Episode 4: Anxiety & Depression

09.21.19 | Parent Resources, Making History Podcast

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    STATISTICS
    1. In Tennessee, on average, 1 person dies by suicide every 8 hours.
    2. Suicide is the 3rd leading cause of death for 15-24 year-olds.
    3. 32% of high school students admit to feeling sadness/depression, 17% seriously consider committing suicide, 14% make plans to do so, 7% attempt suicide.
    SHOW NOTES
    Questions we ask
    1. What happens in the lives of kids, students, and adults with the thoughts and feelings of anxiety and depression? How do they get there?
    2. Why is it hard for a child to confide in their parents when they are walking through this struggle?
    3. How do you know when your child is struggling with depression or thoughts they can’t express?
    4. How do church, community, and friend groups help in the process of healing and growing in the truth of God’s grace in our lives?
    5. From a parent perspective, how significant is community in your child’s life?
    6. How does God see us? Who are we in Him?
    Highlights:
    • Clinical depression’s prevalence is on the rise in the United States. At any given time, around 15% of American adults take antidepressants, and up to 25% will meet the criteria for a depression diagnosis at some point in their lifetime. Though the reasons behind a depression diagnosis are often complex, the church has a prime opportunity to address those complex needs.
    • The enemy wants us to mistake our lies for truth.
    • One of the purposes of the church is to walk alongside people and families when they struggle and help identify community and villages of voices to speak truth.
    • At the heart of it, we need to know and believe who we are in Jesus. It’s His truth we cling to as we struggle. Scripture is filled with stories of people who didn’t have it all together but were slowly being sanctified and more like Jesus in the midst of their heartaches. Through this y;ou see who Jesus is as a Father, Comforter, and Mighty King.
    • Encouraging Passages of Scriptures: Romans 8, Psalm 56, Psalm 57
    • It’s always good to seek out help from your local church, Biblical community, and counseling that points you and your children to the Word
    A piece of Katey's story:

    If I’m being honest, that time of incredible pain is the most significant part of my faith. He allowed me to see firsthand how powerful and good He is. Though He calls me new and born again, I still face those struggles because the enemy still wants to wage war on my soul. To tell you I am completely doubt-free today would be a lie. Like most (honestly, all) people, I still deal with insecurity and even moments of self-hatred, but now I know that God is who I run to for comfort. I don’t believe in Jesus because I was raised in church, or because I have amazing God-fearing role models, or because I’ve never known anything else. I believe in Jesus because I have seen for myself that His hands could hold me in the depths of the valley and turn someone who was absolutely broken into someone who desires Him more and more every morning.

    Resources: