Kathryn Butler M.D. notes that around 4 percent of the global population suffer from depression. Given that statistic, it is important for church communities to have some understanding of the condition and insight to help support those who suffer and their carers. The author of this article has written a useful guide for church leaders and congregations to help equip them in this situation.
https://www.crossway.org/books/what-does-depression-mean-for-my-faith-tpb/
"The diagnosis we call major depression is probably an umbrella term, a catchall phrase encompassing multiple related syndromes with similar effects but distinct causes.10Numerous neurobiological changes—far more complicated than a “chemical imbalance”—are at work to drag sufferers into despondency. These processes involve changes in large brain structures,11 intricate cell pathways,12 and even molecules communicating between individual nerve cells.13 While we don’t know in all cases whether these changes causedepression or arise as a result of the disorder, they hint at why sufferers struggle to recover. In depression, the architecture of our brains shifts, trapping us in the dark."
Image : Photo by Marcel Strauß on Unsplash
