Know that God loves you and is for you! He is the Father who comforts you and encourages you. He wants to heal your broken heart. He isn’t counting your sins. He doesn’t even remember them since His Son, Jesus came and died in your place. Now you and the Father are reconciled and you can never be separated from His love again. He’s waiting for you to come home to Him.


Keep on asking and it will be given you; keep on seeking and you will find; keep on knocking (reverently) and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who keeps on asking receives; and he who keeps on seeking finds; and to him who keeps on knocking, the door will be opened.
   Matthew 7:7,8


Past Questions of the Month:

Hope and Assurance

This website was created for those acquainted with mental illness and in need of hope and assurance.

Question of the Month

I do not have the money for therapy and I know that I am depressed. Can you give me some ideas of inexpensive things I can do to help myself?

You are very wise to know that we are responsible for ourselves. Our choices help us stay depressed or make it possible for us to move on to happiness and fulfillment. Here are some ideas that don’t cost anything but will pay big dividends.

  • Reading a good book can be a helpful prescription for depression. Read stories of triumph and inspiration. Read authors that are known for their expertise in helping people with depression. At the public library or a church library, you can read for free.
  • It’s clear that exercise is beneficial for mental health. If that sounds too overwhelming, just start with what you can handle even if that is one minute. One minute done several times a day adds up quickly. A simple exercise I like is to stand about two feet from a closed door and lean your body forward putting your hands on the door. Then do push ups – raising and lowering your body with your arms.
  • Breathing in a controlled way at least twice a day can be calming and energizing. Take a deep breath through your nose and hold until the count of four, then slowly let the air out through your mouth.
  • Daily meditation on God’s Word and prayer calms, comforts, changes, and empowers. He is our Perfect Therapist and can be called upon any day or time and we can talk as long as we want and say whatever we need to say. He knows all about us without needing diagnostic tests and is waiting and longing to help.
  • Spearmint and chamomile teas are mildly relaxing. You can drink as much of them as you like when you feel anxious.
  • Getting outside is always good for the mind and spirit. If nothing else, just walk around and take a close look at everything that is growing. Look for God’s creativity, wisdom, and sense of humor as you observe.
  • Let Sunday be for church, rest, fun, and family. Six days of work is enough.
  • Eat less carbohydrates and more protein for consistent energy throughout the day without the ups and downs. Eat nutritional meals and snacks.
  • Get adequate rest every night. Everything is worse without sleep.
  • Have a thankful spirit and praise on your lips and in your heart for everything. Trust God to turn this depression into good for you.
  • Having a friend and mentor who believes in you and encourages you is a powerful antidote and the best predictor of recovery from mental illness. If you do not have one, ask God for what you need.
  • Stay away from people, places, and things that bring you down. Repeat thoughts and activities that encourage the best in you and lift your mood. Being around young children and animals will produce smiles and laughter which are the best medicine.
  • Learn to take action. Anxiety and worry is many times a substitute for action. Doing something, no matter how small, energizes and empowers us to do even more.
  • Find a way to help others. You will find that when you help others, you are also helping yourself.
  • Learn to slow your thoughts down and listen to what you tell yourself throughout the day. You may be surprised at what you hear. Challenge the negative statements with the truth and begin speaking to yourself with the same gentle kindness and compassion you would to a dear friend.
  • You may have been hurt deeply and feelings of sadness and anger are very appropriate. If you cannot talk them out, express the emotions you are feeling by pounding the bed, hitting and kicking pillows, switching a tree, or ripping up old magazines.
  • Learn to say, “This is good enough.” When we expect perfection from ourselves, we feel wrong all the time.
  • Work on forgiving yourself and others. It is the kindest and most beneficial gift you can bestow upon yourself. Bitterness, revenge, and grudges only cause us to stay stuck in the despair and hopelessness of depression.
  • St. Johns Wort may help lift mild to moderate depression and is available without a prescription.

Contact

I welcome your comments and suggestions about this website. If you have a question that you would like addressed, please let me hear from you.

My email address is carolyn@hopeandassurance.com.