False Beliefs That Cause Depression
Posted on August 13, 2013 by Tres Adames, One of Thousands of Christian Coaches on Noomii.
Why do people get depressed? How is it that people of faith can also struggle with depression?
While there can be biological reasons for depression, most cases can be dealt with by directly addressing distorted thoughts. Feelings come from thoughts and thoughts come from beliefs. If you are struggling with depression, see if any of these false beliefs are tripping up your thinking. Pain and suffering are an unfortunate part of life, but when negativity becomes chronic, something is amiss. God wants us to turn from falsehood and the lies of the enemy, so we can enjoy His blessings of grace, joy and peace.
1. Black-and-White Thinking: You see things as either all good or all bad. If you fall short somewhere, you see yourself as completely bad or worthless. In reality, no person or thing on earth is completely good (only Christ was) and evil is simply “spoiled goodness.” Things are either better or worse in relation to God’s perfection. (Mark 10:18)
2. Negative Thinking: You see everything from a negative perspective. You see a single negative occurrence as a never-ending pattern and view all of reality as negative, or you completely dismiss the positive aspects. In reality, God wants us to have a redemptive perspective. This isn’t wishful thinking, but we should see God’s good intent in all things, with trust that He makes all things come together for good. (Romans 8:28)
3. Fatalistic Thinking: You jump to a negative conclusions even though you don’t have the evidence to support your reasoning. You may negatively predict what people are thinking, without asking. Or you may predict that something may end up badly even though you don’t have the proof. Only God knows the future and knows the minds of other people. (Ecclesiastes 8:7, 1 Corinthians 2:11)
4. Judgmental Thinking: You judge your actions and the actions of others from a distorted human perspective. You label yourself or others, or you magnify the negative and minimize the positive. Only God is the perfect judge. (James 4:12)
5. Pharisaical Thinking: You are legalistic toward yourself and live by “shoulds” and rules which only leads to shame. God wants you to live by His grace. (Galatians 3:12-14)
6. Self-Centered Thinking: You see yourself as the cause of negative events even though you aren’t responsible. Or you base your view of reality on your own personal emotions. An insidious form of pride and self-centeredness. (Proverbs 18:1)
