Christians and Mental Illness
 

by M. W. Bassford

 

Yesterday, I put up a post about whether suicide was a sin.  This produced a number of wide-ranging and interesting discussions online, but one conversation in particular stood out.  A brother in Christ wrote about his struggles with depression and suicide and complained about what he saw as the insensitivity of his congregation to his problems. This is an area where the experience of different Christians at different churches can vary dramatically.  There are congregations (and I would include my congregation among them) that have a very compassionate attitude toward mental illness in general and depression in particular.  We talk about these problems from the pulpit and from the lectern, members feel free to be open about their particular issues, and we encourage such members to seek professional help. On the other extreme (so I’ve heard, though I’ve never seen this in real life) are churches that deny that faithful Christians should struggle with depression at all.  If you’re depressed, the reasoning goes, it points to a failure to put Philippians 4:4 into practice.  Counselors are regarded with extreme suspicion, and members who do have problems with mental illness pop their pills in shadowy disrepute. This is a complicated issue, but I thought others might be interested in how I see it.  I don’t have any professional training in dealing with depression and mental illness, but I have considerable experience.  Though I was never formally diagnosed, in retrospect it’s clear to me that I’ve gone through periods of clinical depression.  After our daughter died, my wife was suicidally depressed.  The experience led her to go back to school and get a master’s degree in social work, thus becoming a mental-health professional herself. In addition, I’ve been a hymn writer for 20 years.  The stereotypes about artistic excellence and mental instability have at least some truth to them, so many of my closest friends and collaborators grapple with chronic depression.  Also, in my work as a preacher, I’ve studied and worked with any number of people who battle depression and other mental problems.  It’s not an exaggeration to say that mental illness has been one of the themes of my adult life. The first thing that this has taught me is that mental illness is complicated.  It’s not about moral failure on the part of depressives, but neither is it (usually) the mental equivalent of a meteor strike from outer space.  It doesn’t automatically destroy you so that there’s nothing you can do.  It’s a result of a combination of brain chemistry, situation, and what you choose to do about it.  The balance among those three factors is going to be unique to any person at any particular time. It’s important, then, when dealing with a Christian who has depression or other mental issue, not to blindly follow any set of cookie-cutter guidelines.  First of all, we shouldn’t simply dismiss the very real problems that depression causes.  Probably the best example of depression in Scripture is Elijah in 1 Kings 19.  When Elijah begs God to kill him, God doesn’t brusquely order him to stop feeling sorry for himself and get back to work.  Instead, He responds with nourishment and encouragement. This is a useful pattern for us to follow.  Mental illness becomes a problem when it leaves those who suffer from it with a diminished ability to function, and we should not discourage Christians in that position from seeking the help they need to return to a more abundant life.  Doctors can prescribe various medications that may help (though experience has taught me that psychotropic drugs are almost never a silver bullet), and visits to a counselor may also prove useful.  Certainly, some counselors are raging atheists and should probably be avoided, but there are plenty who operate from a faith-based perspective and can do great good. This help can also come from ordinary Christians.  Those who are not licensed mental-health practitioners should not attempt to fill that role (and this includes preachers), but nobody needs a license to be loving.  When we are free with our help and support for vulnerable brothers and sisters, we’re giving them what they need not merely to stalemate their problems, but to overcome them. At the same time, though, we should not allow mental illness to become a blank check for bad behavior.  Obviously, some people have issues they will never be able to handle, but most don’t.  Our brothers and sisters need us not only to be there for them, but to gently encourage them. This doesn’t mean that when we learn that Sister A has depression, we should march over to her side of the auditorium after services and set her straight.  It does mean, though, that we should build a relationship with her, so that when she knows in her bones that she can trust us, we can help. This is a tricky topic to approach because both extremes are wrong.  Mental illness is a real problem, but it does not (usually) absolve people of responsibility for their actions.  Medication can be useful, but it can also become a crutch.  It may seem compassionate to deny the second part of each of those statements, but that’s not the kind of help that mentally ill Christians or their families need. I’m thinking here particularly of bipolar disorder.  Major depression is bad enough, but from what I’ve seen, bipolar is the real-life equivalent of a family curse.  Bipolar sufferers who can’t or won’t rein themselves in will devastate their spouses and children.  Even the ones who are trying to control themselves will do some damage, but it’s imperative that they make the attempt, and they need spiritual family members who will remind them of that. There is no one short of God who understands all the ins and outs of mental illness.  It eludes the comprehension of even the most brilliant psychiatrists and researchers.  Far be it from me, then, to claim that I’ve got it all figured out!  However, whether we grasp it or not, we still have to deal with it.  Every congregation of any size most likely has at least one depressed member.  This is a common challenge, but like all of the challenges in our walk with God, we will be best served when we meet it with humility, compassion, patience, and love.       Other Articles About This Election Take Heed to Yourself Praying Like David In Defense of Topical Preaching Goats Among Sheep American Immortality Problems With Local Autonomy Don't Ask Fellowship     For Past Auburn Beacons go to: www.aubeacon.com/Bulletins.htm   Anyone can join the mailing list for the Auburn Beacon! Send your request to: larryrouse@aubeacon.com