As Satan becomes increasingly stronger, Church members and others need to guard themselves against the temptation to despair and think negative thoughts, said Carrie M. Wrigley Thursday at BYU Education Week.

Sister Wrigley, now in her 10th year at teaching at Education Week, said there was some apprehension when she first began teaching "Christ-Centered Healing from Depression and Low Self-Worth" seven years ago. No one expected much of a turnout, she said, but there were soon lines to get into her seminars. The reason, she said, is obvious.

"People need this topic," she said.

Depression is not a new subject, she said, having been theorized about for decades. It is not a new subject within the Church, either; in 1974, President Ezra Taft Benson gave a talk entitled "Do Not Despair," which was reprinted later almost verbatim as a message from the 1st Presidency. It is an excellent resource for everyone, she said, not just those struggling with depression or anxiety. Sister Wrigley said she fears that society as a whole has not in enough cases heeded his prophetic advice. His words are those as a watchman on the tower, seeing the modern increase in depression and lowered self-worth 35 years ago, she said. It also is a reminder that there are others dealing with similar problems.

"If you have ever felt alone in dealing with this issue," she said, "you are not alone."

In following President Benson's council, Sister Wrigley said members are taking one of the most important steps to overcoming trials and receiving blessings, including the power of healing.

"When we attach ourselves to (the gospel and its teachings)," she said, "we will have a clear path to follow."

Sister Wrigley has been a counselor for more than 20 years and said she has seen countless cases of depression, all caused by at least one of several triggers. Grief, transition, conflict, disappointment, a lack of interpersonal skills, abuse and loss are all common triggers for feelings of depression. Contrary to mainstream society, she said she doesn't believe depression is an incurable disease, one requiring some outside treatment for the rest of an individual's life. It is not incurable, she said, even if one has biological triggers, as well. She said depression is in fact an extension of the war in heaven.

"Brothers and sisters, the battle has not stopped, the swords have not stopped clinking," she said. The most important battles today are fought in the very private battlegrounds of the heart and mind. People commonly think of opposition from Satan coming from outside factors, she said, outside temptations like the Word of Wisdom or the law of chastity. Increasingly, however, temptations are coming from within.

One of her struggles, she said, has always been perfectionism and feeling inferior if everything was not done just so. She related advice given to her by a counselor in her stake presidency who said her tendency for perfectionism and to feel inferior was one of her biggest temptations. It and other mental anxieties are temptations and can be overcome more easily if recognized as such.

Her perfectionism falls into a category of common cognitive distortions she calls the "all or nothing" distortion, which she likened to a light switch. In this, a person is either good (light on) or bad (light off) and their perception of themselves can be flipped in an instant, usually towards the latter. To combat this, Sister Wrigley suggested instead looking at one's accomplishments or worth as a dial with numbers from one to 10, one being a terrible person and 10 being someone who has nearly achieved perfection. Putting the arrow in the middle, on the 5, and then moving it up or down according to the things one does or does not do can help alleviate some of the pressure to achieve perfection.

"There was only one perfect woman and she has been exalted already," she said. "She can be everywhere; you can't." With this realization, people can begin to cut themselves some slack. This principle also can be applied to other things, even dating, she said.

The second of four common cognitive distortions she shared is that of "self blame." In this, a person insists a bad situation or result was "all my fault." Instead, she suggests, a person should create a "blame pie" in which they identify for how much blame they really are responsible, and how much belongs to others.

Jumping to conclusions is another common cognitive distortion in which, after a triggering event, a person becomes a fortune teller for their future or thinks they know what everyone is thinking about them as a mind reader. To dodge this sticky distortion, she suggested coming up with an "explanation menu" in which one can see the worst-case scenario, best-case scenario and the most likely outcome.

The fourth common cognitive distortion she shared was the "mental filter." In this distortion, a person develops a sort of tunnel vision, focusing on the negative and becoming unable to see the positive. People doing this should develop grateful awareness, or simply counting their blessings.

Using these solutions to common cognitive distortions, people can change the way they feel.

"We arm ourselves against (Satan)," she said. "We arm ourselves with light."

For some, this is not enough. Outside sources may be required. For those requiring counseling, even self-administered, she emphasized the need to listen to those in need. Validate them and allow them to grieve. Let them cry. One of the human race's biggest mistakes as far as dealing with painful issues is trying to submerge the pain instead of trying to figure out what is causing it. Acknowledging what is causing the pain can be the first step to healing.

The triggers she discussed can have a tremendous effect on a person if allowed to do so. But if depression was a chocolate cake, the triggers are only the flour. Other circumstances and more importantly the person's reaction to the trigger become the other ingredients for making a bag of flour into a chocolate cake. The trigger, though, the flour, can also be used to make something else. The triggers and hardship can also be used for an individual's good, rather than automatically becoming a tool of destruction. She cited the lives of Joseph Smith, Job, Nephi and especially Jesus Christ. Theirs were full of grief, of pain, of disappointment, of temptation, but they were not overcome, she said.

Although depression and despair might be bleak places to be, there is healing and there is recovery, she said.