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I believe due to personal experience that depression is caused by influence or possession by evil spirits. I recommend seeking to cast them out. If you do not have enough faith to do it yourself, according to the pattern taught in the temple, then I would find a faithful priesthood holder to give you a blessing. You do not need to tell them you want them to cast out an evil spirit, just tell them you need a blessing and trust the Lord that He will take care of the details. Because it has been a long standing problem for you, be prepared to need to have spirits cast out multiple times. Don’t hesitate to ask for additional blessings thinking that once is enough. If you feel you need a blessing, then get another one. Pray for help if you are not sure how to proceed or who to ask. The Lord will guide you, no matter what. I don’t mean to dismiss Called to Serve’s personal experiences regarding evil spirits, but I feel it would make the most sense for Shawn to follow the data. Based on his descriptions, Shawn clearly has major depressive disorder, and may have some other issues as well, which may be exacerbating the depression, or a leading contributor to the depressive features. The data regarding depression indicate that the best treatment is a combination of medication to balance the neuro-chemicals and cognitive behavioral therapy to retrain yourself how to think and act. Now, IF depression is primarily caused by evil spirits, as Called to Serve contends, I still suggest that these evil spirits must have trouble remaining in an organism that is neuro-chemically balanced and has reframed their negative thinking patterns. This is not to say that a blessing with accompanying faith is not still a good idea. I completely agree, Shawn, that you are not bad, by any stretch of the imagination. I completely understand how you would think that, however. Just as you had difficulties thinking clearly while using illegal drugs, you also have trouble thinking clearly while your neuro-chemicals are unbalanced and abnormal in your otherwise functionally intact brain. It makes sense that you think things like this… you’re thinking as a depressed person. Remember that.
And please have hope. Depression is common and it is treated successfully most of the time. If you have not received therapeutic services in while, I would strongly encourage you to find a good therapist whom you trust who specializes in working with adults with depression using some form of cog-behav therapy, and find a good psychiatrist who works with that same population. Sometimes you can find that in one person, but anymore it’s more difficult.
As Ray mentioned, increased depression is more common in the winter (especially in the colder parts of the world) because people typically get less exercise and less sun. Seasonal Affective Disorder is real as well. Exercise and diet are also important factors. Eating well and exercising well will help the treatment.
Again, have hope. Odds are VERY high that if you seek reputable treatment, you will get better. Odds are also about half that it may return again, but then you can also treat it successfully again. You can feel better, you will feel better if you find the right treatment. It’s just a matter of when, not if.
God speed.
Called to Serve wrote:I believe due to personal experience that depression is caused by influence or possession by evil spirits. I recommend seeking to cast them out. If you do not have enough faith to do it yourself, according to the pattern taught in the temple, then I would find a faithful priesthood holder to give you a blessing. You do not need to tell them you want them to cast out an evil spirit, just tell them you need a blessing and trust the Lord that He will take care of the details. Because it has been a long standing problem for you, be prepared to need to have spirits cast out multiple times. Don’t hesitate to ask for additional blessings thinking that once is enough. If you feel you need a blessing, then get another one. Pray for help if you are not sure how to proceed or who to ask. The Lord will guide you, no matter what.
I think sometimes this is the case… but… I also see it as a health issue. We get blessings for broken bones, so why not broken minds? Certainly some of it is down to diet, exercise, sunlight, vitamin defiency, genetics etc, which are all the opposite.
A friend, or perhaps former friend of mine, is a paranoid schizophrenic. I believe in his case that there is some demonic factor… from things he tells me, and some of his acts. People don’t want to hear this these days, but perhaps one of the best options is to have multiple treatments.
IMHO, demonic possession is rare. Issues such as depression come with their own stigma. If you throw in demonic possession, the stigma is even greater.
A good friend has been dealing with depression for many years (+20). One day she decided that she was cured & stopped taking
her meds. The chemical imbalance throw her into a real “tail spin”. She had to be hospitalized & went back on the meds.
She came out of it within a week. If you talked with her, you would think she was the most stable person you ever knew & she is.
Even in her most manic state, she can fool a professional therapist.
Again, I want to caution everyone, depression is
notdemonic possession. As I understand it, Depression is a medical problem not a spiritual problem.
The treatment is medical not spiritual.
Hang in there man! You are not bad, you just feel that way because your depressed. FYI- I think most teenagers/young adults experiment with drugs and alcohol to a certain extent. Pretty normal teenage stuff if you ask me. Don’t let your feelings about your past dictate your future. Psychiatry and therapy worked wonders for me, I’d go see a medical professional ASAP. Sorry if I sound opinionated, I’m just concerned and I feel like I can relate.
Demonic influence… I think more common than ordinary people realise, but less common than some fundamentalist preachers suggest. I think Charles Manson is an extreme example of a probable possession. Quote:Again, I want to caution everyone, depression is not demonic possession.
As I understand it, Depression is a medical problem not a spiritual problem.
The treatment is medical not spiritual.
I think you’re misunderstanding me here. Multiple treatment methods can help here. I wouldn’t exactly go around shouting about this stuff, and no orthodox doctor will accept it… but try various things, try the medical line, try the lines of blessing and prayer, try changing your diet and taking more exercise, try relaxation techniques etc… it doesn’t matter which works, as long as one of them does.
I disagree. Depression is both a spiritual and a medical problem. Addiction is both as well.
SamBee, I have to agree. While I believe depression is ultimately a problem with evil spirits, the health of the body can be a factor as well. It is easier to have spiritual health if you are taking care of your physical health as well. I should say though, that you are only required to do your best. It would be unjust for the Lord to demand us to have great physical health before healing us of our spiritual maladies. I think that if you do your best to take care of your body and trust God, then you will be freed of whatever influences are causing negative feelings.
I believe deeply that “taking care of your body” includes taking care of the chemical imbalances in your body, which means, in many cases, for people with depression and other similar issues, using proper medication – even as meds might not be needed for others or needed long-term. Thus, I can agree that there might be evil spirits at work in some cases and not have a problem with suggestions for prayer and Priesthood blessings, as long as the type of comprehensive, balanced approach being advocated by prhases like “taking care of your body” includes professional counseling, medication, diet, etc. in an attempt to pinpoint exactly what the issues are for each individual. If any approach discourages trying counseling, medication, diet, etc. and focuses exclusively on “spiritual causes”, I reject it without hesitation.
I found this article on lds.org. It is very interesting. https://www.lds.org/ensign/2005/10/myths-about-mental-illness?lang=eng&query=demonic+possession Note: I removed the quote. There seemed to be a problem with the format. It is better if we go directly to the source. In this case, the link provided above.
Mike, I like that you tried to quote the article but some formatting got lost that makes parts of your quote almost opposite of what the article actually says.
Thoreau wrote:I skim the deep parts in Walden. If you like reading about nature have tried A Sand County Almanac?
I hadn’t heard of that book. I wouldn’t say I like reading about nature much. I am reading Walden because it is “part personal declaration of independence, social experiment, voyage of spiritual discovery, satire, and manual for self-reliance,” asWikipedia notes
Old-Timer wrote:Shawn, your comment about your depression being worse in the winter reminded me about a recent post about S.A.D. – one form of depression – that posted while you were away. I am providing the link, and I think you ought to read it, especially since it includes some comments from people here about simple things they have tried that have helped in some way.
Thanks, Ray. I have actually dealt with SAD for years and I checked out that thread. I read about the vitamin D3 and remembered I have have some in my desk, so I popped a couple.
SamBee wrote:My two cents. The church is right on depression, up to a point. If you do make certain lifestyle choices, you will end up more depressed. Fact. However, there are certain things you might not be aware of. On the SAD thread I posted (search for it), I mentioned multivitamins had helped. That was direct practical help from this board. Some of the causes of depression are external, some internal. If you can eliminate as many of the external ones as possible, it does genuinely help. However, dealing with your environment or the people around you can be difficult.
Also, don’t hold exclusively to counseling. It is overrated, and is in my experience a temporary fix, and won’t deal with chemical issues in your body.
Prayer does help too. Sometimes it takes time, but it is worth trying intense prayer.
Thanks, man. I totally agree that lifestyle choices contribute. I need to exercise! I’ll see if the vitamin D3 helps.Called to Serve wrote:I believe due to personal experience that depression is caused by influence or possession by evil spirits. I recommend seeking to cast them out. If you do not have enough faith to do it yourself, according to the pattern taught in the temple, then I would find a faithful priesthood holder to give you a blessing. You do not need to tell them you want them to cast out an evil spirit, just tell them you need a blessing and trust the Lord that He will take care of the details. Because it has been a long standing problem for you, be prepared to need to have spirits cast out multiple times….
I gotta say I disagree with this. I haven’t been possessed by an evil spirit for the last 17 years. It would actually be awesome if it were that simple and I could be cured through blessings. I used to have faith that I could, but it wasn’t to be. There are many articles on the Church website addressing causes of, and treatment for, depression. Here are some excerpts from one:
Quote:Among the multiple causes for depression, genetic vulnerability is receiving increased attention….Medical conditions can also account for depression and mood changes. Does your spouse suffer from untreated diabetes, thyroid problems, or side effects of certain medications?…Traumatic events early in your spouse’s life may trigger emotional reactions in his or her adult life. Has your spouse been vulnerable in his or her past to trauma, abuse, or neglect?…Significant life events can also lead to depression. Has your spouse undergone the death of a loved one, an earlier divorce, the loss of employment, or a financial reversal?…Long-standing personality traits can also contribute to depression. Does your spouse have a tendency to exploit others or avoid life by threatening suicide?
sourceShawn…biggest thing is..don’t give up. I have been in the place where I hoped I could just get hit by a train. I have never been a filled with sunshine and bliss kind of guy…I am betting you won’t find many of them here 
But I am pretty content and am now able to cope with life’s ups and downs. I would add that it does help to “get outside yourself”. I find a lot of satisfaction going over and helping a friend work on his rental that was trashed by a good LDS family (sorry…cheap shot)….service really does help with depression. Not a cure…i don’t think there is one , but it helps a lot.
Definitely recommend vitamins, they seem to have helped me with SAD – and I got that advice off here. My one worry about them, was because I was double dosing myself… I was getting too much of certain ones. I think I was getting too much iron, for example, and that’s bad for your gut. SAD is only part of my problems, but that’s helped.
Quote:I believe deeply that “taking care of your body” includes taking care of the chemical imbalances in your body
The unfortunate thing here is that most people aren’t aware of which imbalances they have. I would also err on the side of caution with certain psychiatric medicines as well – be careful of them, not only are the side effects from some nasty, but they can also be addictive. Just because a doctor gives you something, doesn’t mean that it won’t harm you – look at Michael Jackson, for example!
Quote:I gotta say I disagree with this. I haven’t been possessed by an evil spirit for the last 17 years. It would actually be awesome if it were that simple and I could be cured through blessings.
The good thing about blessings though, is that they don’t hurt.Not unless they’re pressing down on your head really hard… but I digress. When blessings work, they’re wonderful, when they don’t, no harm done. I had a blessing for a killer of an abcess once… and it worked. Don’t know how, but it did. Never gave me the same kind of pain again, until it was properly treated (which was at least two drainages and several fillings!) Part of our church’s theology states that the Devil (or whatever you wish to call him/it) wishes us to be miserable, and God wants us to be happy in the end up, despite our trials. I agree with this and think that God wishes us to be happier. However, I also point you to the verse about giving all men weaknesses. In the scheme of things, there could be a reason for it. I know that if I didn’t have certain issues, I’d head towards cruelty and arrogance (more than I do now). Maybe these stop me, and help me seek God.
So, I think the blessing thing is good, but harmless if it fails. I definitely would recommend this, as part of multiple tactics to deal with this.
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