Medicines for mental illness

[needtotalk]

There seems to be a division among Christians about the validity of taking medicines for illnesses such as schizophrenia. I'm not talking bipolar or depression, but good old schizophrenia. The illness is known for symptoms such as delusions, demonic oppressions, and general confusion.

I have schizophrenia, and I endorse taking medicine. I'll give a couple of reasons why: a) It aleviates many of the symptoms listed above; b) often there is no other legal choice but to be on medicine; and c) God's Word doesn't condemn it, in fact it promises to keep that individual in the care and protection of God's love.

Some pastors are wary about the "mind-altering" effects of the medicine. God has created a way such that if any altering goes on at all, a believer believes more strongly in Christ after taking the medicine because it clears the confusion in the mind. There are physical reasons why a person has schizophrenia, just like there are physical reasons why a person has diabetes. If you choose to suffer without the medicine, and the law allows it for your case, you will probably be miserable unless you have but a mild case. Severe cases call for medicine.

The verse that came to mind was the familiar Romans 8:37-39:

But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

See that? nor any other created thing (drugs to help these illnesses) - shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

For me, schizophrenia was something I couldn't outgrow or get counseling for. No pastor knew what to do. But God gifts doctors with wisdom.

Even if unbelievers create the medicine, it's still a gift of God, and nothing it can do can touch me spiritually via the verse above.

 

[PouringRain]

Thank you for posting about this, needtotalk. I agree with you that it is important for someone with Schizophrenia to take their medications, and it is not something that will separate you from God. I wanted to commend you on making wise choices, no matter how difficult it is.

 

[Mike]

needtotalk, I agree completely. A lot of times, these are Godly, well intended people. But their bias towards medication neglects the medical needs in some cases. There is a wealth of data showing evidence for neural disconnections that are repaired by chemicals needed to restore a healthy working brain.

I also support you in taking well informed advice from medical professionals. They should be those who have direct experience in psychiatry rather than a primary care physician, IMO. PCP's are often in a rush.

There also is spiritual health that needs to be addressed, so sound pastoral counseling should also be sought. And that's for anyone dealing with anything. My heart goes out to you. And it pains me to see someone disparage someone else for doing what they need to do when often it is uneducated opinion. Well intended, but uneducated in the field.

Put all advice in perspective, and go to the Lord in prayer about it.

More prayers for you.

 

[Lewis]

Take the medicine, and don't listen to these people, sometimes God will lift your mental illness and sometimes He does not. Or He will allow His medication to give you some freedom from the torture of mental illness. And then in some cases it could be demon induced. But anyway, I took Lithium for years, and Zoloft for a while. Now when the right medication is found for you after trial and error, it can do wonders for you, so don't even listen to these people. It is all God's medications.