What do Super Bowl winning quarterback Terry Bradshaw, 00:00:01.06\00:00:03.93 television personality David Letterman 00:00:03.93\00:00:06.74 and business tycoon T. Boone Pickens all have in common? 00:00:06.74\00:00:10.37 Well, apart from being tremendously successful 00:00:10.37\00:00:12.87 in their chosen careers, they've all had a serious battle 00:00:12.87\00:00:16.04 with depression. Depression can be seriously 00:00:16.04\00:00:19.38 debilitating, and people of faith are not immune 00:00:19.38\00:00:23.32 to its effects. I've come to Weimar, 00:00:23.32\00:00:26.02 California to speak with Dr. Neil Nedley, the president 00:00:26.02\00:00:28.76 of Nedley Health Solutions, and an expert in the area 00:00:28.76\00:00:32.93 of depression. Does God have a way out 00:00:32.93\00:00:36.23 of depression? And what help does 00:00:36.23\00:00:39.67 the Bible offer? Today we find out. 00:00:39.67\00:00:41.87 Thank you for joining me on It Is Written. 00:00:41.87\00:00:44.94 [epic theme music] 00:00:46.51\00:00:54.25 JB: Dr. Nedley, thanks so much for joining me today. 00:01:04.39\00:01:06.26 Appreciate it. NN: It's great to be here. 00:01:06.26\00:01:08.16 JB: We're talking about a very, very serious subject 00:01:08.16\00:01:10.23 today, that of depression. It affects people, 00:01:10.23\00:01:14.57 it's no respecter of persons. NN: Correct. 00:01:14.57\00:01:16.87 JB: If you're wealthy, not so wealthy, bright, not so 00:01:16.87\00:01:19.01 bright, male, female, doesn't matter your ethnic 00:01:19.01\00:01:20.91 background. If you're a believer in God 00:01:20.91\00:01:23.58 or not, you can still be depressed. 00:01:23.58\00:01:25.61 NN: Exactly. JB: Which is interesting, 00:01:25.61\00:01:26.72 isn't it? The Bible enjoins us to rejoice 00:01:26.72\00:01:29.22 and be happy and in God's presence there is joy, 00:01:29.22\00:01:31.45 and yet there are many people in church clinically 00:01:31.45\00:01:36.26 depressed. NN: Yeah. 00:01:36.26\00:01:38.26 JB: Before we talk about the right way out, what, 00:01:38.26\00:01:43.00 in your experience, are most people doing to treat 00:01:43.00\00:01:46.80 their depression? NN: Well, the most common 00:01:46.80\00:01:48.64 treatment is medication. And well over $20 billion 00:01:48.64\00:01:52.11 is spent in this country on the medicines alone. 00:01:52.11\00:01:56.04 And many of these medicines are expensive. 00:01:56.04\00:01:59.75 There are all sorts of antidepressants out there, 00:01:59.75\00:02:02.32 and they're flying off shelves. 00:02:02.32\00:02:04.75 But they're not a cure-all. They're not the fix. 00:02:04.75\00:02:07.99 JB: Is it true that antidepressants 00:02:07.99\00:02:09.49 are the largest selling classification of drugs? 00:02:09.49\00:02:11.79 NN: Correct, yes. JB: Is it helping? 00:02:11.79\00:02:14.13 NN: Well, it helps 20% of them to the point where 00:02:14.13\00:02:16.87 they're no longer depressed. JB: Two out of ten depressed 00:02:16.87\00:02:22.07 people take medication and essentially get over 00:02:22.07\00:02:25.17 the depression. NN: Correct. 00:02:25.17\00:02:26.74 JB: Two out of ten. So eight out of ten 00:02:26.74\00:02:29.14 not so much. NN: Eight out ten, right. 00:02:29.14\00:02:31.21 In fact, three out of ten won't experience even 00:02:31.21\00:02:33.98 a slight improvement with the drugs. 00:02:33.98\00:02:37.99 Even a combination, if you put four antidepressants 00:02:37.99\00:02:40.99 on them, and raise the dose, they're still not going 00:02:40.99\00:02:43.73 to respond. So three out of ten will have 00:02:43.73\00:02:45.93 zero response to medication. And then what's left 00:02:45.93\00:02:49.70 in the middle are those who get a slight or moderate response, 00:02:49.70\00:02:55.00 but are still clinically depressed and still suffering 00:02:55.00\00:02:58.17 from it. JB: Half of people taking 00:02:58.17\00:03:00.78 medication for depression, they're still depressed even 00:03:00.78\00:03:03.95 though they're taking the medication. 00:03:03.95\00:03:05.08 NN: Exactly. JB: Now, I'm just thinking 00:03:05.08\00:03:07.42 for the cynic who says, oh, come on. 00:03:07.42\00:03:10.15 But this is statistically true. 00:03:10.15\00:03:12.35 NN: Oh, absolutely. It's been shown, in fact, 00:03:12.35\00:03:15.09 if anything, I'm stating things more in favor 00:03:15.09\00:03:18.93 of the pharmaceuticals than the statistics 00:03:18.93\00:03:23.00 are actually showing. So I'm quoting 00:03:23.00\00:03:25.57 drug company data. This is the data from the drug 00:03:25.57\00:03:27.50 companies themselves that I'm quoting. 00:03:27.50\00:03:30.07 JB: You got this data from what the drug companies say. 00:03:30.07\00:03:33.17 NN: From the drug companies, yeah. 00:03:33.17\00:03:34.48 So that's why I'm saying, if anything I'm slighting 00:03:34.48\00:03:36.21 it toward the drug companies. There are some studies out 00:03:36.21\00:03:38.55 here that indicate that antidepressants virtually 00:03:38.55\00:03:43.12 help no one. Now, I don't believe that 00:03:43.12\00:03:45.99 personally because as a doctor I've prescribed 00:03:45.99\00:03:48.09 antidepressants and I've seen their effect in some people 00:03:48.09\00:03:50.49 in a positive way. But in reality, I've also 00:03:50.49\00:03:54.60 realized that this is not the cure. 00:03:54.60\00:03:58.10 This may help some people, but there are far better 00:03:58.10\00:04:01.07 approaches to treating depression, with far less 00:04:01.07\00:04:05.17 side effects, and they're far cheaper. 00:04:05.17\00:04:07.41 JB: What are some of the side effects people are getting 00:04:07.41\00:04:08.81 from medication, just quickly? 00:04:08.81\00:04:10.48 NN: Well, weight gain is one of the big ones. 00:04:10.48\00:04:13.42 And so it tends to cause weight gain, it tends to cause 00:04:13.42\00:04:15.98 them to have an "I don't care" attitude. 00:04:15.98\00:04:19.55 So that when something happens in their life, 00:04:19.55\00:04:21.79 like their spouse dies, they feel like they should cry 00:04:21.79\00:04:24.39 at the funeral and care about this, but it's kind of like, 00:04:24.39\00:04:27.03 eh, oh well. And that's not a healthy thing. 00:04:27.03\00:04:31.47 It also increases impulsiveness at first when 00:04:31.47\00:04:34.87 you start taking it. And that's why they have 00:04:34.87\00:04:36.74 black box warnings on them that say if someone is suicidal, 00:04:36.74\00:04:40.74 watch out because this will increase their 00:04:40.74\00:04:45.25 impulsiveness, and suicide is often an impulsive act. 00:04:45.25\00:04:49.18 And so here the person who's suicidal needs to get better, 00:04:49.18\00:04:53.25 but the drug that they're utilizing might tide them 00:04:53.25\00:04:55.72 over the edge, and it's a very difficult situation for 00:04:55.72\00:04:59.63 caregivers or physicians to know what to do with these 00:04:59.63\00:05:01.83 individuals when they're to that point. 00:05:01.83\00:05:05.97 JB: But there is a safe way, there is a healthy way to treat 00:05:05.97\00:05:07.90 depression, even to help people get out of depression. 00:05:07.90\00:05:11.94 We're going to talk about that in just a moment. 00:05:11.94\00:05:13.48 What are some other things that people do in terms 00:05:13.48\00:05:15.28 of self-medication? NN: Oh well, chocolate, 00:05:15.28\00:05:18.01 you know, is a big one. The soda pops, if you just 00:05:18.01\00:05:21.05 count the cans of soda pop leaving a grocery store. 00:05:21.05\00:05:24.09 Carbohydrates actually not only taste good but they 00:05:24.09\00:05:26.69 transiently increase serotonin levels. 00:05:26.69\00:05:29.19 Unfortunately, there's a nadir, so they drop it below 00:05:29.19\00:05:32.29 neutral afterward. JB: Can you explain serotonin 00:05:32.29\00:05:35.06 for me? NN: Well, serotonin is a brain 00:05:35.06\00:05:37.73 chemical that actually elevates mood and helps us to concentrate 00:05:37.73\00:05:40.77 better, and helps us to actually sleep better 00:05:40.77\00:05:45.27 as well. JB: Which means that if I get 00:05:45.27\00:05:47.38 a hit of something that increases my serotonin level, 00:05:47.38\00:05:49.24 I just feel a whole lot better. 00:05:49.24\00:05:50.95 NN: You feel better, yeah. And so these people, 00:05:50.95\00:05:52.88 by self-medicating, they actually do feel a little 00:05:52.88\00:05:55.12 better. They're altering some 00:05:55.12\00:05:56.95 of their brain chemistry. But the self-medicated 00:05:56.95\00:05:59.05 routes, be it alcohol or chocolate or cocaine 00:05:59.05\00:06:05.03 or pornography, these self-medicated routes 00:06:05.03\00:06:07.73 actually produce a greater nadir, in other words, 00:06:07.73\00:06:12.13 a greater drop, the more often we utilize it. 00:06:12.13\00:06:15.07 So first people do it to try to experience pleasure. 00:06:15.07\00:06:19.47 But afterward they're not doing it to experience 00:06:19.47\00:06:23.75 pleasure, they're just trying to do it to get up to neutral. 00:06:23.75\00:06:26.58 And in between times, even though there's nothing sad 00:06:26.58\00:06:29.05 around them, they feel sad, as a result of their 00:06:29.05\00:06:32.52 self-medication. What's the way out 00:06:32.52\00:06:34.46 of depression? I don't think this is a simple, 00:06:34.46\00:06:37.36 single, pithy answer. This might be a multi-faceted 00:06:37.36\00:06:40.56 answer. But walk us through 00:06:40.56\00:06:42.30 the journey. Obviously, this is a very 00:06:42.30\00:06:44.20 brief walk. The way out of depression, 00:06:44.20\00:06:47.24 where should a person be looking? 00:06:47.24\00:06:48.70 NN: Well, first of all they need to try to find out 00:06:48.70\00:06:50.44 the underlying causes in them. And so that's where we start 00:06:50.44\00:06:53.17 with the individual. We find out, do they have 00:06:53.17\00:06:56.98 frontal lobe causes, do they have lifestyle causes, 00:06:56.98\00:06:59.51 nutritional causes? What's going on in their life 00:06:59.51\00:07:02.52 in regard to their thought process? 00:07:02.52\00:07:05.22 Are there distorted thoughts there? 00:07:05.22\00:07:06.86 And of course, for the vast majority of people 00:07:06.86\00:07:08.16 with depression, most of those are a major issue. 00:07:08.16\00:07:12.56 And so we start them out on a pathway. 00:07:12.56\00:07:14.93 The first thing we start them out on is a regular exercise 00:07:14.93\00:07:18.67 program. We want them to exercise 00:07:18.67\00:07:23.24 ideally 60 minutes a day. It can be divided up into 00:07:23.24\00:07:27.54 a couple of sessions. But regular aerobic exercise 00:07:27.54\00:07:30.35 helps depression, and that's our first step with them. 00:07:30.35\00:07:34.95 We also, as part of that, try to get them out into light. 00:07:34.95\00:07:39.52 Light therapy actually helps depression. 00:07:39.52\00:07:43.99 And if they can't get into life because of their job 00:07:43.99\00:07:46.93 and it's wintertime, then they need to get a medical-grade 00:07:46.93\00:07:49.86 light box and actually experience the simulated blue 00:07:49.86\00:07:53.94 sky light, which is the best type of wavelength light 00:07:53.94\00:07:58.21 to help with depression. JB: We're talking about 00:07:58.21\00:08:01.78 a debilitating, disabling condition, depression. 00:08:01.78\00:08:05.28 I've asked you the way out, and the first two things 00:08:05.28\00:08:08.62 you tell me are exercise and sunlight. 00:08:08.62\00:08:11.25 Now, that's pretty simple. NN: It's pretty simple. 00:08:11.25\00:08:14.42 JB: All right. I'm not exactly sure what 00:08:14.42\00:08:16.93 you're going to say next, but I think we're seeing 00:08:16.93\00:08:18.83 a pattern here. So what would be the next 00:08:18.83\00:08:21.26 thing you'd recommend? NN: Well, the next thing we 00:08:21.26\00:08:23.43 would recommend is getting on a regular schedule 00:08:23.43\00:08:26.77 with regular sleep/wake times. And ideally, early to bed, 00:08:26.77\00:08:30.07 early to rise. And ideally, up at 6:00 a.m. 00:08:30.07\00:08:34.21 or maybe a little before and getting that light therapy, 00:08:34.21\00:08:38.05 first thing in the morning. That's a crucial role. 00:08:38.05\00:08:41.62 Then next we're going to deal with the food that you're 00:08:41.62\00:08:45.59 eating. We're going to try to get you 00:08:45.59\00:08:48.12 on a diet that's higher in tryptophan, higher 00:08:48.12\00:08:51.39 in tyrosine. JB: What's tryptophan? 00:08:51.39\00:08:54.10 NN: Tryptophan is an amino acid that is turn into 00:08:54.10\00:08:57.73 serotonin in the brain. JB: What's the other one? 00:08:57.73\00:09:01.17 NN: Tyrosine is another amino acid, it's turned into 00:09:01.17\00:09:03.30 norepinephrine and dopamine in the brain. 00:09:03.30\00:09:06.37 JB: People talk about brain food. 00:09:06.37\00:09:08.38 Do you believe in it? NN: Absolutely. 00:09:08.38\00:09:10.75 JB: So the diet's going to look like what? 00:09:10.75\00:09:13.28 NN: Well, the diet is going to be more plant based. 00:09:13.28\00:09:16.18 The plant-based foods tend to be higher in the natural 00:09:16.18\00:09:19.95 carbohydrates that get the tryptophan and tyrosine 00:09:19.95\00:09:23.56 into the brain. We're also going to be 00:09:23.56\00:09:25.93 emphasizing foods higher in Omega 3, foods like spinach 00:09:25.93\00:09:31.57 and walnut, flax seed, chia seeds and almonds. 00:09:31.57\00:09:37.11 Green soybeans. JB: I'm going to challenge 00:09:37.11\00:09:40.38 you just a little bit here. I'm just wondering 00:09:40.38\00:09:42.54 if someone's going, eh. But hang on a minute. 00:09:42.54\00:09:44.88 What would you do to come back from depression 00:09:44.88\00:09:48.62 if you were suffering from depression? 00:09:48.62\00:09:50.42 This doesn't sound like a terrible cross to have 00:09:50.42\00:09:52.32 to carry, changing your diet like that. 00:09:52.32\00:09:54.52 NN: Right, well, and actually the food can be quite tasty. 00:09:54.52\00:09:57.09 JB: Sure, no question. NN: In fact, in our book 00:09:57.09\00:09:59.36 that you mentioned, we have the recipes in there. 00:09:59.36\00:10:01.80 And the people who come to our program, 00:10:01.80\00:10:04.50 the first day they like it. So tasty food can actually 00:10:04.50\00:10:09.27 be healthy if we train the cook. JB: Absolutely. 00:10:09.27\00:10:11.24 So if you can kind of eat your way to good health, 00:10:11.24\00:10:14.81 to depression, and I'm sure it's not just diet. 00:10:14.81\00:10:18.01 This is one thing of a number of effects. 00:10:18.01\00:10:20.55 But that means that people are kind of eating 00:10:20.55\00:10:23.65 their way into depression. NN: Oh, absolutely. 00:10:23.65\00:10:26.35 Yeah, the fast food industry, where it's high in fat, high 00:10:26.35\00:10:29.22 in protein, virtually no carbohydrates, that actually 00:10:29.22\00:10:35.06 is going to lead to depression in many people. 00:10:35.06\00:10:37.60 I mean, if they have enough hits. 00:10:37.60\00:10:39.23 Again, nutrition is just one of ten different hit 00:10:39.23\00:10:42.24 categories. JB: And if you have how many 00:10:42.24\00:10:43.94 of those hit categories? NN: Four. 00:10:43.94\00:10:46.04 Four out of ten. JB: Okay, then you're 00:10:46.04\00:10:48.88 in danger of developing depression. 00:10:48.88\00:10:50.78 NN: Exactly. JB: So eating well is a key 00:10:50.78\00:10:53.85 to overcoming depression. NN: Eating well, a major key. 00:10:53.85\00:10:56.15 JB: What else? NN: Another key is, and this 00:10:56.15\00:10:59.32 is after we do the nutrition and the lifestyle. 00:10:59.32\00:11:03.79 In fact, there's a couple of other things I should mention 00:11:03.79\00:11:05.83 in that. Adequate hydration. 00:11:05.83\00:11:07.96 Just drinking enough water. JB: Another very, very simple 00:11:07.96\00:11:10.97 thing. NN: Right. 00:11:10.97\00:11:13.27 And it's pretty powerful in regard to what it does 00:11:13.27\00:11:15.70 to brain chemistry. JB: Why? 00:11:15.70\00:11:18.71 Why is water so crucial? NN: Well, water is crucial 00:11:18.71\00:11:21.14 because our neurotransmitters actually communicate 00:11:21.14\00:11:25.68 with the neurons through a fluid medium. 00:11:25.68\00:11:29.02 And if there isn't enough hydration there, 00:11:29.02\00:11:33.19 the communication system in the brain gets gummed up, 00:11:33.19\00:11:36.02 essentially, that's kind of the JB: The layman's term. 00:11:36.02\00:11:39.03 NN: Basic way to describe it. So yeah, adequate hydration, 00:11:39.03\00:11:42.10 6 to 8 glasses of water a day minimum. 00:11:42.10\00:11:44.60 JB: A lot of people aren't getting that, right? 00:11:44.60\00:11:46.80 NN: That's right. JB: How about, well, 00:11:46.80\00:11:49.80 I drink plenty of soda, isn't that good enough? 00:11:49.80\00:11:52.87 No, that doesn't qualify, right? 00:11:52.87\00:11:54.98 NN: No, actually, none of those qualify, the studies show. 00:11:54.98\00:11:58.45 All the rest are water substitutes and are not 00:11:58.45\00:12:00.98 the same. JB: So we're not going to be 00:12:00.98\00:12:03.45 thinking that some sort of soda or caffeinated stuff is a water 00:12:03.45\00:12:07.06 substitute. NN: Or even dairy, yeah. 00:12:07.06\00:12:09.69 JB: Okay, not even there. So it's gotta be water water. 00:12:09.69\00:12:12.36 NN: It's gotta be water. And then also an important 00:12:12.36\00:12:14.66 element is hydrotherapy. In other words, hot and cold 00:12:14.66\00:12:20.20 treatments. We call that natural 00:12:20.20\00:12:23.84 shockwave treatments for those who are severely 00:12:23.84\00:12:25.84 depressed. It actually, in our experience, 00:12:25.84\00:12:29.81 works as good as the ECT, the shockwave treatments, 00:12:29.81\00:12:32.98 without you having to get general anesthesia 00:12:32.98\00:12:35.18 and seizures and lose your memory and things like that. 00:12:35.18\00:12:38.42 And so we describe how to do that in our materials, 00:12:38.42\00:12:41.52 but that can be a good starter. And so we put people on that 00:12:41.52\00:12:46.06 part first, and then we lead them into analyzing their 00:12:46.06\00:12:51.70 distorted thoughts. And that's when we get 00:12:51.70\00:12:55.04 to some of the crux of the matter, so to speak. 00:12:55.04\00:12:57.54 There are 10 commandments in the Bible, and there are 00:12:57.54\00:13:01.21 10 different ways of distorted thinking. 00:13:01.21\00:13:03.65 And so we teach the individual, once they get the spa-- 00:13:03.65\00:13:06.35 we call the first part the spa experience. 00:13:06.35\00:13:09.85 Once they get that spa experience, then their 00:13:09.85\00:13:12.19 circulation in their brain is good enough where they can 00:13:12.19\00:13:14.96 start analyzing their thoughts for distortion. 00:13:14.96\00:13:17.46 Things like overgeneralizing, like Elijah said, I'm the 00:13:17.46\00:13:21.16 only one who hasn't bowed the knee to Baal. 00:13:21.16\00:13:24.00 JB: So what you've got are people who are depressed, 00:13:24.00\00:13:25.80 they're not thinking right. You create an environment 00:13:25.80\00:13:28.57 where the thoughts are moving freer and more healthfully, 00:13:28.57\00:13:31.24 and now they can do some healthy self-analysis, look 00:13:31.24\00:13:34.31 at what the problems really are. 00:13:34.31\00:13:36.21 NN: Exactly. And that's a very crucial, 00:13:36.21\00:13:38.75 that will enhance frontal lobe function. 00:13:38.75\00:13:41.72 Just the analysis itself, of seeing if there 00:13:41.72\00:13:45.29 is a distorted thought and then correcting that distorted 00:13:45.29\00:13:47.19 thought will actually enhance frontal lobe activity 00:13:47.19\00:13:49.79 and will help the individual recover. 00:13:49.79\00:13:52.06 JB: Now, tell me again what's so important about the frontal 00:13:52.06\00:13:54.03 lobe. NN: Well, the frontal lobe 00:13:54.03\00:13:56.53 is the seat of spirituality, morality and the will. 00:13:56.53\00:13:59.33 The will means it's our decision maker. 00:13:59.33\00:14:02.40 So it's actually the area that we make decisions, 00:14:02.40\00:14:05.31 we provide analysis. It really gives us the ability 00:14:05.31\00:14:08.41 to accomplish advanced planning and thinking. 00:14:08.41\00:14:11.75 JB: If you have the lifestyle practices in your life that 00:14:11.75\00:14:13.92 are messing with your frontal lobe capacity, you simply 00:14:13.92\00:14:16.12 can't make the decisions. NN: Absolutely, yeah. 00:14:16.12\00:14:18.72 It's why depressed people tend to get more depressed, 00:14:18.72\00:14:21.39 because their decision-making ability is down. 00:14:21.39\00:14:23.86 So they end up suffering from those complications. 00:14:23.86\00:14:26.13 JB: Okay, so we got to where people are analyzing thoughts 00:14:26.13\00:14:28.30 and learning to make better decisions and so forth. 00:14:28.30\00:14:30.50 NN: Yes, a crucial element. And also a crucial element 00:14:30.50\00:14:33.20 that helps with that is the spiritual part. 00:14:33.20\00:14:35.60 The reading of Proverbs, for instance, or the listening 00:14:35.60\00:14:42.78 to music like King Saul was listening to, you know, 00:14:42.78\00:14:47.45 the soft harp music or soft classical music that can help 00:14:47.45\00:14:51.89 to direct our thoughts can be helpful and can enhance 00:14:51.89\00:14:55.29 frontal lobe function. And so we utilize that. 00:14:55.29\00:14:58.19 We utilize what we call cognitive behavioral therapy, 00:14:58.19\00:15:00.90 which is the analysis of the thoughts. 00:15:00.90\00:15:03.47 We utilize the type of music that's been shown in controlled 00:15:03.47\00:15:07.00 trials to help with depression recovery. 00:15:07.00\00:15:10.91 Interestingly, it's the same type of music that a lot 00:15:10.91\00:15:13.91 of hymns are composed from in the church. 00:15:13.91\00:15:18.15 And then on top of that, we then provide the spiritual 00:15:18.15\00:15:24.15 material that can also help enhance frontal lobe 00:15:24.15\00:15:28.16 function. JB: And a person goes through 00:15:28.16\00:15:30.36 this process and implements these changes in their lives, 00:15:30.36\00:15:32.39 I've seen people helped dramatically by this. 00:15:32.39\00:15:37.70 NN: Absolutely. I mean, in just 10 days. 00:15:37.70\00:15:40.80 We run 10-day programs for treatment-resistant 00:15:40.80\00:15:43.87 depression. And when the relatives come 00:15:43.87\00:15:47.21 10 days later, often they will break out and cry 00:15:47.21\00:15:50.88 and they'll look at us and say, "What did you do?" 00:15:50.88\00:15:53.62 I mean, just looking at them they can tell immediately 00:15:53.62\00:15:56.22 that things are far better and they can see life return, 00:15:56.22\00:16:01.16 and energy. One of the wonderful things 00:16:01.16\00:16:06.19 that happens that we document in our program, their emotional 00:16:06.19\00:16:09.56 intelligence, in just 10 days, goes to the top 20 percentile 00:16:09.56\00:16:13.34 in the nation. So they actually have better 00:16:13.34\00:16:17.21 emotional intelligence than people who've never been 00:16:17.21\00:16:19.27 depressed. And emotional intelligence 00:16:19.27\00:16:21.64 has more to do with their future success in life than 00:16:21.64\00:16:24.25 any other factor. So the sky's the limit 00:16:24.25\00:16:27.18 for these people. JB: No drugs needed. 00:16:27.18\00:16:29.38 NN: No drugs needed. JB: No messy side effects. 00:16:29.38\00:16:31.85 NN: That's right, exactly. JB: God's way's always 00:16:31.85\00:16:33.72 the right way, isn't it? NN: Absolutely. 00:16:33.72\00:16:35.66 JB: God's way is the right way, and God does have 00:16:35.66\00:16:39.06 a way out. What's so important about 00:16:39.06\00:16:40.86 this is that depression is so debilitating, it complicates 00:16:40.86\00:16:44.53 lives on many, many lives, and it has a seriously 00:16:44.53\00:16:48.44 deleterious effect on a person's relationship 00:16:48.44\00:16:51.11 with God. And we don't want that, 00:16:51.11\00:16:52.54 and God doesn't want that either. 00:16:52.54\00:16:55.24 I'll be back with a few more thoughts on this, on depression 00:16:55.24\00:16:57.45 and its cures, with Dr. Neil Nedley in just 00:16:57.45\00:16:59.35 a moment. 00:16:59.35\00:17:00.78 [MUSIC] Every Word is a one-minute, 00:17:01.78\00:17:03.82 Bible-based, daily devotional presented by Pastor John 00:17:03.82\00:17:07.29 Bradshaw and designed especially for busy people 00:17:07.29\00:17:09.82 like you. Look for Every Word on selected 00:17:09.82\00:17:12.19 networks, or watch it online every day on our website, 00:17:12.19\00:17:15.20 ItIsWritten.com. 00:17:15.20\00:17:17.93 [MUSIC] 00:17:18.40\00:17:22.27 Good to have you check in today. 00:17:25.67\00:17:27.21 There are some Bible verses you really want to remind yourself 00:17:27.21\00:17:29.68 of sometimes. You know, a lot of people are 00:17:29.68\00:17:31.95 going through a lot of stuff right now. 00:17:31.95\00:17:33.95 Challenges with their financial situation, perhaps in their 00:17:33.95\00:17:36.18 personal situation - with marriages or children or 00:17:36.18\00:17:38.99 friends. So many people are battling with 00:17:38.99\00:17:41.06 illness, in many cases really difficult situations. 00:17:41.06\00:17:44.19 Listen to this verse. It's Romans 8:18. 00:17:44.19\00:17:47.00 Paul says, "I reckon that the sufferings of this present time 00:17:47.00\00:17:49.70 are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be 00:17:49.70\00:17:53.07 revealed in us." Now that's not to minimize one's 00:17:53.07\00:17:55.94 difficulties or ignore one's trials. 00:17:55.94\00:17:58.17 But Paul promises us there's a better day coming, when the hard 00:17:58.17\00:18:02.01 circumstances of this world will be forgotten in the light of the 00:18:02.01\00:18:05.25 glory God will shower upon us. You can afford to be hopeful 00:18:05.25\00:18:09.75 today. I'm John Bradshaw for 00:18:09.75\00:18:12.19 It Is Written. Let's live today by every word. 00:18:12.19\00:18:16.59 JB: I'm talking about depression today with 00:18:19.23\00:18:21.36 Dr. Neil Nedley of the Nedley Clinic, president of Nedley 00:18:21.36\00:18:24.97 Health Solutions, a man who has been successfully 00:18:24.97\00:18:27.04 treating people with depression for many, many years. 00:18:27.04\00:18:29.60 Dr. Nedley, Christians suffer depression. 00:18:29.60\00:18:32.67 NN: Yes, absolutely they can. People from all faiths 00:18:32.67\00:18:37.11 can suffer from depression, as well as people of no faith. 00:18:37.11\00:18:40.48 JB: Well, why that's significant is because, 00:18:40.48\00:18:42.48 you know, Christians are meant to be happy and Christians 00:18:42.48\00:18:44.59 are meant to be full of joy, and the joy the Lord 00:18:44.59\00:18:46.65 is your strength. Do you find that certain 00:18:46.65\00:18:49.46 types of Christians suffer depression more or less than 00:18:49.46\00:18:51.63 other types of Christians? NN: Yeah, this has been 00:18:51.63\00:18:53.50 well studied. Duke University found that 00:18:53.50\00:18:57.40 the denominations that have the least rates of depression 00:18:57.40\00:19:02.30 are the fundamentalist denominations, ones that believe 00:19:02.30\00:19:06.51 in the Word of God, for instance, and believe 00:19:06.51\00:19:10.85 that God has a plan for their life and speaks to them 00:19:10.85\00:19:18.05 through his Word. That would describe 00:19:18.05\00:19:21.09 the fundamentalists, and those have less depression 00:19:21.09\00:19:25.49 than others. JB: Now, depression, 00:19:25.49\00:19:29.36 I've found, there's a bit of a stigma attached to it. 00:19:29.36\00:19:35.20 I don't know whether society has stigmatized it, 00:19:35.20\00:19:37.84 or whether people just feel that way. 00:19:37.84\00:19:40.44 Is that true? NN: Well, there is a stigma. 00:19:40.44\00:19:42.54 A lot of people with depression don't want anyone else to know 00:19:42.54\00:19:44.85 about it. They're picking up their 00:19:44.85\00:19:47.92 pharmaceuticals and making sure no one else knows about 00:19:47.92\00:19:52.62 it, etc. It turns out people do know about it. 00:19:52.62\00:19:54.66 They think they're hiding it, but in reality you can't hide 00:19:54.66\00:19:57.39 it when you're working and your living in families, 00:19:57.39\00:20:00.10 etc. The depression is going to manifest itself in multiple 00:20:00.10\00:20:03.53 ways. But because of that stigma, 00:20:03.53\00:20:06.84 they have a reservation to really go out and try to seek 00:20:06.84\00:20:11.04 treatment, or come to a program like a depression recovery 00:20:11.04\00:20:14.01 program in their community, for fear that they're going 00:20:14.01\00:20:16.64 to be seen. But what I've noticed is, 00:20:16.64\00:20:20.35 when they recover from their depression completely, 00:20:20.35\00:20:23.55 and that joy returns, they have no problem telling people how 00:20:23.55\00:20:28.12 depressed they actually were. And then the stigma is gone. 00:20:28.12\00:20:31.59 So if you have that stigma, the best way to take care 00:20:31.59\00:20:35.16 of it is, get the treatment that's going to cure it, 00:20:35.16\00:20:40.70 and then you don't have to worry about the stigma, and then 00:20:40.70\00:20:43.04 you can own up to it. JB: God has been curing 00:20:43.04\00:20:45.91 depression for millennia, hasn't he? 00:20:45.91\00:20:48.84 NN: Yes. JB: Give me an example 00:20:48.84\00:20:50.58 from the Bible. NN: Well, Elijah, when he 00:20:50.58\00:20:53.01 was depressed, angels came and fed him food. 00:20:53.01\00:20:55.68 I think there was some flax seed in that food. 00:20:55.68\00:20:58.95 That was food to boost the tryptophan and the tyrosine. 00:20:58.95\00:21:03.69 Exercise was part of Elijah's program. 00:21:03.69\00:21:06.53 And light therapy, Elijah, like a lot of depressed 00:21:06.53\00:21:09.16 people, he just wanted to be in the cave, in the dark. 00:21:09.16\00:21:11.70 And God had to produce earthquakes and fires 00:21:11.70\00:21:14.57 and, "Get out of the cave, Elijah, 00:21:14.57\00:21:18.07 you need to be in the light." And then he came and dialogued 00:21:18.07\00:21:19.97 with him, after he did all those things, then he gave 00:21:19.97\00:21:23.68 him the cognitive behavioral therapy, and asked him, 00:21:23.68\00:21:25.58 "What doest thou here?" And Elijah began to talk, 00:21:25.58\00:21:28.28 and the Lord began to correct his distorted thoughts. 00:21:28.28\00:21:31.09 JB: Interesting. NN: Same type of principles 00:21:31.09\00:21:33.99 that we utilize today. JB: What other factors play 00:21:33.99\00:21:38.39 into this many-headed monster called depression? 00:21:38.39\00:21:40.70 NN: You know, one of them that's very characteristic 00:21:40.70\00:21:44.83 is pride. It's actually a magnification 00:21:44.83\00:21:47.20 of self. When people experience 00:21:47.20\00:21:51.07 the distorted thought of self-inflated pride, 00:21:51.07\00:21:56.08 they are setting themselves up for wounded pride. 00:21:56.08\00:21:59.38 And then with that wounded pride they've got the expose 00:21:59.38\00:22:03.32 for depression, anxiety and other symptoms. 00:22:03.32\00:22:06.86 That's what led to Saul's issue. He had the pride, and when 00:22:06.86\00:22:12.96 the women sang, "Saul has slain his thousands and David 00:22:12.96\00:22:16.63 his tens of thousands," it was wounded pride, 00:22:16.63\00:22:19.73 and it set him up into that whole process. 00:22:19.73\00:22:23.54 And the Lord knows how to deal with that as well. 00:22:23.54\00:22:26.44 JB: That reminds me of another story in the Bible, 00:22:26.44\00:22:29.14 the story of Nebuchadnezzar in the book of Daniel. 00:22:29.14\00:22:31.61 Is this not great Babylon that I have built? 00:22:31.61\00:22:33.31 And next thing you know he's out eating grass like an ox. 00:22:33.31\00:22:35.82 NN: Right. Well, you know, 00:22:35.82\00:22:37.72 and the interesting thing, his pride was so severe, he had 00:22:37.72\00:22:40.12 been impressed by what the Lord was doing multiple times, 00:22:40.12\00:22:43.63 but not changed. Impressed but not changed. 00:22:43.63\00:22:47.83 And so the Lord had to get to the root of his problem, 00:22:47.83\00:22:50.47 which was his pride. And his pride was so severe 00:22:50.47\00:22:52.73 it took more than a 10-day program. 00:22:52.73\00:22:55.40 It was a multi-year program, but it was the same type 00:22:55.40\00:22:57.91 of principles. It was a plant-based, 00:22:57.91\00:23:00.28 vegetarian diet that Nebuchadnezzar was put on. 00:23:00.28\00:23:03.24 There was exercise that was part of it. 00:23:03.24\00:23:05.18 When you read Nebuchadnezzar's testimony, 00:23:05.18\00:23:07.68 hydrotherapy was part of the program. 00:23:07.68\00:23:10.39 The sleep/wake cycles were there, and then in the end, 00:23:10.39\00:23:13.52 the cognitive behavioral therapy to get rid 00:23:13.52\00:23:15.19 of the pride. JB: So God knows the way 00:23:15.19\00:23:17.29 out of depression. NN: Absolutely. 00:23:17.29\00:23:19.59 JB: I don't want to give anybody false hope. 00:23:19.59\00:23:21.96 I don't want to do that. Is there a danger that we 00:23:21.96\00:23:25.67 could be telling someone, there's a way out of depression 00:23:25.67\00:23:28.40 for you, when really there just isn't? 00:23:28.40\00:23:31.04 NN: No danger. Of course, we've dealt 00:23:31.04\00:23:34.14 with hundreds and thousands of patients, but in our 00:23:34.14\00:23:38.35 treatment resistance program, the most common complaint 00:23:38.35\00:23:41.75 we get from people coming is they're thinking they're 00:23:41.75\00:23:45.39 going to be the first one who does not respond 00:23:45.39\00:23:49.99 to the treatments and the modalities 00:23:49.99\00:23:52.06 that we utilize. They think that nothing 00:23:52.06\00:23:54.13 is going to help them. Their relatives have made 00:23:54.13\00:23:55.96 them come. But at the end of the program 00:23:55.96\00:23:58.43 they find out that they respond as well. 00:23:58.43\00:24:00.80 And what I have to tell these people who think that there's 00:24:00.80\00:24:03.51 no way out for them is, do you think the biggest expert 00:24:03.51\00:24:08.71 in depression might not know something about it? 00:24:08.71\00:24:11.51 And if the biggest expert in depression might not know 00:24:11.51\00:24:14.62 something about it, perhaps that individual doesn't know 00:24:14.62\00:24:16.42 something about it, and what they don't know might 00:24:16.42\00:24:18.92 actually help them. And so there is a way out 00:24:18.92\00:24:22.32 for everyone. And if they find the 00:24:22.32\00:24:26.53 underlying cause, I have no doubt that there's a solution 00:24:26.53\00:24:29.80 to bring them out of depression. 00:24:29.80\00:24:31.40 JB: Thank you for joining me today. 00:24:31.40\00:24:33.10 This has been a blessing. I just believe that people 00:24:33.10\00:24:35.67 are going to get their lives back again out of that 00:24:35.67\00:24:39.37 vice-like grip of depression, liberated, we've seen it happen 00:24:39.37\00:24:42.58 in so many lives many, many times, liberated to lead 00:24:42.58\00:24:45.81 full, productive, joy-filled, solid lives, rejoicing 00:24:45.81\00:24:49.92 in the Lord. NN: Amen. 00:24:49.92\00:24:52.79 JB: Friend, I want that person to be you if you are suffering 00:24:52.79\00:24:54.69 from depression, or if you know somebody who is, 00:24:54.69\00:24:57.19 let them know. Go to DrNedley.com, get some 00:24:57.19\00:24:59.49 good materials, follow the plan that we've been talking 00:24:59.49\00:25:02.73 about here, because there is a cure, there is a way out 00:25:02.73\00:25:06.43 of depression, and God wants you to experience what David 00:25:06.43\00:25:11.27 wrote about when he said that in God's presence 00:25:11.27\00:25:13.81 there is fullness of joy. I want to pray for you. 00:25:13.81\00:25:17.45 Dr. Nedley and I are going to pray for you now and ask that 00:25:17.45\00:25:19.81 God will bless you and those you know and love who are 00:25:19.81\00:25:24.82 battling this difficult thing. Let us pray. 00:25:24.82\00:25:27.82 Our Father in heaven, we thank you today for Jesus, 00:25:27.82\00:25:30.96 the Way, the Truth and the Life. And I am grateful that he said 00:25:30.96\00:25:34.23 that he came to this world that we might have life 00:25:34.23\00:25:36.67 more abundantly. Lord, I pray that you'll help 00:25:36.67\00:25:39.83 us all to think healthy thoughts, to have minds that 00:25:39.83\00:25:44.21 are centered in your Word, to be livers of lives that are 00:25:44.21\00:25:49.01 grounded, founded, rooted in the principles of heaven 00:25:49.01\00:25:53.52 that will bring us joy and joy everlasting. 00:25:53.52\00:25:56.82 Help us to be glad and grateful today that there is a God 00:25:56.82\00:25:59.89 who loves us and a God who has the way out 00:25:59.89\00:26:02.46 of difficulties, just waiting for us to find and follow. 00:26:02.46\00:26:05.36 We thank you today and we pray in Jesus' name, Amen. 00:26:05.36\00:26:10.40 [MUSIC] 00:26:13.40\00:26:20.41 JB: Our free offer for you this week is a DVD 00:26:23.75\00:26:26.61 produced by Dr. Nedley on the topic of depression. 00:26:26.61\00:26:29.85 If you or someone you love is struggling with depression 00:26:29.85\00:26:33.15 I encourage you to call us today and order this free DVD. 00:26:33.15\00:26:37.73 Now please note that this offer is limited to the supply 00:26:37.73\00:26:40.36 on hand. Our toll-free number is 00:26:40.36\00:26:43.30 1-800-253-3000. Ask for the 00:26:43.30\00:26:47.40 "free depression DVD". Or write to It is Written, 00:26:47.40\00:26:52.11 P.O. Box 6, Chattanooga, Tenneesee, 37401. 00:26:52.11\00:26:56.34 and we'll mail a free copy to your address in North America. 00:26:56.34\00:26:59.58 It Is Written is a faith-based ministry and your support makes 00:26:59.58\00:27:03.12 it possible for us to share God's Good News with the world. 00:27:03.12\00:27:06.86 Your tax-deductible gift can be sent to the address on the 00:27:06.86\00:27:09.76 screen, or through our website at ItIsWritten.com. 00:27:09.76\00:27:13.56 Thank you for your continued prayerful support. 00:27:13.56\00:27:16.26 Again, our toll-free number is 800-253-3000, ask for the 00:27:16.26\00:27:21.47 "free depression DVD". And our web address is: 00:27:21.47\00:27:25.71 itiswritten.com 00:27:25.71\00:27:28.34 JB: Thanks for joining me today. 00:27:29.58\00:27:31.21 You know, it is encouraging to know that God has very real help 00:27:31.21\00:27:34.82 for us, even in the midst of our most difficult battles. 00:27:34.82\00:27:38.75 For more of my conversation with Dr. Nedley, please to go our 00:27:38.75\00:27:41.82 website, itiswritten.com. There, you'll be able to watch 00:27:41.82\00:27:45.53 parts of this conversation that we were not able to include in 00:27:45.53\00:27:49.00 today's program. I'll look forward to seeing 00:27:49.00\00:27:51.40 you again next time. Until then, please remember, 00:27:51.40\00:27:54.70 it is written, man shall not live by bread alone, 00:27:54.70\00:27:58.41 but by every word that proceeds from the 00:27:58.41\00:28:01.31 mouth of God. 00:28:01.31\00:28:04.15 [sweeping orchestral music] 00:28:04.58\00:28:14.56