Hi Sarita,
It is nice to meet you. I am from the "Beautiful Mountains of Pennsylvania." I have been on meds about 12yrs. steady. I've been going thru chronic depression, anixiety, and panic attacks. The ocd, thoughts sound alot like me, too. I've been going thru this for 40+ yrs.

I came to know Jesus as my Savior back in the late 1970"s, while listening to an Elvis Presely song called "Help Me". God showed me in that song that I had lived my life on my own, and that I lived for self and sin and that I just couldn't run my life myself any more and that I needed Him.

He has brought me thru many years of fear and doubt, and not going out around alot of people. Not even shopping on my own. Going to a restraunt for dinner was a very scary and uncomfortable event. I can go shopping by my self although at this time I'm not doing it myself because I'm not driving that far right now, because of meds, I don't trust my driving.

This is what I feel like. (haha)
Hope to hear from all of you as to where you live and a little about yourself.

Take care,
Born Again (Butterfly)

I'm 24 years old. I've been a Christian my whole life. I was baptized when I was 9 years old. I’ve been growing in my relationship with God ever since. I really started going downhill with depression when I went away to college. I felt guilty for feeling the way I felt but eventually I went to the counselor on campus and eventually my doctor. I'm unsure of my diagnosis - at one time I was diagnosed with clinical depression / chemical depression. I was on meds for 4.5 years. I recently came off of them because I was doing better... so I’m also unsure of where I’m at right now with the depression. I just know I’m scared of going back down.

Hi Godisfaithful,
It's good to see you on here again. I'm sorry to hear that the depression is trying to come back. My thought would be to see your Doctor because if you were getting better, you might need to stay on your meds awhile longer. Take care.

Born Again,

Hi I'm also new to this board. I think its a great Idea to introduce ourselves.

I'm 24 and about to go into my 6th and final year of university to become a highschool teacher. I was diagnosed with depression about 2mos ago. Although my diagnoses was just depression I suspect that I have been suffering from chronic depression since High School and the stress of uni. spiralled it down to a place where some days all I could do was get up and go throught the motions of life.

As for where I am in my journey. I think it can be summed up as in a dark valley but I'm able to catch a few glimpses of sky through the mountain tops.

I became a Christian at camp when I was 11. It wasn't until university when I was about 20 that God really became a part of my life.

It's nice to "meet" you Amber. I was beginning to think I was the only "youngin" on the board. (I'm also 24)

Hi everyone,

I am so glad to get to know you all.

How often do you come to this site?

I would like us to encourage each other along, perhaps do a weekly subject for us all to communicate on.

Do you all have any ideas?

I'm trying to check it every couple of days.
I like the idea of a topic we can comment on and encouraging each other.

GodisFaithful,

I like your name, He is so faithful!!

Well even it is just you and I it is worth the discussion every week. Although, I do believe others will join in with us.

Do you have any topics in mind.

I have a few.

We could start Sunday or Monday of the week so we have all week to comment.

May you see His Faitfulness this week in your life.

Hi everyone

Tonight, I was finally in a place to be able to respond to Sarita's idea to introduce ourselves.

I became a Christian when I was about five or six years old. My faith became "real" to me while I was on a missions trip when I was in grade nine.

I had my first major bout of depression that I clearly remember(but didn't know what it was) when I was 18. I started taking antidepressant medication, for a few months only, when I was 22, during my second bout. I had another bout when I was 25, and went back on medication, this time for about one year. I also started counselling at this point, to help me deal with the illness. I am now 28 and on medication again to help me through another bout of depression. Because of my history, I was diagnosed with depression as being "part of my biological makeup"/"the way I was made" in about April of this year. Before that, the diagnosis was circumstancial.

At really low points, it is difficult for me or I am not able to carry out basic responsibilities of life (eating, sleeping, socializing, grocery shopping, studying and/or work).

I feel like I am coming out of this bout of depression. I am also accepting that this is an illness that I have that is part of the way I was made that I will have to make a lifestyle change in order to live with. I am still on medication, and will take it for the rest of my life if I need to. I also go to counselling every month as "maintenance" (At lower points, I went every week). I am starting to make plans and goals again...and to socialize and carry out responsibilities like I did before this bout. I am scared but choose to LIVE, even though I have this.

I like the idea of a discussion group; thanks for suggesting it, Sarita!

I am not in the place to be able to contribute to the organization of the group (in terms of who will choose which discussion topics for when, etc.), but am interested in contributing to discussions when they are posted when I am able.

Usually, I have been checking this site about once a week or more.

Hi Everytone,
I need to know that God still loves me and is with me in this depression. I haven't been to church in awhile. I heard one time you can't have a relationship with God apart from the church.( I don't know if I misunderstood this or not.) I don't socialize alot, only when I feel like I can. I'm 59yrs. old, diagonised with chronic depression, I've had it for about 40yrs., along with anixiety, and panic attacks. I've had better days with it when I was younger and stronger. Now it is like all I want to do is eat, and sleep. I don't know if it's the meds or not. I'll find out more today. My house suffers and needs a good cleaning. I need help and to really believe God loves me even if I can't do much right now. Sometimes things just seem too overwhelming to me.

Thanks for listening,
Born Again

Hi Born Again,

So glad to hear that even though you are not feeling very well, you still believe that God loves you.

Even in my darkest times in my latest bout of depression, I still know God is with me, and because of this knowledge, I think my relationship with God has become stronger. He sees me at my worst, when I cannot do very much, and loves me anyway. He is my reason to continue on. I pray this for you, too.

I praise God for his unconditional love...and pray that we would all experience it, know it, and love each other as He loves us.

Laurie