Mental Illness and Christianity

Mental Illness and Christianity can be such a touchy subject with a lot of people. I have had personal experience with this. I cannot count how many times I have heard people from the pulpit comment on how we need to get all of these people off of antidepressants and other medications because they need to trust in God to get them over their emotional trials (paraphrasing here of course). But what I do believe that many people in the realm of Christianity fail to realize is that Mental Illness is just what it says it is: an illness. People operate under the assumption that if one is having emotional problems such as depression or other things that they are simply lacking faith in God. Well I believe this could be nothing farther from the truth. Depression, Bipolar Disorder, Schizophrenia, ADHD, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, and any other mental illness is simply an illness. These illnesses do not differ from things such as diabetes, cancer, liver disease, epilepsy and a many number of other things out there. I have heard preachers say that we need to stop giving out these medications and start expecting God to heal us. This is horrible advice.

I am not in any way doubting the healing power of God here, but would you tell someone with diabetes to stop insulin, or someone with cancer to stop chemotherapy? If you have any sense about you, you would say no! Therefore why in the world would you say that someone with depression or any other mental illness should stop taking their medications? Mental Illness can be just as deadly as cancer if untreated. These people who suffer from these diseases can spiral downward into such debilitating pain and sorrow that they no longer can see a reason to live. These people suffer greatly because of their sickness and without medical attention they very well may end their lives. Imagine for a minute a world where everything hurt. A world where there were no smiles, no laughter, no light. You are so tired you don’t want to get out of the bed. You think of nothing but the negative parts of your life. Your brain goes over and over and over again about how useless and worthless you are, over and over again about all the bad things in your life, and all the bad things that have ever happened to you. You spend day in and day out suffering like this, and then one day you think to yourself I could kill myself. I could simply end my life and stop this endless torment. To these people suicide is the only option. They have completely lost any ability to see a way out of their situation. They have no energy or will power to pull their selves out of the pit they have found themselves in. To them they have hit rock bottom and there is no way out but death. Would you tell this person that they need to have faith in God and not take any medication? Would you really tell this person that they need to just have more faith, pray more and seek the Lord more? Keep in mind that they have lost the ability to even get out of the bed. Do you honestly think they have the power in themselves to read scripture, to have more faith, to even see God at this point? They don’t. There is nothing more important to this individual than a way out of their suffering, and at this point they see death as the only means to end their pain. Why in the world would anyone possibly suggest to this individual not to take medication for their illness? It is stupid to suggest this. It is ignorant on your part if you have ever told someone this. Just as the sin of Adam and Eve brought physical pain and illness into this world they also brought mental illness into this world. How dare you suggest that what I have just described is not a real illness?

And while I am at it I am going to go out on a limb here and say that suicide, in the case of mental illness, is not a sin. It is the illness that has ended this person’s life. Sure they may have done it at their own hands but they are honestly not in their right minds. The reality is that the illness is what has killed them. If you were to talk to one of these people while they were not depressed, manic, psychotic, or in some other state of being that is suffering they would be full of life, purpose and a will to live. They would not think themselves as someone who would kill themselves. I know that this statement will be met with much scorn from some, but I hope those of you with more open minds will consider this and realize the truth that I am speaking here.

I am not saying that people do not abuse the system here. There are people that fake mental illness in order to get certain medications. These people are in their own way mentally ill, but they do not need the medication that they are pretending to need. But there are also people that pretend to have pain in order to get pain medication. Does that mean that we tell everyone who is in pain that they shouldn’t take the pain medication that they should just trust in God to take the pain away? Again I will say that I am not questioning the healing power of God here. But I would like to say that this is 2013. We live in a world were science has created medications to ease pain and suffering of all kinds. Science has brought to us ways in which to prevent disease, ways to bring an ease to suffering, and ways to heal some sicknesses. There are so many advances that this world has made that can really help people. And I believe that it is through the power of God that we have all of the knowledge and medication that we have today. If God had not created us to have creative minds then we would have never made it to where we are. God created some human beings with the skill and intellect to study the body and its inner workings and find ways to heal and ease sickness. I believe that just as insulin can help control diabetes, psychotropic medications can help control many mental illnesses.

We need to be more accepting and understanding of those who suffer from mental illness. We need to not tell them to not take medication, to not see a psychiatrist or a therapist because they will become all “doped up" on medication. We have to trust the people that God has put in certain positions in this world today. If you suffer from a mental illness or think you may suffer from one go to a doctor. If you know someone that suffers from a mental illness or think that they may have a mental illness than please encourage them to seek help and please support them if they are put on medication or placed into therapy.

Mental illness affects so many people today. The church has put a stigma on it. Those with mental illness are the silent sufferers in the church. They do not speak up about needing prayer for their illness out of fear of being looked down upon, labeled and/or lectured. We need to stop this nonsense and begin to treat these sick people with the same respect and understanding that we treat those who have been diagnosed with cancer.

God can heal. I believe that with all of my being, but I do have an understanding that, that does not mean that you come off of your medications because you believe that God has suddenly healed you. If you believe that God has truly made you whole then you talk to your doctor and they will work with you. If they are smart they will help you come off of your medication slowly as to avoid a relapse in the case that you might be mistaken (which I would rejoice with you if you are healed). If your doctor will not work with you then find a doctor willing to do so. Not all doctors are the same, if you do not like the one you have find another, trust me there are plenty out there.

Be wise and sensitive to the workings of the Holy Spirit when you are dealing with someone who is mentally ill. Don’t tell them to quit their medications. If they do want to try and come off of their medicine then support them and be watchful for signs of a relapse. Be honest with them if you think they are making unwise decisions. Educate yourself about your own mental illness or the illness of a friend or family member. If you yourself have a mental illness don’t let the negative Christians make you feel weak or unfaithful to God because of what you are going through. Trust in God, talk to him, listen to His voice, be aware of His presence. Do what God says and not what the other people are telling you to do. And remember above all else that God loves you and that one day in heaven we will all be made whole again.

I love you all,

Randi

Special thanks to mom, dad, Krystal, Jennifer, Amanda, Dolan and Lynn…I care very deeply for you all and you mean a lot to me and my journey through life.