73. Dr. Todd Bowman - Experiences and Recovery from Depression

Red Ink Revival Leadership Podcast

Welcome to Episode #73 of the Red Ink Revival Leadership Podcast. Today’s conversation is with Dr. Todd Bowman as we talk through the theology, philosophy, neurobiology of depression. Depression plagues 40 million adults in the US, with 70% of pastors reporting that they have an ongoing struggle with it. So, what is depression? How does it affect so many of us? What can be done about it once it is known? This is a must watch/listen for everyone, especially pastors and church leaders to both understand their own struggles with depression, and how to lead someone else who struggles.

Dr. Bowman is the Associate Professor of Counseling at Indiana Wesleyan University. He is an Adjunct Professor for Human Sexuality at Nazarene Theological Seminary. He is an Adjunct Professor of the Intro to Psychology at Nazarene Bible College. He also is an assessing psychologist for evaluating seminary applicants for ministry training.

Our conversation takes us into the following:

The difference in an emotional disappointment, moderate depression, and clinical depression

Our present culture that struggles to acknowledge sadness

The painful symptoms and definitions on the spectrum of depression

Severe depression can happen in a moment and seemingly come out of nowhere

The inheritable factors that can predispose us to depression

When medication is necessary

Dr. Jordan Peterson’s depression struggle triggered by diet

Epigenetics and susceptibility to depression

Diet, sleep, and exercise as ways to mitigate the struggle

How dramatic extremes and the ensuing arousal has emotional consequences

Identifying emotionally as a victim, powerless to move forward, shapes depressive episodes

Words that we use that unknowingly point to victimhood and powerlessness

Abdication of responsibility as a precursor to mild depression

Cognitive behavioral therapy and tools that help discover the roots of mild depression

How engaging our historical story will help expose the roots that drive us

What anxiety, grief and anger have to do with depression

The difference in anger and rage

How depression can show up as irritability or avoidance

The powerful tools of boundaries

The brain’s victimization circuits versus the empowerment circuits

The drama triangle as a way to understand how depression grips us (1:04:00)

Our relationship roles of victim, persecutor and rescuer set us up for emotional dysregulation

The debilitating nature of a double bind – deciding between two undesirable options

The pastor and church leader dilemma around holding boundaries with people and why depression is so common

How worship, prayer and faith cannot overcome our choice to stay in the drama triangle as a victim

The importance of having co-regulating relationships like therapists, colleagues, or process friendships

Depression grows in the soil of regrets and missed opportunities

How gratitude can shift emotional states and re-encode the memories for positivity

Expressive writing as a tool to help navigate through emotional difficulties

Inviting Jesus to experience the emotional challenges with us as an empathetic partner

How unprocessed trauma gives birth to anxiety, rage, and depression

An overview of tools to recover from depression and move to peace and joy

If you have any questions you would like us to address in a future episode, topics you would enjoy hearing, or just want to give us feedback, we would love to hear from you. Email us at [e-mail] .

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Edited and produced by Evan (Emac) McAlister.