Here's What The Bible Really Says About Depression

Depression is a major mental health illness that affects someone's mood and behavior. Several of its symptoms include lack of energy, feelings of worthlessness, loss of appetite and desire to do formerly enjoyable hobbies, and suicide ideation, per Psychiatry. The condition can affect people of all ages and genders, but is more common in women, per the National Library of Medicine. The causes of depression can be hereditary, major life stressors, a chemical imbalance in the brain, or a traumatic upbringing.

About 17 million Americans are affected with depression, per the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance. It's a very common health condition, which begs the question, how long has it been around? Per Very Well Mind, cases of depression have been reported since the second millennium B.C. They didn't have a word for it then, and symptoms of it were often blamed on bad spirits or a more internal health problem. In modern day, it is recognized as a valid condition and people diagnosed with it often seek medication or therapy to manage their symptoms. And there are also those who turn to faith. So what does one of the most famous religious texts of that time, the Bible, say about the illness?

If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health, please contact the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741, call the National Alliance on Mental Illness helpline at 1-800-950-NAMI (6264), or visit the National Institute of Mental Health website.

There are several passages and sections of the Bible that discuss the issue of depression. The word itself is not mentioned a lot in the Bible, but there is one particular chapter that relates the link between anxiety and depression, and how positive affirmation is a solution for it. According to Proverbs chapter 12, verse 25, "Anxiety in the heart of man causes depression, but a good word makes it glad," (via Bible Gateway). Indeed, both issues are connected and often coexist, too, per Patient Info.

And there are countless other uplifting and affirming passages in the Bible, per Lifeway. They are mostly God's words in response to several people who were feeling a loss of hope and turned to Him for answers.

In one glaring verse of Psalm 50, it says that with one's full commitment to God, he will be there to provide assistance. "Sacrifice thank offerings to God, fulfill your vows to the Most High, and call on me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor me."

If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health, please contact the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741, call the National Alliance on Mental Illness helpline at 1-800-950-NAMI (6264), or visit the National Institute of Mental Health website.