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?

These terms have become all too familiar in today's dating world. Are they words that you can relate to? Have you lived them in some way? If so, how have you felt about experience(s) both during and after? Chances are that you have mixed feelings at best. Depending on your age and sex, you may give a somewhat different response to this question. Whatever your answer, a close look at this "dating experience" that impacts so many singles in so many ways may be useful to you as you think about what your long-term relationship goals are and what you REALLY want from a relationship.

So what exactly do these terms mean? "Hooking up" is getting together for sex. There is generally no formal "date" involved. "Friends with benefits" usually refers to two people who are "friends" who also have sex together. Again, there's a distinction between what they share and "dating". "Booty call" usually describes act of a man (woman) calling up another person to come over for sex. The sex doesn't follow dinner, a movie or other "quality" time together, getting to really know each other. It's physical.

Do you define this activity (even loosely) as dating? Has this become a new intimacy for some or many of you? If so, it's important to look at how/if it meets your needs and if it aligns with your basic values and relationship wants and goals.

Begin by asking yourself some core questions, such as:

Am I comfortable with intimacy? Am I comfortable with a purely physical relationship? Am I able to be physically involved with someone while remaining emotionally detached? How do I feel about myself when I engage in this behavior? Am I doing this to please someone or win his or her affection? Is monogamy and marriage my goal?