Have you ever heard that Christians are not supposed to get depressed? That somehow being a Christian should protect us from mental illness? This is not true, yet this falsehood persists among well-meaning Christians. Why is this?
A depressed Christian does not fit the image of a model Christian, one full of joy and hope. It is thought that someone who is depressed is lacking in faith and weak in prayer. Therefore, these conclusions are drawn about a depressed Christian:
This person is not a real Christian
This person is not a mature Christian
This person is not a victorious Christian
To discover the truth of the matter consider this. Would the same conclusion be drawn of a Christian who had cancer? Heart disease? MS? Dementia? No, of course not. Why?
Mental illness is a disease, just like any other disease, but it is a disease of the mind. The mind/heart/soul is where our joy, hope, faith reside. Consequently, incorrect conclusions have been drawn about mental illness.
For instance, mistaken Christians will suggest that prayer and faith are a substitute for medication. Saying this does more harm than good. Prayer is a good supplement for treating mental illness but it is not a substitute.
Incorrect conclusions about mental illness is not only a Christian problem. When a person is depressed the implication is, they could help themselves if only they tried a little harder. They are told:
Pull yourself up by your bootstraps!
Get over yourself!
Pull yourself together!
This kind of talk keeps the depressed person suffering in silence and isolated from help. It heaps shame and guilt onto a person already depressed. Furthermore, it shows the ignorance of the one saying these things.
There are many types of mental illnesses. The 5 most common are depression, anxiety, bi-polar affective disorder, schizophrenia and other psychoses, and dementia. Depression impacts an estimated 300 million people, affecting more women than men.
When someone is mentally ill the chemicals in their brain are not working correctly. The person is not thinking or acting as they would if their brain was healthy. They may seem a mere image of themselves: saying, thinking, feeling and doing things not typical for them.
To make things proportionate, one must have a healthy mind to be compared with someone already healthy. In other words, do not judge someone with mental illness as you would someone without. Just as you would not ask someone with a weak heart to run a mile, do not expect those who are depressed to be full of joy and hope. This just isn’t going to happen. First treat the illness.
Up Next: Help! I’m Depressed — Treating the Illness
Related: My Mental Illness
End Notes:
You can’t pray it away
The top five most common mental illness
healthline.com How depression effects the brain
Disclaimer: I am not a mental health care worker or physician. I have tried to be factually accurate.
© 2019 Lena Rae
Medical science and practices are another example of God’s healing and grace. Treatment and prayer make a perfect team. Depression, like many ailments, physical and emotional, makes prayer extremely difficult for some individuals. In such cases, other Christians experiencing the gift of good health are called to prayer for those suffering, not ridicule. God bless you for your candor and courage.
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Thank you. You would write a good post. 🙂
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Thank you, Lena. God bless.
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Thanks. So do you. I follow faithfully. God bless you, Lena
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As a Christian who has in the past struggled with my own mental health, I must say that this message is so important and so needed. Having bad mental health does not make you any less Christian.
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Yes, it is an important message. There is too much misinformation about mental illness. Thank you for your input.
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