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Ecclesiastes 4:7-12(MSG) - I turned my head and saw yet another wisp of smoke on its way to nothingness: a solitary person, completely alone-no children, no family, no friends-yet working obsessively late into the night, compulsively greedy for more and more, never bothering to ask, "Why am I working like a dog, never having any fun? And who cares?" More smoke. A bad business. It's better to have a partner than go it alone. Share the work, share the wealth. And if one falls down, the other helps, But if there's no one to help, tough! Two in a bed warm each other. Alone, you shiver all night. By yourself you're unprotected. With a friend you can face the worst. Can you round up a third? A three-stranded rope isn't easily snapped.

On April 9th, we published an article written by a licensed counselor called "Winning The Battle Against Depression." You might want to read it because it's probably the best article I've read on depression. This morning I heard these words in my heart, "Watch out! Depression can sneak up on you!" I just finished reading that article again and it was an "on time" word.

Certain key points in there caught my attention. First, I scaled down the definition given of a Major Depressive Episode to pinpoint initial signs of minor depression. By the time it grows into a Major Depressive Episode, we're in big trouble so nipping it in the bud is a good idea. So I decided to try it out on myself to assess where I'm at emotionally.

Out of the nine symptoms presented I noticed the following four;

1 Fatigue or loss of energy - I work out five days a week so I can tell when I'm not feeling 100%.

2 Diminished ability to think or concentrate, or indecisiveness - I'm a Structural Engineer so I have to think all day and if I'm not on point, it's obvious.

3 Diminished interest or pleasure in some common activities - Sometimes I just don't care to go anywhere. I prefer to stay home, iron, fold clothes and watch sports.

Ok, maybe that doesn't exactly qualify for major depression but at least I'm remaining emotionally aware. You get on a scale and check your weight. You do self-examinations to ensure nothing strange is going on in your body. You look in the mirror to confirm that you look right. In the same way, always pay attention to your emotional state. If you even suspect that depression is creeping up on you, respond immediately.

After reading the article, I followed the guidelines to fix my problem. I focused on the steps I need to add to my life;

1 I admitted that I was not completely emotionally healthy.

2 I realized that I wasn't sleeping enough. I need to go home and sleep! I can't do everything right now. There is always tomorrow. When I'm tired, everything seems exaggerated.

3 I identified my stressors. I work way too hard sometimes. The words "unproductive time" are offensive to me. I just have to be productive. I think that if I don't do enough if things don't work out right, it's my fault. I need to trust God and not hard work!

4 I have to resist the urge to isolate myself because I don't trust people easily. I can hang around them but I don't let them into my heart. If I don't open up some more, I put myself in a position for possible depression.

In sum, this is the message that was on my heart today. If you're battling with depression or think it's creeping up on you, do something about it. Like I did before you, do a self-examination today and check your emotional health. Don't pretend that you're doing fine when you're not. If something is off, follow the instructions in "Winning The Battle Against Depression" and fix it.