Mental Illness and Christianity

Every now and then when the topic of mental illness comes up, someone makes the comment that the only reason people can't control their mental illness is because they aren't right with the Lord, or because they need more Jesus in their life.

Well, they're right. Partially.

Everyone needs more Jesus in their life.

But the other part of that statement is so so so so hurtful, and so so so so damaging, and so so so so wrong.

We have this thing in our society where mental illness is not very well understood, and also very stigmatized. Because it's an illness of the mind, our most vital organ, research is hard to do, and every single mental illness is as unique as the person suffering through it.

So here we are. We have this terrible disease, and people are saying that a relationship with Christ is the cure. (And for some people, it's helped them on their path to mental health.) But here are the rest of us Christians, who have a strong relationship with God, pray daily, go to church every Sunday, perform works of mercy, and still. have. mental. illness.

What does that mean? That we don't pray enough? That we don't believe hard enough? That we aren't really Christians?

Absolutely not.

How do you explain Mother Theresa? She was a true servant of God and is on the way to becoming a canonized saint, and she suffered from terrible, terrible depression. A saint!

Say you have a pulled muscle. You have to work and work and work to get it back into full health again, unless it's permanently injured. How ridiculous would it be to tell someone with a broken arm that the reason it's broken is that they're not praying enough? Mental illness is similar. It takes so much work to become mentally healthy, and sometimes, even that work isn't enough in the severest of cases.

My point is, making statements like that, while it may be a testament to your own personal battle with depression, is just harmful to other Christians struggling with mental illness, and unwelcoming to non-Christians. Faith is a safe space, where we know we are loved, welcomed, and promised a better life after this one, not a pill that saves us from all of our earthly suffering.

I'm praying for everyone with mental illness, and I believe in the power of prayer. Let's try to create a safe space, and an educational space to talk about mental illnesses for those that don't understand them/haven't experienced them.

The post that tipped me over the edge. I'm glad she's

found a way to cope with her illness, and I don't think 

she was trying to be hurtful, but our words are

powerful, and we need to think before we

make generalizations for the entire population

based on anecdotal experience.

I'd really like everyone who reads this blog to check out this post on mental illness titled "5 things Christians should know about depression and anxiety." The title only includes depression and anxiety, but the post covers mental illness in general. It's definitely worth the read. 

Thanks for taking the time to read this. I know it's hard to talk about mental illness. Either you've never experienced it, so it's this big scary giant you have no idea how to approach, your you're dealing with it now and it hurts to think about it more than you already do, or you've seen a loved one suffer through it with no idea how to help... becoming more informed helps. Becoming more understanding helps. And, ultimately, becoming more loving helps. 

**Disclaimer: This post shares my views, my opinions based on personal experience, and what I've learned from reading about mental illness, and talking with mental health professionals and religious leaders. This isn't me on a soapbox, it's me starting the conversation. What do you have to say? What do you have to learn?