Well said, Left lane. Also reading the Bible can help depression too.

Just going to give my 2 cents here. Is depression and anxiety real? Yes it is. Are drugs always the answer? No they are not. A lot of depression and anxiety can be dealt with by support groups. That doesn’t mean you need to go tell someone stranger your issues.
Two things I know that work are talking, whether it be your spouse, best friend, or a buddy that may have experienced the same as you and dealt with it.
Another way is to write things down. Either will allow you to release it. Sounds crazy, but it works.
Both are often caused by an event or experiences and people bottle them up and push them aside for one reason or another. At some point all that’s in will start to weigh on you and that’s when the problems arise.
Talking and or writing gets it out, but still let’s you keep the memory.
Many jobs can cause this…military, police, firefighters, medical personnel, even teachers. Anyone who deals with stress or trauma on a daily basis is subject to either. Meds work by just numbing the brain, but it doesn’t remove it. Heck it’s the same with alcohol. I’ve read that most alcoholics are that way because of depression or anxiety, they want to forget but can’t and keep drinking.

I've noticed they ask routinely now, about depression during an annual physical. I love when people say that everyone has anxiety. They don't understand or have not been aroud someone with the debilitating kind. Some levels of mental illness are not something you can just tolerate and work around, or fix yourself with a good pep talk. Trusting a Pastor with a serious mental health issue is a dangerous game as far as I'm concerned. I would say if someone is struggling with a serious issue, see a professional. If you don't think its a problem, it's probably not. I wouldn't advocate a test just to have a test.

X2

It will not be too far into the future when gene mapping will find those parts of the genes that carry those genetically. The real big issue is what will we do with this knowledge? How public should it be? Insurance companies and huge firms etc. are the ones that could affford to buy the data and then use that for or against individuals or groups. Not good for a society for a few to control major aspects of life and health.

Bryce

Anxiety and depression are real, and can be debilitating. They are caused by chemical imbalances in your brain. Some of you have said that some anxiety is good and normal and you are right. We evolved anxiety to survive in dangerous situations. Anxiety is what primes your body to run away or fight when threatened. That feeling you get when an angry German Shepard clears a fence and goes for your kid, that’s anxiety. After you kill the dig and your kid is safe, the anxiety goes away.

Clinical anxiety is when that feeling happens for no reason and does not go away. It is constant. It’s constantly feeling as though you’re under attack. Constantly ina state of fight or flight, as if you’re about to be hit by a car. it is because of people with opinions like most of you have posted here that people with anxiety and depression kill themselves rather than seek help.

I know because I suffer from anxiety. If you had been through it, you’d have a different outlook. It’s not just mental, it manifests itself physically as well. True anxiety will eventually kill you, if you don’t do it yourself first.