Fatima Larean - Rising from the Rubble: Defeating the battle of Depression

Rising from
the Rubble

DEFEATING THE BATTLE
OF DEPRESSION

Fatima Larean

Copyright 2019 by Fatima Larean.

Photo Credit: Nicole Yeboah-Addo

ISBN: Softcover 978-1-9845-7672-9

eBook 978-1-9845-7671-2

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Scripture quotations marked KJV are from the Holy Bible, King James Version (Authorized Version). First published in 1611. Quoted from the KJV Classic Reference Bible, Copyright 1983 by The Zondervan Corporation.

Scripture quotations marked NKJV are taken from the New King James Version. Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked NIV are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version. NIV. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved. [Biblica]

Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996, 2004. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

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Rev. date: 01/15/2019

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I want to dedicate this book

to anyone who has ever felt

hope less.

Hope is y ours.

Contents

This book is a remarkably personal story of the authors struggles with the pain and suffering she has experienced in her life. But after she tells her story she does not leave us floundering in doubt and fear, instead she forcefully points us toward the solution she found for her suffering. This wonderful solution is available for all of our lives; it is the hope that is given to us through Jesus Christ. Christs love makes it possible for us to defeat the seemingly overwhelming forces of doubt, fear, and negativity that often threaten to crush our dreams.

The power of hope is described in Romans 15:13; May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with the power of the Holy Spirit. The author tells us in this short book that the secret of a hope filled life is to change your view of lifes circumstances from focusing on short-term s^Itruggles, to concentrating on the all-encompassing, long-term picture of following Jesus plan for your life. Gods sense of hope and purpose for our life is described in Jeremiah 29:11 when God says, For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Instead of focusing on short-term negative experiences, the author explains how she found peace by drawing closer to God and trusting in his promises.

Jesus encourages us to rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance, perseverance, character: and character, hope. (Romans 5:3) None of us want to be hurt or to suffer, but unfortunately these experiences are a regular part of our lives. With the wisdom the author found through her experience with the Lord, she shares how each of us can also find the amazing hope offered by Jesus Christ. This hope can serve as a guiding light to lead us through the darkness that threatens our lives, and toward the glorious future that Jesus has planned for every one of us.

I pray that you enjoy this book and are able to apply the truth contained in it to make Gods promises come true for your life.

Duane Ellis, M.A., LPC

Rising from the rubble is the idea of living in debris for so long, in wreckage but choosing to rise above for greater purposes. When we rise from something we distance ourselves from something we once identified with. We rise above using those pieces that may have brought us so much pain, that may have kept us limited, or may have been the reason we did not love ourselves or know how to receive love from others. To rise means to move from a lower position to a higher one. If youve ever dealt with depression, you know personally what it means to be in a low position.

Depression affects many things. As someone who has struggled through major depression for almost twenty years, I have recognized that depression is a combination of things. According to Mayo clinic website research (1998-2018), it affects biological, psychological, and social sources of distress which may cause problems in brain function.

This book is not a means to diagnose people with depression or to detour people from seeking medical attention, but it is a means of support coming from a persons (me) personal journey with depression and how I overcome it daily. It is a means to bring hope where for many, darkness consumes it. I have been robbed of hope for many years, my mission is to uncover hope for those whose eyes seen no hope at all.

This book encompasses a very personal journey through some of the ups and downs of my journey with depression and the benefits of a renewed mind. The things shared in this book is not for a means to highlight myself but a means to expose hidden things that kept me from overcoming in journeys before. The highlight of this book is though depression can make one feel alone and without hope, God is present. Jesus longs to take away the pain and to renew your mind.

For some rising once is the only thing needed but for someone like me, rising had/has to be an everyday choice. I have been delivered from depression, but I say had/has simply because at times Satan tries to make people feel like they are still struggling with something they gained freedom from. We live in a world robbed of hope I believe it is important to continue to rise on a daily basis. The journey looks different to different people. For me, rising never ends. Rising from the rubble brings victory and victorya healthy stance of freedom.

Depression is real but so is God. As mentioned before, I struggled with depression for almost twenty years. My first encounter with depression was at the age of twelve. I suffered from a great deal of low self-esteem and shame. I will share more about that story later in this book. As a woman of faith I will share this with you; many people who suffer from depression but also having faith in God deals a lot with condemnation. People live under the stigma of this disorder. Christians believe in the power of Jesus death on the cross and resurrection but when dealing with depression they experience more torment than the abundant life Jesus promises. I am here to tell you; you can experience fullness of joy WITHOUT condemnation. You do not have to live with depression. It can be controlled and you can overcome it if thats what you desire. Depression really is the physical and emotional result of hopelessness and that is no way to live. Trust me I have been there. Your journey may look completely different than my journey but one thing I have found true is that God responds to hunger. I became desperate to get out of the tight grip depression had on me. Finally, I was at my breaking point and all I could do was look to God in all of my anguish and pour out my heart before him. God met me in my brokenness and still does.

Now when dealing with depression I am completely aware of the challenges of getting motivated to do anything, let alone pick up a bible. I know this because I dealt with depression for ten years before I even cultivated a relationship with God. For another ten years with God, Ive had many bouts of depression some of which lasted for years at a time. It is easy for a person who has not dealt with depression to tell a depressed person to stop being depressed right? I am telling you as someone who has dealt heavily with this disorder that you do not have to live with depression if you do not want to. It is a choice. I made a choice and I hope by the end of this book, you can make the choice not to deal with depression anymore. The truth is; those who genuinely struggle with depression really do not want to be depressed. If you do not deal with the disorder but know someone who does, grasp the truth I just mentioned. Depression is not something someone wants for himself or herself. Everyone wants to experience freedom and how they go about getting that freedom; it looks different. Some people may seem like they are seeking the attention from others but know that it is an outward expression of a cry for help. The real issue is deeply rooted in fear in many forms, shame, trauma, infirmity, condemnation, and the list continues. As a friend or love one, pray that God reveal the root of the issue and pray specifically and ask God to manifest healing and freedom. Your friend or loved one cannot overcome the darkness of depression alone. There is a war in the mind and as Joyce Meyer would say, ..the mind is a battlefield. No wonder why the bible tells us to renew our minds daily.