4 Factors for Improving Church Teaching on Mental Illness

There are four factors why the Church should improve the way it teaches on mental illness.

Just recently, I listened to a sermon in which the pastor presented startling statistics on the use of antidepressants and antianxiety medications in the United States, both among adults and children. Although I was heartened to hear a spiritual leader speak on the subject, I was left with the same feelings of uncertainty and guilt that had prevented me from addressing my own mental health problem for years.

We need to have conversations on mental health in our churches, but before we dare to offer our opinions on such a nuanced topic, we need educate ourselves so that we can contribute constructively to the national conversation rather than adding fuel to the fire.

Conversations About Mental Health in the Church

When I was a kid, I was always told that mental illness was a sin against God. You just need more of God’s peace if you’re anxious (true, but how do I get this peace? ), more gratitude if you’re feeling blue (I am so grateful; why am I finding it so difficult to get through the days? ), and more mental capture if your mind is racing with negative thoughts (I am trying, but I’m still drowning). Because I felt like I couldn’t fix what I considered to be a spiritual issue, I constantly battled intrusive anxiety, despair, and feelings of shame and guilt.

I accepted the message that my religion was insufficient to restore my health.

My religion, I believe, is what ultimately kept me alive. The love of God shielded me from my worst impulses. His words brought peace to my troubled soul. Anxiety and sadness were less severe once I began praying. When I was feeling down, my friends and family helped me feel better. In times of difficulty, God is there to console and aid us. When we go through hardships like sickness, grief, and death, he is right there with us. His promise that we may give all our worries to Him is real, but there is more to the tale when it comes to emotional well-being.

The mental health epidemic in America is much too multifaceted to be attributed only to a lack of faith. When our religious leaders refuse to address the complexities of this illness, it has a paralyzing effect on the millions of people who are now fighting it. We need to know the potential side effects of each medicine we preach about.

Prescription medicine for anxiety and depression is a topic that may be discussed openly on stage, unlike blood pressure meds or any other medical condition. I agree that it is important to have this conversation, but only when we have a thorough grasp of the subject at hand.

When discussing the mental health issue in our nation, here are some points to keep in mind:

1. There Are Many Other Factors Contributing to the Mental Health Crisis

The problem in mental health has several root causes, not the least of which is an erosion of patriotism. If we’re going to address this topic with our congregations, it must always be stated from the pulpit. Never once have I heard a religious leader tell individuals fighting for their lives (sometimes) that it’s not their fault. Wisdom reminds us that the Lord is the source of healing, and that he does it in a variety of ways. When we pray for our mental health, God utilizes therapists, physicians, and counselors as instruments to bring us his peace.

Never bring up the fact that someone you know is on medicine for anxiety or depression without also sharing the good news that God wants them to become well. These are only aids that may help us feel God’s love and serenity more deeply. While it is important to discuss the potential side effects of any drug with your doctor, spiritual shame should not be one of the considerations that prevents you from using this method.

When my body was actively fighting against me, day in and day out, it was far more difficult to sense and know God’s peace than when my mind and spirit were at rest. After eight years of denial, I finally admitted to myself that I needed medical aid to get well, and I have no doubt that this was God’s grace at work. I sought advice from several professionals, including therapists, mentors, and counselors, but nothing worked. After years of trying, praying, seeking, and failing, God’s healing arrived in the form of a small medication I take every night, and I am so thankful.

2. Physical imbalances are the cause of both anxiety and depression.

Anxiety and depression are well-documented results of individual behavior, thoughts, and traumatic experiences. All of these are challenges that can only be overcome with the support of friends, family, and the Holy Spirit. A supportive community and professional help during these times are essential.

These difficulties are brought on by physical imbalances in my body in addition to the aforementioned traumas, anxieties, and losses.

If you’ve been taught that taking medicine is a spiritual failure, this truth might further complicate your search for recovery. Hormonal fluctuations are to blame for the distress felt by new mothers after giving birth. Mental health disorders in the gut have been linked to the prevalence of anxiety and sadness. Anxiety may arise from a wide variety of medical conditions and factors, including but not limited to: heart problems, thyroid problems, irritable bowel syndrome, diabetes, malignancies, respiratory illnesses, chronic pain, and a hereditary predisposition to mental health disorders. When it comes down to it, medical intervention is sometimes necessary because of the close relationship between our thoughts and bodies. But we stigmatize medical therapy for mental health issues in a manner that we don’t for any other condition.

3. Stress is an issue of culture

Cultural and spiritual concerns often overlap and are thus difficult to separate. Nonetheless, I believe it is important to highlight the fact that our society is fixated on leading stressful, exhausting lifestyles. Although verses like 1 Peter 5:7 reassure us that God will carry our burdens, we must also describe what it means to follow this counsel, which may include adopting an unconventional way of living.

A healthy, tranquil Christian lifestyle is one that we should spend some time outlining for other Christians. More than just a few additional minutes of morning prayer can help you overcome your fears. It’s pushing back against the idea, hammered into our heads at every turn by our society, that taking it easy is a sign of weakness.

God’s plan for us includes a weekly day of rest, yet few of us really observe the Sabbath. The Christian life requires making room for family, community, prayer, and contemplation, yet how many of us have every minute of every day scheduled to the point that there is no room for these things? God tells us to rely in him to provide, yet how many of us are pushing ourselves to the brink of burnout at work? Is that how it appears when we expect God to provide all our needs?

The church too feels this societal pressure and struggles to respond appropriately. About 42% of pastors, according to a Barna survey conducted in March 2022, had contemplated leaving the ministry because of fatigue. If you are a spiritual leader, I urge you to demonstrate your congregation how to achieve calm by adopting a lifestyle that prioritizes self-care, establishes healthy boundaries, and avoids the hustle and bustle. If anything, God wants you to trust in his capacity to use your life to minister to the community with others, rather than always pushing yourself to do better, especially in job as essential as ministry. Let’s go against the grain as a church and start incorporating God’s call to calm and rest into our daily lives.

Hard data show that our global community is faltering. Showing us what it’s like to go at God’s speed may be a big aid in finding rest in Him.

4. Indicators of Mental Health Ignore Some Details at the Risk of Giving Away the Whole Thing

If you are a religious leader but have not experienced a mental health crisis yourself, it is important that you listen to the experiences of others before you speak out. Statistics can’t replace the wisdom gained from actual life experience. Putting a name and a picture to the data is a great way to humanize the statistics. If you want to be sure you’re not preaching to the choir, it’s a good idea to have a conversation with someone first, rather than assuming you know all there is to know about a topic and then giving a speech to thousands of people who are hoping to learn from your experience.

Before I had my own experiences, I was quick to pass judgment on others who admitted to having mental health issues. With the wisdom gained through my life experiences, I am able to look at others, and eventually myself, with greater compassion and care. Like myself, pastors and other leaders may be at danger if they were raised in a church where mental illness was seen as a moral failing. Hear the testimonies of individuals whose lives have been transformed by medicine, counseling, religion, and community in the face of mental illness. Inquire about how the church may be a comfort to persons coping with mental illness and what words could be most encouraging to them.

These inquiries provide depth to the church’s teaching, dialogue, and affection for its people.

My feelings of guilt and shame that had immobilized me for years returned after hearing a sermon that made passing reference to people using anti-anxiety medications but forgot to emphasize how such drugs might be instruments of our recovery. It’s vital to remember that these are delicate subjects, even if it’s uncomfortable to consider how our comments could affect another person.

One thing that really hurt my feelings was when someone said that thankfulness and worry are incompatible. Even though I had a lot to be thankful for in life—my family, my friends, and God—I still struggled with nighttime panic attacks for years. I couldn’t believe the contradiction between my training and how I felt. There’s room in your heart for both extreme emotions of gratitude and anxiety. Freedom comes in many forms, and depending on who you ask, it may look quite different. Religious leaders, as we discuss this difficult topic, let us do it with an open mind, a willingness to learn, and a heart full of compassion.