Happiness Is A Choice: The Symptoms, Causes, and Cures of Depression
"Most people are about as happy as they choose to be," said Abraham Lincoln. The authors agree with him. Probably Lincoln knows best. He went through many grievances in his life - the death of a loved one, lost elections, the Civil War, and other major disappointments. According to the authors, Lincoln once was so depressed that he considered suicide. But he chooses to overcome his depression and obtained inner joy and peace. Of course, eventually, he died but not because of depression but fell victim to the bullet.
Dr. Minirth and Dr. Meier have over 30 years of experience and study human psychology, physiology, anatomy, mentality, spirituality and are said to have exercised psycho-therapeutic skills on thousands of patients. According to them, with minor exceptions like a genetic bipolar disorder, "happiness is a choice." Granted that the human mind and emotions are a very complex, dynamic system, both authors are very confident that lasting inner happiness and depression at its core is "your choice." I agree and at the same time disagree with this statement. I agree because to solve a problem you need to realize that to some extent you're in control and it is within your power to make a change in your life. Free will is God's gift, not a curse. Who chooses to dwell in the misery? Who enjoys being a victim? Who reacts destructively? Who always blames you? You! This reminds me of Jim Rohn's quote: "If you don't like how things are, change it! You're not a tree." Sometimes people unintentionally 'choose' depression due to guilt, bitterness, anger and even use it as a tool for manipulation.
But, on the other hand, I disagree. Why would anyone choose unhappiness and depression? What if there is a chemical imbalance in my brain? What if I'm born this way? (Now, this can be an excuse. But what excuse are you gonna give to those who are born intersex, for example) What about a spiritual attack? Where is the 'choice' in these? I think there are no once-for-all books that can simply answer these questions. Therefore, I'm going to be very gracious with the authors and try to understand their point of view based on their experiences as practitioners and from their Biblical perspective as Christ believers. My disagreement probably due to my lack of knowledge. But this is a true statement: most (not all) clinical depression is treatable and very likely curable. The rise of depression especially during the pandemic is worrisome and it is a very helpful book to keep us informed, be empathetic and hopefully, we will choose some new, healthy-producing attitudes and behavior patterns in our lives. "There is no single cause for all depressions, even though pent-up anger is the root cause of the vast majority of depression," writes the authors in the conclusion of this book. "[And] there is no single solution, even though faith in Jesus Christ and the principles of God's Word is at the root of all the solutions (known and unknown). The solutions may sometimes be very complex, but THEY DO EXIST!" Yes, they do exist. Have hope and faith in the sovereign God. Amen! [Ps: Don't be afraid to find help ya] ���������
#LeadersAreReaders #GrowingLeaders #HappinessIsAChoice #FightAgainstDepression #LetsMakeReadingCoolAgain
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