Published: April 20, 2007 10:00 am      

Finding Faith

According to www.about-teen-depression.com approximately 3,000,000 youths thought seriously of suicide or attempted suicide in 2000. “Studies indicate that one in five children have some sort of mental, behavioral, or emotional problem, and that one in ten may have serious emotional problems. Among adolescents, one in eight may suffer from depression. Of all these children and teens struggling with emotional and behavioral problems, a mere 30 percent receive any sort of intervention or treatment. The other 70 percent simply struggle through the pain of mental illness or emotional turmoil, doing their best to make it to adulthood.”

About a year ago I was diagnosed with major depression. I had almost given up and I was having suicidal thoughts. My mother made an appointment with a psychiatrist and he prescribed me medication.

After about six months of taking the medication, thinking that I was finally experiencing happiness, I felt like a part of me was still missing. I tried many things to fill the void that was pretty much taking over my life.

My mother and my father separated not long after I was born. A while later my mother met my step-dad. We thought their relationship was going great, after all it lasted for eleven years. In July of 2006 they decided to end their relationship. After that I didn’t think that there was ever going to be a way out of my situation. He was the only father I knew, because I was lucky to see my biological father twice a year.

I continued to stay on my medication. Before school started, my biological father came and invited me to church. I told him that I would go, and I did. During worship I broke down and just asked God to help me through my never-ending battle. And he did. Not long afterwards I felt better. I talked to the youth pastor and he told me that when you pray for God’s help that you can’t just keep asking him, you have to have faith that God is going to do it.

It’s been about eight months since I started church and I have never been happier in my whole life, I’m even off of my medication. I once heard a song on KLOV that said “If I had the chance to go back again and take a lighter load, I would walk away with my yesterdays.” Not me. Things have been tough for me but I know that was God’s way of showing me faith and a new beginning.

When you experience a void in your life and feel that something is missing, find your faith and turn to God.