psych meds for Christians

[eddif]

Turning on natural endorphins through prayer?

I will start with the question.

eddif

 

[Michael74]

God knows how our bodies work. God can figure out how to heal us. He already knows far better than we do what needs to be done. Its not necessary to include details like endorphins, which most people would not understand well enough to know if they should be increased or not anyway.

 

[Douglas Summers]

What's your opinion?

It depends on your relationship with the Lord.

 

[Christ_empowered]

I've got some conflicting views on it, honestly. In --my-- life, I've seen (and experienced) both good and bad from the psych drugs and psychiatry, as a whole. Some people have had overwhelmingly positive experiences; some are active as "psychiatric survivors," etc., and their perception of the drugs and the psychiatric field is negative.

 

[ezra]

just dont get over medicated what i am saying is dont let them give you a pill for each pill you take

 

[Papa Zoom]

I've got some conflicting views on it, honestly. In --my-- life, I've seen (and experienced) both good and bad from the psych drugs and psychiatry, as a whole. Some people have had overwhelmingly positive experiences; some are active as "psychiatric survivors," etc., and their perception of the drugs and the psychiatric field is negative.

I rarely use my anxiety meds. But in the past two months I've needed them 4x. I'll fix that.

One thing to know is your triggers. What sets you off (for me it' what could bring on a panic attack leading to anxiety leading to a period of depression?) Also, identify those positive life skills that help keep you balanced. There are plenty of these to choose from. I walk everyday. Usually 3 miles, even weekends. Today I'll probably do two. Plus I surround myself with music that brings me to a happy place (most music does this). I've discovered a lot of techniques that help both avoid trouble and deal with it when it comes.

 

[evenifigoalone]

Seems depression can be a secondary condition/ symptom for a lot of other illnesses. With my friends who have anxiety, they describe anxiety causing a big mood dive. I guess it messes with some chemical balances?
The depression I had had was a secondary condition, I think. But eventually my brain righted itself on it's own. Just took quite some time.

 

[evenifigoalone]

God knows how our bodies work. God can figure out how to heal us. He already knows far better than we do what needs to be done. Its not necessary to include details like endorphins, which most people would not understand well enough to know if they should be increased or not anyway.

Just increasing endorphins on it's own tends to be a temporary pick-me-up, anyway. Exercise and a few other things also increase endorphins. I went on a lot of walks when I was depressed, took the dog with me.
Sometimes praying had a similar effect as exercising. It helped me feel better for a bit, sometimes gave me a couple hours of better mood.

 

[Michael74]

Light therapy helps some people.

Stress depletes serotonin. Best to limit stress as much as practical.

 

[evenifigoalone]

Maybe that's what caused the depressive episodes I remember having. I'd feel fine for a few months aside from a constant low mood, then I'd suddenly get hit rather hard for a period of weeks.

 

[Michael74]

Stress and lack of light are two common causes. If you sleep more than 8 hours, you may not be getting enough light. Especially in the winter. Might be something else though, a doc would have to examine you and do tests to be sure.

If stress has depleted your serotonin, SSRIs can help bring it back to normal. Light boxes are used by people with seasonal affective disorder, and they help a lot with their mood. Sometimes just installing brighter light bulbs in the house can make a noticeable difference, and don't play video games in a dark room.

 

[Mike]

I appreciate the care and respect shown in this discussion. I cringed when I saw it, because I feared the inevitable condemnation that this topic usually draws from believers who have actually never dealt with depression, anxiety, etc. I haven't, but people whom I love have. People who deal with any of these very real conditions don't need guilt heaped upon them by people who aren't in position to judge them for it.

 

[Christ_empowered]

I'm on disability for "severe mental illness." I think the diagnosis is still Bipolar I w/a psychotic component, but...that just means more mood drugs than most people diagnosed w/ "Schizophrenia," plus the long term outlook (on average...) is a bit brighter.

OK. I got a community/public mental health clinic. Its good for my parents, because disability covers counseling and the psychiatrist appointments fully, completely. Thing is...

...for whatever reason, the last psychiatrist I saw there (at this clinic, they seem to come and go...) booked me for 30 minute, talking sessions each time I saw him. Not bad, I guess, but...ugh. The more we talked, and he always seemed to have a convo planned, the more I began to see...because of Christ, I'm on a very -different- wave length than this shrink, and probably most shrinks. At one point, he was recommending that I get my parents to rent an apartment for me (they have more resources these days...) and get a boyfriend. I had to explain to him that I enjoy living at home right now, and I'm blessed that they'll have me here, and that I don't want to get back into the gay world, because I'm a Christian. I got an eye roll and a "but there's lots of gay Christians out there" comment, so...yeah.

I guess one could say "but, if he's good w/ the meds, what's the big deal?," and there's something to that, but...stop and think about how much power psychiatrists have over their patients.

Oh, btw...I agree w/ Mike; this thread is going remarkably well.

 

[reba]

Back in the 50s it was a 'sin ' if a Christian was depressed..Much more a preachers wife.... . A short bout of depression was acceptable for a reason...like a very ill child or loosing a loved one.. ..If one was long term depressed they were not trusting the LORD ... 2

Looking back we can see Mom was depressed most the time..
Many things in our home life could have been better but for that stigma. Thank the Lord for the freedom from that bondage.

 

[PeterJens]

This subject brings back to me the testimony of a woman in the US.
She suffered from anxiety, but got anxious about being anxious which led to panic attacks.
She went into mental hospitals, had psych drugs, ect treatment, but nothing helped.
In her case it turned out when she started accepting being anxious was natural and start to
take simple avoiding strategies to fear, she brought control into her life.

What this demonstrates is emotions can be ignored and then exagurated when they demand
attention which just amplifies the effect which can then become life destroying.
I do not think this is mental illness, but just not learning what emotions are and how they work in
oneself. It makes me wonder how many people would benefit from simple counselling about what
emotions are and how they can be brought in balance with other emotions.

A for instance in my life is climbing wall vertigo. I do suffer from vertigo if I let it take a grip.
You freeze and feel terrified. On the other hand you know the height is a danger, but you have a
rope, good hand holds, experience and the strength to climb. You also know what it looks like to
be 20 ft off the ground, which just says that is how it looks, not that this is dangerous because you are
roped up. Now literally going through this discipline takes away my vertigo and trembling fear.

How one set of emotions linked to safety and experience are balanced against the knowledge of the
danger means the result if enjoyment of the experience. Most people learn this process from growing
up, taking risks and conquering them. It makes me wonder if risk taking has been down played in too
many families, so the fear of risks is exagurated to the degree of overwhelming seas of emotion.

In Christ I have equally found such an amazing peace and joy, all lifes ills seem to fade away. But this
takes a relationship and growth in worship and praise to the King.

 

[Christ_empowered]

OK. psychiatric treatment can destroy people. it can also help people, in big ways. from what I understand of the available data, the psych drugs work best when someone has -severe- problems. so, if you have agitated, severe depression, drug-based treatment may very well be a good thing. if your "depression" is less severe, drugs could cause more problems than they fix (good ole risk:benefits analysis, lol).

so...for me...psych drugs it is. ugh. on the treatments, I can function well, the psychosis is usually well managed, and I can even write well. off the psych drugs...not a good idea...mostly psychotic depression, which--interestingly enough--is a form of depression that actually responds well to treatment, but sometimes leads to death thru suicide, and I think in severe cases people get rapid weight loss, which causes problems.

I guess I just struggle with walking with The Lord, but also needing a lil combo to stay healthy and out of a hospital. I also don't like a lot of what I see in mental health, like how the very sick (but poor) are treated like dirt, while the walking wounded (but affluent, with good insurance) get treated like royalty. then there's the labels themselves. stigma, control, etc. I dunno. it is what it is.

 

[evenifigoalone]

Because one person "snapped out of it" does not mean it works the same for everyone. Our minds are connected to our physical being through biological processes and it is not at all far fetched to suggest those processes can go wrong and mess up in ways that cause us difficulties just as our more tangible bodies can.
Further evidence, before someone is diagnosed with depression they are checked out for physical problems such as a thyroid deficiency as it can cause symptoms similar to depression.

I had what I think was a pinched nerve in my spine and was able to heal it without medical treatment, not even one doctor visit, even if it still gave me two years of severe intermittent pain. (But the reason is, I just can't afford a doctor.) But that doesn't mean someone else with the same thing wouldn't have had a more difficult time than I did and needed treatment to avoid the pressed nerve leading to further problems and potential paralysis.

 

[eddif]

Stress and lack of light are two common causes. If you sleep more than 8 hours, you may not be getting enough light. Especially in the winter. Might be something else though, a doc would have to examine you and do tests to be sure.

If stress has depleted your serotonin, SSRIs can help bring it back to normal. Light boxes are used by people with seasonal affective disorder, and they help a lot with their mood. Sometimes just installing brighter light bulbs in the house can make a noticeable difference, and don't play video games in a dark room.

The study of full spectrum light by Dr John Ott has changed my bible study methods / direction.

https://www.makegreatlight.com/about-us/blog/dr-ott-pioneer-of-full-spectrum-light

Romans 7:25 is seen in two wavelengths. The flesh and the mind. You need to be aware of all the different correct doctrines. If you miss one spectrum you can go in an undesired behavior direction. I am mixing natural creation sunlight with God directed understanding of life.

If God created light can effect life as much as it does, then balanced scripture study helps:
Grace
Law used lawfully
Sin
Righteousness
Judgement
etc.

Lock yourself into a man made narrow doctrine alone, and you miss the broad aspect of God’s Word.

Strange thoughts for a redneck. Kerosene lamps kind of do something to light spectrum study.

Redneck
eddif

 

[evenifigoalone]

In the end, doctors are human fallible and taking their advice is optional. They are trained in their fields and their insight is important and can be lifesaving. But they do make mistakes. I have a friend who has physical illnesses which she lives on disability for, and she had to be persistent and went through multiple doctors just to get the correct diagnosis and treatment options. One doctor gave her bad, life threatening advice, and she had to switch doctors. Of course, she also can't live without a doctor guiding her treatment.

Someone can be diagnosed with mental illness, but in the end it's up to them if they actually want to go on medication or not. Some prefer not to. Some of my friends who have anxiety and panic attacks prefer to manage it without medication and have told me they use other tricks to cope instead. Though, in more severe cases such as bipolar or szhizophrenia, that's inadvisable because going off the meds can mean that they won't work when you need to go back on them, even if they previously did.

 

[evenifigoalone]

Stuff like anxiety disorders can also come with extra stuff, like sensory overload. Which is where one or more of the senses can overload resulting in unpleasant things. In the case of anxiety disorders that can mean that things that are too bright or too loud can cause panic attacks because it overloads their senses. (Though it doesn't necessarily manifest the same for everyone.) Sensory overload is also present, to a more severe degree, in things like autism. Some mental illnesses can also come with something called executive dysfunction-- something that is also present to a more severe degree in autism.

Mental illness, particularly the ones that have less stigma attached, isn't simply "I feel sad sometimes", "I feel scared sometimes", or "I need things to be in a certain order". Each one comes with a cluster of symptoms that make up the diagnosis and problems. (Though stuff like sensory overload isn't part of the anxiety diagnosis, I don't think. But it is common in people with anxiety.)