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resource box is included with a live link to my site. A courtesy copy of your publication would be appreciated. ***********************************************************Title: Faith Healing and Depression? Author: Dave Turo-Shields, ACSW, LCSW E-mail: mailto:editor@overcoming-depression.com Copyright: by Dave Turo-Shields, ACSW, LCSW Web Address: http://www.Overcoming-Depression.com Word Count: 948 Category: DEPRESSION
Don't worry, I'm not going to get in pulpit but I will challenge you to take an objective look at what faith may be able to do for your depression. In doing so, we'll be looking at many people who use faith in different ways.
Did you know that someone who practices healing touch, such as Reiki, which is simply prayer by channeling God's love and healing energy, can help a hospital patient's wound heal up to 5 times faster?
Were you aware that great majority of happily married couples, couples married 50 years and longer report in public polls a long and strong faith background? Measure that up against today's divorce rates!
Did you know that devout Christians have fewer health problems and live an average of 7 years longer than non- believers?
Most helping professionals, including psychotherapists, never touch this area of faith in recovery from depression.
Why? Well, I could talk long and hard about this single issue, but I want to keep focus on your recovery, so I'll just tease this out a little bit. We currently live in an ultra-independent society (United States). Most things only have value if they can stand on their own. Yes, this particularly applies to us Americans. But, we've also separated church and state, medicine and spirituality, healing and faith, and on and on. I say enough of this immature, black-and-white approach to life. It's hurting us to live this way and it's time to reclaim interdependence and begin living holistically again.
Christians are disrespected and often under attack. Most never talk about their Christian beliefs in public for fear of reprisal. Others are too embarrassed to admit that they question existence of God or are extremely disappointed in God for one reason or another. Of course, then there are Christian hypocrites who greatly embarrass Christians of good integrity and give Christianity a bad rap. Being fair though, I've met many wonderful Christians, but I've never met a non-hypocrite. We're all human after all. ;-)
What is status of your belief in God or a Higher Power? Remember, you're only answering to yourself as you read this so p-l-e-a-s-e be honest with yourself. Who or what is God to you? What kind of a God or Higher Power do you believe in? Are you in need of a God-belief makeover?
Have you ever wondered if God would help little ol' you and your depression? Have you tried this angle? Have you given God opportunity to BE WITH you as you struggle? Or have you already put your own judgment above God's and sunk yourself into quicksand of self-disgust and despair?
