Jesus tells of a story about a young man who asks his father for his inheritance and once it is granted to him he leaves home to explore the world. Once out in the world he spends his entire inheritance on wild living. Broke and broken he decides to return to his father to become a hired hand. The father must have been scanning the horizon every day since his son left, because “while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.” (Luke 15:20). The father was overcome with joy that his son had returned and threw a huge party to celebrate his return. 

In his book, “Depression: Looking Up From the Stubborn Darkness,” Edward T. Weich talks about the culture of self-indulgence. He writes, “The myth is that “one more” will finally bring satisfaction. The reality, of course, is that it just leaves us with a desire for two more, and then three, because we find out that one didn’t satisfy.” (pg 102). Welch is talking about how the culture of self-indulgence contributes to depression. However, as I read this my mind gravitated toward addiction. From my experiences this is a great description of an addiction. Addiction and depression frequently co-occur in a complex, two-way cycle. People often use drugs or alcohol to self-medicate depressive symptoms like sadness and low energy. However, these substances chemically alter brain function, ultimately worsening depression and making both conditions harder to treat.