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Are you depressed? Is someone you love dealing with depression?

My guest this week, Paul Asay, author of Beauty in the Browns: Walking with Christ in the Darkness of Depression (Focus on the Family, 2021), has first-hand experience with the depths of depression. Not only has he cared for his son who struggles with mental illness, but he’s felt the effects of depression himself throughout his life.

“It’s a dark room that locks the sufferer inside, whispering through the bars that they will never escape — that no one cares, that you deserve to be there, and it’s all there ever will be,” he describes.

With September being the National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, it’s important to not only acknowledge the reality and hardship of depression — but also to discuss how families and friends can support their loved ones that feel trapped.

“As a loved one, you don’t necessarily have the key to the prison,” Paul says. “It’s not a condition that you can hug or reason away, and it can feel incredibly helpless to not know how to help someone.”

So what can you do?

Paul is available to give practical and compassionate advice on how to care for your loved one suffering from depression, and he can speak on what it is like to step into a seemingly hopeless space and find strength through Christ.

• What works and what doesn’t when speaking to and encouraging someone with depression
• What environmental factors can feed into depression — and how can you watch for warning signs that your loved one might be struggling
• How to lean on Christ and seek hope when loving someone with depression

From Pastor David Kibler's sermon:

Lies Satan tells all of us:

• You’re not good enough.
• Everyone is against you.
• There’s no way out. Things will never get better.

Lies are immediate and truths are eventual.