Hey ladies!

I’m back again, and this time, with a heavy-hearted post that’s dedicated to our women, young and old that struggle with depression.

It’s heavy, I know.

But bear with me because I think you might want to stick around for this one.

*THIS POST MAY CONTAIN AFFILIATE LINKS, ADS,  AND OR PRODUCTS THAT CAN GENERATE INCOME FOR ME. ANY INCOME MADE FROM THIS BLOG GOES INTO THE MINISTRY. I AM ALSO NOT A LICENSED PROFESSIONAL ON THIS TOPIC, MY ADVICE IS SIMPLY AN OPINION. IF YOU LIKE, YOU CAN READ THE FULL DISCLOSURE HERE.*

Before we start, let’s talk facts

First, depression isn’t something people make up as a reason to be sad, let’s just get that out of the way.

Second, depression DOES NOT mean Satan is attacking your mind.

Third, depression is a REAL and TREATABLE mental illness that affects over 19 MILLION women in America.

But here are some other important facts for you to think about:

• About 1 in every 8 women will develop some form of clinical depression in their lifetime.
• Women experience depression about TWICE as often as men.
• Depression is not just being SAD, it also can come in the form of tiredness, muscle soreness, weight changes, appetite changes, mood swings, etc.

For more of a visual of the statistics, you can read the infographic below provided by Mental Health America.

So basically, depression can affect anyone

Out of 19 million people in the U.S., you definitely aren’t alone, no matter how alone you may feel.

And it doesn’t matter if you have everything you can possibly want out of life or nothing at all.

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Depression is something that can be hereditary, biological, or simply there because, well, life sucks for everyone at some point in time.

You might look around and feel like there is no one that understands how you feel, but I can guarantee you, that AT LEAST 19 million people understand EXACTLY how you feel.

And you’ll be surprised how many people foster this feeling inside of themselves and NEVER tell anyone.

So Don’t Be afraid to talk about it

People, especially Christians, don’t like to talk about mental illness. 

And I think this partly stems from the belief that, if we don’t talk about it, then we don’t have to address it.

But the problem with this type of thinking is that it totally isolates the people that need help the most. 

And sometimes, people honestly don’t know what say.

So say it for them.

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Tell them, whether it’s family or friends, EXACTLY WHY you don’t feel like get-togethers, or why you might answer the phone a little less.

Most of the time, even though they won’t always know what to say other than “I’ll pray for you” if they say anything positive at all, it means they care.

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depression does not mean you are weak or flawed

If you’ve ever thought to yourself, “what the heck is wrong with me?”, you’re officially one out of millions of people who have thought the EXACT SAME THING.

And you know what?

Nothing is wrong with you. 

Depression is NOT YOUR FAULT.

Depression is the result of hormones negatively affecting your mood and life experiences weighing you down.

In fact, ADMITTING that you know something is wrong makes you incredibly BRAVE because MOST people who suffer from depression, DON’T EVEN SAY ANYTHING.

So stop beating yourself up.

You’re amazing regardless of how depression makes you feel.