories as to what causes this thing called seasonal depression, but one that stands out is that...

“less sunlight during fall and winter leads to the brain making less serotonin, a chemical linked to brain pathways that regulate mood. When nerve cell pathways in the brain that regulate mood don't function normally, the result can be feelings of depression, along with symptoms of fatigue and weight gain” (WEBMD).

Typically, those who are afflicted with this seasonal disorder experience fatigue, trouble concentrating, increased appetite, increased desires to be alone, a greater need for sleep, and weight gain. Many who experience this would agree when I say that the winter months, especially the advent season, are more of a season of sadness rather than a season of gladness.

This seasonal sadness may be increased by many other factors other than a lack of light. For some this time of year is financially difficult, as many try and buy as many presents as possible for as many people as possible. Others may be experiencing their first Christmas and Advent season without a loved one due to death or illness. This time of year is also heavy with not only lay-offs from many different companies, but also an increase in motor vehicle accidents.

So, as you can see, this time of year is not always filled with joy and laughter from others. And, if any of you have ever dealt with depression before, whether yourselves or friends or family, it can be especially difficult.

Collegiate Depression (Headline)

Through my service in the military I was trained to be a Suicide Prevention Officer. This training, along with my gift of discernment from God, helped me to notice different behavioral changes in people. My first experience with this was in college.

I was living in Mansfield over the summer of 2016. My friend and I would go to the gym together every single day, so we spent a lot of time with each other. This allowed for me to have a pretty good idea of what his normal behavior was. I started noticing some changes in him after he and his long-time girlfriend had broken up. Which of course his sadness makes sense.

However, it seemed like his sadness could not be shaken after this. Months went by and his sadness, his drinking, his removal from people, it all increased. One evening specifically the Holy Spirit stirred within me. I had just had a really good discussion with my friend about one of our classes and I felt this sudden urge to say, quite randomly might I add, “do you want to kill yourself?”

This seems like a very blunt question to ask, and it can be awkward to ask too, but I’m glad I did. My friend looked at me with this befuddled look, paused for a moment, and said, “yes.” I felt a feeling of relief, for my question wasn’t too far out there, but that moment of relief was quickly replaced with a feeling of grief. My friend wanted to kill himself.

He told me about his plan. He worked at the pool at the university and had many hours of being there alone and unchecked. He knew what he wanted to do, how he was going to do it, and was simply lacking the “when.” From here we discussed what was causing him to feel this way, and then we came up with an accountability plan. I encouraged him to seek professional help, and I am happy to say that his depression is managed now and he seems to be doing a lot better.

Mary and Joseph (Headline)

I share this story with you because I want you to understand just how deadly emotional distress can be. Our bodies bend and break, cut and bleed, scar and deform. These can, for the most part, be fixed and endured. But, the anguish that one feels within, inside the heart and the mind, can often be so overbearing that no medicine can fix it, it seems to be impossible to cure.

And while I have talked about my friend in college suffering from depression, while I have talked about the overwhelming sadness that many feel during this season of suffering, I too need to mention that all of this can afflict any one at any time.