Depression & Anxiety

13 Reasons Why Depression Needs Discipleship • Part I

Depression is not something new. God’s people have grappled by faith with deep pain and darkness for generations. Yet, we have become so used to seeing despondency through world-colored glasses, that we are tempted to neglect one of the most helpful resources available to sufferers: Spirit-led, one-another care. Discipleship is not some optional flabby excess in the realm of treatment options. For the follower of Jesus, discipleship is a critical lifeline of sustaining grace meant to facilitate conformity to Christ for the glory of God and the perseverance of his saints.
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5 years ago

Beware of Taking Your Sorrows to Alcohol Before God

Drinking to drown our sorrows, contrary to the chart-topping songs, is a dangerous—potentially deadly—way to respond to seasons of excessive sadness. Alcohol won’t lay its life down for us, but it can demand we lay down our life for it.
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5 years ago

Hope + Help for Mysterious Depression with Erick Cobb

In this episode of The Hope + Help Project, Christine Chappell interviews Pastor Erick Cobb about the Christian's experience of seemingly causeless depression. Erick shares about his personal encounters with despondency, describing some of its mysterious components, and how the Scriptures normalize our seasons of dread and darkness. He also talks about the redemptive benefits that can result from walking through depression, highlights the importance of biblical metaphor in comforting the despondent Christian, and suggests practical physical and spiritual sustaining graces for enduring the dark.
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5 years ago

Four Sustaining Graces for Seasons of Depression

It’s true, the experience of depression is exhausting—both physically and spiritually. We find ourselves desperately feeling around for a light switch that we may finally land our fingers on a toggle. But alas, there are no quick remedies for instantly illuminating our gloom—no switch to flip, no immediate assuage of our pain. Yet, while depression is a season where our capabilities may be diminished, there are small sustaining graces to partake of which can carry us along while we wait.
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5 years ago

Hope + Help for Overwhelming Emotions with Alasdair Groves

In this episode of The Hope + Help Project, Christine Chappell interviews author/biblical counselor Alasdair Groves. They talk about his book, "Untangling Emotions," to learn more about a biblical approach to addressing our overwhelming feelings, to discover how negative emotions can actually serve redemptive purposes, and finally, to understand how the gospel of Jesus Christ frees believers to engage our emotions in fruitful ways. Alasdair also offers insights into unhelpful views on the importance of our emotions, helps listeners to understand a biblical view of the mind-body connection, and gives words of encouragement to those who feel frequently overcome by their emotional state.
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6 years ago

Hope + Help for Anxious Teens with Jessica Thompson

In this episode of The Hope + Help Project, Christine Chappell interviews author/speaker Jessica Thompson on the topic of her new book, How to Help Your Anxious Teen. During the conversation, Jessica unpacks some of the commonly overlooked factors that can contribute to our teen's anxiety, the harmful ways parents sometimes approach helping their child, and how the gospel of Jesus Christ offers teens and parents alike the assurance and hope needed to walk through anxiety recovery. She also explains the dangerous effects of "helicopter parenting," why today's culture has a disdain for normalcy, and the importance of fostering an environment of grace and age-appropriate transparency in our homes.
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6 years ago

Hope + Help for Anxious Moms with Sara Wallace

In this episode of The Hope + Help Project, Christine Chappell interviews author/writer Sara Wallace on the topic anxiety in motherhood and her new book, Created to Care: God's Truth for Anxious Moms. Sara discusses God’s good design for our “mother bear” instincts, the heart struggles that take place when fear dominates our parenting, how to approach concerns over our children’s salvation, and how the gospel of Jesus Christ offers anxious moms the necessary resources to learn how to trust God with their children’s lives. She also highlights some of the ways moms can fall into guilt-ridden performance traps and control idolatry, offering anxious mothers words of encouragement and comfort for the weary—but priceless—privilege of raising children.
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6 years ago

Hope + Help for Post-Abortion Trauma with Camille Cates

In this episode of The Hope + Help Project, Christine Chappell interviews author/speaker/biblical counselor Camille Cates on the topic of post-abortion trauma, unpacking some of the difficult emotional and spiritual battles that manifest in abortion’s wake, and sharing how the gospel of Jesus Christ offers real hope and help for those who seek to heal. During our conversation, Camille shares her personal testimony of horrifying tragedy and loss, recounting the path that lead her to choose to abort her unborn baby. We talk about the lie of "self-forgiveness," why coping mechanisms ultimately fall short in alleviating the grief and guilt of post-abortion trauma, and the various impacts friends, family, and church community members can have in the healing process. Camille also addresses the frequently asked question, "Will I see my aborted baby in Heaven?" and suggests practical ways to lean into God's Word for meaningful healing and spiritual peace through forgiveness in Christ.
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6 years ago

Hope + Help for the Broken-Hearted with Mark Vroegop

In this episode of The Hope + Help Project, Christine Chappell interviews author/pastor Mark Vroegop on the topic of his new book, "Dark Clouds, Deep Mercy", learning how the God-given language of lament offers the broken-hearted hope and help for life’s sorrowful seasons. During the conversation, Pastor Mark shares his family's personal story of tragic loss, and how lament provided them—and ultimately, his church community—an outlet for their pains to be voiced while placing their trust in God. We talk about the key components of lament, heart-attitude cautions (what lament isn't), and why today's culture has such a hard time walking alongside broken-hearted people. Pastor Mark also offers practical steps for traveling by faith through grief and sorrow, as well as encouragements on how to cling to biblical hope, even when we've lost all sense of it.
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6 years ago

Examining the Dark: What to Do When Depression Lifts

Depression demands to be heard—to have a voice. Ed Welch writes, “There are times when depression is saying something and we must listen.” If we don’t take notice of the dirges despondency sings, we fail to capitalize on an important catalyst for spiritual growth.
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6 years ago

Hope + Help for the Depressed Ministry Leader with Terry Powell

In this episode of The Hope + Help Project, Christine Chappell interviews author/teacher Terry Powell on the subject of handling depression in ministry. Terry shares pieces of his life-long battle against depression with vulnerable humility, giving us a picture of God's sustaining grace for those involved in leadership positions. He offers thoughts about combatting negative self-talk, and answers the question, "Is depression a hinderance or a help to fruitful ministry?" The episode also explores the issue of suicide in pastoral ministry, and whether or not the concept of victorious Christian living can be reconciled with the believer's experience of depression.
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6 years ago

Hope + Help for Anxiety Recovery with Laura Fleetwood

In this episode of The Hope + Help Project, Christine Chappell interviews author/speaker Laura Fleetwood on the topic of panic and anxiety recovery. Laura shares details about her personal struggle with anxiety, what recovery has looked like for her, as well as the various ways God has ministered to her as she has battled on-and-off seasons of disruptive anxiety in her life. She also explains how panic and anxiety manifests itself in her physical body, and gives listeners a practical acronym designed to help us turn more quickly to Christ and his body when panic strikes.
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6 years ago

The Time God Met Me in the Mental Hospital

It's by design we raise our ebenezer on the battlefields of life (1 Samuel 7:10). Maybe for you, that place is a hospital bed. Maybe it's a courtroom. Maybe it's a jail cell. Maybe it's a clinic. Maybe it's a cemetery. Believe there is no place too taboo for our Jesus, no building or circumstance can keep him away from consoling your hurt and wiping your tears. Uncomfortable places of despair may separate us from the outside world for a time, but they cannot separate us from his steadfast love (Romans 8:35-39).
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6 years ago

Mourning Dashed Hopes: Biblical Wisdom for Changing Seasons

Sometimes disappointment comes in the form of forced humility—the moment when we must admit we cannot fix our problems or ourselves in our own strength. Sometimes we compound our sorrows by not recognizing the season we are in, and the error only serves to make things worse.
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6 years ago

Being Needy is Not a Fault—It’s a Design

When someone is struggling or suffering, they can sometimes be hesitant to reach out for help. But what does the Bible have to say about our neediness? Is it a character flaw or sin? This article explores some of the ways we view neediness as annoying or inconvenient, and how God's design for his people and community go against the grain of trending cultural norms.
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6 years ago

Hope + Help for the Grieving Widow with Lisa Appelo

In this episode of The Hope + Help Project, Christine Chappell interviews author/writer Lisa Appelo on the topic of learning to live with grief as a widow. Lisa talks about the day her husband suddenly passed away, how she addressed the grieving process with her seven children, some of the unexpected emotional struggles she faced, and how the body of Christ rallied around her and her family as they learned how to live without the husband and father they loved. She also shares some practical spiritual and physical care suggestions for those walking through seasons of grief.
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6 years ago

Walking Our Children Through Depression: Four Ways We Imitate God

Mental health issues can be complex in nature, and parents can run the risk of overlooking particular facets of treatment because of prejudices about underlying causes. But when we look to the Scriptures and see God serving the sorrowing with individualized, calculated affection, we see a multifaceted approach to managing mental anguish — one that acknowledges the dichotomy of man (as body and soul) and the necessity of the body of Christ.
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6 years ago

Hope + Help for the Depressed Christian with Guest Zack Eswine

In the premiere episode, Christine interviews author/Pastor Zack Eswine on the topic of depression. During the conversation, Zack shares some of his personal experience with despondency, wise & unwise ways to approach loved ones who are suffering, the blessing of biblical metaphor in providing a language for our sorrows, as well as comfort and clarity from the Scriptures for those walking through the seasons of darkness.
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6 years ago

Encouragements for the Depressed Mom: Video

Walking through depression can be a dark, deep, lonely season of life–especially for mothers. It’s a topic I’ve written about in a number of ways, and a battle I continue to fight against by faith with every ounce of strength I am afforded by the Spirit. In this most recent video feature at Thrive Moms, […]
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6 years ago

Into the Fire: Fear & Doubt in Mental Health Recovery

Mental health recovery can be a season plagued by fear and doubt. Our fears become particularly burdensome when we meditate upon the question, “Will I ever get better?” If you find yourself asking this question, I'd like to share some hard-learned encouragements from my own journey through recovery.
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6 years ago

Encouragements for the Woman Who Feels Sidelined

There was a season a few years back when the Lord made it extremely clear through a series of circumstances and struggles that it was my turn to sit on the sidelines. I remember the depression that sunk me low because my grasp on activities and service was forced loose. It was as if divine […]
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6 years ago

What Can I Do While I’m Waiting on God? Guest Post by Terry Powell

Puzzling. Frustrating. Get-wrenching. When we’re waiting on God to act, those words often describe our attitude toward the delay.  We may be waiting for provision of a new job; for God to woo a grown child back to faith; for Him to open the womb for a baby desperately wanted, to bless us with a […]
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7 years ago

Walking Through the Dark Part III: Exposing the Lies & Mystery of Depression

In Part III of this Facebook/Instagram LIVE video series, I discuss the need to leave room for mystery in the battle against some cases of depression, the importance of caregivers who are willing to go “down in the well” with the sufferer, and some of the underlying emotions and unbelief at the heart of our most desperate seasons of sorrow.
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7 years ago

Wretched Extremes: The ‘Always’ and ‘Never’ of Suicide

Extremes of wretchedness. Charles Spurgeon once said, “I am the subject of depressions of spirit so fearful that I hope none of you ever get to such extremes of wretchedness as I go to.” Suicidal ideations often begin in the crosshairs of extremes, where always and never intersect. The wretched “always be this way” and […]
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7 years ago

New Biblical Resource Guide For Depression Available for Download

Walking Through the Darkness is a digital download that seeks to bring biblical clarity to the issue, for sufferers and caregivers alike. The guide is a collection of resources curated by author Christine M. Chappell, who personally lives by faith with a Bipolar II diagnosis, and has battled mental health extremes for almost two decades. With helpful checklists, author commentaries, video/audio links, Scripture indexes, and a wealth of recommended books/resources, Walking Through the Darkness will equip both the afflicted and the ones walking alongside them to find biblical hope and help.
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7 years ago

Walking Through the Dark Part II: Real Christians Can Experience Real Depression

Have you ever been guilty of jumping to conclusions about the cause of someone's depression? Do you feel a sense that your companionship during that time requires your ability to know how to fix the other person? If you haven't experienced the darkness of depression yourself, is it possible to soften your heart to the experience of the sufferer? In this recorded Facebook Live video, I outline 3 helps for people to consider when caring for someone suffering from depression. Also included in this video are reading recommendations for those who wish to equip themselves for compassionate, biblical care.
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7 years ago

Walking Through the Dark Part I: Approaching the Wounded with Compassion

Have you ever been guilty of jumping to conclusions about the cause of someone's depression? Do you feel a sense that your companionship during that time requires your ability to know how to fix the other person? If you haven't experienced the darkness of depression yourself, is it possible to soften your heart to the experience of the sufferer? In this recorded Facebook Live video, I outline 3 helps for people to consider when caring for someone suffering from depression. Also included in this video are reading recommendations for those who wish to equip themselves for compassionate, biblical care.
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7 years ago

4 Life-Changing Truths About God that Move Us from Chaos to Courage

If you find yourself in a season of chaos, let me first tell you that I understand completely. I have found myself in such a season, and it is not for the faint of heart. Yet even in these challenging times, we have an unique opportunity to put our faith into action. There is something about […]
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8 years ago

Lay Your Weapon Down: Invitation to Cutters (Desiring God Feature)

I was recently privileged to share a piece of my heart at John Piper’s website DesiringGod.org. This article is meant to give readers a glimpse into the heart struggle of a Christian tempted to self-harm, as well as the intimate love and affection that Jesus has for such ones who struggle in this fashion. The battle is presented […]
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8 years ago

“Lay Your Weapon Down” Desiring God Article Resources

Thank you all for graciously responding with messages of support over my recent article, “Lay Your Weapon Down: Invitation to Cutters.” Obviously the subject matter is not easy to read, but the truth remains that the Lord has a special, tender place in his heart for children who fight against self–harm. He does not consider […]
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8 years ago
For the Man Who Loves a Broken Mind | Christine M. Chappell

For the Man Who Loves a Broken Mind

We weren’t prepared for this. Certainly “for better or worse” sounded so romantically bittersweet. I’m not sure many of those entering into a lifetime of marriage say those words and think of being worse in a way they cannot see. “In sickness and in health“—a deathbed, an epic medical failure, a withered body with a hand to […]
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8 years ago

When Failed Resolutions Come Back to Haunt You

Facebook memories can often be great sources of joy and reflection. And while it’s usually a treat to look back over the events that have happened on a particular day in your personal history, not all of the recollections come with warm feelings of happy days passed. Sometimes the memories serve to remind us of painful […]
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8 years ago
Resources for the Christian Woman Who Is Depressed | Christine M. Chappell | FaithfulSparrow.com

Resources for the Woman Fighting Depression

If you are a woman fighting against depression, I pray that these resources are helpful to giving you comfort, encouragement, and hope. If you are a family member or loved one supporting a woman who is struggling with the pain of mental burdens, I pray that these resources will help you find the wisdom needed […]
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8 years ago
12 Scriptures for Fighting Panic | Christine M. Chappell | FaithfulSparrow.com

12 Scriptures to Read When Fighting Panic

“Have you realized that most of your unhappiness in life is due to the fact that you are listening to yourself instead of talking to yourself? Take those thoughts that come to you the moment you wake up in the morning. You have not originated them but they are talking to you, they bring back […]
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8 years ago
When Someone Else is Living Your Dream | Christine M Chappell | Clean Home, Messy Heart

When Someone Else is Living Your Dream

It hit me the moment I saw it: a Facebook update celebrating the news of achievement and success, renown and opportunity. I confess: I’m not immune twinges of jealousy, however briefly they linger. I know I shouldn’t feel this way when others are triumphing with their talents, but this undercurrent of envy still remains. It has […]
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8 years ago
Finding Hope in the Barren Waste Place | Christine M. Chappell | Clean Home, Messy Heart

Finding Hope in the Waste Place

The dust began to swarm around my ankles as I raked dead leaves and pine needles into a pile. One wouldn’t think August to be a month of making mounds of folliage in the yard, but the excessively dry California summer never gave our tree the opportunity to remain fully green. The size of the […]
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9 years ago
When God Wills Us to Wait | Christine M Chappell | Clean Home Messy Heart

When God Wills for Us to Wait

The mailbox was full of junk again. I’ve been looming over it for the past week, awaiting the arrival of what I might as well call a “golden ticket”: a letter from Barnes & Noble’s small press department. Almost eight weeks ago, I submitted a package to have Clean Home, Messy Heart shelved at their […]
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9 years ago

Why You Can’t Just “Fake it ‘Till You Make It”

As I sat there listening to the advice—a long list of do’s and don’ts—it didn’t take long before the age-old gem of, “When all else fails, just fake it ’till you make it” rolled off his lips. Somewhat surprised, my eyes widened as I considered the ramifications of what he had recommended to combat my […]
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9 years ago