Sad, but Better: Four Things that Help

Sad, but Better: Four Things that Help November 24, 2017

photo-1470632523110-361c51081417_optSome people don’t see well, others of us have biologically based “sad.” Our “feels” are not in line with reality. Telling us to cheer up is distinctly unhelpful. Some people get help with medication, but for others of us that doesn’t help very much. What to do?

I am sure there is nothing that helps everyone who faces this problem, but here is some of what has helped me. You could marry someone named Hope, but that is not an option for everyone. Here are some tactics that most can try.

First, medical problems need medical solutions. Go to the doctor and talk. She has heard it all before now and can look into causes and ways to help. Just as you cannot treat an intellectual problem with pills, so you cannot cure a biological problem with words! Find out the cause of your “sad” and remember that those of us who are not medical doctors plus Google cannot a good diagnosis make.

Ignore the ill-informed “religious” person who forgets that people have bodies. We think with our minds, but our minds use organs to perform. You would not blame or fire the organist if his organ was busted and could not play the notes correctly, so you cannot blame the mind for problems caused by the body!

Can’t God heal? He certainly can. I have experienced divine healing, but God does not always heal us. We know this is true from experience, but certain foolish people forget this when it comes to issues like biologically caused sorrows.

Pray without ceasing and see the doctor.

Second, keep seeing the doctor. Over time your issues may change for good or bad. Keep talking. At some point, if your problems are psychological, see that kind of doctor. A good therapist has training your pal does not. Never ignore spiritual problems either: that is why you have a pastor.  There is nothing better than a good team: medical doctor, psychologist, pastor, and you!

If your church cannot find a place for all these kinds of healers, leave. You are in a zany, fringe group. 

Third, I have found it helpful to recall that my “feels” are real, but do not require action by me or anyone else. Feelings are also complex, I can have a background sorrow, but also be very happy. Two “feels” can exist at the same time, because they need not be connected to anything I should do or must do.

I cannot always change a biological disposition, but I can change what I do, consume, or consider. I can minimize sorrow from those sources, surely!

Fourth, having friends and family who help me do what is good for me is very helpful. I do not “closet” my feelings, but need not act on them either. I can do my duty, do what will provide pleasure to others, and put an emphasis on what is good, true, and beautiful.

Here is a bonus thought: just because some sorrow is biologically based, not all is. Learning to differentiate between the two matters. I must ask: “Is this sorrow tipping me off to something external about which I should act?” If so, then I must act. Again, being in a community is helpful.

God exists and is bending history toward the good. Until the Day when I see the full manifestation of His plan, I will deal with many problems. Sorrow, depression, or stress caused by a misfiring body is just one more way to learn and grow.

Thanks be to God!


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