My Changed Perspective Of Mental Health
Confession time.
It wasn’t until the past year or so that I felt sympathy as a brother in Christ for those who struggle with mental health issues like anxiety and depression. I thought those were people who were either weak in faith or completely lost and in need of salvation.
Surely, Christians can’t always be depressed, I would think. New life in Christ means a life filled with joy and happiness, right?
Wrong.
My preconceived notions about mental health issues were drastically wrong because I presumed—much like Job’s friends—that suffering in this way equaled sinfulness (and while there are many other mental health issues we could get into, I’ll keep it to anxiety and depression in this piece since they are often the most destructive while also being the most ignored).
Pastor, evangelist, and theological giant C.H. Spurgeon was very familiar with mental health issues. At 22-years-old, Spurgeon was preaching to crowds of thousands. One evening during his sermon, a troublemaker falsely shouted “Fire!” killing seven and injuring more than two dozen others. After that tragedy, Spurgeon suffered from intense bouts of depression that lasted most of his life. “I am the subject of depressions of spirit so fearful that I hope none of you ever get to such extremes of wretchedness as I go to,” he once said.
The reality is that mental health is much more complex than just attaching it to specific sinfulness in someone's life. Spurgeon was not responsible for the despicable actions of someone at his meeting, yet he still suffered from the events of that day for years after.
The most faithful Christians can severely suffer from depression and anxiety while wandering prodigals can feel on top of the world.
Clinical depression is as real among faithful Christians as leukemia and Alzheimer’s. And just as more prayer and Bible reading is not a cure for cancer, they are also not magical drugs that make mental issues disappear.
I’ve done a poor job overall of understanding that reality.
Showing little or no sympathy to those who struggle also leads to a devastating side-effect of mental illness: isolation.
When suffering people attempt to come to Christians for help with their mental health, and Christians just tell them to trust God more or completely ignore the seriousness of their problem, sufferers become isolated, which results in even worse mental health issues.
No person should be alone in times of need. We need each other. “If one member suffers, all suffer together” (1 Cor. 12:26).
My heart goes out to those who feel they have no one to turn to for love and support, and I’m convicted of a spirit that has neglected or even refused to help someone with a mental health issue.
I’m not saying that every time someone gets down in the dumps we should advise them to seek professional counseling and go on medication. There’s a big difference between being sad and struggling with mental health. What I am saying is that Christians should counsel people with mental health issues deeper than just telling them they need to confess sin and trust God more.
King David wrote many of his psalms on battling depressing thoughts and an anxious heart. While we can’t know for sure if David had clinical depression, it doesn’t take an expert to understand how much David suffered from his thoughts. Read a few of these psalms to get a taste of the pressure on David’s mind: Psalm 10, 13, 22, 38, 53, 55, 56, 57, 59, 64, 69, 71, 86.
And I’m sure I missed a few.
The Apostle Paul, Job, and Solomon also dealt with intense depression and anxiety and wrote about it extensively. And while their first plea was always for God to have mercy on them, they did not refuse psychological and physical treatments such as music (Acts 16:25) and good counsel and help from others (Job 33-37; Rom. 16:3-4).
We have scientific and psychological resources that can greatly help people struggling with mental health issues. It would be wrong not to take advantage of them. And, of course, neither science nor psychology should replace Scripture in helping people but should be used as tools to highlight the mercies of God and the goodness of the gospel.
God has given us minds that have been used to research helpful ways to deal with mental health issues. When we use those discoveries to help someone in need, God is glorified.
If you are like me and have failed to show sympathy for those struggling with mental health issues, remember that not all suffering is a result of sin, and not all suffering is physically evident.
If you struggle with mental health issues, forgive me and others closer to you for our lack of sympathy. Remember that even though Christians fail you, Christ never does and He is always there to love and care for you. If you need psychological or medical treatments, don’t be afraid to discuss those things with a trusted professional.
And most importantly, remember that suicide is never the right option. People are there for you—when you’re suffering just reach out to anyone.
The suicide prevention hotline is always open (800-273-8255).