The Black Hole

“If depression is creeping up and must be faced, learn something about the nature of the beast: You may escape without a mauling.”
-Dr. R. W. Shepherd

My church is doing a short series on the black hole of depression. An interesting choice of subjects I daresay! Since most people will have at least one period of short term minor depression and one in every 5 or 6 will experience a period of major depression over their lives, it seemed a good topic to speak about in church. Too often Christians who are struggling with depression don't get compassion from their fellow believers, they get this instead:

1. "You need more faith, what's wrong with you?"
2. "Why can't you just snap out of it?"

The stigma that goes with depression is hard enough to persevere through without Christians shooting their wounded in this way. I'm really proud of our church for presenting a seminar this coming Saturday on Depression and Mental Illness. It will focus on the why of depression, the challenges it brings, and what can be done about it. The presenter will be Dr. Mervin Van Der Spuy, one of my former professors at Providence Theological Seminary who is very knowledgeable about this topic. He has a specialization in psychopharmacology (the study of medicine/psychology to help those struggling with mental illness and problems in living). The seminar goes from 9am-12 noon at Cornerstone Alliance Church in Winnipeg and there will be time at the end for an extended Q and A session with our speaker. If you are looking for more information on how to help someone with depression/mental illness or perhaps you are wondering about assistance options for yourself, feel free to come check it out. Mervin is an expert on medication/drug options for helping with mental illness and is a fascinating speaker.