Are there times in life when it seems as if nothing is going as planned?  Your friends don’t treat you like they used to. Your parents are always on your back. You didn’t get the grade you expected on your test.  The person you want to date wants to date someone else.  Has any of this ever happened to you?

Charrita D. Danley, Ph. D.

How do you handle these disappointing situations?  How do you the handle pressure?

How do you deal with everything going wrong when you are trying your best to do right?

Do you get overwhelmed by others’ expectations of you? Does disappointment cause you to give up on your goals or let go of your dreams?  Does it cause you lose interest in things that once excited you? Does it make you feel like there’s no need for you to get out of bed? 

Does it seem as if no one understands you? Does it drain you to the point that you want to just sleep your life away or maybe even end it?  Does it drive you to become angry with yourself, others, and sometimes even God?

Well, if you have had any of the above experiences, you have experienced DEPRESSION, but you are not alone and you don't have to stay this way. 

I've read that according to the National Mental Health Association, depression among young people is not uncommon.  I've also read in the Word of God that we are "...more than conquerors through him that loved us." (Romans 8:37)

You may not even be aware that you are depressed; you might simply think you are sad, feeling a little down or having a bad day.  Feeling sad or down is a normal response to difficult experiences, and everyone is entitled to a bad day.  However, these are only temporary responses and we should not let our circumstances determine how we feel.

II Corinthians 4:18 - While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.

If you don't immediately recognize the signs of depression, it can linger and often affects more than just your mood. It can affect your sleeping habits, eating habits, daily activities, and your thought process.  When you are depressed, you sleep much more than normal because you have lost interest in the activities that once occupied your time. 

You don’t want to go to the football games, hang out, or talk on the phone with friends. You start to eat a lot or not eat at all.  You don’t feel like getting up and going to school, and you definitely don’t want to do your household chores. 

In addition, depression makes it

difficult for you to make decisions and you spend a lot of time questioning

everything about your life.

Why is everything I’m doing going wrong? Why can’t people understand me? Why did God let this help happen to me?  Why? Why? Why?

As Christians, we have to understand a few things about life.  Because we live in this world, we will experience emotional pain and disappointment.  We will make mistakes and wrong choices.  We will wonder why our lives are not going according to our plans. 

But, we also have to remind ourselves, that God is not the author of confusion. He desires for us to know that He only wants the best for us.

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.

Jeremiah 29:11

When our natural circumstances are different from our expectations, we might be tempted to give into depression.  This does not mean that we are any less Christian. It merely shows us how much we need God in every area of our lives!

The Bible is filled with stories of believers who found themselves in difficult situations that caused them to feel helpless and overwhelmed by life’s experiences. 

God did not separate Himself from them during these stressful times.  Instead, He sent them comfort. God showed Himself faithful to deliver us from every evil work, including depression. 

If you ever experienced symptoms of depression in your life, don’t hesitate to go to God, then let someone who loves you know.  Confess His word over your life and watch God move that mountain of depression right out of your way. Then you will walk back into the promises of God and back into a position where you can REPRESENT!

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About the Author

Charrita D. Danley was born and raised in Greenville, Mississippi, the heart of the Delta.  When she was a tender 3 years old, her family recognized her love for words when they found her sitting and reading the local newspaper.  She was in no way distracted by the upside down print. As she grew older and began to read, her parents encouraged her penchant for reading by listening attentively as she read to them, enrolling her in summer programs at the local library, and providing her with her very own subscription to Ebony Junior.  As a result, books and reading materials became her most treasured possessions.

 In 1990, she graduated from Tougaloo with a B.A. in English.  She pursued graduate studies at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, where in 1995, she earned a M.A. in English Rhetoric and Composition and Technical Writing. After completing the Master’s, she began her high school teaching career in Greenville, and later moved to the Atlanta area.  While teaching, she continued her education, earning a Ph.D. in English Rhetoric Composition and Linguistics in 2003 from Georgia State University.

As a resident of Atlanta, Charrita began work on her first novel, Through the Crack, which she self-published in 2004 through her company, Chideria Publishing, Inc.  Set in the South, the novel explores a family’s journey from addiction to recovery, exposing the physical, mental, and emotional struggles experienced along the way.    A proponent of effective communication, Dr. Danley is also the founder of DANLEY Writing Consultants, an organization that provides writing and editorial services that develop clients’ concepts and ideas into well-written products.  In addition, she teaches college writing courses and conducts presentations, workshops, and seminars related to writing, linguistics and language arts education.

Dr. Danley also writes poetry and various types of non-fiction materials. She is a member of many professional and educational organizations.  For more information, please visit www.danleywriting.com and www.chideria-publishing.com.