Page 119 - Biblical Counseling II

Other specific phobias may focus on animals, insects, heights, blood, or closed spaces. People avoid the
stimulus that arouses fear, hiding during thunderstorms or avoiding high places. Not all phobias have such
specific triggers. Social phobia is shyness taken to an
extreme. Those with a social phobia, an intense fear
of being criticized by others, avoid potentially
embarrassing social situations, such as speaking up,
eating out, or going to parties, or will sweat, tremble,
or get sick when doing so (Myers, 2012).

People who have experienced several panic attacks
may come to fear the fear itself and avoid situations
where the panic has struck before. If the fear is
intense enough, it may become agoraphobia, fear or
avoidance of situations in which escape might be
difficult or help unavailable when panic strikes. Given
such fear, people may avoid being outside the home,
in a crowd, on a bus, or on an elevator (Myers, 2012).
(Drawing by AxurLazuly on deviantart.com)

Depression
“Depression is a common mental disorder and one of the main causes of disability worldwide. Globally, an

estimated 264 million people are affected by depression. More women are affected than men. Depression is
characterized by sadness, loss of interest or pleasure, feelings of guilt or low self-worth, disturbed sleep or
appetite, tiredness, and poor concentration. People with depression may also have multiple physical
complaints with no apparent physical cause. Depression can be long-lasting or recurrent, substantially
impairing people’s ability to function at work or school and to cope with daily life. At its most severe,
depression can lead to suicide” (“Mental Disorders,” p. 1, 2019).”

“As anxiety is a response to the threat of future loss, depressed mood is often a response to past and current
loss. About one in four people diagnosed with depression is simply struggling with the normal emotional
impact of a significant loss, such as a loved one’s death, a ruptured marriage, or a lost job. To feel bad in
reaction to profoundly sad events is to be in touch with reality” (Myers, 2009).

“But when does this response become seriously maladaptive? Joy, contentment, sadness, and despair are
different points on a continuum, points at which any of us may be found at any given moment. The
difference between a sad mood after bad news and a mood disorder is like the difference between gasping
for breath after a hard run and being chronically short of breath” (Myers, 2009).

(photo from: brokenbelievers.com)

Postpartum Depression is depression suffered by a mother following childbirth, typically arising from the
combination of hormonal changes, psychological adjustment to motherhood, and fatigue
(oxforddictionaries.com). According to Mayo Clinic, a world-renowned medical center in the United States,
“The birth of a baby can trigger a jumble of powerful emotions, from excitement and joy to fear and anxiety.
But it can also result in something you might not expect — depression. Most new moms experience
postpartum "baby blues" after childbirth, which commonly include mood swings, crying spells, anxiety, and
difficulty sleeping. Baby blues typically begin within the first two to three days after delivery and may last for
up to two weeks.

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