Why Pursuing Medication and Christian Counseling is Not a Sign of “Weak Faith”

Written by Benjamin Deu, MA, LMHC, Seattle Christian Counseling

Taken from “Blue Genes” by Dr. Paul Meier, et. al

 “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents that he was born blind?” (John 9:2)

Even in Christ’s day, people struggled with guilt over whether their difficulties were a punishment for sin. Two thousand years later, the Church and mainstream psychology often find themselves on opposite sides of the issue. The reality is Jesus did go around healing the physical, spiritual and psychologically sick. At times it seemed as if healing was somewhat dependent on them having faith. At other times Jesus healed those who were just willing to be healed. While we now understand more about the brain as a bodily organ like any other, many in the church magnify its significance and categorize its ailments separate from those of the rest of the body. However, there are many in the psychology community who designate many issues as psychological conditions when they are actually rooted in the spirit.

 Christian perceptions of mental illness

Jesus didn’t give the impression there was a demon behind every bush, but he did cast out a fair amount of malevolent supernatural spirits as he went along healing the physically ill. Christian counselors are trained to discern whether someone’s condition is primarily spiritual, affecting the mood and thought patterns, or caused by genetics.

We are complex beings with a body, mind, soul, and spirit. That means there could be an issue at any of these levels. Working eight years with young adults and seeing the effects of prayer firsthand has taught me God does answer prayer, yet, at the same time, many people in Jesus’ day were not healed. He was not able to do many miracles in Nazareth because of their lack of faith, which reveals that the miraculous is tied to faith. At the same time, even though it only takes faith the size of a mustard seed to command a mountain to lift itself up and throw itself into the sea, believers need to discern what God is calling them to. Sometimes God asks people to abide in a promise that they will get healed and to stand in that, but often it is just general good sense to go to a doctor and get a sprained ankle fixed. Dr. Paul Meier discusses this controversy in the beginning of his book, “Blue Genes” about overcoming mental health disorders.

 What is the brain’s role in mental illness?

Many mental health disorders are often caused by genetics, according to researchers cited in Meier’s book. He quotes a Time article that estimated as much as 50 percent of the world’s population is at some risk of developing a mental health condition. (9) However, unlike with other physical conditions frequently linked to genetics, such as cancer, people tend to treat mental illness differently.

“What’s so different about mental illness? The brain is an organ that can have problems just like any other organ… Those with {mental illness} do better mentally, physically, and spiritually with medication.” (32) But, for some reason, people with mental illness often feel as if their condition is something they should deal with alone. Perhaps it’s the prevailing notion that mental illnesses are character flaws. You don’t need antidepressants; you just need to lighten up. Your child doesn’t need Ritalin; they just need to learn self-discipline. Yes, people with mental illness definitely need to work to get the upper hand on their condition, but they shouldn’t have to do it alone. You wouldn’t criticize someone with diabetes for taking insulin, why would you criticize someone with clinical depression for taking medication? “For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, because we are members of his body.” (Eph. 5:29-30 ESV) In this verse in Ephesians we see Paul taking it for granted that we would look after ourselves physically. There’s no command to do so because it’s just a given. Getting help for suspected mental health issues is just as important as seeing a doctor for any other suspected illnesses. Your brain is part of your body.

 How to get help for mental illness

1. If you think you may have a mental illness, consider taking one of these online tests.

o Depression test

o Personality test

o Broad assessment test from the Mood Disorders Association of Ontario

2.. Look for a counselor who has a broader understanding of the causes of illness

o It is important to find a practitioner who has experience differentiating between spiritual, physical, and psychological issues. A great resource is the Amen Clinic here in Bellevue Washington. The Amen Clinic offers brain scans to pinpoint where in your brain psychological issues might be which would help you discern what is physically going on in your brain and if there is some brain injury that is the primary factor of your psychological issues.

o Work with a practitioner who is open to medication, but does not take the approach that everything can be solved through taking medication. They should be open to natural medication where appropriate. There is plenty of research that has shown that, for viable candidates, a combination of anti-depressants and counseling provides the best results.

o Look for a therapist who also has enough spiritual discernment to be aware of potential spiritual oppression in a person’s life and is willing to work with a local church to get the prayer support needed in addressing these issues.

o Find your local branch of the National Alliance on Mental Illness

3. Understand the different types of medical providers:

o Psychiatrists are trained in medicine and psychology and focus on prescribing medication for psychological disorders.

o Both a Doctor of Medicine (MD) and Doctor of Naturopathy (ND) are able to prescribe psychological medications, but this is not their specialty.

o Nurse Practitioners are also able to prescribe medication, but this is not their specialty.

4. Seek Counselors who support ‘changing’ the brain

There is a growing body of knowledge that supports the changing of the brain through relational experience. Counseling and psychotherapy are natural ways of changing the brain that focus on creating new brain experiences by changing ways of relating to the world. Often medication will not be necessary for treatment and most counselors do not require their clients to take medication to be in treatment.

Working on our brains is like working on most problems. There are many places someone can start. Talking with a Christian counselor is often a great starting point and provides you an opportunity to ask them if they think medication would help you. Most counselors have received some training in psychopharmacology. However, this is not their focus so it is a good idea to check in with a psychiatrist who can be more specific. For those who would rather not going through the battery of testing out different types of medications to find out what is wrong I recommend getting a brain scan through the Amen clinic. This will help speed up the process of getting help, especially for those with severe psychological disorders. Make sure you find a therapist who is willing and capable of supporting you working with other health care providers.

5. Combining treatments

In order for your counselor to communicate with other health care professionals you will need to authorize a release of information form. The benefit of having your health care providers collaborating is they can work together to monitor your progress.

Dangers of ignoring mental illness

The following analogy has nothing to do with mental illness (unless you count being just plain ol’ dumb, but there’s no medicating that) One day a young woman decided to ride her bike three miles on a not-too-warmish day to a deli for lunch. It was past time for her to eat, and her blood sugar gets pretty wonky when that happens, but she’s young, she’ll be fine! After five minutes in line, her vision began to haze over then tunnel in. She knew she going to pass out. But she was almost done ordering! She could tough through this! Cut to her collapsed on the tile floor, with the beginnings of a monster headache to teach her to pay better attention to her body in the future.

Just as with a fainting spell, you cannot “tough through” a mental illness. I know all those sports movies about people with five torn ACLs who go on to win the Super Bowl say you can, but that’s a fantasy. Those of us who are not Mark Walhberg’s stuntman need to accept the responsibility of listening to our body and giving it what it needs when it asks for it.

This whole debacle with the young woman could have been avoided had she just acknowledged she was not well and gotten some help, rather than trying to go ahead, risking serious injury to herself. Lucky for her, all she has to deal with is a physical weakness. The stakes are higher with neglected mental health issues as sufferers may eventually harm others, not just themselves. Post-partum depression affects 80 percent of women who have a baby. That’s almost all of them. Some of them just feel sluggish and blue, but some of them drown all their kids in the bathtub. You’re not the only one who’s in danger if you ignore your mental illness.

 Mental illness and Christian counseling

If you are worried that you or someone you know may be mentally ill, talk to someone; preferably a health professional. Consider contacting a local Christian counselor and setting up an appointment to talk about whether your suspicions may be correct and how you can help this person. The controversial perception of mental illness by the Christian community will not be easily solved, but mental illness does need to be dealt with as soon as it is recognized. It should not be ignored. Sit down with a Christian psychologist, psychiatrist, or counselor to get the best assessment of the situation and a strategy to help.

Images cc: freedigitalphotos.com – “Young Girl Thinking” by Stuart Miles
“Thinking Young Woman” by imagerymajestic