Walking Through Depression

The data is alarming.

According to the National Alliance of Mental Health, more than 17 million U.S. adults – over seven percent of the population – had at least one major depressive episode in the last year.
Over 40 million adults in the U.S. – 19 percent of the population – have dealt with some form of anxiety.
According to the CDC, 3,000 teenagers between the ages of 15 and 17 attempt suicide every day.

If depression is a struggle for you, you’re not alone. I want to encourage you that there are answers for your anxieties. There are answers for your depression. There is help.

On our Focus on the Family Broadcast “Walking Through Depression,” we’re having a candid conversation with someone who understands your battle.

My colleague Paul Asay is with us to share personal insights that will give you a glimpse into the dark and troubling world of depression. Our discussion includes:

What are the signs of depression?
How the church should respond to depression.
Practical ideas to avoid the depths of depression.

Through Paul’s story, you’ll hear the hope and healing Christ has to offer when it comes to these very real, very troubling conditions. His message is one of hope and healing in Jesus that will give you the hope that you need to get through another day.

Hear our program on your local radio station, online, on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or on our free phone app.

And if you have an immediate need for help, we have caring Christian counselors on staff, and it would be their privilege to offer you a free consultation. Call us, leave your name and number, and they’ll get back with you just as soon as possible. The number during business hours is 1-800-A-FAMILY (232-6459).

Let me also say that we here at Focus on the Family have been so dismayed by the rising rate of suicide, especially among our youth, that we’ve developed a helpful web-based resource called Alive to Thrive: A Biblical Guide to Preventing Teen Suicide.

Alive to Thrive is a free six-session program that includes video interviews with experts and roundtable discussions on how to prevent suicide. It is specifically designed to help you reach your children, tweens, and teens. It also includes interviews with suicide survivors and provides hope to kids in troubling situations. Best of all, this is a digital resource that we can put into your hands today. Check our website for full details.

Paul Asay is a senior associate editor at Plugged In, our team centered on media discernment for families, reviewing movies, TV, games and more. He’s an award-winning journalist who has beautifully captured his journey through depression in a book called Beauty in the Browns: Walking with Christ in the Darkness of Depression, which is available from Focus for a gift of any amount. For more information, call 1-800-A-FAMILY (232-6459) or visit our website.