depression

January 8, 2021 by Tricia Goyer Leave a Comment

Walk it Out #148: Fighting Forward with Hannah Brencher

WIO #148: Today on the podcast I'm chatting with Hannah Brencher about her new book Fighting Forward. I know you're going to enjoy this episode!

Fighting Forward with Hannah Brencher

When I was doing research for my interview with today’s guest I saw that on Amazon her book, Fighting Forward, was the #1 release in the “Depression” category. That tells me a few things. First, there are a lot of people looking for help. Second, there is a relatability to Hannah’s message that people connect with. They want advice on how to “talk to” the lies that are holding them back, and Hannah shares this message beautifully.

Sometimes it’s hard talking about mental health, but after adopting teens from foster care this is a daily topic in our home. As parents, neighbors, and friends, often want people who struggle with depression and anxiety to “snap out of it,” but it’s not that easy. Thankfully, Hannah provides lots of advice on what can help.

Hannah shares wonderful insight into what the Bible means when God says, “I will make all things new.” She also shares about the importance of fighting forward and about daily rhythms and sustainable faith. If you want to know how to fight better, I know you’ll enjoy this podcast!

Who is Hannah Brencher?

Hannah Brencher is an author, blogger, TED speaker, and entrepreneur. She founded The World Needs More Love Letters, a global community dedicated to sending letter bundles to those who need encouragement. Named as one of the White House’s “Women Working to Do Good” and a spokesperson for the United States Postal Service, Hannah has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, Oprah, Glamour, USATODAY.com, the Chicago Tribune, and more.

You can order Fighting Forward HERE.

About the Book:

Fighting Forward is the empowering anthem you need to take the next small step to a better life.

At the darkest point of a life-altering depression, Hannah Brencher took a silver marker and labeled a composition book “Fight Song.” In that little notebook, she poured hope-filled truths and affirmations, knowing that one day, she—and you—would need a reminder to stay in the fight. Drawn from those glow-in-the-dark words, Fighting Forward is your empowering invitation to show up, claim hope, and take back your life one small win at a time.

Popular blogger, viral TED Talk speaker, and founder of The World Needs More Love Letters, Hannah shares personal stories of developing daily rhythms and sustainable faith in a culture of hustle. With a heap of hope for those who long to move from anxiety and fear into action steps, the power-ballad essays in this book will encourage you to savor the milestones you’ve already reached, root yourself in the next small step, welcome healthy routines into your day, and apply grace like sunscreen in the process of your own becoming.

Fighting Forward champions the truth that each song starts with a single note. With trust and a little time, each note and every small step adds up to a victorious anthem of showing up to this life and staying in the fight to become who God made you to be.

Walk It Out Scripture

Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. Isaiah 43:19 ESV

If you are enjoying the show, I have a quick favor to ask! If you haven’t yet hit the subscribe button and left a rating and a review on iTunes, please take a moment and do so! I love reading your reviews and it keeps the algorithms happy so new listeners can find the podcast as well!

Resources, books, and links mentioned in this episode:

Fighting Forward | Hannah Brencher
Every Little Win | Tricia Goyer with Todd Tilghman
Hannah’s TEDTalk
Grab notecards from my shop HERE!

Connect with Hannah Brencher

Website | Instagram | More Love Letters Instagram

Connect with Tricia

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | BookBub

July 20, 2020 by Tricia Goyer Leave a Comment

Overcoming Dark Days as a Mom

Depression is not something that people like to talk about. Especially as a mom, there is a stigma attached to these things. Today I want to share my story about Overcoming Dark Days as a Mom.

Overcoming Dark Days

For the most part, I’m a happy person, but there was a time in my life where I wondered if I’d ever be happy again. My darkest time was when I was 17 years old and pregnant. Because of shame, I’d dropped out of regular high school. I’d had a rocky relationship with my boyfriend (to say the least), and he was dating a new girl within weeks of my pregnancy announcement. My friends at high school were going on with their senior year.

Even during the moments when I dared to be excited about my baby, sadness crept in. As my pregnancy progressed I was reminded—month by month—of the abortion I’d chosen to have just one-and-a-half years earlier.

The pain of my past decision added to the pain of my circumstances.

As my pregnancy progressed, I spent most days in bed, sleeping to noon. I didn’t want to see anyone, talk to anyone. During my free time, I worked on finishing the last of my high school credits, but part of me wondered what was the use. Wasn’t my life totally ruined? My dark emotions told me it was. I didn’t see any way towards overcoming dark days.

When I was down, I tried to remember the moments when I was happy. Amazingly, my happiest moments were spent as a child at church or with Christian friends. Maybe those memories were God’s way of wooing my heart. If so, they worked.

At six months along I turned back to Him, asking Him to take over my life, hoping He’d turn it into something good.

There are a lot of people who face very dark doubts of depression. My good friend Kristen Anderson is one of those people. I wrote Kristen’s story of trying to take her life by lying down in front of a train in the book Life, In Spite of Me. Thankfully Kristen’s story has a happy ending! She is a story of hope in overcoming dark days, for sure!!

I can’t say I’ve ever been to a place where the pain seemed too much to bear and suicide seemed like the only way out, but I do know what it’s like to feel as if life isn’t going to get better and hope is more elusive than a red- and white-striped hat in a Where’s Waldo book. It wasn’t a chemical depression for me. It was heart-full-of-sin-depression. I didn’t need medication or medical treatment (although I do think it’s necessary for some people). What I needed was to admit my mistakes and ask God to remove my sin.

People ruin their lives by their own foolishness and then are angry at the Lord. PROVERBS 19:3

There was a time I ignored God and didn’t want to turn to Him because I didn’t like how my life was turning out. It took truthfulness—looking at my own heart—to realize I was the cause of my problems. I’d brought the pain on myself by choosing to become sexually active outside of marriage, by choosing to drink, by choosing abortion, by choosing to follow my desires instead of God’s Word.

I’m no medical professional, and I won’t try to give you advice about the type of depression I was facing. I will say that my dark, looming sadness and despondency were due to my own sin, and I had to start by looking at my own heart.

Do you find yourself hurting because of your own bad decisions? Ask yourself, “How much of my pain was brought on by my choices?” Then ask, “What would happen if I turned everything over to God?”

If you seek to find hope after making the wrong choices, God is waiting for the opportunity to take your pain. Not only will He replace that darkness with His light. He’ll also give you something greater than you can imagine: Himself.

My life has drastically changed since the moment I turned my life over to God. I won’t say I never have dark moments, but whenever I do I know where to turn. I know Who to turn to, and God never disappoints.

May the Lord meet you and begin overcoming dark days for you, especially as a mom! If you are in the midst of them- have hope and wait on Him!

~Tricia

P.S As I said earlier, my depression and dark days were not due to medical issues or chemical imbalances. Please seek help if your dark days are due to a medical need.

August 25, 2014 by Tricia Goyer Leave a Comment

Writing a True Story of Depression and Hope

Like everyone else, I was heartbroken to hear about the death of Robin Williams. I remember first falling in love with him when he played Mork on Mork and Mindy. I remember playing with the other kids in 5th grade saying, “Na-Nu Na-Nu.” Hearing of his death was hard enough, but to find out he died by suicide made my heart ache.

For many years I didn’t understand the pain of depression

…and then I had an opportunity to write an amazing story of a seventeen-year-old girl.

Kristen Anderson thought she had the picture-perfect life until strokes of gray dimmed her outlook: three friends and her grandmother died within two years. Still reeling from these losses, she was raped by a friend she thought she could trust. She soon spiraled into a seemingly bottomless depression.

One January night, the seventeen-year-old decided she no longer wanted to deal with the emotional pain that smothered her. She lay down on a set of cold railroad tracks and waited for a freight train to send her to heaven…and peace.

[Finish reading this post on InspiredByLifeAndFiction.com]

If you, or someone you know, is struggling with depression—consider getting a copy of Life, In Spite of Me.

Also, here is a prayer for you:

Dear Lord, be with my friend today. I thank you that you have known my friend from the moment you created her in her mother’s womb. I thank you, Lord, that you go before her. I thank you that—even if she cannot feel it—you will never leave her or forsake her. I pray that you will hear the cries of her heart, even when she cannot utter a prayer. I pray you will lift her out of the pit of destruction and set her feet on solid rock. Lord, be her shield and give her courage. Heal the broken places of her heart like only you can.

(Based on the verses Psalms 139, Deut. 31:8, Psalm 34:17, Psalm 40:1-3, Psalm 3:3)

With every book, I choose to write it because a story has captured my heart. With this book it’s amazing to see how lives have been changed. It’s my prayer that God will use Robin William’s passing to help others reach out and find the help and hope they need.

If you, or someone you know, is struggling with depression, this is for you. @TriciaGoyer

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