My name is Linda and I am 44 years of age, a Christian filled with Gods Holy Spirit.
I would like to share my testimony with believers and non-believers world-wide in what Jesus delivered me from and pray that any boy, girl, man or woman reading this who is suffering from depression can be freed from this by being healed, delivered and set free in Jesus’ name. Hallelujah!

During my late childhood I was most unhappy. I ran away from home several times causing heartache to my parents. I was insecure, withdrawn, hated school and even played truant at times. By the time I was fourteen years of age I was suffering with depression and quite unstable experiencing mood swings.

My mother took me to the doctor and he first of all dismissed this as PMT. After further visits he prescribed medication. This never worked and eventually I took numerous anti-depressants and tranquilizers. None of these drugs really worked, but I continued with this medication for a couple of years.

By the time I was sixteen years old I wanted to leave home and be independent. This seems so ridiculous now, looking back at a young teenager without a proper job and fending for oneself – so emotionally unstable. Alas, I found a room and had numerous jobs that lasted a few days, a week, or perhaps a month. Eventually I joined a temporary agency that seemed ideal for my constant job-hopping.

I can remember having dehabilitating depression spells and some days lying on my bed unwashed until the next day. One night I drank some gin whilst Pink Floyd played ‘dark side of the moon’ several times. In those days I had a record player which played cassette tapes known as the old-fashioned Hi-fi. I allowed this tape to play continuously which obviously didn’t lift my spirits, but made me feel even more depressed. I remember going berserk and smashed most of the contents in my room.

Lodging next door were two Irish brothers who had heard my commotion and had knocked on my door to ask if I was okay. In return I replied “yes!” slamming and bolting my door, and cried myself to sleep.
My situation didn’t work out and I even changed accommodation and it all got progressively worse. I returned home to live with my parents, continuously making the rest of my family miserable along with me. I started taking overdoses and eventually my GP called a psychiatrist. He came and visited me and I voluntarily agreed to go into a psychiatric unit where I was monitored, had counseling and participated in group therapy etc. After a few weeks I discharged myself and tried to live a normal life.

Once again I repeated overdoses and suffered with the most dehabilitating depression. I continued working part of the time, but often I didn’t work at all.

Eventually I married a lovely man called Peter who never understood what was wrong with me (neither did I at the time), but he tried to support me the best he could. Instead of working I tried going back to school, taking a further education course in order to gain some qualification. However I still suffered from depression, continuing to visit the doctors wherever I lived and was prescribed medication for my depression.

Eventually Peter and I had two children and I continued to suffer from highs and lows. My past could fill a book, so I am trying to summarize it in a few paragraphs. I changed doctors and weeks after the birth of our second child my new doctor made an appointment for me to see a psychiatrist who diagnosed me as being manic depressive and said that in order to live a decent life I would need to take Lithium therapy and anti-depressants. Well! I took all this prescribed medication and if I’m totally honest, I never really felt any better. I continued like this for several years, making my family’s life hell, especially my husbands. He stood by me throughout it all, even though at the time I wanted to leave him. I was disturbed, unbalanced and insecure. Quite honestly I’m surprised he never divorced me for the way I acted through my married life.
One day after much persuasion I succumbed to an elderly widowed neighbors’ invitation to a Billy Grahams live link Crusade, in which I heard the Gospel and the reality of heaven and hell. I decided I would like to know Jesus in an intimate way and not end up in hell. I continued with my faith in Christ and if I’m honest, I didn’t receive a miraculous healing there and then, but I knew and trusted that Jesus would bring me through and one day I would be delivered.

I soon discovered that I had an enemy called satan, the devil who tries his utmost to stop anyone being a Christian. If he can’t succeed in stopping a person coming to salvation, he will try to rob a person from living in victory (but greater is he that is in you – Jesus – than the devil who lives in the world.)
Jesus brought me through all of this and with much prayer and renewing my mind, reading God’s word and claiming his promises from the bible. I have a sound mind, am well, balanced and totally free. Praise the Lord I now have a strong secure marriage and two lovely teenage children. I now believe that what satan wants to turn into evil Jesus will turn into good, if you allow him to be Lord over your life.

If you are not a Christian I strongly urge you to ask Jesus into your life now – later may be too late. Wherever you are or however you are living Jesus can bring you through this. Ask him into your heart now!

- Linda

Battlefield of the Mind Devotional: 100 Insights That Will Change the Way You Think (Meyer, Joyce)

Battlefield of the Mind for Teens: Winning the Battle in Your Mind

Tags: Billy Grahams, childhood, dark side of the moon, depression, drugs, Faith, husband, Jesus, medication, mood, PMT, suffering from depression, teen years, testimony, therapy, tranquilizers