188 | Mental Illness Affects Every Area of Our Life; Reclaim it Through Faith, and Resilience

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On this episode of When Over Depression, we're talking about reclaiming your life from where you are now.
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No matter what you've been through, no matter how much time you feel you've lost, and no matter how discouraged you may feel today, your story is not over.
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The past is filled with valuable lessons, but it was never meant to become a permanent place of residence.
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We can learn from it, grow through it, and then leave it behind as we move forward toward the future God has prepared for us.
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Together, we'll explore how to stop allowing yesterday's disappointments, failures, regrets, and pain define today's decisions.
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We'll discuss what it means to embrace hope again, rebuild your confidence one step at a time, and move forward in faith, even when the path ahead seems uncertain.
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You still have purpose, you still have value, you still have gifts the world needs.
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Your greatest days are not determined by your past.
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They are determined by what you choose to do with today.
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If you're ready to let go of what's holding you back and reclaim your life where you are right now and walk boldly into the purpose God has created for you, then stay with me.
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This is when over depression, where giving up is never an option.
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Let's hear what God has to say about letting go of the past and building our future, figuring out what's holding us back and moving forward in our lives.
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Jeremiah 29, verse 11 says, For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace and not evil, to give you an expected end.
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And so there's so many things that we expect in life, and oftentimes there's so many obstacles that we face, and we feel as if we can't win for losing.
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But here's the thing when you're close to a breakthrough, that's when life becomes more challenging, issues arise, and problems start to surface because you are close to a breakthrough.
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So start where you are now.
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Let the lessons of the past keep you reminded about what is in store for you in your future.
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Philippians 3, 13 through 14 says, Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended, but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind me, and reaching forth unto those things which are before.
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I press toward the mark for the prize of the higher calling of God in Jesus Christ.
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So we have to press toward the mark, even though life seems so uncertain and things just don't seem to be going our way.
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We gotta keep our eyes on our prize and what we are trying to fulfill because each one of us has a special assignment that we are to accomplish while we are here on this earth.
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And unfortunately, depression can in many ways keep you from reaching or achieving that goal.
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And that's why every single day we have to push ourselves in order to live up to that truest and fullest potential, especially when we just don't feel like it.
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That is a sign that we should be doing what is necessary and what we are called to do even when we just don't feel like it.
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Welcome to Win Over Depression.
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I am your host, Tamara Trotter, depression overcomer, author, social work expert, proud delta, loving daughter and sister, Aunt to Eight, and Great Aunt to Three.
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This podcast is your safe place for healing, growth, and real transformation.
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In this space, we explore faith, learning how to trust God even when we feel uncertain and overwhelmed.
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We also confront stress, understanding how it impacts your mind, body, and spirit, and how to manage it in a healthy, sustainable way.
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We navigate loneliness, processing the quiet moments where you may feel unseen or disconnected, and we unpack anxiety, exploring what it feels like to battle internally while still showing up externally.
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I am overjoyed that you are here to gain insight and inspiration from someone who has lived with chronic depression for most of their adult life.
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By his grace, I became well enough to pour into others.
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God always told me that my greatest testimony would come from my deepest pain.
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Let's dive into today's episode.
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But before we do, let me tell you about my course, The 14 Days to Manage Depression.
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If you're ready to start your healing journey, the 14 Days to Manage Depression course will help you to get back on track, realize your truest and fullest potential, and give you the tools you need to take your life to the next level.
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Instead of trying to figure everything out on your own, this course walks you through daily steps that help you slow down your thoughts, process your emotions, and begin to regain control in a healthy, manageable way.
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When stress feels constant and worry won't quiet down, having a guided plan helps you move from confusion to clarity.
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What makes this course especially powerful is that it just doesn't talk about healing.
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It gives you practical tools to apply in real time through guided activities, affirmations, and intentional reflection.
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You'll learn how to interrupt your negative thought patterns, build healthier habits, and respond to stress in a way that supports your mental and emotional well-being.
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It helps you shift from reacting to stress and worry to actually managing them.
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Most importantly, this course is rooted in faith.
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It helps you strengthen your connection with God while learning how to release what you cannot carry.
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As you move through the 14 days, you'll begin to feel more grounded, more supported, and more equipped to handle the challenges of life.
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I designed this course with you in mind because if I had this tool when I was in the depths of despair and felt like I was sinking in quicksand every single day, but also being afraid to get help, this would have really helped me by letting me know why I suffer from depression and what I can do to get through it.
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I suffered for so many years in silence.
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And this course is going to help you because in the privacy of your own home, you'll be able to listen to me as I walk you through my journey and tell you what I did to get to that better place because I want you to get there too.
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I know that you want to get there, but I also know that you believe that it's harder than ever.
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But I want to share with you that you can get there.
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It's meant to be, and it is not a coincidence that you found when over depression.
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It's time to pick you first and invest in your future because depression and mental illness affects every aspect of our life.
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So don't wait.
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Start your healing journey today.
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Just go to the show notes and go to course description, and you will find the link for the 14 days to manage depression.
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So it's time to snuggle in your favorite chair, make that cup of tea, and get ready for today's episode.
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Grab a pen and a paper if you'd like to.
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There's some good stuff coming your way.
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I hope that you'll take some notes for today's episode because I'm going to be giving you some real life experiences, and I want you to complete some homework after the episode.
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And I want you to focus on what is the most challenging thing that's happening in your life.
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Because when we talk about reclaiming our life where we are now, we need to consider where we are and where we're trying to go.
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Notice I didn't say reclaim your life from where you used to be.
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I didn't say reclaim your life from 10 years ago, before the divorce, before the depression, before the loss, the betrayal, the diagnosis, or the addiction, or before everything changed.
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I said specifically, reclaim your life from where you are now.
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Hopefully, everything that has happened to you up until now, you can look back and realize that there was a purpose, there was a meaning behind it.
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And hopefully you've grown as a result.
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You know, God tests our faith and he tests whether or not we learn from our experiences.
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And if we haven't learned adequately, then we continue to be tested in that area.
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One of the greatest mistakes we make is believing we have to get back to who we used to be.
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But God isn't always calling us back.
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Many times He is calling us forward.
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There are people listening today who have spent months or even years looking backward, trying to figure things out, wondering why certain situations or circumstances ended up the way that they did.
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You've replayed conversations in your mind and you've questioned decisions.
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You've wondered what your life would look like if you had chosen a different career, married someone else, stayed in a different city, spoken up when you should have, or remained silent, or simply made one different decision.
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But here's the truth: you cannot rewrite yesterday, you cannot relive yesterday, and you cannot recover yesterday.
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But what you can do is redeem today, and today's decision determines tomorrow's future.
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The enemy wants your attention fixed on your past because if you constantly look backward, you'll never move forward.
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He wants regret to become your residence instead of your teacher.
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You know, I applied for a promotion at work several times, and each time I was passed over.
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And it really did have a profound effect on me looking back, but what I realized, and it took me a long time to come to this conclusion, it wasn't meant to be because God had something else in store, and it took me so long to accept that because I was looking at my abilities, my training, my expertise.
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But the truth is none of that was ever being put into question.
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It just wasn't for me.
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And so for a long time, I was upset about it.
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I thought about it constantly, and finally I retired, and it wasn't until then that I realized that God had something better for me to do with my life.
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So don't make that same mistake.
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If a door is closing and God has said, put a period, don't put a comma.
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He's put a period and you're trying to put a comma, but this, but that.
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No, you have to remember that God is the master of our lives and he knows what's best for us.
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Your past was never designed to become your permanent address, it was designed to become your classroom.
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Every disappointment has something to teach you, every failure has something to teach you, every heartbreak has something to teach you, and so does every single mistake that you make.
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The question is not, why did this happen to me?
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The better question is, Lord, what do you want me to learn from this?
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And I'll say it again.
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The better question is, Lord, what do you want me to learn from this?
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When you begin asking that question, your pain begins to produce purpose.
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Isaiah 43, 18 through 9 reminds us.
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Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old.
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Behold, I will do a new thing.
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Now it shall spring forth, and ye shall not know it.
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I will even make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.
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Notice God says, Remember ye not the former things.
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God isn't saying to pretend the past never happened.
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He isn't saying ignore the lessons.
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He's saying don't be trapped there.
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Some people have physically left painful situations, but mentally they are still there.
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Is that you?
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I want you to think right now.
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Are you someone who has physically left painful situations, but mentally you're still there?
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You're still there in your mind.
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You think about it constantly.
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You wake up in the middle of the night and you think about it.
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Then you have become a slave to that past.
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You have to let it go.
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And I know that it's easier said than done.
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You want to replay the old conversations, the old failures, the rejection, and the trauma.
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But when you do that, you are reliving the pain.
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Every day, you relive what God has already brought you through.
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You've already made it through.
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Just let it go.
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If you're going to reclaim your life, there comes a moment when you have to stop giving yesterday permission to control today.
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Depression often convinces us that our future will simply repeat our past.
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It whispers that nothing will change.
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It tells us we'll always feel this way.
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It convinces us we'll never smile again.
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We'll never trust again.
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But those are all lies.
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Your feelings are real, but they are not always reliable.
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God's truth is reliable.
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God says, I will do a new thing.
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Not I might, not I may.
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He says, I will.
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Some of you are waiting until you feel confident before taking the next step.
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Confidence doesn't usually come before movement.
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Confidence grows because of movement.
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Sometimes faith looks like getting out of bed.
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It looks like taking a shower.
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It looks like answering one phone call.
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Sometimes faith looks like scheduling a counseling appointment.
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It looks like taking your medication as prescribed.
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It looks like reading one chapter of your Bible.
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Sometimes faith literally looks like walking around the block.
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Small steps are still steps.
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Progress is still progress.
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God doesn't despise small beginnings.
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Many people believe purpose begins after healing.
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I disagree.
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Purpose often begins during healing.
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Purpose often begins during healing.
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Some of the greatest encouragers are people who are still healing.
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Some of the greatest ministers are people who still have scars.
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Some of the greatest leaders are people who once believed that they had nothing left to offer.
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But your scars don't disqualify you.
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Sometimes they become your greatest qualification because they allow you to understand someone else's pain.
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So what does reclaiming your life look like?
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It looks like choosing to reach, reach toward hope, reach toward healing, reach toward forgiveness, healthier relationships, better habits, reach toward God's calling on your life.
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Some people are waiting for motivation, but motivation comes and goes.
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Commitment stays.
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There will be more mornings you don't feel hopeful.
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Choose hope anyway.
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There will be days you don't feel strong.
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Stand anyway.
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There will be moments you don't feel valuable.
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Remember what God says about you instead of what your emotions say.
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You are not depression, you are not your diagnosis, you are not your greatest failure, and you are not your worst mistake.
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You are a child of God with purpose.
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God already knows what He has planned for your life.
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The problem is many of us spend so much time looking in the rear view mirror that we never see the road in front of us.
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Imagine driving your car while staring only in your rear view mirror.
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Eventually, you are going to crash.
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Spiritually and emotionally, many people are doing exactly that.
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They're trying to move forward while staring backward.
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God says, look ahead.
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You don't have to know every step.
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You only need to have enough faith to take the next one.
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So maybe your next step is making a phone call.
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Maybe it's apologizing, forgiving, applying for that job, starting that business, returning to school, joining a support group.
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Maybe it's simply believing that tomorrow can get better than today.
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Whatever your next step is, take it.
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Don't wait for perfect circumstances.
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Don't wait until all your fear disappears.
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Your life is not over because one chapter was painful.
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A chapter is not a whole book.
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Your story is still being written.
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God is still working.
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So today, make a decision.
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Stop asking what could have been.
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Instead, ask, Lord, what can still be?
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Reclaim your life, not from where you wish you were, but from where you are today.
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Take one step, take another step, take another step.
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Before long, you'll look back, not with regret, but with gratitude, because you'll see that God never left you.
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He was walking with you every single step of the way.
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Until next time, be encouraged, keep your faith in God, and never stop believing that your best days are still ahead.
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And now your homework is.
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Go to the show notes and click on the link, and you'll be well on your way to the 14 days to manage depression.
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It will be the best thing that you could ever do for your mental health.
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If this episode touched you in a special way and inspired you, would you share this with the friend?
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Would you also do me another favor?
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Could you take 60 seconds and leave a review on Apple Podcasts?
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I would greatly appreciate it.